Minimum - Mini Edition (Phaidon Miniature Editions)

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Architect John Pawson delves into all aspects of minimalism in this compact (five-by-five-inch) but thick (325-page) format. Reading Minimum is almost like sitting in a slide lecture given by a passionate professor of pared-down design. It is a picture book primarily, and Pawson's choice of images is personal and quirky. His chapter headings refer to many sources and aspects of design: Mass, Light, Structure, Ritual, Landscape, Order, Containment, Repetition, Volume, Essence, and Expression. The pictures in each section range from sculptures and paintings to landscapes to ritual objects to rooms to colonnades and piazzas, cityscapes and private homes. Pawson's selections are evocative, but not always effective. One caption reads, "The intense luminescence of Mark Rothko's painting," but the picture shown is one of Rothko's late, dark, depressed canvasses, which at three-by-five-inches seems more a smudge than a glow. Images dominate this book, but Pawson has also written an ardent introductory essay that places his selections in context. "What I look for is the excitement of empty space," he writes. "It has the capacity to bring architecture alive, just as it does a Chinese scroll painting. Emptiness allows us to see space as it is, to see architecture as it is, preventing it from being corrupted, or hidden, by the incidental debris of the paraphernalia of everyday life. It offers the space, both psychological and physical, for contemplation, and the serenity that can encourage meditative quiet and calm, without the jarring distraction of possessions." --Peggy Moorman

Customer Reviews:

A beautiful book........2007-03-01

John Pawson is one of my favorite architects, and this book perfectly highlights and demonstrates his minimalist approach. Light on text, heavy on beautiful photos. It's also gorgeously bound with a simple but rich cloth cover with beautiful type. It even came shrink-wrapped to ensure that it wasn't damaged during shipping. Everything about it is perfect.

For such an inexpensive book, I couldn't have been more surprised. I can't recommend this highly enough.

Pawson thoery by picture.......2007-01-09

Picture book on Pawson's theory of minimum, with snapshots across the history of architecture. Nice intro to Pawson before moving on to his works book. Pleasant read/look but you may wish to go straight to works.

Minimum For Sure.......2006-09-07

I'm surprised by all of the good reviews. I don't recommend this book, unless its main purpose is to sit on a coffee table and look pretty.

The pictures are decent, though many of them look grainy as if they've been blown up to fit the page. But perhaps the most disappointing part of the book was the text. Each picture has merely a paragraph devoted to description, and to compound that frustration, the font is so small (probably 6 point), I had to keep my eyes inches from the page. It would be understandable if the publisher were trying to save room, but clearly that's not the case, as an entire white page is devoted to a small paragraph, which is consequently crammed so near the binding that I had to pry the book apart to read the text. I realize that this style is probably meant to reflect the book's title, but I don't think moving the text to the middle of an already blank page would disrupt this.

There are better books elsewhere.

Pawson's work.......2006-06-14

This book is interesting. The book reveals what constitutes Pawson's thinking. Thru the graphic representations of photographic art, sculpture, ancient buildings, paintings, places, details, gardens, and ruins; Pawson powerfully visualizes his stance. At each image Pawson carefully crafts little notes to explain why he likes that particular image. A reader will easily grasp that Pawson's journey towards the absolute essentials was not created thru either erasing lines in drawings or reading some philosophical statements. But thru the years of his own site visits and foot work. Sometimes I felt flattered that some of my favorites were chosen as his favorites; othertimes, I found places and artists that I've never heard. I was able to rely on his notes because of his comments on my favorites. Only a person who has visited multiple times to his likings can write such succinct and insightful comments. Due to the intensity of the content and the nature of words, this book could also function like a daily meditation book. By that I mean, you can read it in two hours or you can read an image per day and extend the duration to two years. In a digitally mediated age, clapping hands to the loud voices/ moving fast/ diversity of thoughts, Pawson's book deliberately shuts mouth/ stand still/ seek simple equilibrium.

A philosophical book.......2005-03-11

The book is not just about architecture. The author wants to convey a philosophy about minimalism to the readers. The book shows that the value of minimum is pervasive in every aspect of our life. At first, I was a littel bit disappointed about the content and the pictures (since I would like to see more modern architectural design). But later on, I found this book very intriguing. I think readers need to think when reading the book, try to get the communality of all the pictures from this book and come up with your own interpretation of what minimalism means. Of course, it takes time to derive your intellectual definition. But it is okay. Just take your time and you will enjoy the process of thinking in abstractive manner. Both the thinking process and results will guide your future design, aesthetics, and life style.

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Minimum - Mini Edition
John Pawson
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Ryan Socash of the band Let Me Introduce You To The End captures his travels between Poland, New York, and Chicago.

Customer Reviews:

The Genius Of Al Capp.......2003-04-05

Al Capp was on the verge of reaching his peak- a peak he would maintain for many, many years- in these great 1939 newspaper strips. The drawing style is getting bolder and funnier and Capp's visual and narrative satire is beginning to hit a stride that put him at the top of his medium and at the forefront of American popular culture. "Li'l Abner" is a great American work of art, and boy, is it funny stuff. This beautiful series of books is a Godsend from revered publisher Denis Kitchen, and reestablishes Capp's important place as a twentieth century artist and writer.

My favorite sequence here has Abner posing as a college student ("Oh,Happy Collidge Days!!") as a couple of equally-disguised gangsters try to kill him. While being shoved off a cliff and into a river, tied to a boulder, Abner enthuses "This is mah first collidge hazin'!!" Buy all 27 volumes of this priceless series and take the phone off the hook for a few months.

Book Description

Michman and Mazze present five key variables that retailing executives in nine specialty businesses must understand and work with, to gain and sustain competitive advantage in their competitive environments. Innovation, target market segmentation, image development, physical store decor, and human resource managementf are identified and examined. Authors argue convincingly from research and practical experience that these fundamental considerations are crucial to achieving competitive dominance. With up-to-date analyses and extensive coverage of e-commerce and internet retailing as well, their book is essential for retailing executives. Michman and Mazze find that successful specialty retailers are not all things to all customers, and do not try to be. They are, however, the first to apply new technologies. Authors analyze the development of specialty stores in the U.S. and tie their variables together in an epilogue. Along the way they make clear that by focusing on their five critical variables, we can understand how marketing successes come about and what causes blunders in the nine highly important store categories under their examination here. They point out that not all of their variables need be used concurrently. Some may be more critical than others, and this depends on environmental and competitive conditions. Backing it all up is meticulously developed evidence from their research and personal experience -- all of it presented readably and in a way that practitioners can understand and immediately apply.

Book Description

Chinese business firms and their networks of personal and business relationships, are becoming increasingly important players in the global economy. This book examines the global and regional operations of Chinese business firms and considers their implications for the management and organization of these firms, aided by specific case studies. Written by leading researchers in this field, Globalizing Chinese Business Firms is a valuable and timely contribution to the study of Asian business systems.

Book Description

Discover Nature's Treatment for Menopause
Every woman experiences menopause differently. But did you know that there are natural remedies that may significantly reduce menopause-related symptoms and help protect against the associated risks of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis?
Inside you'll learn how black cohosh may reduce menopausal symptoms, which natural treatments may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, how kava may help menopause-related anxiety, the pros and cons of other natural treatments for menopause, and much more!
Includes up-to-date information on menopause and:
·Black Cohosh
·Kava
·Ipriflavone
·Soy
·Calcium
·Vitamin D
·Vitamin E
·B Vitamins
·St. John's Wort
·Valerian
·Garlic
·Red Clover
·And conventional medical treatments
It's all here in simple, straightforward language. You'll find yourself turning to this helpful, trusted companion again and again.

Book Description

The term Marder (meaning weasel) was the name given to this family of open-topped tank destroyers. Combining high mobility and heavy firepower, they saw significant combat action in several theatres, This book provides a detailed guide to modelling the Marder in 1/35 scale, and offers diverse challenges to modellers of all abilities. Conversions, interior detailing, kit bashing, adding aftermarket figures and parts, creating different finishes and weathering techniques are all covered in step-by-step visual detail.

Customer Reviews:

"Modeling the Marder" - a must buy!.......2006-11-14

"Modeling the Marder Self Propelled Gun" by Samuel Dwyer is one of those modeling books that should be on your "must have" list. The book covers many of the Marder variants, and the modeler is introduced to the various mediums that are available on the market today - plastic injection molded kits, resin kits and after market products, photo-etched accessories, and a bit of scratchbuilding. The book is well written, very well organized, has a very good selection of "in process" photographs, a good bibliography and model/aftermarket parts list, and is overall a very good bargain on an interesting WW II German armored fighting vehicle. After reading this book, I'm ready to tackle those Marders in my model collection!

If you have an affection..........2006-08-15

.....for Marders this is a must have book for your shelves. If you are a fan of German armor of WW II this is a must have book for your shelves!

Sam has put together an excellent publication on building, painting and weathering some of the more obscure German AFV's of the second world war.

Please note that you will not find any OOB builds in this book. All the projects showcased exhibit to some degree some fantastic scratchbuilding to either correct or further detail a kit. That being said, I do not want to discourage beginners from picking up this title. The skill shown with each build is well worth the money. Even if all one does is drool over each model.

But not only is the authors building skills put forth, but his painting and weathering skills which I feel are his strength. Sam has the ability to make plastic look like metal .. what I believe to be the single most difficult part of this hobby.

Modelling the Marder Self-Propelled Gun (Osprey Modelling).......2005-11-09

Modeling some of the most obscure German vehicles of the Second World War, this books fills the void of very unique armor of the self propelled gun family. Good modeling techniques are descriptively written with blocks of photos showing the build in progress. 1/35th kits Tamiya, Alan and Ironside, are featured. This one is needed for your reference shelf.

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Modelling the Marder Self-Propelled Gun

Manufacturer: OSPREY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GTAUZU

Book Description

The Labour Party became a major political force during the 1920s. It unexpectedly entered office as a minority government in 1924; five years later as the largest party in the Commons it took office again. For many the party's enhanced status was associated closely with its leader, Ramsay MacDonald. The years of optimism were destroyed by rising unemployment; in August 1931, the second Labour Government faced pressures for public expenditure cuts in the midst of a financial crisis. The Government collapsed, and MacDonald led a new administration composed of erstwhile opponents and a few old colleagues. Labour went into opposition; an early election reduced it to a parliamentary rump. This study offers a uniquely detailed analysis of Labour in the 1920s based on a wide variety of unpublished sources. The emphasis is on the variety of identities available within the party, and demonstrates how disputes over identity made a crucial contribution to the 1931 crisis. Thorough scholarship and distinctive interpretation combine to provide an important examination of a major episode in twentieth-century history.

MacDonald's Party: Labour Identities and Crisis, 1922-1931.(Book Review): An article from: Albion

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MacDonald's Party: Labour Identities and Crisis, 1922-1931.(Book Review): An article from: Albion
Daniel Ritschel
Manufacturer: North American Conference on British Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00081XVWA
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Albion, published by North American Conference on British Studies on June 22, 2004. The length of the article is 920 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: MacDonald's Party: Labour Identities and Crisis, 1922-1931.(Book Review)
Author: Daniel Ritschel
Publication: Albion (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2004
Publisher: North American Conference on British Studies
Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Page: 357(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Contributors: Kenneth P. Able, The University at Albany, State University of New York. James Baird, Petersham, Massachusetts Audubon Society Keith L. Bildstein, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association, Kempton, Penn. William A. Calder Jr. Sidney A. Gauthreaux Jr., Clemson University Brian A. Harrington, Manomet Observatory for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, Mass. Gary L. Krapu, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, N.D. Frank R. Moore, University of Southern Mississippi Stanley E. Senner, Audubon Alaska

The migration of birds has forever amazed and confounded onlookers. How do birds find their way to their destinations? How do they withstand the dangers and rigors of long-distance flight? The survival of migrant birds is increasingly threatened by environmental degradation and manmade hazards; their protection is more critical than ever. Gatherings of Angels offers first-hand accounts by leading experts who convey the beauty and excitement of migration while communicating important messages about avian conservation. The book features twenty-four pages of stunning color photographs with additional black-and-white photographs throughout. Two chapters of background information on migration precede chapters that focus on different species or groups of birds and the localities essential to their survival--from the spring flights of songbirds across the Gulf of Mexico to the massing of sandhill cranes on the Platte River. The authors discuss the timing of migrant travel; the routes followed; and the concentration of birds in stop-over sites, locations that must be preserved if they are to have secure resting spots with fresh water and ample food to fuel their journey.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic voyages.......2001-10-25

This book works well on many levels for different readers. For the bird watcher, you will learn why Sept 16 is the best time to be at Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. For sheer magnificence the Sandhill Crane migrations through Nebraska can't be surpassed, and that story also offers lessens on the role of man; both positive (leaving corn in the field), and negative (loss of the Platte River).

For those wanting to understand the scientific process, the disagreement about the migration route over the Atlantic of the Blackpoll Warbler offers an example of the use of circumstantial evidence. Sometimes the evidence seems too circumstantial, like infering Rufous Hummingbird migration paths from 2 banding returns. Looking at scientific cooperation the tracking of Western Sandpipers along the Pacific coastline is remarkable,as is the international cooperation on White-rumped Sandpiper migration from the Arctic to the tip of South America.

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