Book Description
COURTYARDS
Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight
Courtyards is an artful, informative exploration of courtyards, from their origins in early civilization to contemporary design concepts. Architects and landscape architects will repeatedly turn to the detailed guidelines for reference, gain a greater sense of balance between building and garden, and cultivate optimal green space by using the practical planting tips. Over one hundred photographs and drawings illustrate the concepts written about by an authority and passionate scholar in his field.
Customer Reviews:
Stunning!.......2007-08-11
This book surpassed all my expectations. I was looking for a book full of photographs of Spanish courtyards, to assist me with constructing my own "patio" at home. I was delighted when I found not only loads of beautiful photographs, but also incredible detail about how to construct a courtyard, which direction it should face, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer, how courtyard entrances work, thermal sailing, what to plant, and more! I have really enjoyed using this book to plan my own private oasis. I would have loved to have seen more colour photographs (many are black and white, but most are colour), and it would have been ideal if courtyard construction in the southern hemisphere had also been considered (I live in southern Australia, where the climate is very similar to southern Spain), but these minor issues did not interfere with my enjoyment of the book.
Courtyards: Aesthetic & Function.......2006-05-18
"Courtyards: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight" begins with a brief history of courtyards including itemized accounts of such topics as placement within a building, orientation, exposure, and the promotion of temperature conditions within a courtyard.
Over 50 full-color photographs from Spain and Latin America supplement the second section. Temperature charts, solar diagrams, and other key technical data accompany these images.
Finally an extensive section of planning and design guidelines highlighting factors for consideration such as daytime/nighttime temperature ranges, zoning regulations, proportions, and proposals for driveways and use of rainwater.
Architects, landscape architects, and building designers will find useful information for creating or renovating any courtyard. Students will also find this an inclusive reference. This is not a title of tremendous value to the casual reader.
Couryards: Interacting with nature.......2005-11-06
I got this book several years ago on an inter-library loan from NDSU. It's a great book. The only problem is that it's relatively expensive -- $60 or so.
I'm not an architect, but over ten years ago I built a geodesic dome on an Indian Reservation with the permission of the local district. Assuming you can afford it, where and how you live is the most important spiritual element of your life.
Professor Reynolds approaches his subject with this sort of wonderment. Someday, I hope to build again using some of his ideas as a base. I've never met him, though I would certainly like to sometime. And, I don't know any of these other reviewers who, like me, seem to be very swayed by his writing. (The only reason I mention this is because of one reviewer who felt that there was a certain intellectual dishonesty in the sameness of the praise for this book.) If you're interested in creating harmonious personal space, then you should fork over the $60 or get it from your local library like I did.
Honest Reviews?.......2004-03-03
Were all the reviews written by the author? Give me a break! The fact that every review sounds the same will keep me from ever purchasing this book. In that case, I guess all the reviews helped!
THE Book on Courtyards........2002-05-09
Courtyards is a terrific book, the result of 20+ years of loving research. Oregon Professor John Reynolds is crazy for courtyards and it certainly shows.
A courtyard is a space surrounded by a building, often surrounded by a house. There are all manner of courtyards, large, small, huge, quiet, loud. Some are open and others are terribly private. But all good courtyards have things in common. In the landscapes most of us in the US are used to, we have a house and the gardens are on the outside and we see them before we see the house. In a sense these landscapes serve mostly as dressing to enhance the outward look of the house. But a fine courtyard garden is different. It is smack in the middle of the house and the house surrounds it. It is not wide open to the world, but instead is a place to get away from it all, a place to be outside, but not to be out in the open. The best courtyards are open to the sky, have water, vines, a multitude of interesting flowers, trees, potted plants. A large number of the very finest courtyard plants are discussed in detail in this excellent book. I was struck by how interesting the numerous photos and designs were. Profusely illustrated, each one serves a definitive purpose. I was struck too, by how many different things go into the making of a well thought out courtyard. What is involved so that it will be warm in the winter and cool in the hot summer. What is involved so that it becomes a place where people want to be. I took many notes as I read this large book and some day I plan to build a house of my own design, and in the middle of it, I'm going to have a courtyard. And in this courtyard, I'll have all the things needed, the ingredients so carefully detailed here, that make the right courtyard a magical place. I'd recommend this book for anyone who ever plans to build their own home, for all landscape designers, for all architects, for anyone with a serious interest in horticulture and design. An excellent book.
Amazon.com
Filled with great ideas and enthralling art activities, Young at Art introduces parents and caregivers to a fascinating world that Montessori teachers will find wonderfully familiar. Author Susan Striker created the delightfully different Anti-Coloring Book series and now turns her considerable talents to explaining concepts of child development in a manner that all of us can enjoy. She passionately believes that children can use artistic tools and methods as gateways to all forms of learning, from vocabulary building to early math skills and improved dexterity, and cautions parents to rethink the way we look at art materials. Pipe cleaners form wire sculptures far more detailed than their typical role as bug antenna, and toddlers can have a better experience painting with only one or two colors than they would with an entire palette that instantly turns a muddy brown. Including a wide range of group and individual activities for all age ranges (and even songs to sing during cleanup time), this book is a priceless addition to an art-loving family. Jill Lightner
Book Description
An inspiring guide to encouraging creativity in preschool-age children. Young at Art is the first and only book about the value and impact of art on very young children. Directed toward parents and educators of one-to five-year-olds, Susan Striker explains why childrens art is not a frill but the very foundation upon which all later fundamental skills are built.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent how-to book.......2007-03-15
If like me, you are a young mom trying to encourage your child's creativity to blossom, or even a preschool teacher, then this is definitely a worthwhile read...it comes with helpful strategies, and useful tips on how to promote creativity in young kids...and some ideas are common sense, but its upon reading the book that you really begin to see how other useful ideas might be implemented.
Valuable insights and info on how to teach art to kids.......2006-08-12
I found this book to be very valuable even though I do not agree with 100% of her theories. She gives a great overview of several medium and as well as the actual products she recommends and the best way to teach children how to learn through art. I can see how my kids have already benefited.
Where do I disagree? While I agree that children need to be creative and explore on their own - I do not believe that the occasional coloring book or craft project is going to squash the child's creativity. My children definitely know the difference between their art time and the crafts they do at pre-school to learn about the American flag, holidays etc. And these craft projects that center around topics do reinforce concepts and help them learn - something the author is opposed to (she explicity says that children do not learn about holidays through craft projects where they make Christmas trees etc.)
In spite of disagreeing on this point I found the book to be excellent and would recommend it.
excellent book from wonderful woman.......2006-07-08
Living near Susan Striker, I have had the opportunity to meet her on several occasions including having my oldest children (only at the time) participate in workshops with her. She is fabulous! The ideas in the book are easily incorporated and make a huge difference I think in inspiring children to work at their own level and enjoy the process. It has also helped me as a parent and home educator to feel more confident in guiding the process as well as selecting those rare excellent programs for children in art. Too many even "art schools" focus too much on the outcome or product. Doing it at home actually allows the children to be more of themselves. I also have personally witnessed the effects education wise on my children. My oldest is now 7 and reading at a junior high level. I followed this book and he was, on his own, writing his letters, name, etc at age 3 (well before his personal peer group) and I think this is because of the freedom giving to him in experimenting before then. His early markings were deemed valuable by us and so he kept wanting to do more and then copy us. I am purchasing another copy of this book for my sister and her just turning one year old son so they can enjoy art together as well.
this book is an absolute must.......2006-04-27
quick but to the point: this book is an excellent resource for parents and teachers, of which i am both. it is developmentally appropriate and her theories can be used in any setting of children ranging from special needs right up to gifted. this book allows me to never say "what do i do now with my 2 1/2 year old daughter?"
Any parent or teacher into art.......2006-02-27
This is a must have book for anyone who is teaching art especially to young children. I refer back to this book all the time. Best teaching book I own. The author who is a educator of the arts gives great lessons and advice.
Book Description
Amateurs and professionals alike can discover photography's power to soothe and mend the broken wing of the spirit. With personal stories, commentary, and practical exercises, Jan Phillips helps us see how images can give shape to our half-articulated feelings, shed light on our inner darkness, and reveal our deepest, truest self.
Customer Reviews:
Learning to see God by "seeing"...........2005-02-17
I happened to notice this wonderful, soulful, book at a local bookstore and was moved by the deceptive simplicity of its title and peaceful image on the cover to pick it up and thumb through its pictures; I was floored by the sincere depth of its message.
The book is a sublime gem that anyone who is interested in what photography is all about, what life is all about, and what their *soul* is all about, owes it to themselves to keep by their side! It will deepen and nourish your relationship with the world.
Jan Philips is a rare creature who is equally well proficient, gifted even, in both effortlessly capturing the timeless beauty and spirit of nature in her photos and providing an eloquent written context for those images to help others find the sacred in the "ordinary." Leafing even through only a few pages will leave almost surely leave one with a sense of tranquility; reading over the entire book, a few times perhaps, depending on mood and temperament, cannot fail to leave even the most downtroden of souls feeling joyful at simply being alive and having the privelage at marveling at life's beauty. The book, in short, is all about how *everything that one looks at* -- and most of all the inner "I" that is always lurking somewhere in the mysterious depths of our souls looking outward through our "eyes" -- is nothing but God looking in.
This is a small treasure of a book that is now on the short list of books I will never part with. Highly recommended.
Inspired but limiting..........2002-12-13
Although the photographs and quotes are inspiring, I found the directives to be less than constructive. One directive suggests that you "take a deep breath and then THROW AWAY all photographs you have taken that are out of focus or too light or too dark". What? I was so dissappointed in that conventional criticism. The impression I got was that there is a very specific "right vs. wrong" way to 'spiritual photography'. If the book is based loosely on methods of Art Therapy, or rather, Photographic Arts Therapy, it seems to have missed the mark. Photography in my opinion, should be more about the creative process and creating visual communication rather than making a technically-sound, conventional-looking photograph. Very disappointing.
A moving book.......2002-03-23
"God is at Eye Level" is a beautiful book--a moving book. Here Jan Phillips discusses the healing effect of photography on the personal and sociological levels. The design, photographs, quote-selections, and lucid writing are artfully woven together to produce an evocative read.
Several sub-themes radiate, all reinforced with illuminating quotes from famous artists and thinkers. Among my favorite themes is the relevance of "the moment," or "the present." As Jan says, when embarking on an "excursion of seeing, the rest of one's life is temporarily on hold. There is nothing to reckon with but the moment at hand." When anchored in the present, one's regrets and fears tend to dissolve. You are treated with a "sweet joy" and the healing nature of a "now" orientation.
Your photographs reflect who you are. As a result, you can discover as much about seeing inside yourself as the world outside. When you go out and shoot, Jan says, "honor your instincts, for the images that result are like clues to a treasure hunt," symbols which later tell you who you are, where you've been, and where you are going.
Jan tries to develop a relationship with everyone she photographs. She strives to achieve empathy with all her subjects. For her, the relationship comes first. Her portraits grow out of this closeness and express the intimacy from which they emerge. As a result, a portrait reflects the authenticity of a person's spirit.
Jan discusses the healing influence photography has upon society. She cites several photographers whose work evoked a national response and encouraged social reform. Among others, Jan includes the work of Dorothea Lange (migrant farmers) and Laura Gilpin (Navajos).
And lastly, many photographers wait until they are inspired before they go shooting. Jan says that for her, inspiration comes while working, not before it. The key is to start working, then discover while underway. Once you do, you will experience the healing nature of photography.
Portrait Party is a success!.......2001-01-16
I found Jan's latest book to be wonderful. I love the exersizes and recently did one called "Portrait Day". Only I changed it to "Portrait Party". I invited my good friends over, told them to wear something that expressed their essence and set up my kitchen as a make shift "studio". It even has a pocket door so our "sessions" could be done in private. Each woman came in and each "shoot" was wonderfully unique and different. Light refreshments were provided and everyone enjoyed themselves. At the end of the day we did several fun group photos. This week we're getting together for a "viewing" of all the photos so we can see what the others did. Everyone wants to do another one - It was a great experience for everyone involved. Thank you Jan!
Returning to My Journey.......2000-10-30
Upon reading Jan Phillips latest effort, "God Is At Eye Level", I was called upon to examine where I stood on my journey. Husband, family, & career had taken the time & energies previously used for silent contemplation. Pursuits, especially my photography, had been pushed aside. Frankly, I was reacting to life's events. Jan's book helped me to reclaim the time spent examining this life. It moves you to stop, think, ponder & reflect. It will cause you to focus on the miracles of each day. Her ideas will instill in one the importance of surrounding oneself with those people and things that make you smile. In the process, her book will unlock the creativity that may have been pushed aside to attend to the more mundane aggravations of daily life.
Book Description
The Dragon Empire just got a lot more crowded.
Expanding on Dragonstar, the exciting space-fantasy setting from Fantasy Flight Games, Galactic Races introduces 16 new player character races with which to populate the Dragon Empire. Besides reintroducing old favorites such as the noble centaurs and the scavenging kobolds, Galactic Races also adds several completely new races sure to spice up the Empire. From the enormous and powerful oruk to the small but arrogant quasta, there's something for everyone. As an extra bonus, racial templates allow players to customize their characters even further. Want to play a halfling from a high-G world? Now you can. Galactic Races is an invaluable resource for any Dragonstar DM or player.
Customer Reviews:
Playing the Alien.......2006-05-04
Dragonstar is a science fantasy setting that is more sci-fi than fantasy. While it can be considered a critter book in some respects, every critter in here is intended to be made available to PCs. Many of the monsters here are their own creations revamped for hard core sci-fi that is tweaked with a touch of magic. Ever wanted to play a futuristic blob that can think for itself? Get this book. Ever wanted to play the futuristic version of a skeleton warrior? Again you want this book. A lot of interesting races are available in here. Players will find new challenges and options for their characters. GMs will find great potential for new and interesting NPCs to spring on their unsuspecting players. If you've just gotten into Dragonstar or are just looking for something new and weird to infect your campaign, consider this book. For all the options it gives, it's worth the price.
Average customer rating:
|
Chicano Scholars and Writers: Bio-Bibliographical Directory
Julio A. Martinez
Manufacturer: Scarecrow Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| 21st Century
| African Americans
| Civil War
| Colonial Period
| General
| Revolution & Founding
| State & Local
General
| Bibliographies & Indexes
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Directories
| Catalogs & Directories
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0810812053 |
Average customer rating:
|
Directory Of American Scholars: Index (Directory of American Scholars Vol 6: Index)
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Educators
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Directories
| Catalogs & Directories
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0787664073 |
Average customer rating:
|
Directory of American Scholars: Indexes (Directory of American Scholars Vol 6: Index)
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Bibliographies & Indexes
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Directories
| Catalogs & Directories
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0787638595 |
Average customer rating:
|
Boots, Balls and Haircuts
Hunter Davies
Manufacturer: Cassell Illustrated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
History
| Subjects
| Books
| Africa
| Americas
| Ancient
| Arctic & Antarctica
| Asia
| Audiobooks
| Australia & Oceania
| Europe
| Gay & Lesbian
| Historical Study
| Large Print
| Middle East
| Military
| Military Science
| Russia
| United States
| World
General
| Soccer
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1844032612 |
Book Description
This straightforward parenting guide offers expert advice and fresh perspectives on child-rearing based on Twelve Step recovery principles.
Customer Reviews:
Great Parenting Resource.......2007-07-31
This book takes the steps and principles and promises already familiar to those in a 12 step environment and with real life applications show how to use that knowledge in child rearing. Breaks it down into simple and easy to use ideas.
Book Description
It was only in World War I that the combination of high quality service rifles and new telescopic sights brought the true 'sniper' to the battlefield as a distinct specialist. By 1918 the scout-sniper's value as an observer and gatherer of intelligence was as important as his lethal skills, but these were disregarded in the interwar years. From 1939-45 most armies had to train and equip snipers from scratch, but they were to play a major role in all theatres of war. Famously, on the Russian Front it was a role in which women excelled. This title recounts the development of weapons, sights, tactics and clothing in all the major armies, from Flanders to the Gulf.
Customer Reviews:
Short, but to the point........2002-11-19
A very nice overview of the military sniper and sniping's role in battle, from World War One (with a quick discursion on pre-WWI sniping) to the present day.
Average customer rating:
|
Soldiers, Scholars, Scientists & Citizens Textbook
James Wright
Manufacturer: First Page Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Early Civilization
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Civilization & Culture
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
ASIN: 1882792440 |
Book Description
This textbook set outlines the history of western civilization in provocative case study form, written by a professor at Triton College. Intended for students in senior high school or junior college. Teachers Manual is available for $5.00 and Workbook for Students for $2.50.
Book Description
This best-selling text acquaints students, practicing librarians, and users of libraries with the basic reference and information sources in public and academic libraries. With the emergence of the information highway, this completely updated and rewritten Seventh Edition focuses primarily on electronic formats, and offers solutions to some of the problems encountered in dealing with them.
Customer Reviews:
Introduction to Reference Work, Volume I.......2007-10-11
Just when you think you know all about reference resources, you are bound to learn something new in this book. For a beginner or an experienced person if you are looking for ways to reach different references , this book is great! I think it is worth every cent I paid for it... now looking to buy the second Volume.
Introduction to Reference Work leaves much to be desired.......2006-11-14
As one pursuing a master's degree in Library Science, I was required to buy this book for my reference course. I have found it to be poorly written and organized and of little practical use. Someone out there must be able to know enough about reference techniques to write a more coherent and interesting text on the subject.
Embarrassing.......2006-02-01
This was used as a college textbook in my class, and to be blunt, I and several other classmates were shocked at the poor quality.
Spelling mistakes, poor grammar, etc. abound. If ever a book needed a good editor, this is the one!
It escapes with 2 stars instead of 1 because the patient reader and beginner Library Science student may be able to glean some helpful advice from the text. At the very least, it seems the late William A. Katz knew a thing or two about the subject of reference work. I have to believe there are MANY better resources on this subject however. If not, then someone needs to start writing, there's money to be made!
(Review edited for spelling)
A waste of money.......2005-02-19
This book is terrible. I bought it for a class and by the end of the semester I was completely disgusted with it. It is full of errors: misspelled words, improper examples, inconsistencies in style and usage, and the like. It's hard to believe that this is the book's 8th edition! If you can ignore all of this then maybe you'll find some of the information useful. I'm not sure about its companion volume, I didn't bother reading it. All I know is that when I pay $120 for two thin books I expect far better quality than this.
The Literary Equivalent of Valium.......2005-02-03
One of the dullest, driest reference books I have ever been forced to read (vols. 1 and 2). When you hear "it reads like a doctoral thesis," this is what they mean.
Poor, poor students. All that money ($140 for both volumes) for such mental torture.
Books:
- Design Paradigms: A Sourcebook for Creative Visualization
- Designers Guide to Furniture Styles, Second Edition
- Ecological Design And Building Schools: Green Guide to Educational Opportunities in the United States And Canada
- Eichler Homes: Design for Living
- Enhancing CAD Drawings with Photoshop
- Fantastic Floorcloths You Can Paint In A Day
- Frank Lloyd Wright in Pop-up
- Geodesic Math and How to Use It
- Gwathmey Siegel: Buildings and Projects 1992-2002
- Hamptons Havens: The Best of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens (Hamptons Cottages & Gardens)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- Hamlet
- Ecology and Natural History of Tropical Bees
- Fungal Disease Resistance in Plants: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetic Engineering
- Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
- History: Fiction or Science
- Hot Target: A Novel
- Designing Public Consensus: The Civic Theater of Community Participation for Architects, Landscape A
- Facing Southwest: The Life and Houses of John Gaw Meem
- The Royal Physician's Visit: A Novel
Red-Tile Style
Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente
Courtyards: Intimate Outdoor Spaces
Mediterranean Domestic Architecture for the United States (Twentieth Century Landmarks in Design, Vol. 9) (Acanthus Press Reprint Series. 20th Century, ... 20th Century, Landmarks in Design, V. 9.)
Courtyard Housing in Los Angeles: A Typological Analysis
![Dragonstar: Smuggler's Run [d20 system]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1589941322.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
