The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa and Other Essays

Book Description

This collection of an important architectural theorist's essays considers and compares designs by Palladio and Le Corbusier, discusses mannerism and modern architecture, architectural vocabulary in the 19th century, the architecture of Chicago, neoclassicism and modern architecture, and the architecture of utopia.

Customer Reviews:

exceptionally insightful.......2001-04-28

Colin Rowe's essays are exceptionally insightful and truly enlightening. These essays were written decades ago but they're still enormously valuable and still very fresh. The first essay, from which the book takes its title and probably Rowe's most famous, is an analysis of the geometrical and proportional similarities between Le Corbusier's villa at Garches and Palladio's Villa Malcontenta. A brief but dense tour de force. Perhaps his next most famous essay is "Transparency: Literal and Phenomenal," written with Robert Slutzky. Also a real eye-opener. In other essays he discusses the curious relationship between the Chicago frame and modern architecture; neo-classicism and modern architecture; mannerism and modern architecture; La Tourette; 19th century thinking about architectural character and composition; and the architecture of utopia. These essays make you think, look at things differently, look at things you hadn't noticed, and they ultimately enlarge your understanding of architecture and your architectural field of vision. I'm grateful to Colin Rowe for that. After reading this book I bought his three-volume collection of essays, "As I Was Saying." I just had to have more. The essays in this book put your mind to work but Rowe's writing is also quite engaging. He's a genuinely independent thinker and a rigorous one too. These are wonderful essays and the book is highly recommended.

The classic collection of analytical essays by Rowe........1998-09-21

This collection of essays by Prof. Colin Rowe is considered to be among the most important analytical essays on architecture in this century. Prof. Rowe has won the Gold Medal in Architecture from Queen Elizabeth and was Professor of Architecture at Cornell for over 25 years.

THE MATHEMATICS OF THE IDEAL VILLA AND OTHER ESSAYS

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THE MATHEMATICS OF THE IDEAL VILLA AND OTHER ESSAYS

Manufacturer: MIT Press USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IA6EA2

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The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa and Other Essays
Colin Rowe
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR7MQE

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THE MATHEMATICS OF THE IDEAL VILLA AND OTHER ESSAYS
Colin Rowe
Manufacturer: MIT Press Cambridge, MA, and London
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IWPSYS

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The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa and Other Essays
Colin Rowe
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QYH12A

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The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa and Other Essays
Colin Rowe
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR4HNA

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Mathematics of the Ideal Villa and Other Essays.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IBMOG4

Book Description

60 authentic full-color motifs drawn from highly stylized opera traditions. Symbolic representations of dragons, lions, phoenixes, mandarin ducks, cranes, peonies, lotuses, much more. Vibrant color, subtle hues, beautifully rendered illustrations. Invaluable source of authentic Chinese design and color. Descriptive captions.

Traditional Chinese Textile Designs, in Full Color

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Traditional Chinese Textile Designs, in Full Color
Northeast Drama Institute of China [editors]
Manufacturer: Dover Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QXFJ6G

Book Description

Published to mark the bicentenary of the birth of Britain's celebrated inventor of photography, Specimens and Marvels illuminates the mid-nineteenth-century cultural environment in which Talbot's vision for photography emerged--a vision that would permanently alter how human beings view themselves and the world.

This unprecedented publication focuses on Talbot's ambitions for the mystical blend of science and art he termed "photogenic drawing" (later called "photography"), as outlined in his classic The Pencil of Nature.

In addition to some of the familiar icons from photography's beginnings, such as Talbot's cameraless photograms of plant forms and lace, many unseen and little-known experiments with calotypes will be featured in this invaluable new volume on the life and work of William Henry Fox Talbot.

Lively and insightful texts offer new critical perspectives on Talbot's significance in the history of image-making, the illustrated book, and the history of ideas. The book is published in association with the National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television (NMPFT), in Bradford, England, home of the largest collection of Talbot material in the world.

Customer Reviews:

A Splendid Achievement (ASA).......2006-04-20

you may think this a fusty tome abrim with wizened snaps of dead old salts but you would miss the point for the point is one essay that shines and shines by one Russell Roberts, he of the Shining Path Tendency of photographic enamorature, he who blazes and has always blazed a singular track of obstreperous preposterous and bifocular intrepitude through the carelessly lobbed jeers of lesser men and women, barbing and bobbing through catcalls brickbats and old hats the air thick with huzzas and the cadenced grumple of an introitus by the Dulwich Male Voice Choir piquanting as we all salute the dear old Queen on her 88th but we really do insist that she should be in this book talk about a world record she will bury the lot Charles Philip Harry you name it she will go on an on and on and on just like dear old Russell or as we call him behind his big broad back Rascal Roberts don't ask...

Specimens and Marvels: William Henry Fox Talbot: The Invention of Photography (Aperture 161: Winter 2000)

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Specimens and Marvels: William Henry Fox Talbot: The Invention of Photography (Aperture 161: Winter 2000)
William Henry Fox] Harris, Melissa (editor); Sand, Michael L. (editor); Roberts, Russell (editor) [Talbot
Manufacturer: Aperture Foundation, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MWRJX2

Book Description

In a distant future, Man is long gone, but the mice and rats have evolved and developed their own modern societies, complete with commerce, transportation, education, family values, friendships, prejudices... and war. While an uneasy peace exists between the nations of Mousputa and Ratvaria, subversive forces are at work to make sure it doesn't last, forces willing to use the terrible weapons of ancient Man! It's up to Captain Tiny and two plucky young boys to seek out the conspirators and undermine their plot before Rodentkind follows Man into extinction!

Amazon.com

You see them everywhere. You can't walk into a shopping mall without seeing a store selling body-building nutritional supplements, and even the discount drugstores generally have large displays of muscle-enhancing and fat-burning potions. But do any of them work? And are they safe?

The authors of Pumped, who previously tackled recreational drugs in Buzzed, attempt to answer these questions in a straightforward way, free of scientific jargon. They conclude that many of these drugs and supplements actually work, but not as well as their proponents might claim. For example, they note that creatine produces about a 1 to 5 percent improvement in certain high-intensity activities like sprinting--significant if you're a trained athlete, but probably not cost-effective for the recreational weight lifter.

They also show that touted fat-burning drugs like ephedrine and caffeine do indeed help people lose weight, but just a few pounds over several months. And, they note, the brain eventually compensates for the hunger slowdown these drugs produce. So they're a short-term solution to a lifelong problem, and a modestly effective solution at that.

Pumped could easily have come off like a "just say no" campaign against performance-enhancing and appearance-improving drugs and nutritional supplements. And, indeed, the overriding tone is one of skepticism toward every drug and supplement they describe, from anabolic steroids to protein powders. (They show that a great protein source like eggs can cost seven times as much if you buy it as a supplement instead of in its natural form.) But the authors temper their skepticism by noting that scientists have looked foolish in the past by claiming that anabolic steroids didn't work while most of the world's elite power athletes knew better. Science, in other words, will always be a few steps behind practical application when it comes to performance enhancement.

Still, the lack of enthusiasm the authors muster for drugs and supplements will probably restrict the book's potential audience. Parents of athletes will want to absorb the information, but the athletes themselves will turn to bodybuilding magazines and Web sites for advice. Likewise, coaches and guidance counselors will find Pumped useful and informative, but the people they're coaching and guiding probably won't get too excited over it. --Lou Schuler

Book Description

For everyone from backyard athletes to the pros, Pumped is essential reading for maximum performance and a healthy body. Steroids, stimulants, supplements: today's athlete is offered an array of drugs and dietary enhancements to solve every problem from weight to speed. What's safe? What works? What's a waste of money? Pumped offers the latest research-based information in an accessible and informative style. Pumped explains the body basics that every athlete must know for optimum performance. It also offers the reader straight information about drugs and supplements for weight control, muscle building, and endurance training. What an athlete uses in the off-training time is important too, and Pumped covers recreational drugs--from alcohol to speed--how they can seem to help performance, how they hurt, and for how long. Following the success of the authors' previous work, Buzzed, which was praised as "sane, sharp, and up to speed on all the latest research" (The Independent), Pumped provides a no-nonsense guide to drugs and their effects on the athletic brain and body. 4 pages of color illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Totally Awesome!.......2005-03-30

I was doing a research paper on steroids, so i asked a friend of mine to get me some books out of the library. So one of the books he got me was "Pumped". I planned only to take a few notes and put it away, but when i started reading i just couldn't stop. The book is very informative. Like one of the reviewers said, it doesn't go into much detail, but its short and straight to the point. This book isn't only about steroids, it goes into things like alcohol, weed, cigarretes. So, if you have a couple of hours to spare, i suggest you pick this one up!

For Health's Sake.......2001-05-19

This is a useful, readable description and summary of drug and supplement use and the body's functioning especially written for athletes and those interested in physical fitness. It seems to make an honest effort to give the facts about drug and supplement use and sort out the truth from all the training ads that bombard anyone who uses fitness media. The problem is what most everyone suspects- there are no shortcuts and anything that does effect the body's functioning is a potential health risk. However, those who want all the drugs and supplements to work will be critical of this book because it doesn't tell them what they want to hear and unfortunately will probably continue to use what they want. The authors did a good job of describing the efficiency of the human body. It is such a remarkable machine that it adjusts to any "shortcut" and the effects become counter-productive. The well-known fact that the body starts to store fat when a person diets too quickly is a good example. I know the information in this book will not be accepted by some teens and exercising adults but it is worth knowing and hopefully the recommendations will be followed for health's sake.

Outdated theories posed as facts.......2001-03-02

If you are looking for a book that will explain the uses, and the effects of certain sports supplements and or drugs this is not the book. The book uses scare tactics from out-dated and disproven information. If you are an athlete or have a child that is an athlete and you want up-to-date information on products then you are better off buying a book or a magazine that is written by, doctors that are also athletes. Save your money and buy a book that uses studies that were done after 1999 unlike the 5 year studies used in Pumped.

Just the facts, mam........2001-02-17

This is quite a remarkable book. It is short, to the point, knowledgable and readable. It tells the truth about performance enhancing drugs and is clear about the downside even for those that work. At the same time, it does not preach and I don't think would be a turn-off for teenagers.

If you have a child who is an athlete, or if you are in competetive athletics yourself, you should read this book. As a physician, I think these drugs are available in most every high school in the country. They are a giant temptation. This book is most helpful to parents, coaches and athletes themselves.

A book no serious body builder should be without.......2001-01-13

Finally, a book that provides non-judgmental information about the biology and pharmacology of body-building. This is not just one of those "just say no" books - it provides the reader with factual information so he or she can make informed choices. Take my word for it: trust the information in this book more than the layman's advice you get at the gym.

Book Description

Owing to the heavy casualties suffered by the carabiniers in the 1809 campaign, the Emperor decreed that they should be armoured to the same advantage as the cuirassiers. In this way the two corps drew together in being the only troops of the Grande Armeé who were armoured, while at the same time they diverged in breaking away from their traditionally similar dress. Emir Bukhari does a splendid job of examining the uniforms and equipment of Napoleon's cuirassiers and carabiniers, in a text complemented throughout by numerous illustrations and diagrams including eight full page colour plates by the ever popular Angus McBride.

Customer Reviews:

The Napoleon's elite cavalry.......2002-01-10

This books provides a excellent insight on the France's most dreaded cavalry units: the cuirassiers (armored cavalry). A lot of good illustrations from the period. It provides a good deal of information, unlike other books on this series, about the cuirassier's tactics and organization as well. A correct (and cheap!) source of information for modellers and people interested.

A well above-average reference for figure modellers........1997-11-28

This book is yet another fine example of its kind. Reproduced illustrations of period costume, as well as the colour plates, provide modellers with a significant amount of reference.

Napoleon's Cuirassiers and Carabiniers. Men-at-Arms No 64

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Napoleon's Cuirassiers and Carabiniers. Men-at-Arms No 64
Emir Bukhari
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J2Y4M4

Book Description

This book brings together the interpretations of outstanding writers on the literature, politics, and history of modern Britain. It deals with a rich variety of themes, some familiar, many unexpected, taking the reader on a highly engaging excursion through British life and intellectual biography. Its scope covers not only the personalities, politics, and culture of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, but also the interaction of British society with other societies throughout the world.

Amazon.com

So many of us are blessed--or at least affected--by the fruits of science, yet how many of us really understand how we got them? Scientific creativity, like all other kinds, is a product of its times, but we can learn much from looking at the lives of its greatest practitioners; as a sizable side benefit, these lives are often tremendously entertaining. Author and BBC radio host Melvyn Bragg understands this well, and invited many of the great modern interpreters of science to discuss the lives and work of 12 greats, from Archimedes to Watson and Crick, and published the cream in On Giants' Shoulders. These are no dry transcripts, though; Bragg has a genius for selecting the most intriguing quotes and selections from both his guests and his subjects and weaving them into his own engrossing narrative. His many novels have tightened up his prose so well that he can make even a discussion of the genesis of relativity a page-turner. He couldn't have invented better material, either: Newton's notorious snobbery, Darwin's almost-naive sincerity, and Lavoisier's turbulent life and untimely death make for compelling stories indeed (one almost wonders how they had time to change the world). His guests, including luminaries such as Lewis Wolpert, Richard Dawkins, Oliver Sacks, and Roger Penrose, consistently cut to the heart of their subjects' importance and tie it all up neatly in the last chapter, "Where Are We Now?" An important question, of course, and one that can be better answered from On Giants' Shoulders. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

Explore the greatest minds in the history of science with some of the top scientific thinkers of today.

Archimedes
Galileo Galilei
Sir Isaac Newton
Antoine Lavoisier
Michael Faraday ÃÂ³
Charles Darwin
Jules Henri PoincarT
Sigmund Freud
Marie Curie
Albert Einstein
Francis Crick
James Watson

The story of science is the greatest adventure of the human mind over the last 2,500 years, as scientists have progressively advanced humankind's understanding and control of the universe. Yet for many, the scientific theories that underpin the modern world can be hard to grasp.

On Giants' Shoulders elucidates the milestones in the history of science, focusing on twelve individuals and their extraordinary breakthroughs. From a layman's perspective, acclaimed journalist and author Melvyn Bragg discusses the life, work, and legacy of these remarkable people with leading scientists and historians in each field, including Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, Roger Penrose, Martin Rees, Oliver Sacks, John Gribbin, and Paul Davies.

Interviewed by journalist Melvyn Bragg, a selection of scientists discuss twelve of the pioneers of science historyâand the fascinating personalities behind the discoveries.

What makes this book work so well is that Bragg is a fine journalist applying his skills as an outsider to blow away the pretensions and reveal some of the mechanics and motivations of what is still a remarkably closed world. âNew Scientist

Each life is pored over in a brief but brilliant intellectual post mortem with the help of prominent contemporary scientists. . . Here are the paranoia, the blind alleys of research, the rivalry, and many collisions of intellectual heavyweights. . . On Giants' Shoulders holds delights for both scientist and layperson.âKevin O'Sullivan, Irish Times

Each chapter has the pace and liveliness of a round table discussion. . . In a surprisingly brief space, one can thus taste a flavor of true debate as each contemporary scientist brings in their own angle.âSusan Greenfield, Independent on Sunday

Bragg explores the contribution made by great scientists, from Archimedes to Crick and Watson, to the development of our understanding of the world. What makes the result special is Bragg's unusual relationship to his subject. His gentle probing, and the selection of material, addresses exactly the questions about science and scientists that interest outsiders.âJohn Gribbin, The Independent

Ranging from the foundation of hydrostatics in the third century b.c. to the discovery of DNA's structure in our own time, this is an accessible, thought-provoking, and fascinating account of the seminal discoveries of the past and their originators. The book also illuminates the issues with which scientists are wrestling today, poised on their forerunners' shoulders to carry scientific inquiry into the next millennium.

This is an enchanting book, because it is a book produced by a clever man listening intently. . . Science is not, in truth, a daunting alien territory. But characteristically it seems to want to tell us the answers dogmatically, before we are sure what questions we would like to ask. On Giants' Shoulders asks just those kind of questions.âLisa Jardine, The Times (London)

Nobody in the media has worked harder than Melvyn Bragg to promote science as a culture and scientists as creators. In a sea of indifference to the educational and cultural nature of science, he seems to be the only person with perception.âProfessor Sir Harry Kroto, The Sunday Times (London)

Customer Reviews:

British scientists talk about their heroes.......2003-08-20

This book is a collection of write-ups of BBC radio show programs about the heroes of British scientists. Each chapter considers a prominent scientist of the past, such as Archimedes, and then presents a synopsis of interviews and discussions with modern-day British academic scientists about the featured scientist of the past. Through the interviews, we gain an understanding of the opinions of the modern-day scientists concerning their academic heroes, mixed in with some of the facts concerning their lives and discoveries. The book is thick with opinions and philosophy compared to the amount of factual information it contains about the featured scientists. If you are interested in what modern British scientists have to say about some famous scientists of the past, then this book is for you. But if you're looking for a book where you can learn something about the famous scientists themselves or a summary of their discoveries, you should look elsewhere.

Unique study of giants.......2003-07-19

Bragg demonstrates how a "dabbler" in science can lead one more deeply into the research realm. Using his generalist background, he shows how anyone can appreciate what science can achieve and what it means to us all. A feeling of "being left out piqued his interest and he decided to seek out what he had missed. His technique is one any of us can follow - his interest was piqued by the growing number of works for the general reader. He didn't expect to become an "expert player", but through these works could at least be "at the game".

His study of fifteen key figures in science becomes a summation of what he garnered through reading and interviews. Bragg's long journalism career gave him an entry key and many insights in dealing with the "giants" and their interpreters. Having discovered several in this role, he has formulated a survey that will be valuable to many. Using a technique combining the interview with the works of good writers, he's created a readable, cogent overview of what science is and what it means. From Archimedes through Newton, Darwin and Curie to Watson and Crick you are given a variety of views of the key figures. The importance of each is stated clearly, mixed with what is known of their characters and background.

In his conclusion, titled "Where Are We Now?", Bragg makes an excellent summary of the impact of these seminal thinkers. As an observer, he claims to have produced a "map" of scientific thinking. The map is incomplete, but evokes an image of science as a "human exercise intent on examining the meaning and purpose as much as the structure of life today". It's a fine summary conclusion to his outstanding effort to help bring science to anyone wishing to learn its values. The future, his interviewees stress, will be one of further, deeper discoveries. His "giants" are in reality the ideas they developed, not in any way the scientists themselves. From Newton's irascibility to Darwin's diffidence, all these figures retain a strongly variant human identity. If nothing else, this book imparts the idea that science belongs to us all and can be furthered by anyone interested enough to undertake investigating unanswered questions. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

This outstanding science history is superbly written.......2001-02-14

Melvyn Bragg's On Giants' Shoulders: Great Scientists And Their Discovers From Archimedes To DNA explores the twelve greatest minds in the history of science and ranges from the foundation of hydrostatics in the third Century B.C. to the discovery of the human DNA structure and gene mapping of our present day. This outstanding science history is superbly written, splendidly presented, totally reader friendly, and ideal for both the science history student and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in knowing more about the science and scientists who have made modern life possible.

Broad Shoulders Indeed.......2000-10-27

As a non-scientist, I especially appreciate this book which "focuses on twelve scientists who, in the last two thousand five hundred years, changed the world as we perceive it and as we live in it. From Archimedes in Ancient Greece to Francis Crick and James Watson in mid-twentieth century England, these landmark minds, their lives, their struggles, their colleagues and rivals are explored and unravelled by some of today's leading scientists. In combination, their stories and discoveries constitute a single guide to the history of science." We are indeed provided with a wealth of information about both their "stories" and their "discoveries." I especially enjoyed the chapters on Newton, Darwin, Freud, and Einstein but found all of the other commentaries well worth reading, also. The history of science is, in essence, a history of discovery, and the most important discoveries are of ideas. In this invaluable volume, Bragg makes understandable what has been until now (for this non-scientist, at least) a "marvellous enterprise" of human experience and intellectual achievement otherwise inaccessible.

PERSONALITY OF SCIENTISTS COME TO LIFE!.......2000-08-19

On Giants' Shoulders is a tribute to twelve scientists who, in the last two thousand five hundred years, changed the world both as we perceive it and as we live in it. Their minds, their lives, their struggles, their colleagues and rivals are explored and unravelled by some of today's leading scientists. Taken together, their stories and discoveries constitute a guide to the history of science.

A bestseller in England, this book combines engaging portraits of these figures with accessible discussions of their most important discoveries. Those profiled are Archimedes, Galileo, Newton, Lavoisier, Faraday, Darwin, Poincaré, Freud, Curie, Einstein, Francis Crick and James Watson. Their stories are enhanced by insights provided by interviews with some of today's leading scientists, including Paul Davies, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, John Gribbin, Sir Roger Penrose, Sir Martin Rees and Oliver Sacks.

Based on interviews broadcast over British radio, this book differs from the radio series in the ampler amount of material contained, as it was possible to include more material from the original transcripts, which had been mercilessly pruned for the thirty-minute radio programmes.

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