William Brown's The Carpenter's Assistant... provides plans for various homes that might have been built in 1848. In his description of an Italian villa house, Brown says it is best suited for the "class of gentleman whose means and republican principles will not admit of their erecting more classical or regal edifices." Sure. I'm having dinner at Taco Bell tonight because my "means and republican principles" won't allow me to dine at a fine restaurant. I'll let you guess which of those two plays the more important role. Item 22. $850.

Wood describes item 11 as "the first major American book on railroad structures." Written by Walter Berg and published in 1904, its title is Buildings and Structures of American Railroads. Another bibliographer's nightmare, the title page states this is the "first issue, first thousand," but Wood points out that the first was actually published eleven years earlier in 1893. It was simply reissued with no change. Both the real first and reissue, however, are very rare books. In this book, over 500 different railroad structures are discussed. There are 691 illustrations. This should be of interest to any railroad collector. $500.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been leaning for a long time. Cenno Storico e Analitico dei Discordi Pareri... by Alessandro Torri was published in 1838. This rare book about the tower includes an illustration, and the thing was badly tilted even back then. Item 151. $475.

Included in this collection are 18 works either by or about Frank Lloyd Wright. For example, item 183 is his An Autobiography. This is a first edition. $325. Any Wright collectors should certainly see this catalogue.

Charles Wood Antiquarian Booksellers may be found on the internet at www.cbwoodbooks.com or reached by phone at 617-868-1711.