Metapolis Dictionary of Advanced Architecture: City, Technology and Society in the Information Age

Book Description

A dictionary for a world whose cities are linked by fiber optic cables and whose citizens are virtually global, a world where airports are meeting places and meetings take place via web conference, the Metapolis Dictionary of Advanced Architecture identifies a new architectural will and a new social and cultural panorama. From "abduction" to "zoom," radical definitions abound. Collected together they form a global, cross-disciplinary, multi-voiced vision of new architectural action. They define an architecture that is inscribed in information society, that is influenced by new technologies and new economies, and that concerns itself with the environment and sustainability. Entries have been written by the six main authors--Gausa, Guallart, Mller, Morales, Porras and Soriano--plus dozens of international contributors, including Iiaki Abalos & Juan Herreros, Stan Allen, Cecil Balmond, Ben van Berkel, Aaron Betsky, Eduard Bru, Greg Lynn, Josep Llu's Mateo, Fradaric Migayrou, Marcos Novak, Josa Parez Arroyo, Andreas Ruby, Antonino Saggio, Saskia Sassen, Kelly Shannon, Lars Spuybroek, Roemer van Toorn and Mark Wigley. For the sake of accessibility, the dictionary has been organized according to three distinct systems. The main dictionary is laid out in alphabetical order, with each entry explained via one or various contributors' interpretations, plus a list of related words. Within this larger dictionary are two smaller ones: the ideological dictionary (see "ideological dictionary"), located roughly at the center of the book, offers analogical groups of words related to specific idea; the dictionary of aphorisms (see "synthetical") synthesizes some of the key definitions from the main dictionary in the form of mottos. Finally, please note that this is an illustrated dictionary, with images used to facilitate quick explanations of related terms.

Customer Reviews:

Waste of Money.......2007-09-14

Had to purchase this for a class, other wise I would have no bought this book. Easy to use dictionary however half of the topics I wanted to look up were missing. Pictures lack captions. A great example of graphic design, but lacks real relevance to architecture. Concise read for the topics it does happen to contain. For substance, not worth the price.

Half inspiring, half infuriating.......2004-03-06

This book has an interesting thrust behind it; to understand current ideas of urbanism and architecture theory, don't produce a timeless resource; instead, construct an index committed to the moment, that is destined to begin its obsolescence the second it's printed. It's best quality is its cluttered, jumbled design which floods you with imagery and conceptual points of departure.

Sadly, it seems that 2/3rds of architecture education is deliberate obfuscation; people muddying their waters so as to appear deep. Like much of the worst theory, this operates from a "We're so clever, that what we're saying can't be summarized." viewpoint that complicates simple ideas. If you're not into theoretical hair-splitting you're in for a rough time.

The books worst quality is it's fetishing of neologism. For complete annoyance you could look up these idiotic entries: 'benidorm' or 'mmm.' Other one-line entries for epic concepts that don't even offer fundamentals, are so broad as to be useless; look up 'colours!' (Say... that was useless!). No this isn't the book I'd turn to for a deep understanding of color but why include an entry at all?

At it's worst this is a coy, academic in-joke that worships jargon, in an attempt to influence the lexicon. ('delynneate,' get it? Greg Lynn...). At it's best it's an exhilarating look at ideas that may have a shelf-life of decades or a few months, relievedly free of blob worshipping.

excellent conceptual development.......2004-02-06

As an architecture student, I have found this book to be a valuable resource in terms of idea generation and development of design concepts. My professor, who practices architecture and makes use of the book on a professional level, recommended it to my classmates and I - I have used it ever since. Not only does it link terms with architectural concepts developed by well known and celebrated designers, it includes a number of interesting colour images. I highly recommend this to design students and professionals in any field, especially architecture. Happy reading!

Average customer rating:

Great little book for artists

Pure Gold

Not technical enough ....

formulas for "chemics"

Its all here

Formulas for Painters
Robert Massey
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Materials Science | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques: Fifth Edition, Revised and Updated (Artists' Handbook of Materials and Techniques)

Painter's Handbook: Revised and Expanded

The Materials of the Artist and Their Use in Painting: With Notes on the Techniques of the Old Masters, Revised Edition

Methods and Materials of Painting of the Great Schools and Masters

The Craftsman's Handbook: "Il Libro dell' Arte"

ASIN: 0823018776

Customer Reviews:

Great little book for artists.......2007-01-12

Great little book for painters with tons of information. Tremendous value for price. Would not want to be without it on my shelf of reference books for oil and acrylic painters.

Pure Gold.......2006-08-24

This is the manual that all others are compared to and remains the gold standard for basic instuction on painting materials.

Not technical enough ...........2006-05-19

I differ from the previous reviewer who considers this book too technical. This book isn't technical enough. It lacks the technical information for the serious artist to decide if the cited formulas suit his needs.

For example, the section on the "Drying time of medium, glazes, and varnishes" doesn't tell you how the tested formulas were drying. Were these formulas drying on a hot day or on a cold day? Temperature makes an enormous difference on a formula's drying time. How thickly painted where these formulas? This too makes an enormous difference. Were these formulas tested after being mixed with paints? Or were they tested straight, no chaser? We might be artists; but we are still smart enough to comprehend, and need, basic and useful "technical" information.

It would also be helpful if the author cited the sources of his formulas. When I read about a formula in the book, I like to know which artists used the forumla so that I can see if their paintings are still intact. As the author didn't cite the sources of his formulas, I have no way of knowing if the formulas are archival or fugitive, and if I should trust them. I mean, the formulas could well have been copied from Francisco Pacheco's once authoritative painting manual - a book that recommends such dubious formulas as using olive oil in gessoes.

You will notice that there aren't many surviving Pachecos in the museums.

With these said, this book is perhaps among the most useful painting formulas books available. A serious and experienced artist can, to some degree, decipher if these formulas are archival based on their ingredients. In contrast, an inexperienced artist would be at a lost as to which formulas to trust.

formulas for "chemics".......2006-03-10

not helpful as I thought. it is so technical, I am an artist, no a paint solution maker.

Its all here.......2005-10-11

If you want to know what you are working with in the world of paint-here it is.I'm talking types of paint and not brands.a Fantastic book for consultation on varnishes,fixatives,glazes,etc.It gives you the lowdown and how to make the stuff and what their purpose and use.It is not a "must-have" book but its one I really love as I've always been curious about the alchemist side of things.It is a technical book only but thats exactly what I wanted...but not needed.I love this book.

Average customer rating:

Formulas For Painters
Robert Massey
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques: Fifth Edition, Revised and Updated (Artists' Handbook of Materials and Techniques)

ASIN: 082301875X

Product Description

200 formulas for making paints, glazes, mediums, varnishes, grounds, fixatives, sizes and adhesives.

ESF: everyone's success formula: how to be the best you can be

Average customer rating:

ESF: everyone's success formula: how to be the best you can be
James I. Painter
Manufacturer: Jim Painter and Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Success | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0974155624

The expert house painter: A reliable guide for the experienced house painter and manual of instruction for the less expert workman ... Formulas given for ... etc., (Lettered on cover: Expert series)

Average customer rating:

The expert house painter: A reliable guide for the experienced house painter and manual of instruction for the less expert workman ... Formulas given for ... etc., (Lettered on cover: Expert series)
Albanis Ashmun Kelly
Manufacturer: David McKay Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00087LB3A

Average customer rating:

Formulas for Painters
Robert Massey
Manufacturer: Watson Guptill Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KQ187I

Average customer rating:

The expert house painter: A reliable guide for the experienced house painter and manual of instruction for the less expert workman ... Formulas given for ... in their true scientific relations, etc.,
Albanis Ashmun Lelly
Manufacturer: A.A. Kelley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B000884CHG

Average customer rating:
Bt-an Age of Barns
Eric Sloane
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0345317629
Release Date: 1984-01-12

Customer Reviews:

great stuff.......2001-07-04

The Tundra comic strip often exhbits the sheer brilliance one normally associates with Gary Larson. I can't beleive that none of the nationally circulated newspapers have picked up on this. I own a few of Chad Carpenter's books and they're all hilarious. I really suggest buying at least one of his books.

A funny, light hearted comic book.......2000-07-21

Although hard to know it even exists, this is a very worth the search. Now that I've read Tundra II i plan on buying Tundra, Tundra III and the triolgy thing. I am a big fan of comic books and have all of the Garfield's, Calvin and Hobbes's, Far Side's, Dilbert's, Zits's, Over the Hedge's and For Better or For Worse's. I am working on finishing my Peanuts collection. All of these comic books are so worth my time and Tundra is a very pleasing addition. A great bathroom book if you ask me and that is mentioned on the back. Yes, definately worth buying.

Book Description

Jean Frederic Herbart (1776-1841) was at once a schoolmaster and a profound philosopher; and if it could be said of him that he was " the father of modern psychology," he has no less a claim to be considered the founder of a scientific pedagogy, with psychology as its basis.

Gabriel Compayré is the author of History of Pedagogy, Montaigne and the Education of the Judgment, Peter Abelard and the Rise of the Modern Universities and Jean Jacques Rousseau and Education from Nature.

Book Description

What do you get when you combine a newspaper, paper bags, tape, and markers? A Lunch Bag City, of course! This series is a teacher's dream! You'll find more creative ways to use a tube sock, milk carton, and other inexpensive things found around the house than you ever imagined. Create unique, exciting toys and props to help children learn in appropriate ways. Don't recycle that cereal box . . . reuse it to make a simple puzzle! Each age-appropriate Making Toys book will make you look at the everyday items around you in a whole new way.

Book Description

Considered by many to be the greatest war photographer, Robert Capa first gained recognition for images he made during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). This volume is the first to be devoted entirely to these photographs.

In 1936, the rebellion of monarchists and fascists led by General Franco, in alliance with Hitler and Mussolini, mobilized anti-fascists all over the world, among them Robert Capa. During the entire period of the civil war, Capa traveled throughout the Loyalist-held areas of Spain, photographing battles, cities under siege, and the chaos of a modern nation at war with itself.

One series of images documents the heroic Loyalist defense of Madrid; another the mass exodus of Catalonians from Barcelona to the French border. His iconic photograph of a Loyalist militiaman who has just been shot shocked the world with its brutal immediacy. Capa's pictures not only illuminated the strength and courage of the soldiers who carried on against overwhelming odds but also galvanized compassion for the innocent and injured. John Steinbeck praised Capa for his ability to "show the horror of a whole people in the face of a child."

Customer Reviews:

This book is exceptional.......2007-01-11

Is a very interesting book, whith "beautifull" images in a very good print.

Unbelievably Potent Photographs of Spain's Civil War.......2001-06-12

Capa is considered one of the fathers of modern combat photography. These photographs clearly verify that fact. The modern combat photographers that have come after were all aware of Capa's work and if they didn't overtly copy his style, they certainly used it as a foundation. The potency of these photographs is not so much the action they sometimes capture, but in the faces set in the multitude of back drops of war. The viciousness and tragedy of this conflict hotly radiate out of some of these photographs. Others coolly reflect despair and fear. The book is at the same time a statement about war and a valuable historical document.

Thank God the communists lost in Spain.......2000-11-19

This collection of photos are important for the sake of history but must be evaluated in the proper context: Capa and the Loyalists sought to establish a Stalinist state in Spain, not a "democracy". The creation of a Stalinist state would have brought terror, murder, etc. upon the Spanish people and would have destroyed the country. I believe that the record of history (and my own personal experience as a Spaniard) has proven that the Nationalist victory was the best thing that could have happened to Spain at the time. Just look at the atrocities (tens of millions of dead, terror, etc) the Communists committed in Russia, Eastern Europe, Vietnam, and on and on and on; who in their right mind would wish that on anyone? Franco punished some of the loyalists but the overwhelming majority were welcomed back into society. Now that the Soviet Union has fallen and that ridiculous "philosophy" of "communism" has been proven to be one of the worst disasters visited upon mankind those who tried to force that evil upon Spain during the Civil War should hang their heads in shame. Viva Espana!

To read this book is to see the heart of Robert Capa.......1999-11-10

This book shows the heart of the Spainish people as they fought for their freedom. One could ask, "What Price Freedom?" Robert Capa lost his one true love when Gerda Taro was killed. To read through this book, to look at the pictures, is to look into the heart of Robert Capa.

Bob we all miss you.

An Essential Book for any serious collector.......1999-08-16

This is one of the best and most moving combat photo volumnes I have seen. Capa is a genius artist with the camera, compassionate toward humanity and as courageous as any soldier on the field of battle. All these three qualities jump at you with the turn of every page. There is no saftey of the Zoom lens here. The comments from the reviewer of the DC are absurd. This book is about humanity at war. Whether or not the subject matter happens to be from one army or another is least of the concerns. I have seen many fine photos of the German Army in combat and have never viewed them as propaganda nor do I feel any sympathy for their objectives. It is about the essence of capturing a man in his most important minute of his life.

Book Description

In London, Metropolis of the Slave Trade, James A. Rawley, a pioneer in the modern study of the slave trade, collects some of his best works from the past three decades. Also included in this volume are three new pieces: an essay on a South Carolina slave trader, Henry Laurens; an analysis of the slave trade at the beginning of the eighteenth century; and a portrait of John Newton, a slave trader who became a priest in the Church of England. These essays include a great deal of material that has not been covered in such detail elsewhere. Rawley brings together new information on individuals involved in and opposed to the slave trade and shows how scholars have long misrepresented the extent of London's participation in the trade.

Customer Reviews:

Forgotten role of London.......2003-10-10

London was the major port involved in the early development of the English Transatlantic slave trade, but it is often discounted in favor of Bristol and Liverpool, which overshadowed London in terms of participation as the 18th century wore on. As Rawley points out, the London trade did not actually end in the 1720s, as many have suggested, but persisted until the British abolished their participation in the trade in 1807.

What makes this book important to those who want to know more about how the trade got started and accepted is that it is is the late 17th and early 18th centuries, that you can see the entrepreneurial and ethical development of the trade most clearly. At this point the trade was not the well-oiled machine that it later became and people were able to make choices. Those who chose to participate set the tone and developed the methodology of what was to come.

This excellent book traces the lives of some of London's foremost traders of the period, putting a human face on people we now find hard to understand. It is an extraordinary effort of research that is surprisingly readable, considering the wealth of information and the nature of the subject. James Rawley has spent a life time specializing in this area, and this is an important collection of recent essays.

Average customer rating:
London, Metropolis of the Slave Trade.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Southern History
Howard Temperley
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00096ZDRU
Release Date: 2005-07-13

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on February 1, 2005. The length of the article is 626 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: London, Metropolis of the Slave Trade.(Book Review)
Author: Howard Temperley
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2005
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 71 Issue: 1 Page: 137(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Well-developed and functional muscle tissues are a prerequisite for healthy meat-producing animals. Good muscle development leads to improved meat quality. Hence modern breeds of livestock animal have been selectively bred for better conformation, increased muscle size and increased muscle-to-bone ratio. This book describes all aspects of muscle development research, and contains contributions from leading research groups around the world.

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