The House that Sam Built – Sam Maloof and Art in the Pomona Valley, 1945–1985

Sam Maloof was an unschooled genius, revealed in his many variations: artist, designer, builder of both buildings and of custom made, self designed furniture. Collections of arts and crafts crowd his self made historic home. His legacy continues three years after his death in the fact that longtime friends and woodworkers are still making custom furniture from his templates. "The House That Sam Built" reveals to the reader the many facets of Sam's life, his talents, his friendships, and his collections. The photographs are beautiful and Hal Nelson's interpretations bring that legend to life for the reader.

I recently toured the Sam Maloof house, a fascinating, complex work of art in itself. I purchased this book assuming, given the title, that I would be able to peruse photographs of the house at my leisure, absorbing details in a way that a one hour tour doesn't allow. Imagine my shock when I received the book and found no exterior photos and only two small 1960s photos of the dining room. All the other photos are of furniture pieces and artwork in isolation, with no visual indication of their placement in "The House That Sam Built." The subtitle, "Sam Maloof and Art in the Pomona Valley, 1945-1985," is all that this book is about. You will be wasting your money if you purchase this book thinking you will see the house.

This book brings to life the works of Sam Maloof and other artists well worth the price, even better if you have seen his house and grounds