Featherweights: Light, Mobile and Floating Architecture (Architecture in Focus)

Book Description

From Bruno Taut's glass house to the Crystal Palace, geodesic domes to the Millennium Dome, this lavishly illustrated exploration of lightness in architecture explains how and why the movement began, and shows where it will take us in the future.

Architecture has been moving towards lightness since the beginning of the twentieth century. As new building materials become available, and as land disappears, architects have focused on efficiency, impermanence and flexibility in structures. Illustrating the achievements of the most visionary architects of the past and present, Featherweights traces the evolution of lightness in architecture from the fantastic glass structures of the early twentieth century to the latest hi-tech materials for the third millennium. Covering everything from pre-fab houses to inflatable buildings, utopian architecture to virtual cities, this fascinating exploration illustrates the ongoing dialogue between shelter and society and offers exciting glimpses into a future in which gravity is optional.

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Featherweights: Light, Mobile and Floating Architecture
Oliver Herwig
Manufacturer: Prestel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IN28F4

Book Description

Marcel Proust (1871-1922) was one of the great geniuses of modern literature. Born in Auteil to wealthy bourgeois parents, he suffered delicate health as a child. During his high school years, he began to frequent salons such as that of Madame Arman, a friend of Anatole France. Troubled by asthma and neuroses, as well as by the deaths of his parents, Proust increasingly withdrew from the outer world and after 1907 lived mainly in a cork-lined room, working at night on his monumental novel A la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of Things Past).

The World of Proust, as seen by Paul Nadar offers an intimate stroll through the society on which Proust's novel is based. The heart of the book consists of photographs found in the archive of Paul Nadar. These photographs make up a portrait gallery of Proust's friends and family -- as well as of the aristocrats, artists, bourgeoisie, actresses, and "tarts" who inhabit the novel. Included are portraits of Sarah Bernhardt, Jean Cocteau, Alphonse Daudet, Claude Debussy, Stephane Mallarme, Claude Monet, and Emile Zola. Each photograph is accompanied by a detailed caption describing the subject and the character in the novel modeled on that person.

Paul Nadar (1856-1939), the son of "Nadar," was part of the famous Nadar atelier. He took over his father's business and founded the journal Paris Photographe in 1891.

Customer Reviews:

As a costumer and designer, I find this book engrossing !.......2006-01-06

Indside, some of the most exultant photographic portraits to be found from the late Victorian period. Contained here, brief bios of family, friends, and acquaintances, who became the inspiration for the work of Proust. The book is bound and printed beautifully. The details of the clothing and accessories are well worth the price of this book.

Wonderfully helpful background to reading Proust.......2003-05-21

This is must reading (or gazing) for any serious student of Proust's IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME. Photographer Paul Nadar was a photographer for whom at one time or another virtually every member of Proust's social set and family sat for at one point or another. The value of this volume for someone reading Proust is twofold: allowing one to see high quality photographic reproductions of many of the actual models for Proust's characters, and providing a vivid picture of the way these people dressed, how they wore their hair, some of their cultural preoccupations, and what their favored accessories were.

I am not a fan of any method of reading Proust that degenerates into a study of Proust's life, that is more concerned with figuring out who the "real" Odette or Albertine or Saint-Loup was. The "real" Odette was a fictional creation by a literary genius of the first rank, and she cannot be found in any of these photographs. Not even in gazing at a photography of Robert de Montesquiou do we see Baron de Charlus, despite our knowledge that he was Proust's most important model for Charlus. But looking at these photographs breaks down the distance between Proust's world and our own. Odette may be based on several real life models, but it is helpful to know what the women that Proust knew looked like in forming our own mental picture of Odette or Gilberte or Oriane or Saint-Loup. I also find it much easier to imagine visually Proust's world after seeing precisely how those members of his social set dressed.

The book also has a great deal to teach about portrait photography in late 19th and early 20th century Paris, at least in an upper class studio. The range of photographs is fascinating, not merely in the posed photos with the subjects dressed in their finest clothes, but in the ones where various individuals appeared "in costume." This includes not merely a series of marvelous photographs of Sarah Bernhardt dressed as various characters, but men and especially women appearing in amateur theatricals. One section features a many of the more celebrated individuals of the time whom Proust either met or loosely based some of his characters on, such as Bernhardt (La Berma), Anatole France (Bergotte), Faure (Vinteuil, though only musically), and Claude Monet (one of several models for Elstir).

Physically, the book resembles a well-produced art book, with a cloth binding, high quality paper, and the highest quality reproductions. It is easily the most attractive book on Proust I have in my rather large collection of Proust titles. Not just a great book on Proust, but a beautiful one as well.

Splendid peek into Proust's beau monde.......2002-12-16

This is a must for any fan of Proust--you get to see not only what the originals for his most memorable characters (the Ducehsse de Guermantes, Swann, Charlus, Mme. verdurin) looked like, but also the interior of one of the great fin-de-siecle chateaus where one couple (the Prince and Princess Radziwell) lived. The Nadar photographs are sharp, startling and magnificent. I've wanted a book like this for years.

The World of Proust As Seen by Paul Nadar

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The World of Proust As Seen by Paul Nadar
Paul/ Bernard, Anne-Marie Nadar
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQX4VC

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World of Proust, as Seen by Paul Nadar
Anne-Marie Bernard
Manufacturer: MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1YH9Y

Customer Reviews:

Simplemete Realista y comico.......2003-01-16

En este Libro podras ver la genialidad y la manera jocosa con la cual Scott Adams, nos brinda muchas de las situaciones que se presentan de manera cotidiana en las diferentes empresas. Cabe mencionar el Sindrome de Cubiculo). Aparte de esto se podra observar la incompetencia de los jefes y la vagancia de los compañeros de trabajo( especialmente Wally)todo esto presentado con una genialidad, sencillez y gran comicidad.
Si leyo El Reducido del Reino de los pinguinos de Barbara Hateley este te va a gustar.

Extremadamente Chistoso y Realista.......2003-01-16

En este libro podra leer de una manera comica muchas de las situaciones vividas de manera cotidiana en su oficina; las cuales van desde la incompetencia de su jefe hasta la vagancia de algunos de sus compañeros( especialmente me refiero a Wally). Este libro deberia ser considerado como tema de discucion en algunas universidades ya que de manera jocosa podremos medir la incompetencia y la discordia en los distintos departamentos que forman a un empresa u organizacion.
Si leyo El Pavo Real en el Reino de los Pinguinos y El Reducido al Reino de los Pinguinos de Barbara Hateley disfrutara mucho las caricaturas de Scott Adams; autor de este libro el cual presenta mucha similitud con el Principio de Peter(Padre).
Lo recomiendo porque se que lo van a disfrutar.

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Not so good

Helpful for the first-time homebuyer

Buying and Selling a Home for Canadians for Dummies
Tony Ioannou , Moira Bayne , and Wendy Yano
Manufacturer: C D G Books Canada Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1894413067

Book Description

You know it's time to buy a new home, or a first home, but you're dreading the onslaught of flashy, fast-talking real estate agents and property managers. Help has arrived. Buying and Selling a Home for Canadians For Dummies prepares you to get what you need and want when buying a new home or selling the one you have. Everything from arranging your finances and hiring an agent, to researching neighbourhoods and assessing home values is presented in a clear and humorous way to make the whole process completely pain-free.

You'll find important information to help you: market your home and sell for the highest possible price; negotiate the best price and terms of sale; find the right new neighbourhood with reasonable prices and the type of housing to suit you and your family; decide whether or not to hire an agent and tips on how to choose a good one; and select the best mortgage and understand tax considerations.

Customer Reviews:

Not so good.......2002-12-17

This is truly a book for beginners but for heaven's sake, don't stop here. This will outline terms for you and give you a general idea of what to expect but the biases described in this book should be discarded. For example, they tell you to not lowball an offer in case of offending a seller. Unless you are in the Seller's market, this is just foolishness. Read, talk to your agent, and find a good mortgage broker and ask questions. Save your money and time for your closing costs. This book won't cut it for you.

Helpful for the first-time homebuyer.......2002-04-16

The success of the Dummies series is to supply information to the beginner, but at a pace and level that does not dumb down the material. This book, Buying a Home for Dummies, successfully takes the new home-seeker through the process of buying a house. It is written by 3 Canadians, and is obviously not just a rehash of the U.S. version.

Included are suggestions and hints on finding a real estate agent and lawyer, differences between house-hunting and condo-hunting, things to look for in a house (location, size, age, etc.), and budgeting give an idea of what you can afford. There are a number of helpful regional tips included as well - obviously someone looking for a house in Thunder Bay or Edmonton will care more about heating bills than someone in Victoria or Windsor. There is also a section on selling a first house, so you can keep this book on the shelf until the time comes when you're selling.

The most helpful aspects of the book deal with the mechanics of home purchase. There are a lot of new words to be learned, and they are helpfully gathered in a glossary in the back, as well as being fully explained in context in the text. A discussion on mortgages has the danger of becoming very dull very quickly, something this book manages to avoid by including examples and an efficient writing style.

The only thing I didn't like is the emphasis on big cities - since the authors are from Vancouver and Toronto, they know big cities best, but the underlying theme of the book is based on big cities in active markets. While it's true that Halifax, Calgary, etc. are in a real estate booms right now, many readers of this book (including myself) are going to be from smaller markets, so many of the tricks and advice don't apply. Other than that, it's an excellent introduction to house (and condo) hunting, and we have found it very useful in our first experience in the real estate market.

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Not as up to date as I would have liked

The World War Two Reader
Gordon Martel
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Nazism 1919-1945: Foreign Policy, War and Racial Extermination : A Documentary Reader (Exeter Studies in History)

The Origins of the Second World War in Europe (3rd Edition) (Origins Of Modern Wars)

The American People in the Great Depression: Freedom from Fear, Part One (The Oxford History of the United States, V. 9)

World War II: A Short History, Fourth Edition

Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation

ASIN: 0415224039

Book Description

This comprehensive reader provides an overview of recent research on the Second World War and includes chapters by some of the best known and innovative scholars working today. It gives attention to the fighting of the war throughout the world, and to its political and strategic backdrop. The representation and memory of war feature prominently in the book, with case studies of the film Saving Private Ryan and the controversial public display of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

The World War Two Reader includes a comprehensive introduction, chronology, guides to the key terms and the key figures, and contextual introductions to each chapter providing context and historiography.

Customer Reviews:

Not as up to date as I would have liked.......2006-12-03

Although this book was published 2004, it more accurately gives "state of the art" essays as of, say, 1999. In that it was disappointing. That said, there are some real quality essays here, by top-notch historians. I particularly liked Freedman & Dockrill's essay on Hiroshima; David French on ideology in the British army; John Dower on language in war/cultures; Paula Schwartz on gender politics in Vichy France (dealing with the partisanes); Mark Leff on the American Home Front; Pieter Lagrou's FASCINATING essay on genocide & national memory in Belgium/Netherlands/France; Lucy Noakes on the "Blitz" exhibits in two London museums; and John Bodnar's essay on the movie "Saving Private Ryan". None of the other essays are clunkers, these just stood out for me.

Definitely worth reading if you are an academic or the academic type, but not for the average WWII buff who wants to read about battles, equipment, and personalities.

Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings

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Excellent Resource
Knits up the ravels
A Radiograph of LotR.
Splendid Tolkien Reference Work
a giant mass of undifferentiated trivia

Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings
Michael W. Perry
Manufacturer: Inkling Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1587420198

Book Description

Here is the book that Tolkien fans have needed for half a century--a detailed, book-length chronology of J. R. R. Tolkien's complex tale. Whether you are a serious Tolkien fan or simply someone who enjoys reading the story over and over again, this is the book for you. It's the first totally new reference for The Lord of the Rings since the 1970s.

Beginning over 1400 years before the major events in Tolkien's epic, it describes, year-by-year, the amazing and imaginative background history that Tolkien created for his masterpiece. Then for the main narrative, it becomes a day-by-day reference, describing what each character does on that day and all the places where those events are described in Tolkien's writings. You can find out, for instance, what Merry and Pippin are doing as Sam perpares rabbit stew on the morning of March 7.

Probe deeper into Tolkien. See why someone as serious as Gandalf was interested in fun-loving Hobbits. Discover an exciting new plot, based on Tolkien's notes, that begins when Aragorn captures Gollum. Follow along as the Black Riders and Gandalf race for the Shire. Decide for yourself whether Sauron and the Ring have any ties to Hitler and Stalin. Explore what Tolkien believed about nature and technology.

A few facts illustrate how helpful this chronology is. Most of narrative is a deliberately confusing sea of next days and third days that leave readers as confused as the tale's main characters.The middle 60 percent of The Lord of the Rings gives the current date only once. In the narrative as a whole, the date is given only 23 times, or once for every 43 pages, and most of those come when the plot is moving slowly. That's why those who want to dig deeper and understand better what Tolkien was saying will find this book a must-have.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Resource.......2006-12-10

Perry has done a wonderful job in untangling the very intricate tale woven by J.R.R. Tolkien. Of particular help are the copious margin notes which reference exactly where Perry is drawing the information contained within that section of his book. The commentary made by the author is a welcomed pause for reflection on the events that are taking place and keep the book from being a mere listing of dates and events. I teach a course on J.R.R. Tolkien and have found Untangling Tolkien a valuable resource, since it covers the entire history of Middle-earth: what comes before The Hobbit and what takes place after The Lord of The Rings. Bravo Mr. Perry, I look forward to reading your other books.

Knits up the ravels.......2004-10-31

An amazing accomplishment by a dedicated Tolkien fan.

That is how I'd sum up the book Untanging Tolkien. Michael Perry has first unraveled all Tolkien's "dates" -- which can be extrapolated from phases of the moon -- and then knit them together again in a cohesive outline, presented in much greater detail than Tolkien's own timeline (found buried in Appendix A of LOTR). By incorporating information from other Tolkien writings, the author of Untangling Tolkien collates additional facts about all the characters and the circumstances surrounding the War of the Ring, folding them all into this detailed chronology. He includes material that sheds light on possible parallels between Tolkien's work and events that were contemporary, and he provides original commentary that suggests some additional motivations for Tolkien's characters. Sidebars offer references to every source for the information presented and for each conclusion the author has drawn.

I found the format, with quick-reference bulleted lists and clearly delineated sections and subheadings, well-organized and easy to use.

NOTE: I read the third printing that was published in May 2004. Apparently the author has corrected many of the errors that David Bratman objected to (below). You won't find a better overview or a more throrough treatment of time and dates in LOTR than Perry provides in this book.

A Radiograph of LotR........2003-12-27

This book is layed out as a chronological record of the events covered by Tolkein's masterpiece with prefaces that explain the calender system created by Tolkein and its conversion to our more mundane (and possibly inferior) system. The type is clear, and margin citations clear and present for every entry. It's primary utility, at which it succeeds admirably, is as a kind of radiograph of Tolkein's work that reveals its astonishing complexity more clearly and allows one to admire, and more importantly, explore the book itself more quickly, easily, and deeply.

The book also contains copious notes inline with the chronology. These vary from informative to tangential, but at worst do not detract from the book's primary function. Mr. Perry is perhaps foremost as Lewis scholar, and so C.S. Lewis, a close acquaintance and friend of Tolkein, makes a number of appearances. Also making appearances in the notes are William Shakespeare and Winston Churchill.

All in all, a unique book which will save anyone who wants to do an in depth study of LotR a lot of time.

Splendid Tolkien Reference Work.......2003-12-21

Superb, exhaustive chronology of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga. Perry does a superior job in untangling a number of thorny chronological issues in Tolkien's narrative, and he employs some fine literary detective work in reconstructing what events are happening across Middle Earth on any given date. Especially admirable is his reconstruction of how much moonlight there was during each day of Frodo and Sam's journey into Mordor.

In addition to chronology, Perry supplies a lot of background information about Tolkien's themes and sources, as well as biographical tidbits about Tolkien. For example, there are fascinating discussions of Tolkien's views of technology, freedom, and totalitarianism. Perry also discusses Tolkien's stance toward the misuse of Germanic myths by the Nazis.

This is a great resource for Tolkien-lovers everywhere.

a giant mass of undifferentiated trivia.......2003-12-21

A year-by-year, later day-by-day, chronicle of the war against Sauron from the founding of the Shire to the glorious conclusion seems at the outset like a good idea. Perry calls LOTR's Appendix B, the Tale of Years, "far from complete" but it covers the whole period: what he means is that it's not detailed enough for him. Appendix B won't tell you which day Sam cooked coney for Frodo; Perry will.

But alas, the book does not stop there. The entries are written as bullet lists like a PowerPoint presentation, and many add pointless little flowcharts such as two-generation family trees. They reduce Tolkien's magnificently complex subcreation into a giant mass of undifferentiated trivia. And each yearly or daily entry comes with its commentary, whether directly relevant, side points, broader considerations, or dogmatic essays in applicability. The unrelieved banality and inappropriateness of these must be read to be believed; as also the author's clumsy, grammatically inept style, and his smug superiority to the characters. (He frequently criticizes the good guys' "blunders," all of them more complex than he implies.)

There's actually some good chronological analysis and speculation hiding in here. But how can someone who knows his Tolkien that well say that the wizards were Valar, or that Rohan gave Isengard to Saruman (it wasn't theirs to give, and Saruman was made its warden, not a freeholder), that Boromir and Faramir had a sibling rivalry (Tolkien specifically says not), or suggest that Galadriel should have sent daily eagles to check up on the Fellowship?

Book Description

How does a captured soldier make a great escape? During World War Two, many tried to break out...but few actually succeeded. Here is the planning and execution of 18 incredible flights to freedom--some never written about before. These exciting true stories read like fiction, showing in detail how resistance fighters on the outside organized escape routes and safe houses. The group of intrepid characters comes not only from the Allied powers, but also from Germany and Japan.

reader's digest illustrated story of world war two

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reader's digest illustrated story of world war two
READER'S DIGEST
Manufacturer: reader's digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000CRFYIE

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The World war Two Reader

Manufacturer: Ibooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739417967

Product Description

Like new.

World War Two Animal Heroes (Pelican Hi-lo Readers)

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World War Two Animal Heroes (Pelican Hi-lo Readers)
B. Moses , and Wendy Body
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Europe | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Counter Intelligence in World War II, Volume Two (A Counterintelligence Reader, 2)

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Counter Intelligence in World War II, Volume Two (A Counterintelligence Reader, 2)

Manufacturer: National Counterintelligence Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RRUXGM

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Illustrated Story of World War Two
Readers Digest
Manufacturer: Readers Digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LBBH5A

Book Description

Nigel Wheatley continues his continent-by-continent guide to the best locales for international birding by turning his binoculars to over 250 of the most productive birding sites in Europe and Russia. Whether you want to know how Golden Eagles are distributed on the Scottish Island of Skye, which birds you'll find in the botanical gardens in Minsk, or where to go if you have your heart set on a Grey Phalarope or Lapland Bunting, this book is the essential travel companion. Though compact and portable, Where to Watch Birds in Europe and Russia contains a tremendous amount of information on travel, geography, and bird distribution that can be used to plan a trip from scratch or get more out of any itinerary.

Wheatley gives excellent coverage not only of the well-trod fields of England and France, but also of countries newly explored by North American birders (such as Romania and Azerbaijan), such bird-rich microclimates as Malta and Greece's Strymon Delta, and several often-overlooked small nations (such as Luxembourg and Moldova). This addition to the acclaimed Where to Watch Birds series will be particularly valuable to birders visiting Eastern Europe, Russia, and other places whose birding sites have not been well publicized.

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