EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: The Making of a Landmark

Book Description

The Empire State Building is the companion volume to the Museum of the City of New York's definitive exhibition: "A Dream Well Planned: The Empire State Building."

Customer Reviews:

A Book So Nice They Named It Twice.......2004-10-09

Well, they didn't, but it's a classic anyway.

This is a terrific book for anyone who wants to learn how great projects are visualized, actualized, and pressed through extremely challenging environmental circumstances. It's a source of inspiration for the dreamers and the practical alike.

If you want to read about architecture and engineering, you get only a small dose here. It's more about the capitalization, visioning and building. But that story is magnetic and wonderful.

Only thing they left out: that it was to this (then half-empty) building that Annhaeuser-Busch delivered the "first" case of legal beer to Al Smith at the end of Prohibition. Smith, the "wet" and the eternal optimist, exemplifies what this building was conceived to be: a vibrant and living testimony to the human spirit.

So, it stands to reason that it survives now as New York's essential symbol.

The History of the ESB.......2004-08-11

This book is a must read for anyone interested in not only the Empire State Building, but in New York City history of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Who would think that a building completed in 1931 at 1250 feet high would still be the tallest building in NYC in 2007 (of course, we can't forget the tragic loss of the taller WTC Towers). This book covers the quick construction of the ESB, but also covers the politics and history behind the building's location (the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel used to be at the corner of 5th Ave and 34th Street) and the people involved. This is an interesting book about an exciting time where anything seemed possible in one of the world's greatest cities.

American emblem.......2004-07-02

From the outset, the Empire State Building seemed to have had everything going against it. Although conceived during the 1920s boom years, most of the construction went on during the earliest years of the Depression, thereby putting the idea of high occupancy in the severest doubt. Its location wasn't ideal either. It was three miles north of the Wall Street district and a mile south of the center of the midtown business center. And it was ten blocks south of Grand Central Station and three avenues east of old Pennsylvania Station. The idea of mooring dirigibles was quickly scrapped after failed attempts. And sure enough, although the Empire State Building did get built, the tenants did not come. King Kong did, but he didn't pay rent.

John Tauranac describes all this and more in his exhaustive book, THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: THE MAKING OF A LANDMARK. Written in an engaging style, Tauranac's book is as elegant and interesting as the subject itself, while his wit is as colorful as the characters surrounding the Empire State Building's creation. The book covers the idea for the building, Raskob's and Smith's supervision, the monumental task of the construction workers, and, most importantly, the survival of the building to become THE emblem of America's cultural and economic reach while become THE identifying symbol of New York City. The generous amount of photographs add to the understanding and enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended.

Great Building, Great Story.......2001-09-25

This is an excellent work that details the history of the Empire State Building. I was a bit surprised to find how much the author managed to pack into my paperback. Everything from skyscraper height restrictions to land leases and modern restructuring of ownership for tax purposes (and all the "interesting" stuff in between). If you buy this book and you're not from New York, do yourself a favor and get a map of the area. So you can follow along in the early chapters.

Wonderful! Fun To Read! Educational!.......2001-07-08

I bought this book shortly after a trip to NYC in 2000, and found it to be an excellent history of one of the Big Apple's architectural jewels, the Empire State Building. It is full of intrigue, history, great anecdotes and one-of-a-kind photographs. If you're a visitor to Manhattan or a local resident, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark

Average customer rating:

The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark
John Tauranac
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OT217W

Customer Reviews:

An eye for detail.......2002-11-05

Michael Warr certainly has an eye for detail and his book "Detail & Texture" will please those watercolor artists who appreciate realism and near realism. His use of gouache with his watercolors will help remove any fears, or prejudices, amateur artists have held about "corrupting" the purity of the watercolor.

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous!.......2004-05-27

Just gorgeous. Weird and disturbing at times, and beautiful and sexy and alluring and plain HOT! This is a wonderful picture book of sexy women - if you want that, you won't be dissapointed in this book.

where are the good photos?.......2001-08-11

i didn't like this book because defining in some pictures weren't that good i expected them to be from some other pictures of eric kroll and cover of the book. inside the expressions of the girls weren't so "happy and joyful" they didn't fit in the mood that pictures tried to express.

Fetish Girls Revisited........2001-05-09

After his success with "Fetish Girls," Eric Kroll found himself in a new position. Previously he had thought of himself as a photographer who forever pushed the boundaries of art photography's subject matter. Unexpectedly, he found himself sharing the limelight with other `fringe' photographers such as Cindy Sherman, Nan Golden and Richard Kern. These and many others had also been waiting for taboos to come down. No sooner did Kroll become popular for being avant-garde then he found his work being accepted as mainstream.

Fortunately for us, Kroll did not decide to rest on his laurels. During the next few years he remained active. Gradually, Kroll pulled away from `fashion' fetish work and started to work harder at exploring the sexual nature of the fetishist's urges and dreams. Behind the allure of his models lay a rawer, stronger layer of desire. Now the viewer often must question his or her own sexuality and fantasy.

From this quest arose the work that went into "Beauty Parade," which is a natural extension and outgrowth of "Fetish Girls." Not only has Kroll's work become more refined and controlled, it also shows development at the technical level. His focus seems sharper and his graphic sense strong, but he has also gained a fine sense of tension and movement. This enhances the impact of many of the already strong images.

Kroll flirts with pornography but never quite crosses the line. In fact, some of the most sexual images contain little nudity. This is not a volume for the easily shocked or overly judgmental. The fetish focus often creates overtones of sexual practice gone slightly awry. Kroll invites us to look into the darker beauties of human desire and make our own decisions about what is art, what is us, and what is not.

BEAUTY PARADE?.......2001-02-27

Well, with this title what should I expect? Beauties isn't?, but I think many readers like me would be dissapointed because there are many fetish picts, bizarre picts, women not so beauty as I tough, that's not a bad work, but that's not the promess of the cover, neither the promess of the title.

I dont like so much fetichism, so I think I did a bad election.

No one has an imagination like Eric Kroll!.......2000-11-28

I think Mr. Kroll displays his amazing ability to capture every woman's beauty with imagination, style and eroticism. What I enjoyed most about Beauty Parade is his concentration on bringing out what the woman in the picture has seemingly always wanted express, but never did until Eric brought it out of her. It truly is a "coffee table" book and a conversation piece. Every time I look at it, I see things I didn't see the last time. I highly recommend this book!

Average customer rating:

Beauty Parade Eric Kroll

Manufacturer: Ramboro Books PLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 721598673X

Book Description

Cartoons about the worst kinds of husbands and how women can straighten them out.

Customer Reviews:

Hysterically funny book - great for showers!.......2001-06-24

Women will especially love this complilation of cartoons poking fun at the "bastard" that they may know. Great gift idea for showers, etc. A training manual for the bride.

I loved it!.......2001-05-11

This book is a wonderfully humorous look at marriage. The authors poke fun at various levels of "bastard" - and with illustrations! Even if you think you are married to a saint, you'll be sure to see a description of your husband here. This book would make a great shower gift. I certainly recommend it.

Customer Reviews:

Great Airplane Book.......2002-01-24

Digital Thoughts for the Chief Executives by John Philip Scott
Reviewed by Don Hollander

Phil Scott is a well-seasoned Wellington based IT professional. He has rescued a number of companies' IT departments, run his own software business, done independent consulting and helped match people in need.

This book's title makes it clear that it's aimed at the Chief Executives. It's full of truths well understood by the consummate CIO or Executive Consultant.

For the CEO it offers easily digestible bite size truths about IT and its practitioners.

Phil starts with the premise that there are only two purposes for IT investment - to make your business more efficient or to provide it competitive advantage. Often the later becomes the former, particularly as your competitors invest to keep up.

Phil talks about the value of consultants - and when to use them and when NOT to use them. He talks from experience for the need to break large projects into smaller ones, each useful in itself. He reminds us that there is a difference in quality and experience, and that sometimes the more expensive person provides the best value (and least cost). He covers these and many other topics with humour.

You'll smile at the apropos quotations riddled throughout the book, as well as Scott's own `Laws', such as `Don't buy software and then pay to test it.'

Digital Thoughts for the Chief Executive is an easy and quick read and would sit well on any CEO's bookcase. It will be the confident CIO that shares it with their boss.

Don Hollander is currently enjoying a tropical paradise as the Deputy General Manager for Computer Services Ltd in Apia, Samoa. He is well known to the New Zealand IT and Telecommunication community through his previous involvements with TUANZ, Independent Newspapers, Transpower, Computerland, Southern Health, InfoTech Weekly and the Internet Society of New Zealand.

Customer Reviews:

Great Help!.......2001-05-04

When I purchased this book I had very little knowledge about real estate or lending. After reading the book, successfully buying my first home and now preparing to buy my first rental property, I must say that Mr. Eilers book is truly amazing. I have followed his methods, formulas and tips and tricks to the tee and they ALL work! My realtor even borrowed the book until she could puchase one of her own. I have now purchased and read four real estate books and none were nearly as helpful, complete or as easy to understand as this book. Not only does the book help with real estate, it is also very helpful in the area of finance. Thanks for helping me buy my first and second homes.

Given all the choices out there -- choose another book.......2000-08-08

I bought this book in hopes of understanding better how to buy my first home. It did in fact help with a number of questions I had (though many remain). But what really hurts this book is the author's confusion with math. Several of the formulae in the book are just wrong (like how to calculate your debt-to-income ratio). His comparisons of various loan options are also useless. I'll give two examples: (1) he compares ARMs to fixed-rate mortgages during a historical period during which interest rates dropped like a rock, so it was already clear which would look better; (2) in another example he prefers a 30-year, low point but high rate loan to a 20-year, high point but low rate loan based solely on the monthly payments -- no mention of the relative paydown of the loan's principal. There was a lot of useful info in this book, but since there are so many options in this genre, I would suggest you look elsewhere. I am returning this book tomorrow.

Book Description

This book instructs parents in how to create well-being in all stages of their children's lives. Combining compelling insights with practical applications based on 25 years of experience, Natural Learning Rhythms is poised to be the parenting style for cultural creatives.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Book!.......2007-01-27

I have a 15yr old daughter that was really having a hard time. In reading this book, profound changes have taken place in myself and in my relationship with my daughter. Additionally, the way I relate to all children has changed as well. I feel this book has the potential to change future generations. Ba's website is a very helpful resource as well.

More than just a good parenting book!.......2006-06-30

I have read many of the parenting books out there and this one stands above the rest. It doesn't just address problems or difficulties but instead offers concrete examples and beautiful ways to nurture the well-being in my child, in my family, in society and in myself. I found this so refreshing. The book is beautifully written and infinitely deep in what it calls parenting. It offers great narratives, examples in case history form and really easy to understand tables that help tie everything together in one place. I can not recommend this book more for parents, teachers and professions alike.

Book Description

A look at the performance of both small arms and cannon to describe what a battlefield was actually like during the smoothbore era. Slightly oversized and illustrated with paintings and charts.

Customer Reviews:

A Forensic approach.......2001-08-10

A truely unusual work similar to John Keegan's classic, "The Face of Battle." The author sets out to look at the battlefield weaponry, and it's effectiveness, on the mid-17th century to the mid-19th century fields of battle with the eye of the forensic scientist. It is a sucsessful endeavor.

The book is lavishly illustrated with drawings from various military training manuals from the time as well as modern photos illustrating the difficulty of accurately using a smoothbore cannon against advancing troops.

This is not a general history of the armies of this time. It dosen't concern itself with the social aspects of the armies or their respective societies. An excellent book for that would be Christopher Duffy's work; "The Military Experience in the Age of Reason". This book concerns itself with the physical effects of the weaponry on the battlefield proper, both strengths and weaknesses.

While a trifle dry in parts, for the most, it keeps one's interest and is an intelligently written work. Though a specialist work it is a great contribution to the study of military history during the Age of Reason as well as the Napoleonic Wars. It even has a place as an addendum in an American Civil War collection since so many of the weapons and tactics examined were still being used in the 1860's. A good addition to one's collection.

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Firepower: Weapons Effectiveness in the Battlefield, 1630-1850
B.P. Hughes
Manufacturer: Spellmount Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Weapons & Warfare | Military | History | Subjects | Books | Biological & Chemical | Control | Conventional | Nuclear
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1873376774

Average customer rating:
FIREPOWER: WEAPONS EFFECTIVENESS ON THE BATTLEFIELD, 1630-1850.
P. B., Major-General. Hughes
Manufacturer: Book Club Edition
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O8WF6A

Book Description

A revision book for the One Stop Doc revision series which covers the key facts for the Respiratory module in the form of Short Answer Questions, Multiple Choice Questions, Extended Matching Questions, and Problem-based Questions. Illustrated with simple, easily-reproduced line diagrams, this book will provide all the necessary information for exam success.

Book Description

Waterfowl are a varied and fascinating group of birds. This very portable guide is designed to help you identify these birds in their natural habitats and learn about their habits, life cycles, and history.

The guide features 74 species of North American birds associated with fresh or salt water. In addition to the swans, geese, and duck that are traditionally termed waterfowl, it includes a variety of loons, grebes, cormorants, and rails that may be encountered in the same habitats. Also here are tips on birding technique (including the use of binoculars and spotting scopes), identification skills, and watching waterfowl, as well as notes on waterfowl conservation and more.

Customer Reviews:

Great pocket size book........2000-12-18

The pictures are full color but only are of male birds. It only has the summer coloring also, not winter coloring of changing birds like goldfinches. Very nice up close pictures though. It shows great detail of birds in their natural settings. This book is perfect for a pocket or bag. It measures about 4" high and 6" long. This book contains basic data of common eastern birds. It states a brief description, identification, voice, habitat, and range. There is also information about basic birdwatching, identifying, and attracting birds in the introduction. I keep this book next to my home office computer where I have a feeder outside my window just in case I have an unfamiliar visitor.

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