Peter Mires Livres

Louisiana, the Bayou State, is famous for many things, including savory cuisine, great music, and a resident population whose mantra is laissez les bons temps rouler let the good times roll! The place is also noted for its historic architecture, which ranges from simple forms such as the shotgun house or the Creole cottage to the celebrated plantation homes along the River Road. Bayou Built: The Legacy of Louisiana's Historic Architecture examines the so-called built environment from the perspectives of cultural geography and historic preservation. It explores the various folk types and architectural styles that became part of the Louisiana landscape from the first French settlement in 1699 through the railroad and lumber boom of the 1890s.

Lake Tahoe is the gem of the Sierra Nevada. Those who visit this beautiful "Lake of the Sky" may share Mark Twain's impression of the place as he camped on its shore in 1861: "As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords." Twain's quote, from Roughing It, includes the trinity of Tahoe's landscape--sky, mountains, and lake--that people still find inspiring. This explains, in large part, why the man-made environment around the lake is predominantly rustic, a style of architecture noted for its compatibility with its surroundings through the use of natural materials in construction--logs, stone, and wooden shingle--along with muted shades of green and brown. Through its homes, resorts, and other assorted buildings, Lake Tahoe remains "the fairest picture."