Customer Reviews

The Staircase: History and Theories

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dis bookk was aguod read but really
it shu;lfd just say
I WARNED YHOU BOUT STAIRS BRO'I WARNED you'
bro reeally lyked tis book and all.
jeff gave it to geerromy
geromy proceeded to go grimderk

I have just purchased my third copy of The Staircase. My previous copies were never returned to me by the borrows but still found their way to our towns' school libraries. John Templer,previously a professor of Architecture at Georgia Tech is emminently qualified to write about all aspects of the staircase. The evolution,history and trivial facts of the staircase are fascintating reading for all ages. The pictures will draw you to continue reading. The topic was so intriguing, I found myself wading into the engineering specifications, hazards (including famous people who died on a staircase)and safety issues. I never ascend or descend a staircase without considering the depth of the tread and the height of the rise, the height of the handrail. What a terrific school project appropriate for the 12 year old and over set. I can see them measuring the dimensions of the stairs in their towns' public buildings, gathering statistics on accident and injuries on these stairs and asking the town fathers why this is so!

An absolute classic that has withstood the test of time. It will remain essential reading for those interested in the responsible design of stairways.

I am an Architect and would highly recommend this book for all readers looking for information on causes of falls and tripping, research relating to technical data, and opinions about stair design. The author compares the research of car safety design to stair safety design which is applicable considering the ubiquity and necessity of stairs, both interior and exterior.

Stairs need to be designed not only for safe use by all ages, but also for increased use as a means of stimulating healthy active living.