Product Description
Transparency and luminescence have reemerged in the vocabulary of architecture, and light and "lightness" have become key concepts for a significant number of contemporary architects, as well as artists who create installations. Recent work by these designers recalls the use of transparent materials in early modern structures, but they have introduced new ideas and technical solutions. In doing so, they have redefined the relationship between the observer and the structure by interposing elements that both veil and illuminate. In this architecture of lightness, buildings become intangible, structures shed their weight and facades become unstable, dissolving into an often luminous evanescence.The 33 projects illustrated in this book exemplify this emerging sensibility, which is examined in a penetrating essay by Terence Riley, chief curator of the department of architecture and design at The Museum of Modern Art, that places the new work in a broad historic and cultural perspective. More than 30 architects are represented in this international selection, and it includes a broad range of building types, scales and technologies, from the small Leisure Studio created by a group of young Finnish architects to Renzo Piano's enormous Kansai International Airport in Japan. Also shown are the Goetz Collection in Munich by Herzog & de Meuron, the Fondation Cartier in Paris by Jean Nouvel, the ITM Building in Matsuyama, Japan, by Toyo Ito, and a set design by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. Each project includes a description by Terence Riley or Anne Dixon.Amazon.com Review
Written to accompany an exhibition of the same name at theMuseum of Modern Art in New York, Terence Riley, the museum's chiefcurator of architecture and design, has identified a new designsensibility. Architects are once again concerned with beauty, andtheir desire to create beautiful buildings and structures ismanifesting itself in the guise of "light" in all senses of the word:transparency, luminosity, weightlessness, and ephemerality. From RenzoPiano's glistening, undulating airport in Japan to Jean Nouvel'sCartier Foundation in Paris with its layered glass surfaces, theseprojects use glass and other semitransparent or reflective materialsto create optic complexity and a new form of beauty that is at oncetactile, sensual, and cerebral. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mainstream Read
This book complements an exhibition with the same title held at MoMA, NYC between 21st September 1995 to 2nd January 1996.It commences with an introductory essay about how light is perceived in architecture, how technology has advanced to the point that certain ideals can now be reached, how light is interpreted from its initial functional purpose in buildings into something totally metaphorical & abstract aligned with art, pondering what is in store for us in the foreseeable future.Subsequently, it moves into the "Projects" section.The picks are quite international, ranging from Philip Johnson, Steven Holl to Herzog & Mueron, Zumthor, Ren Koolhaas, Sir Norman Foster to Renzo Piano to Toyo Ito, Sejima.Please be mindful that the projects are not necessarily buildings but prototypes which might never be realised in large scale.Anyhow, the projects are accompanied by pictures, occasional elevation plans, projects layout plans.It is a book that is fitting to flip through but not something that we would study in detail.The book finishes with project information, photograph credits and lastly the list of trustees of MoMA.A definite reference material but not something for keep permanently or as a cherished treasure on your coffee table.Last but not least, architecture can be deemed as a timely subject.As the projects covered here are almost a decade old, we might have come across something more avantgarde since. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Mainly for Contemporary/Modern Bathrooms
If you want contemporary/modern bathroom design, this is the book for you. There are a few traditional type bathrooms and a few claw foot tubs, but not a whole lot of "looks" for a traditional home. This book was helpful in showing various surfaces, some of the latest sprays and "pods", but I found myself flipping through each page trying to find photographs of bathrooms that would look nice in my traditional home. Unfortunately, there wasn't much here.

-If contemporary or modern is your style, you'll love this book and I'd give it a 4 1/2
-If you have a more traditional home, I give it a 3
-For the information regarding design ideas and thoughts, I give it a 4. The section on small baths was informative, but solutions would probably be quite costly, i.e. pivoting glass shower door, gridded teak panel shower tray slotted over sunken bath.

Overall, I give this book a 3 1/2 and recommend checking it out at the library before buying to determine if it fits your style.

Quintessential Bathroom Style book
This magnificent book will help you formulate what you want, from a personal style perspective.Truly brilliant and at the very top of the design world - typical of Terence Conran!

Great Book!
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. We're in the process of building our home, and trying to complete 3 stylish, functional bathrooms on a very tight budget. This book arrived just in time for us. "Just Add Water" is jam-packed with practical ideas that cover a wide range of styles, bathroom sizes and budgets. It's important, however, to read the text in this book and not just look at the beautiful coffee table-worthy photographs - otherwise, you may come away with the impression that the bathrooms shown in the book are only for those with very deep pockets. With a little imagination, it's possible to translate the practical ideas in this book to solutions that work in your own home. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

Great Job
Very very good book. It could have been more exhaustive, because it's such a pleasure to see, look and learn by these means, that Mr. Hale could have persuaded Dover to double the size. Excellent.

Very cool and detailed anatomy drawings
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3ORQ5N8ZYOHI1 Bernhard Siegfried Albinus (1697 - 1770) was a German-born Dutch anatomist which probably explains why even in the eighteen century, his drawings were so accurate. This anatomy book is a compilation of work from two books he wrote at that time, Tabulae Sceleti et Musculorum Corporis Humani (Tables of the Human Body) and Tabulae Ossium Humanorum (Table of the Human Bones).

When I first saw work of Albinus, it was in Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters. There's a skeleton posing in front of a grazing rhinoceros. And on the cover of this book, there's a cupid over a skeleton's shoulder, trying to throw a cloth over it. How cool is that?

Apparently, the drawings were actually copperplate engravings created with the help of Jan Wandelaar. He's the guy who added the decorative background art. It's great foresight to use long lasting engravings instead of print. The reproduction in this book is brilliant because of that, being able to retain all the details not lost to any degradation. You can still see clearly the intricate cross hatches that wrap onto the surface of muscles and bones.

The content is presented with both the original anatomy illustration together with an outlined line art with labels. There are also close ups on the specific parts, which are a marvel to look at. It's comprehensive enough but nothing is mentioned on how the muscles work or body functions.

Overall a pretty useful and definitely interesting anatomy reference book.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

Good, but not perfect.
Beautiful prints, accurate. However for actual anatomy drawings, there are many books out there that are more helpful. This still great though, very detailed and accurate skeletal structure prints.

Excellent
This book is a wonderful visual aid to anyone who needs to see the particulars of bones, muscles and whatnot in the body. Whether it be an anatomy class or kinesiology this book is an excellent addition to add to your studies of the body.

most versatile anatomy plates anywhere
Albinus on Anatomy is one of my favorite resources as a body worker and movement specialist.There are not many places where we have such wonderful pictures of the entire skeleton that are not in "anatomical position".The opening pages are not only works of art but give us visions of the inner workings of human anatomy as it lives and breaths and moves in everyday life.I highly recommend this book as a front line resource for anyone who teaches movement or coaches sports or works with the body in any healing art. ... Read more

Product Description
Many of the traditions which we think of as very ancient in their origins were not in fact sanctioned by long usage over the centuries, but were invented comparatively recently. This book explores examples of this process of invention - the creation of Welsh and Scottish 'national culture'; the elaboration of British royal rituals in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; the origins of imperial rituals in British India and Africa; and the attempts by radical movements to develop counter-traditions of their own. It addresses the complex interaction of past and present, bringing together historians and anthropologists in a fascinating study of ritual and symbolism which poses new questions for the understanding of our history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Book
This book is one of the sociological must-reads for nation building and growth of national identity.

Beam Me Up Scotty
The Invention of Tradition is a collection of essays. The majority of the essays in the volume focus on the creation of mythical pasts to fill a space in the social fabric opened by changes in power relationships. Prys Morgan captures the essence of these creations, in his chapter on the hunt for a Welsh past, when he notes that Welsh scholars and patriots, in their efforts to preserve things Welsh in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, "rediscovered the past, historical, linguistic and literary traditions, and where those traditions were inadequate ... created a past which had never existed." (p. 44)

The question, of course, is inadequate for what? And the answer is that Welsh culture proved inadequate to stave off English encroachment and so traditions that privileged Welsh culture, and at the same time allowed it to be consumed by the English, were invented. The Welsh gave themselves a grandiose past based on association with the Celtic race. Similarly the Welsh language was discovered to be the tongue of the ancient Gauls and Britans. The Druids were studied and emulated one result of which was the (re) introduction of cremation. Another result, not mentioned by Morgan, was the creation of societies with grand names such as the Ancient Order of Druids and Oddfellows, that were tied to London through their involvement in the insurance business.The London connection was all important. The first Welsh societies were established in London, the Ancient Britons in 1715 and the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion in 1751. These societies propagated a view of the Welsh as the primary people of Britain. Another English contribution to the production of Welsh traditions was the tourist trade of the late eighteenth century that was important in establishing Welshness as something unique to be consumed by fashionable society. (p. 69, p. 71, pp. 62-66, p. 58, & pp. 79-80)

London also played an important part in the creation of the Highland tradition of Scotland. Hugh Trevor-Roper relates the three stages of the creation and adoption of that tradition. First, the creation of cultural independence from Ireland culminating in the invention of a history that inverted the relationship between the two and claimed "mother-nation" status for Scotland. Second, the creation of the new Highland traditions of kilt and clan tartan. Third, the adoption of these traditions by other Scots of various descent. It was the creation of the Highland Society in London in 1788 that did much to ensure the proliferation of the new tradition. In 1807 the Society published the Ossian, the text created by James Macpherson to establish Scottish antiquity's superiority to Ireland. The Society also secured the repeal of the law forbidding the wearing of Highland dress thereby paving the way for the introduction of the kilt as the Scottish national dress. The kilt as Trevor-Roper points out was invented by a Lancashire Quaker, Thomas Rawlinson, sometime around 1727. Likewise the distinctive clan tartans were invented by, or more correctly manufactured by, the combine of the firm Wilson and Son, the Highland Society and the brothers Allen-Hay-Sobieski Stuart, the latter being brothers with pretensions to nobility, nay royalty. The whole sorry business achieved historical legitimacy when the Celtic Society of Edinburgh, through the offices of Sir Walter Scott, stage managed George IV's state visit to the Scottish capital in 1822. The Highland chiefs were inveigled to wear the previously low rent kilt, in their clan tartan, supplied and authenticated by Wilson and Son and the Highland Society. (p. 16, p. 26, pp. 21-22, & pp. 30-35)

Unfortunately neither Morgan nor Trevor-Roper explore the London connection beyond noting its immediate role. Trevor-Roper seems intent on skewering the pretensions of the Scots in claiming a tradition and so misses, or does not adequately explain the significance of a distinct tradition for a Scottish elite. The evidence he does offer suggests that, far from being dupes, the Scots manipulated the tradition to establish a power base, both in Scotland and London, that otherwise would have been unavailable to them. It is ironic that Trevor-Roper's scrupulous dissection of the invented Highland tradition appeared in 1983 the year in which he, however briefly, authenticated the forged Hitler diaries in which he as a director of The Times of London had a financial interest. (Hugh Trevor-Roper, The Times, April 23, 1983, p. 1b. He reconsidered April 25, 1983, p. 2a and retracted and self-criticized May 14, 1983, p. 8b)

David Cannadine recovers the recent invention of the pomp and splendor of the Royal ceremony that turns London into a grand stage for a son et lumiere. His account relates how the British monarchy was recreated in the modern world through the judicious use of technology and appropriate symbolism. (

Eric Hobsbawm's chapter on "Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914 displays the interlocking of tradition and society in this period. He locates the state at the center of these activities through its creation of rules and regulations that associated particular traditions with nations. Traditions were invented and mobilized to ensure the loyalty of mass electorates to bourgeois rule. Hobsbawm is tentative in his conclusions as to what so much invented tradition means. He sees a shift in the presentation of tradition from the static representation of masonry and statues to the fluid ritual acted out for the benefit of the watching mass public. He also sees a top down diffusion of social practices, with the occasional inversion, which were refined according to the new social basis. He gives the representative example of football. Finally he makes some comments on the difficultly of separating "invention" and "spontaneous operation" of tradition given the significant social utility of tradition. (pp. 304-307)

Informative, but somewhat misguided
The basic thesis of all essays in "The Invention of Tradition" is that many of the mass, public traditions in various societies of the world (from Scottish kilts to the very concept of tribes in Africa) are well-crafted ("invented") constructs of the 18th/19th centuries, and are not as ancient or immemorial as they are generally believed to be. Parenthetically, the very expression "invention of tradition" is somewhat redundant, since all traditions, as products of human behavior and human imagination rather than the result of natural forces, are invented in one way or another. All of the essays in the book show how this is so, providing an excellent analysis of the origins of these traditions. As such they are very valuable contributions to contemporary social/political history. However, although the tone of the book is that such "invented traditions" were frequently almost imposed and/or used as instruments of political manipulation, it can't be denied that they also very often gave expression to very real feelings - as editor Hobsbawm concedes in his concluding essay. Thus, rather than demonstrating some sort of arbitrary "invention" and manipulation, Prys Morgan's chapter on the Welsh also shows how previous traditions in Wales were revived, reformulated and continuously adapted from the late seventeenth century on to meet various political, social and cultural challenges, thus making the process of invention seem quite "natural." On the other hand, Terence Ranger's essay on Africa is almost disturbing in that it seems to imply that almost every aspect of African politics and society today were bequethed by the continent's former European colonial masters. Hugh Trevor-Roper's chapter on Scotland is useful in that it pinpoints the exact origins of the "highland tradition" and all outer, visual identity markers used by the Scots, but the overall implication seems to be that now that the sham is revealed, the Scots should discard their kilts and bagpipes in shame. It would have been more useful if he had provided an explanation of why Scottish patriots, and others, so eagerly accepted these "invented traditions," and why they are so deeply entrenched and stronger than ever today. This goes for the entire book: it's main value may be in (unitentionally) showing how all traditions are in fact invented in one way or another, and that they become traditions because, at least at the time of their inception, they serve strongly felt political, social, cultural or even economic needs.

The truth behind the tartans!
Hugh Trevor-Roper's contribution to this book is priceless.In his chapter "Invention of Tradition: The Highland Tradition of Scotland", he details for the reader where the supposedly "ancient" costume of Scotland came from.The kilt was invented by an English Quaker about 1726 to allow his Highland workmen to more easily move while smelting the iron ore he was extracting.The kilt was thus an expression of the Industrial Revolution rather than an ancient freedom of the heather.

The "setts" of tartans purporting to show a particular pattern of plaid belonging to a particular Highland clan is an even more recent invention.The concept of a unified group wearing the same tartan began with the English formation of the Highland regiments in the 1740s and later.The Scottish cloth industry recognized a good thing when they saw it and with the help of the Scottish Romantic movement and with promotion by Sir Walter Scott, by the 1820s, Clan/tartan pattern books (which often disagreed with one another) were happily catering to this invented tradition.

Invented by mis-guided or plainly fraudulent "antiquarians", the concept of particular tartan patterns being associated with a specific Clan is one of the long-running jokes played by the Scots on the rest of the world.Rather like the game of golf.

The real stuff of legend
The principle argumentative thread running through each of this book's essays is that the traditions Europeans hold dear about their respective cultures date back merely to the turn of the 20th century.Far fromlegendarily old, things like Scottish tartans and the English monarchical love of pomp and circumstance date back only to the Victorian era.More tothe point, many traditions aren't even native to the land which celebratesthem.Tartans, the book concludes, are actually northern English ideas,and the "British" love of pageantry comes more from India than fromanything deeply rooted in the gardens of the House of Windsor.

But sowhat?What is the importance of discovering the "truth" of a legend?Doesit make us less reverential of it?Judging by the continued popularity ofSanta Claus, no.Traditions, after all, aren't really about truth.Manytraditions are simply lies that have been repeated enough that they becomeennobled.The point isn't that they were once lies.The point is thejourney they have made from lie to legend.

That is what is sointriguing about this book.True, there are other, more political subtextsin these essays-some of the authors clearly don't LIKE that the lies havebecome cultural "truth"-but all of the essays tell of the trek each ofthese myths made.Far from the "inconsequence" that another reviewer hasmentioned, these essays deepen our understanding of cherished myths andeven make them more endearing. ... Read more

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‘It is inordinately difficult for most people to relate past events described by earth scientists to the world we see around us today. Reason and logic are strained when they describe mountains that were once seas, or seas where there were once mountains. It is hoped that this book will go some way to alleviating this kind of difficulty.’-- from the Introduction

Southern Africa is without equal in terms of geology, a treasure trove of valuable minerals with a geological history dating back some 3 600 million years. In addition, the evolution of plants and animals, especially mammals and dinosaurs, is well preserved in the region, which also has among the best records of the origin of modern man. The Story of Earth and Life provides a fascinating insight into this remarkable history – how southern Africa’s mineral deposits were formed, how its life evolved and how its landscape was shaped. Along the way readers will be enthralled by accounts of the Big Bang that marked the beginning of time and matter, by drifting and colliding continents, folding and fracturing rocks, meteors colliding with the Earth, volcanic eruptions, and the start of life. Other topics include why South Africa is so rich in minerals, how glacial deposits came to be found in the Karoo, why dinosaurs became extinct, how mammals developed from reptiles, and how closely humans are related to the apes. The answers to many such questions can be found here. The book is comprehensively illustrated with explanatory diagrams and full color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Reading the world around us.
First came across this book in South Africa but found it here - thought it was an up-to-date school book - and then could not put it down.Full of accessible information so well written that one must applaud scientists who so well avoid jargon and the prolix sentence. The photographs could have come from a travel magazine: use of color,and layout, on quality paper.It tells the story of an early earth when the continents split, and India and Antarctica parted company, where the comets hit, where the fossils are to be found, and the ancient history of rocks.And then an overview of to-day animals and landscape.It even suggests the spot where southern Africa is now splitting apart from Congo.

Overall it had that "whats on the next page attraction"- even 70 years after leaving school.
(My first copy I lent to a special friend - never got it back - be warned)

The Story of Earth & Life: A Southern African Perspective on a 4.6 Billion Year Journey
This is a fantastic book with a great deal of valuable facts and knowledge. Especially good for anyone studying in this field or just for the person wishing to increase their general knowledge. It contains lots of illustrations and information in an easy to read format. ... Read more

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Paper Edition.In this important contribution to the historiography of Zimbabwe, the authors explore the history of the northwest corner of the country over the course of a century. ... Read more

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A companion volume to Soldiers in Zimbabwe's Liberation War, this collection focuses on the beliefs, ideas, and experiences of the Zimbabwean people during and after the war ... Read more

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The lively action and well-constructed plot of the Phormio Make it an ideal introduction to Terence and to the Roman comic genre. It well illustrates Terence’s subtle handling of plot and character—two fathers, two wayward sons in love, the latter abetted by the scheming slave and by the parasite who gives his name to the play.

This edition, recognizing that the simplicity of Terence’s Latin can be obscured by initial unfamiliarity with his colloquial (and early) poetic idiom, includes a great deal of linguistic help in the annotation. There is a full vocabulary and the introduction deals with genre and plot, as well as prosody and metre. ... Read more

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Why does the Maya calendar end in 2012? In this groundbreaking book, Jenkins shows that the end date of the Maya long count calendar on December 21, 2012, marks the rare alignment of our solar system with the galactic center. This happens every 26,000 years, and the Maya believed this alignment would greatly accelerate human evolution. 200 illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY ITEM
I have YET TO RECEIVE MY ITEM AND THE PEOPLE WON'T ANSWER MY MESSAGES TO THEM.I HAD TO GO TO A BOOK STORE AND HAVE THEM ORDER IT B/C THIS IS REQUIRED FOR SCHOOL.

Maya Cosmogenesis 2012

This is a very interesting book about the mayan culture e the maya calendar in a language that all of us can understand.Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End-Date

Mayqa Cosmogenesis 2012
This is quite an interesting book as it completely covers the history of the Mayans & the development of their view of the cosmos & its predicted destined future!

Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: Galactic Alignment? Maybe.
Let me start this review by praising John Major Jenkins for his intense scholarship and dedication to the Mesoamerican culture. If there's one person who should be consulted in any effort to understand or speculate on the various cultures of Central and South America, it is he. Jenkins' opinion is highly thought out, scientifically tested and comes with a solid passion for the material. In many ways, he is more qualified than those scholars that walk around teaching the very same subject matter.

In fact, it's Jenkins' lack of tied-down scholarship (the political end of it) that allows his theories to branch out into the mythological - and even somewhat mystical.

Maya Cosmogenesis 2012 was a book that I've had on my shelf for a long time. I finally got around to reading it after a few years of procrastination; and although the book itself is a marvel, I was very much disappointed in the end result.

This book is nearly 400 pages of pure content, but unfortunately Jenkins' concluding theory is less than six pages long. I bought the book expecting a theoretical examination of the Mayan end date, but mostly I found the book to be an examination of the Mesoamerican astronomical practices. Jenkins' does a phenomenal job of offering evidence that the Mesoamerican people were extremely advanced in their astronomy and understanding of the cosmos, but he offers little information of just what the significance of the 2012 date actually might be. What he does offer is a conclusion more likely to be found in a New Age book rather than a scientific inquiry.

To Jenkins' defense, hearing a 2012 theory that is not doom-and-gloom, but instead offers a brighter outlook is refreshing to say the least. It just seems out of place in a book whose primary focus in its almost 400 pages has been mathematical, calendrical and cosmological. The picture he paints of these star-obsessed ancients is one of intelligence and purpose. His passive conclusion seems to be out of character for such a culture working off of definitive knowledge and in a highly active manner to harmonize with this cosmology (such as their various complex rituals and human sacrifice games).

Ultimately Jenkins' research also reveals a false misconception with 2012. The galactic realignment placing the Sun in conjunction with the center of the Milky Way (and the possible black hole existing therein) actually will not occur according to his evidence. Instead the Sun barely touches the bottom edge of the "dark rift" that it's supposed to align with. Jenkins dismisses this fact, believing that the proximity is enough for the Mayans to be right, but it does offer some opposition to the theory.

Jenkins' balances nicely his scientific evidence with an examination of Mesoamerican mythology and mysticism, and even goes out on a limb to speculate on the "powers" of shamanism and their control and access of cosmological principles. All of this builds a solid foundation, but ultimately his theory isn't as fleshed out as one would have expected given the evidence. But once again to Jenkins' defense, if the Moon affects people through its manipulation of water (which gives some credence to other heavenly bodies having an affect - hence astrology), then the possibility of this galactic alignment having an impact on consciousness is highly plausible. I just wish Jenkins gave us more in his theory than he did.

I don't "hate" this book. But I recommend reading Aveni's after you've read this one
I'll start by saying that I wish Amazon's rating system were different: according to Amazon's system, the criteria for assigning stars are purely emotional, with "5 stars" = "I love it", and "1 star" = "I hate it". That system seems to be the root cause of some of the acrimonious discussions in the "Comments" sections: a reviewer who admires an author and agrees with his point of view may also believe that the author didn't research his topic adequately, and didn't reason or write very well. If that reviewer isn't aware of the criteria he or she is supposed to use when assigning stars to the book, he or she will give that book a one-star rating based upon how poorly it presented, defended, and expressed a viewpoint with which the reviewer fully agrees. Unfortunately, people who are in tune with Amazon's system then read the review under the impression that the reviewer "hated" the book, which leads to needless misunderstandings in the discussions.

The above having been said, I recommend reading Maya Cosmogenesis in order to understand what the 2012 phenomenon is about. However, anyone who reads it would also be well-advised to read Aveni's The End of Time: The Maya Mystery of 2012. Like Aveni, I admire Jenkins' dedication, and share Jenkins' outrage at the direction the modern world is heading. At the same time, it's crucial to know where Jenkins reasons badly and goes wrong in his astronomy.
... Read more

Product Description
A complete guide to home improvement the environmentally friendly way: whether you want to redecorate or redesign your home, this essential bookprovides all the information you need to reduce your home's carbon footprint and improve the quality of your life.
For 40 years, Terence Conran has been a leader in intelligent design, changing the way we think about and furnish our homes. No, Conran shows us that it is possible to convert our existing homes into greener, healthier places without starting from scratch.Whether you want to redecorate or resign your home, Eco House Book explains how relatively small and economic changes can be made, including simple repairs to improve energy efficiency, water saving tips, and productive gardening, to more dramatic overhauls such as redesigning room use, converting basements and extending your home.
Environmental issues should be part of every decision you make on the home front--from selecting fabric for soft furnishings to designing and siting a home extension.
Special focus is given to reducing the vast amounts of energy and water that homes consume on a daily basis, with advice on low energy lighting strategies and decorative choices, improving insulation and reducing energy use, the latest green heating systems, alternative ways of generating power, and electricity reducing appliances.As we are urged to change our lifestyles to reduce our carbon footprint and consumption of water, there has never been a better time to green your home. (2009) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Going Green, Sensibly
Too often, books on green building hector their readers, or at best, pay a little lip service to environmental issues while pushing products. Not so "Eco House Book," by Terence Conran, who has written yet another sensible work that should help homeowners to think carefully about their living spaces.

Conran identifies and explains what we're seeing, moving from a house built to survive the wind on a desert mesa in New Mexico, to a home in Chicago designed to capture natural light to an off-the-grid home in Oregon and to a home in Sweden that is entirely unpainted but still well-insulated and warm, and plenty of other structures along the way.

Each of the 17 homes illustrates a point in a given category: services (energy and heating, for example), basic fabric, meaning windows, floors, etc., design, outdoor spaces and maintenance. Photos and text flow together, taking readers on an architectural and design tour of the many possibilities, given the landscape and weather of where the home is located and the preferences of their owners.

Though many of the homes shown here are in the United States, this is very much a British book, but that shouldn't get in the way of Americans looking to build a green life. The terms may differ; the cause and value do not.

Intelligence, not preaching, reigns in this pages, and readers are left with a sense of empowerment, knowing that they too, with some thought, can live healthier lives and yet not sacrifice beauty or practicality in the process.

Funky Cover worth price of admission!
You can judge a book by it's cover!!
Excellent effort and it look great on your coffee table to boot. ... Read more

Product Description
Every single thing that has been made by man or woman has been designed. We are quick to recognise the designer's imprint in the cut of a couture dress, in the outline of a landmark building or in the shape of the latest motor car. Less visible are those designers who shape and fill our daily lives with everything from the paperclip to the personal stereo, the flatpack shelving unit to the supermarket label. In fact, design is all around us, but we very rarely notice it. In this book, Terence Conran makes us open our eyes and address the ways in which we encounter and relate to design on a daily basis. A fascinating text full of information and anecdote, along with stimulating photography, makes this book an indispensable reference book for all those interested in the subject.Amazon.com Review
British designer Terence Conran runs from the ivory tower of much contemporary art and design criticism. Instead of employing impenetrable terms and the doublespeak found in many a dense, academic work of criticism, Conran attempts to understand for himself and convey to the reader why he finds certain objects pleasing--why, for example, he likes to look at some objects and colors but disdains others. He concedes that just because he likes something doesn't mean it's in good taste, but his observations and opinions are well reasoned and fun to read. Design is filled with both his writing and rich color photos of objects ranging from handbags to suspension bridges, tennis balls to traffic signs, blue jeans to restaurant interiors. In Conran's view, not even the ubiquitous paper clip is too mundane to consider. His insight into the design of our world--from the toothbrush we use in the mornings to the computer keyboard many of us work on all day--is lively and enlightening. ... Read more

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Absolutely Fabulous
This book is a dream! It highlights so many intriguing items. An impressive aray of astounding photographs and incredibly briliant text. This book reflects the author's genius ten fold. ... Read more

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The application of time series techniques in economics has become increasingly important, both for forecasting purposes and in the empirical analysis of time series in general. This book brings together recent research at the frontiers of the subject and analyzes the areas of time series analysis of most importance to applied economics.The author discusses three basic areas of time series analysis: univariate models, multivariate models, and nonlinear models.Particular emphasis is placed on applications of the theory to important areas of applied economics and on the computer software and programs needed to implement the techniques. It is an up-to-date text, extending the basic techniques of analysis to cover the development of methods that can be used to analyze a wide range of economic problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent foundation for empirical work.
This book is suitable for Econometricians looking for a book without too much theoretical work. Sufficient explaination given for empirical work. Easy to read. ... Read more

Product Description
This book sets out to defend the claim that politics is a linguistically constituted activity, and to show that the concepts that inform political beliefs and behavior have historically mutable meanings that have undergone changes related to real political events. The contributors go on to analyze the evolution of no less than thirteen particular concepts, all central to political discourse in the western world. They include revolution, rights, democracy, property, corruption, and citizenship. ... Read more

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Published in 1977 as the first volume in the New Accents series, Structuralism and Semiotics made crucial debates in critical theory accessible to those with no prior knowledge of the field. Since then a generation of readers has used the book as an entry not only into structuralism and semiotics, but into the wide range of cultural and critical theories underpinned by these approaches.
It remains the clearest introduction to some of the most important topics in modern critical theory. A new afterword and fresh suggestions for further reading complete this new edition. ... Read more

Product Description
The elegant swirl of a remote spiral galaxy . . . not long ago, capturing such a celestial sight on film was a task limited to major observatory telescopes, but no more. Today, equipped with modern photographic films, the dedicated backyard astronomer can take great color pictures. This book displays more than 200 celestial portraits and offers photographic tips for both novice and experienced sky photographers. Full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Beautiful and great tips on taking photos
Really nice book. It has a remarkable number of photos taken by amateurs of all kinds of night sky objects from comets to star trails and even deep space objects. Good solid advice, tips and help for amateurs who want to venture into taking night time pictures. Escpecially if you have an older (non digital) 35mm camera that uses film. Tells you about f stops, films to use and exposures to make.
It has pros and cons of manual and digital cameras and help with using both types. There is also a nice section devoted to making up your own jigs to help you track stars for longer periods of time. It gives you instructions on how to make the jigs but doesn't have any drawings or blueprints on them which is a bit of a minus.
Lots of information about piggy-backing a camera on a telescope too.

Overall it's a great book for somebody who wants to adventure into the world of amateur night sky photo taking. Even if just to make star trails with earth bound object in the foreground.

My first step on astrophotography
For the very beginner in astrophotography( like me) it is all you need( at least for a while).Dickinson and Newton used a clear text adding their expereance. The book begins talking about the universe, then goes to the basic camera on tripod( comets, moon and Earth shine, star trails, etc). To follow the Earth's movment(for those 10 minutes exposures), I learned and built my on Star Tracker - It is very precise and useful because I could find the south celestial pole in my first try as I learned from page 70. As I still didn't buy my own "good telescope", I am not the best person to say about Part 3: Probing Deeper- through the telescope; but it covers all the inicial steps,adaptation, films and filters for lunar /solar photos.The last part tell us how to use the CCD tecnology:choosing a CCD camera,how to color the image and to process it.For the one who want more detail on digital imaging, this is not your book. Bad points are: it does not teach you where(all) the "subjects" are ,missing on CCD shoftware; almost anything on Southern emisfere sky. Good point: a lot of amateurs photos, showing that you can do it. Finally, this is a very good inicial book FOR THE BEGINNER ASTROPHOTOGRAPHER.

Practical "real-world" advice and great pictures
I really like everything about this book. It offers great, practical advice on learning how to take "astro"photos. Many beautiful pictures also. I am currently building my own camera mount based onguidelines in book. Anyone interested in astronomy and/or photographyshould get it!

Typo
The book is great. Terry and Jack did a wonderful job.By the way I am on page 64 with the camera tracker.I noticed a typo on this web page under table of contents.You have Sides versus prints and should be SLIDESverses prints.

Clear skies Gary Boyle Observer's Group Chairman OttawaCentre, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

This Is A Coffee Table Book Not An Astrophotography Manual.
The photograghs of the deep sky objects in this book are as amazing as they are gorgeous. Especially, when one relalizes that the photos were done by "amateur" astronomers. But this is NOT a practical guide toastrophotography. This is a coffee table book which is why it is so deeplydiscounted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Has an important insight to share
The book is the culmination of many years of scholarly labors by one of the leading authorities in the field, Terence Irwin of Cornell.The insight articulated here is crucial.Socrates has by many been considered a consequentialist in moral philosophy, in great part due to his notorious and pervasive assertion that only the virtuous can be happy, and therefore, one who leads a life without virtue is necessarily miserable.Irwin's contention is that Socrates actually argues from an established set of deeply held core convictions, and virtuous action is perceived by him as dutiful adherence to a universal standard of `good' and truth, in a quite non-consequentialist manner which stands in tense relationship to his evidently global skepticism in epistemological matters.

Irwin argues masterfully - with detailed examples from the relevant texts.Unfortunately, the argument is exceedingly complex and is made more difficult by the author's diction - which is not at all easy to follow.Thus, the book is really for those who do not mind a bit of work - but the rewards are more than worth the exertion. For the more advanced student, there are truths to be mined here.

One of the most important book about Plato's philosophy
It's not necessary to know many other books about this subject to understand its importance. This book is indispensable to all the persons who are interested in search Plato's moral theory. You can not agree withthe author's point of view but you can not denie his care with the subject. ... Read more

Product Description
Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes have plagued the history of the earth. What is God's role in natural disasters and the human suffering they cause? This is one of the most vexing questions in Christian life and theology. Terence Fretheim offers fresh readings of familiar Old Testament passages--such as creation, the flood, and the suffering of Job--to give readers biblical resources for working through this topic. He shows the God of the Bible to be a compassionate, suffering, relational God, one we can turn to in prayer in times of disaster. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Good
The book is well-written, and very accessible to a fairly intelligent student of the Bible.The author makes some distinctive points about the translation and interpretation of key biblical verses that pertain to the problem of moral and natural evil. I don't see, however, that the theologian has added anything really new to the discussion about the problem of evil.He focuses primarily on Genesis and Job, but says nothing you have not already read if you are familiar with theodicy.Theodicy seems to have given up on the why? question and turned its focus to a mere description of what God thinks God is doing with evil, and how we can cope and respond to God.Fretheim continues this approach.I will say I consider his respect for the environment and the animal kingdom to be refreshing.Not nearly enough has been written about the suffering of animals.The only book I know of that deals strictly with "animal theodicy" is Nature Red Tooth And Claw, which is extremely expensive.It is very unfortunate that Christian scholars have not taken the plight of animals more seriously.

Recommended Reading:

The Groaning of Creation by Christopher Southgate
The Triumph of God Over Evil by William Hasker
The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
God, Freedom and Evil by Alvin Plantinga
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Best for General Purpose Languages
I bought this book hoping for some help in writing a parser for a simple imperative language with almost 2000 keywords.Unfortunately, I got no help.There is a lot of good advice in this book for writing a compiler or interpreter for a general purpose language with a reasonable number of keywords.If you know ANTLR, it is even better.I guess I'll try Domain-Specific Languages (Addison-Wesley Signature Series) next.

Any programmer's library needs this
Terence Parr's LANGUAGE IMPLEMENTATION PATTERNS: CREATE YOUR OWN DOMAIN-SPECIFIC AND GENERAL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES tells how to build file readers, data readers, code generators and more - without a strong computer science background. The author offers insights into common design patterns key to development for Java and other programmers, creating a guide that isn't language-specific, but pattern-oriented. Any programmer's library needs this.

A must have for developers
I was terribly interested in getting my hands on this book since I'm taking a formal course on Compilers and Interpreters at university and I really wanted to know: What's the difference between what we (as computer scientists) are taught in a compilers' course and the more practical approach presented in the book?

As it turns out there's a big difference. If you want to be the ultimate guru of compilers (eg. contributing an even more efficient compiling technique for language X or creating a language that forces us all to reconsider what we know about compilers) you need both, the theory the practice (because without the theory you wouldn't know how to improve or make obsolete an existing technique, and without the practice you wouldn't be able to put that knowledge to work inside a language compiler). Now if you just want to be able to deal with your DSL (domain specific language), create data readers, code generators, source-to-source translators, source analyzers, etc. you'll love the hands on information presented in this book.

Let's be honest, how many of us developers are required or willing to create a language from scratch together with its compiler or interpreter versus the ones that just need to parse an XML file, process a DSL or create a configuration file reader? I would say that there are much more developers in the later group. But fortunately we all (or almost all) share one thing in common: we know software patterns! This is how the author structured the book, offering patterns (ala Gamma et al) that you can use when creating your language processors (an excellent approach in my opinion since each pattern focuses on different stages of language processing which helps the developer modularize the solution and understand how the different parts of the "machine" work without loosing sight of the big picture).

So, in case you're wondering "what is this guy talking about?". A compiler is a program that transforms code created in one language into another (eg. C source code into executable code). Normally the transformation goes from a higher level language to a lower level language (eg. to machine code)(if it's the other way round we have a "decompiler"). When the transformation happens between languanges on the same level we're dealing with a language translator or converter (normally called "source-to-source translator")(eg. Sharpen, an open source framework created by the db4o team that converts Java code to C#). A compiler is likely to perform several operations such as lexical analysis, preprocessing, parsing, semantic analysis, code generation, and code optimization (which are directly or indirectly covered in the patterns offered in the book). The ultimate tool for developers interested in building compilers is a compiler-compiler or parser generator which, as you might have already guessed, provides a high level description language to help you build your own compiler (this usually involves the creation of a lexer and a parser).

However, I feel I should mention that there's a whole lot of complexity in handling and maintaining all the intermediate information when you're creating your own compiler for your own language which is covered only indirectly in this book. There's also no detailed explanation of the final steps of a compiler implementation such as machine code generation and optimization, register allocation, etc. Overall this is an excellent book for day-to-day language applications (involving parsing, translations, etc).

Now I find pretty important to mention who the author is. Terence Parr created the ANTLR parser generator (antlr.org) and the StringTemplate engine (stringtemplate.org). He's a professor of computer science that's no theorist (this guys has real practical experience!). He has so much experience that he started to see these patterns when developing language processors coming again and again. The end result is this book that presents a compilation of those patterns.

The structure of the book is pretty straight forward. Four general parts:

* Getting Started with Parsing: where you'll learn about the general architecture of language applications and review the patterns that involve parsing.
* Analyzing Languages: where you'll see how to use the parsing techniques described in the previous section to build trees that hold language constructs in memory, how to walk those trees to track and identify various symbols (such as variables and functions) and how to determine the type of the expressions. Overall you'll learn how to check whether an input stream makes sense.
* Building Interpreters: four interpreter patterns are presented that vary in terms of implementation difficulty and run-time efficiency. In the two previous parts the focus was on patterns that verify the syntax of an input sentence and make sure that it follows a set of semantic rules. In this part the focus is on patterns for processing the input sequences (not just validating them).
* Translating and Generating Languages: here you'll learn how to translate one language to another and how to generate text using the StringTemplate engine.


The patterns are laid in the order you'd follow to implement a language (section 1.2, "A Tour of Patterns" describes how all the patterns fit together). There are 31 patterns in the book, each with four parts: purpose, discussion, implementation and related patterns. The implementation section provides illustrative code in Java (but it's not meant to serve as a library). You don't need a background in language theory or compilers to understand the book but you have to have a solid programming background and be confortable with the concept of recursion in algorithms.

Overall, if you're a developer that has to deal with any of the use cases described in this review this book *must* be in your bookshelf (but if you're really into compilers you should also have Aho's Dragon book next to it =)

Way better than sifting through textbooks
I had to read the classic Dragon book in college. I'm glad I did and feel that all software developers should go through the mental process of learning to build a compiler. Doing so ties together all the classes that come before it, from data structures to theory of computation. But, the texts on those subjects are quite dense and not quite practical for the working developer.

This book fills that gap quite nicely. It is free of excess jargon and gets right to the point of creating new languages. Each chapter builds up the reader's repertoire of techniques and tools for writing programs that create programs. For a relatively short book, the author does a fine job of covering scanning, parsing, type checking, interpreters, virtual machines and code generation.

If you've ever wanted to build your own language but fell short when it came to the theory behind it, this book is the one to check out.

Dragon book for the rest of us
Terence has put together a book that is both readable and relevant. In clear, lucid -- even fun -- prose, he demystifies the all-too-often arcane world of language design and processing. While other language processing and compiler books are awash in the theoretical details needed to plumb the depths of the discipline, Language Implementation Patterns gives practical, useful advice on building real-world language processors to solve practical problems. Not content to tilt with cartoon dragons, Terence gives us the armor we've needed all along -- in a way that no Dragon Book ever has.

We are all beneficiaries of Terence's design and implementation of ANTLR. His previous book on the same, coupled with this new volume, empower us to solve manifold thorny problems. It's always exciting to add a new tool to one's technical toolbox, and we've now got complete operating instructions for a very sharp and capable one.
... Read more

Product Description
How would you build a house for a cyborg? The Un-Private House examines this and other questions confronting domestic architecture as the 20th century turns into the 21st. Changes in family structure, shifting concepts of privacy and domesticity, the home as workplace, and the revolution in communications and media have created totally new relationships between exterior and interior worlds. Photographs, plans, and drawings present 26 projects by architectural firms in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Their innovations include spectacular new materials, including "smart skins" through which houses themselves transmit information, as well as structural forms. The houses presented here, and their architects, are not only reconfiguring the domestic landscape but also launching the first architectural debates of the new century.

Architects include: Herzog & de Meuron, Hariri & Hariri, Joel Sanders, Farjadi, Rem Koolhaas, Frank Lupo, Daniel Rowan, Winka Dubbeldam, UN Studio/Van Berkel & Bos, Shigeru Ban, Michael Bell, Michael Maltzan, and Clorindo Testa.

Essay by Terence Riley.
Foreword by Glenn D. Lowry.Amazon.com Review
The Un-Private House exhibition is only the second significantexploration of residential architecture lodged by the Museum of ModernArt, and the first one was way back in 1934. This book is well timedand should prove fascinating to any and all who are interested inconsidering the infinity of ways in which we might live.

This writer's favorite object of contemplation from the book is located in Tokyo and is called the "Curtain Wall House." It stands three stories tall, all with mostly open floor plans on a corner lot. An enormous curtain of fabric hangs along the two sides of the house that face the corner of the lot. In order to close the house in and make it private, one must draw the curtain around the multistory space. When the curtain is open, all the workings of the home are revealed. This is an extreme dwelling with an apparent simplicity that confounds its real meaning.

The Un-Private House is the catalog for a show of the same name at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Terence Riley, chief curator of architecture and design at the museum, put the show together and provides all of the text for the book. He suggests that for centuries one of the highest functions of the single-family home has been seclusion from the public realm. Here Riley has compiled a fabulous collection of cutting-edge solutions to this condition. --Loren E. Baldwin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Avant Garde
An amazing book of an equally amazing exhibition. The book continues where the exhibition left off, questioning what is private and what is not in each of the houses. More than that, the reader should look at each house and the "architectural letter" that it claims to write. Koolhaas' house is a Corbusian critique with a Miesian base. Xavier's house si definately Corbu, the slow house is a slug....and more. Each is an individual criticism on modern architecture and/or on the state of architecture today.

A note:
This is the most comprehensive list of architects that we should look out for....and are the worlds' best. Also if anyone can understand each of these projects, he has understood 80% of architecture today....(but that is if he "reads" each of the houses :-) Each house is prototypical of the architect's interests and what drives him.....see the house and you will understand all his other projects.

BTW get that Menil house out of there. There is no letter he is writing.....

changing lifestyles influence home design
Terrence Riley's introduction to the museum of modern art show's "The Unprivate House" sets up a great framework for categorizing the architectural intent of the 26 examples of residential design represented in this show. Riley reminds us that historically privacy was not always associated with dwellings. Just when we may have become committed to private dwellings, this book challenges that notion and asks us to consider the reality of our revolution in communication and media, complex multi-generational housing needs, and the fact that many homes actually house only a single person. This book provokes the question; what is the character of the housing that will best suit our changing times? Each of the examples challenges our thinking in some way concerning the design of residences today; e.g. should a mixed-use work/home space be clearly divided into distinct sections-even in distinct architectural materials or forms- or should these functions merge together, as is the case in the house designed for wall street currency traders (they even have a video monitor above their jacuzzi). Privacy is challenged to the greatest degree in the structure that closes itself off from the street with a literal "curtain wall." A perceived building line is virtually non- existent when the curtains are open. ... Read more

Product Description
How would you build a house for a cyborg? The Un-Private House examines this and other questions confronting domestic architecture as the 20th century turns into the 21st. Changes in family structure, shifting concepts of privacy and domesticity, the home as workplace, and the revolution in communications and media have created totally new relationships between exterior and interior worlds. Photographs, plans, and drawings present 26 projects by architectural firms in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Their innovations include spectacular new materials, including "smart skins" through which houses themselves transmit information, as well as structural forms. The houses presented here, and their architects, are not only reconfiguring the domestic landscape but also launching the first architectural debates of the new century.

Architects include: Herzog & de Meuron, Hariri & Hariri, Joel Sanders, Farjadi, Rem Koolhaas, Frank Lupo, Daniel Rowan, Winka Dubbeldam, UN Studio/Van Berkel & Bos, Shigeru Ban, Michael Bell, Michael Maltzan, and Clorindo Testa.

Essay by Terence Riley.
Foreword by Glenn D. Lowry.Amazon.com Review
The Un-Private House exhibition is only the second significantexploration of residential architecture lodged by the Museum of ModernArt, and the first one was way back in 1934. This book is well timedand should prove fascinating to any and all who are interested inconsidering the infinity of ways in which we might live.

This writer's favorite object of contemplation from the book is located in Tokyo and is called the "Curtain Wall House." It stands three stories tall, all with mostly open floor plans on a corner lot. An enormous curtain of fabric hangs along the two sides of the house that face the corner of the lot. In order to close the house in and make it private, one must draw the curtain around the multistory space. When the curtain is open, all the workings of the home are revealed. This is an extreme dwelling with an apparent simplicity that confounds its real meaning.

The Un-Private House is the catalog for a show of the same name at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Terence Riley, chief curator of architecture and design at the museum, put the show together and provides all of the text for the book. He suggests that for centuries one of the highest functions of the single-family home has been seclusion from the public realm. Here Riley has compiled a fabulous collection of cutting-edge solutions to this condition. --Loren E. Baldwin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Avant Garde
An amazing book of an equally amazing exhibition. The book continues where the exhibition left off, questioning what is private and what is not in each of the houses. More than that, the reader should look at each house and the "architectural letter" that it claims to write. Koolhaas' house is a Corbusian critique with a Miesian base. Xavier's house si definately Corbu, the slow house is a slug....and more. Each is an individual criticism on modern architecture and/or on the state of architecture today.

A note:
This is the most comprehensive list of architects that we should look out for....and are the worlds' best. Also if anyone can understand each of these projects, he has understood 80% of architecture today....(but that is if he "reads" each of the houses :-) Each house is prototypical of the architect's interests and what drives him.....see the house and you will understand all his other projects.

BTW get that Menil house out of there. There is no letter he is writing.....

changing lifestyles influence home design
Terrence Riley's introduction to the museum of modern art show's "The Unprivate House" sets up a great framework for categorizing the architectural intent of the 26 examples of residential design represented in this show. Riley reminds us that historically privacy was not always associated with dwellings. Just when we may have become committed to private dwellings, this book challenges that notion and asks us to consider the reality of our revolution in communication and media, complex multi-generational housing needs, and the fact that many homes actually house only a single person. This book provokes the question; what is the character of the housing that will best suit our changing times? Each of the examples challenges our thinking in some way concerning the design of residences today; e.g. should a mixed-use work/home space be clearly divided into distinct sections-even in distinct architectural materials or forms- or should these functions merge together, as is the case in the house designed for wall street currency traders (they even have a video monitor above their jacuzzi). Privacy is challenged to the greatest degree in the structure that closes itself off from the street with a literal "curtain wall." A perceived building line is virtually non- existent when the curtains are open. ... Read more