Blobitecture: Waveform Architecture and Digital Design

Book Description

The Apple iMac. The New Beetle. The Oh Chair. The Guggenheim Bilbao Museum. These are all classic examples of blobism, a futuristic retelling of the curve, resulting in protoplasmic forms designed by computers.

A growing number of inventive architects are now embracing this concept, making blobitecture the hottest global trend in the industry. This is the first book to focus exclusively on the blobitecture phenomenon in detail: how the process works, the geometric and environmental challenges it presents, the sophisticated software that allows artists to bend the lines of traditional architecture, and the stunning work produced by this art form.

Featuring curved walls to blob-esque furniture to Greg Lynn?s Embryological House and Koloatan and McDonald?s Title House, this is both a showcase of the best in blobism and a guide to applying it in a designer?s own work.

Customer Reviews:

Blob landscape survey.......2004-01-02

This copiously illustrated survey posits architect Frank Gehry in an unfolding evolution of a phenomenon described as "Blob." The book, 'Blobitecture', shows the antecedents to Gehry, and parallel movements that have spawned such notable industrial designs as the Eames chairs and the Apple iMac.

Form-follows-function was a stringent dictate on designers for many recent years. Advances in computers and computation [not to mention composite materials] have allowed Gehry to visualize designs that would not, on the face of it, seem to hold up, and come to up with the means to make these buildings - drooping, swooping, and so on - stand.

Waters notes that this style arose as something of an anti-machine impulse, yet it could not have occurred without machine technology, specifically the computer technology that could provide underpinnings for 'improbably fluid forms.'

The author uncovers some things that surprise. A Disneyland Monsanto house of the future [which could be a happy home for Zippy the Pinhead], could not be readily demolished after its stay as a futurist grotto was at an end, Waters notes. The wrecking ball bounced off the [perhaps fiberglass] Monsanto house, and good old sledge hammers had to do the dirty deed!

There have been a lot of movements, some that vaporize in the blink of an eye. Does Blob as a serious movement hold up to scrutiny? Here, Waters takes a journalist's tack, and leaves the final judgment largely to the reader and future historians.

A different approach than the movie The Blob [from whence the movement gains its name it seems], where, as the movie trailer had it, "there's no stopping the blob [a "blood-curdling threat"] as it goes from town to town."

Missing perhaps is a look at Gaudi, and Dali [especially the latter's work at the 1939 World's Fair] - two individuals that melted a building or two in their day. I guess I say this because I can recall when I first saw Gehry's now famous Gugenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain [depicted gloriously in Blobitecture], that's what I thought of. Waters does point to Eero Saarinen and his TWA Terminal as a potent precursor of Gehry, but photos he includes are of the Saarinen's St. Louis arch, to my mind less of a pointer to Frank. But the book on the main is quite generous in its illustration of things blob like.

Book Description

With these nine step-by-step projects from renowned decorative painter John Gutcher, readers will learn how to paint their favorite Christmas themes, including Santas, angels, elves and more, on everything from glittering ornaments to festive albums.

Giving them the flexibility to paint in either acrylics or oils, John provides plenty of practical guidance for choosing supplies, mixing colors, creating values, and mastering the basics of portrait painting. He even makes learning those tricky details simple with special tips for painting fur, richly textured clothing and realistic flesh tones.

* Holiday themes are extremely popular among decorative painters
* Includes 9 fun, fabulous step-by-step projects
* Perfect for holiday gifts!
* Includes detailed instruction in the basics of portraiture

Book Description

A survival guide for living and loving in the jungle of everyday life. Great line drawings and timeless truths to offer hope and encouragement for anyone facing the daily challenges of our fast-paced, stress-filled society.

"Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be."
Abraham Lincoln

"You have brains in your head, You have feet in your shoes, You can steer yourself, Any direction you choose."
Dr. Seuss

Book Description

This bestselling soup-to-nuts book teaches the techniques and methods used in the country's finest MBA programs. And now it's fully revised with the latest information for today's busy businesspeople.

Presented in an accessible question-and-answer format, The Vest-Pocket MBA helps readers quickly pinpoint all the formulas, ratios, and rules of thumb they need to analyze and evaluate nearly any problem. Among the many topics it covers: accounting, finance, break-even analysis, investment evaluation, capital budgeting, business law, risk minimization, marketing, and international trade.

The Vest-Pocket MBA offers a wealth of guidelines, illustrations, and how-to's for the modern decision-maker, from the B-school student to the senior executive.

Customer Reviews:

New Edition Doesn't always mean improved.......2005-09-13

I have purchased the first and second edition in the past and would rate them both 5's. This new edition does not flow as well. I have used these books in the past to train my assistants who usually work with me for two years anmd the results have always been impressive. My current assistant is even more eagar to learn yet we seem to get "stuck in the mud with this edition. " I seriously considered rating this a three but relented when I realise that I was punishinmg the editors for failing to live up to the expectations they created in me due to past stellar performances, so in justice, I rated it a 4.

Handy but.......2005-02-20

there are 'way too many typos in the formulas and calculations; really needed a better proofreader and/or formula and table typist. So if you don't already have some experience with the subject matter, you will find working through the examples frustrating as you encounter these errors.

Another caveat: the examples are headed in big bold type, while the principles they illustrate are in smaller italic type. This makes it more difficult than necessary to find the subject you're looking for and to determine what the example is illustrating.

Could also use a Glossary and an Index.

Outstanding, comprehensive book..........2004-06-02

I would have kept my copy, but I ended up selling it along with a few other study guides to someone else that would have found it a lot more helpful in his quest to complete his BS in business. I originally ran into hunting this book down because bain4weeks.com recommended it as the appropriate text to study for the production/operations mgmt Excelsior (ECE) test. Excelsior had discontinued that test, so I was attempting to take the equivilant TECEP .

I failed by 5 points and decided to get another text that more closely related to the test: Operations Mgmt ISBN: 0072476702. Will update when I pass this last test for my degree. But the Vest Pocket MBA was all in all a very interesting read...something to add to a collection (bookshelf). I heard there will be a 4th edition coming out in Dec 2004. What more can then include? Probably will have some more e-business/internet commerce concepts stuffed in. If not in a hurry, I'd wait around for the newer version of it. See for more info on applying college credit through testing to an accredited degree.

Good Review Material - Perfect Size.......2003-01-09

This book presents a very nice summary of materials required by most MBA courses in general.

Want a secret? This book is perfect to stick in your back pocket while you are at work...

Required by every MBA student and business manager!!!!.......1999-04-25

This is one of the best fast references for business decision making and calculations. Rather than looking throught the voluminous texts which are required materials of business schools, this reference book holds all calculation procedures and examples of formula application required in MBA programs. Additional statistics tables are also included. This is a must for MBA students and business managers.

Average customer rating:

The Vest Pocket Mba, First
Joel Siegel Jae Shim
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU1FVQ

Product Description

All the formulas, guidelines, ratios and rules of thumb needed to evaluate and solve dozens of business problems. FIRST time in paperback

Average customer rating:

The Vest-Pocket MBA
Jae K. Shim , Joel G. Siegel , and Abraham J. Simon
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NCXRVO

Average customer rating:

The Vest-Pocket MBA
Joel G. Siegel, Abraham J. Simon Jae K. Shim
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIN0XW

Book Description

A beautifully illustrated keepsake journal to record special moments from Baby's first three years.

Average customer rating:

Great accounting of action

Historical analysis that's actually exciting

Only for the specialist

The Biggest German Counterattack in France in WW II

Superlative History of a Little Known but Crucial Battle

Victory at Mortain: Stopping Hitler's Panzer Counteroffensive
Mark J. Reardon
Manufacturer: University Press of Kansas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
General | France | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Fire Mission!: The Siege at Mortain, Normandy, August 1944

Saving the Breakout: The 30th Division's Heroic Stand at Mortain, August 7-12, 1944

The Germans in Normandy

Battle of the Hedgerows: Bradley's First Army in Normandy, June-July 1944

From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division in WWII

ASIN: 0700611584

Book Description

A powerful German counterattack in Normandy in August 1944 might have been one of the Wehrmacht's great shining moments in the Second World War. The odds were certainly in their favor. Determined to drive the Allies back to the English Channel, elements of four combat-hardened panzer divisions faced off against a single American infantry division near the town of Mortain. Instead, the Americans held their ground, enabling the Allied armies to secure the invasion and ultimately liberate France.

In a vivid recreation of this pivotal battle--less celebrated than the encounter at the Falaise Pocket but just as decisive--Mark Reardon tells how the 30th Infantry Division held off the German panzer juggernaut, which was designed to drive a wedge between Allied forces. In recounting this showdown, he offers a new perspective on the German defeat in Normandy and a convincing counterpoint to the conventional view of most military analysts that Germany lost the war as a result of Allied matériel superiority or Hitler's strategic meddling.

Through vigorous prose laced with compelling anecdotes, Reardon reconstructs the battle from both sides of the firing line to explain why it evolved and ended as it did. He reveals how professional rivalries and lack of accurate battlefield information hampered the efforts of German generals to execute a successful counteroffensive. He also tells how the U.S. Army profited from the bitter lessons of hedgerow fighting to gain superiority in ground maneuver, fire support, and the use of airpower, logistics, communications, and reconnaissance in the face of more experienced and better armed opponents.

Reardon's riveting tale reveals that Americans GIs could fight as well as their more vaunted opponent, which gave the U.S. Army the confidence it needed to take the war into the enemy's homeland. Equally important, their victory prevented the Germans from retaking strategic points that would have kept the war bottled up in Normandy.

Drawing not only on exhaustive research in Anglo-American and German archives but also on firsthand accounts by more than two hundred American soldiers, Reardon's detailed reconstruction fills an important gap in the history of World War II combat that has existed for more than half a century.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.

Customer Reviews:

Great accounting of action.......2006-03-12

This book allowed me to look through the eyes of a person who was there. My father was a forward observer for the 113th and I believe he was there on that hill with the author. thanks for the opportunity to live it also.

Historical analysis that's actually exciting.......2004-09-28

Victory at Mortain is a comprehensive look at the German counterattack toward Avranches in early August, just following the COBRA breakout in Normandy. Reardon's book is useful, as the battle is under-studied and not widely known. Indeed there is only one other widely available and read book on the subject (Featherstone's Saving the Breakout). Further, Reardon's book is very good in that it provides insights into both German and US command decisions and tactical movements. In this way, it becomes easy for the reader to see exactly how both sides were making decisions, and how those choices directly played out on the battlefield.

Reardon starts his book with two chapters devoted to the situation in Normandy from July to the first few days of August 1944. These chapters show what the German plan for defense was (contain, contain, contain), and how the US breakout from Normandy progressed. This serves to set the context for the rest of the book. The very nature of the breakout served to "offer up" the option of a German counterattack through the Mortain area toward Avranches. This town represented the tenuous link between US Armies (First and Third) and served as the primary logistics/supply rout. Moving south through Avranches, US forces of the Third Army could and did turn west into Brittany and east to threaten the southern flank of the German 7th Army, which was trying to contain the US First Army. A German breakthrough to Avranches would surround most of the Third Army and have the simultaneous effect of solidifying the German 7th Army positions. This would have allowed the Germans to shift more resources to continue to contain the Normandy lodgments. It would have been a stunning blow to the Americans and would have completely derailed the Allied breakout from the vicious boccage country of Normandy.

Of course, this didn't happen. The counterattack (Operation Luttich) failed, largely due to an inauspicious infantry division...the US 30th. Although it got help at key points in the counterstrike against the German thrust from portions of the 2nd Armored Division (on the southern flank) and the 3 Armored Division (on the northern flank), the 30th bore the brunt of the initial onslaught. Being able to stop an entire Panzerkorp (including the vaunted 1st and 2nd SS Panzer Divisions, the 116th Panzer Division, the 2nd Panzer Division, and part of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier division) dead in its tracks is an amazing achievement. Reardon shows us that the German attack failed due to a combination of factors: bad German staff planning, bad German battlefield tactics, tenacious US roadblocks, the aggressiveness of the US 119th, 120th, and 117th regimental commanders, US artillery and airpower, and a bold American (3rd Army) thrust toward LeMans southeast of the battlefield and subsequent drive north to envelope the units that had participated in Operation Luttich in the Falaise Pocket.

Unlike the conventional wisdom about the battle, which focuses excessively on the the struggle for Hill 314 and the trapped second battalion, 120th infantry, Reardon spends more time on the attack through St. Barthelmy, and the northern flank, which represented the Germans' main push. He convincingly shows that the few AT guns and the battalion's worth of infantry holding St. Barthelmy effectively derailed the German plans. Further, Reardon faults German commanders for not bypassing the town, who instead chose to continue to ram against the US defenders. Although the Germans eventually did take the town, the other German units to the north now had an exposed flank. The Germans failed to press hard and stopped their advanced units, which then had to retreat. This action, and armored thrusts around Barenton (southeast of Mortain) were the keys to halting the German advance. Additionally, Reardon faults the Germans for uninspired leadership, for not securing the southeast flank at Barenton, for failing to use recon units in their proper role of info gathering rather than combat units, for failing to coordinate with the Luftwaffe, and for mismanaging artillery assets. These German problems, coupled with good regimental leadership on the US side, added up to a US victory.

Reardon does give pause, however. Had the Germans been more adept in their attack, it's not clear the Americans would have been able to contain them. Reardon notes that the divisional command functions nearly completely failed (or were non-existent). The 30th Infantry Division did not fight as a division, but rather are three nearly-independent regiments. This hampered coordination between regiments, hindered the ability to link artillery and armor assets with the battalions that needed them, and hurt the ability to time the counterattack against the Germans. In the end, bad German tactics and leadership, coupled with a sweep to LeMans to tear open the southern flank of the German army, is what sealed the deal.

This is a very good book. It is a useful history in that it provides an analysis and critique of both sides' command decisions, and displays how those decisions turned out on the battlefield. In my opinion, it is the definitive account of the German offensive at Mortain. My only problem with the book is that in places the text jumps temporally; there are places where a new section of the book will describe events that occurred prior to what was just happening in the previous section. This got very confusing, and at several places I had to jump back about a hundred pages to reference earlier text and maps. With some patience, however, this can be dealt with by any reader.

Only for the specialist.......2004-05-01

Starting on a positive note, this book is impressively researched, with dozens of original interviews.

But it is very poorly organized and difficult to read. When presenting a complex series of events, it is the author's responsibility to provide the reader with some kind of framework for following those events -- something more than "this happened, then this happened, then this other thing happened." Instead of providing this framework at the start of a chapter, where it would be useful, the author presents it at the end of the chapter, in a brief and not always helpful "conclusion."

Some of the chapters are essentially useless data dumps. The third chapter deals with German dithering about the units that will be devoted to the Mortain attack. The result is 20 pages of "first they decided to send X batallion, then they changed their minds, then they changed their minds back..." This could have been usefully compressed to about a page -- I'm not sure even a specialist would find this information useful, unless he or she is into unit histories.

Finally, the maps are awful. They are completely static, with no start or stop lines, lines of attacks or boundaries of control -- just unit symbols plunked down in the general area the unit occupied at a particular point in the battle.

Altogether, a hard slog.

The Biggest German Counterattack in France in WW II.......2002-09-21

Mark Reardon's description of The Battle of Mortain is an outstanding contribution to military history. In this comprehensive study of the largest German counterattack in France in World War II, he sets forth the background of this momentus struggle, gives the reader the detail and blow-by-blow of the battle as it raged for six days and then sets forth a thoughtful and fresh analysis of what was important in bringing about the victory of the American forces.

By this work Mark Reardon has not only added significantly to the literature of World War II but has assured for himself a place in the front rank of military historians.

Robert Weiss, author of "Enemy North, South, East, West" soon to be reprinted as "Fire Mission! The Siege at Mortain, Normandy"

Superlative History of a Little Known but Crucial Battle.......2002-07-05

I will admit to being drawn to the ominous cover art when browsing AMAZON on line, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book was one of the best histories of the crucial Normandy campaign that I have ever read. When comparing it to the US Army official history of that period, BREAKOUT AND PURSUIT, I found that the official version of the Battle of Mortain was replete with errors and omissions regarding both the activities of the Germans and Americans. For instance, the author of the official history did not use the S-3 Journal of the 120th Infantry Regiment, a unit that is arguably the centerpiece of the whole battle. When discussing the German perspective, the official history is even further off base. As one may have surmised, Reardon uses a plethora of primary sources and recently published German accounts. The depth of his research is truly impressive. His style of writing is a curious blend of factual narrative and descriptive prose. It personalizes the events yet Reardon does not sensationalize the ugly face of war, confusion, and death. If you are not familiar with the military, I recommend xeroxing his map key and placing it next to you before reading the book. The military symbols may be confusing for the novice WW2 enthusiast. Great book!!

Victory at Mortain: Stopping Hitler's Panzer Counteroffensive.(Book Review) : An article from: The Historian

Average customer rating:

Victory at Mortain: Stopping Hitler's Panzer Counteroffensive.(Book Review) : An article from: The Historian
Ivan T. Berend
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000B9DT2Q
Release Date: 2005-09-03

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Historian, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 768 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: Victory at Mortain: Stopping Hitler's Panzer Counteroffensive.(Book Review)
Author: Ivan T. Berend
Publication: The Historian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Page: 203(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

A concise guide to stress and nutrition and its effect on the aging process written for laymen and easy to understand. It covers a multitude of stress related subjects from anti-aging strategies to coping with stress in the post / world.

Customer Reviews:

Public Enemy Number One: Stress.......2003-07-07

Recently, I've been very impressed with this exceptionally witty, intelligent and user-friendly book.

At a point in my own life where the cumulative effects of work-related stress, not to mention a life-long love affair with good food, have begun to show up in the state of my health, I've been primed for any credible knowledge and insight into effective countermeasures.

I started regular workouts after a hiatus of several years...that has helped a lot. Golf season returned, which is always a blessing, if you like playing in monsoon rains. Then an old and close friend, Bob Nadler, recommended I take a look at this book, of which he happens to be co-author along with a couple of experts in the fields of nutrition and life extension.

I've found a scientifically grounded "one-stop-shop" manual of useful, real-world information and guidance on the comprehensive subjects of nutrition, exercise, life extension, supplements, sexuality, immunity, and of course, the various "flavors" of stress and their effects on aging. Every aspect of the subject is mined in the book, underscored by its pervasive impact on our health and sense of well being.

Moreover, it's written in a crisp, engaging style, making a complex body of well-researched (there's an extensive bibliography) and extremely relevant facts and recommendations entertaining and easy to assimilate. The structure of the book allows you to find almost any topic with ease. The style and humor comes from Bob's unique talent as a writer.

I'm not usually in book recommendation mode, but this is a special case. I think a person of any age, let alone those of us approaching the shady side of 60, can find enormous value in this informative, absorbing read...I already have, and I urge you to consider it for yourself and the ones you love.

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