Building Construction Before Mechanization

Book Description

How were huge stones moved from quarries to the sites of Egyptian pyramids? How did the cathedral builders of the Middle Ages lift blocks to great heights by muscle power alone? In this intriguing book John Fitchen explains and illustrates the solutions to these and many other puzzles in preindustrial building construction.

This is the first general survey of the practices and role of the builder (as opposed to the designer) in constructing an array of structures. Fitchen's approach gives a valuable hands-on feel for what it's like to work with ropes and ladders, wedges and slings; with crews engaged in well digging, bridge building, and the transporting of obelisks hundreds of miles by water and over land. The buildings discussed range from the tents, tepees, and igloos of nomadic tribes to the monumental pyramids of Egypt, the temples of Greece, the aqueducts of Rome, and the cathedrals of medieval Europe.

John Fitchen, a registered architect, is Professor of Fine Arts, Emeritus, at Colgate University and the author of The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals and The New World Dutch Barn.

Customer Reviews:

Good Book.......2000-06-16

An excellent read for those interested in architecture or construction techniques. It is also a valuable resource for those interested in understanding historical technologies.

Building Construction Before Mechanization

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Building Construction Before Mechanization
John Fitchen
Manufacturer: MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQDJBW

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BUILDING CONSTRUCTION BEFORE MECHANIZATION.
John. Fitchen
Manufacturer: MIT Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UZFMSA

Customer Reviews:

It is easy and fun!!.......2003-10-12

My 4 year old boy and I have lots of fun doing the projects in this book. The materials used are easy to get and the process is a lot of fun and the end product is good too!!!

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What Return Shall I Make
Valerie C. Scanlon
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 073884098X

Book Description

After seven years of travel, Jeanne Landry returns to the Barrett Hills estate where she grew up; her brother Owen is now caretaker. Jeanne is resigned to servant life for a while, in part beguiled by Charles Barrett suggesting that she may be like her late mother. A servant may overhear (though a good servant never lurks), and Jeanne is aware of the discord and conflict among Charles and Cecilia and their four grown children.

Come January, during the Blizzard of '96, there is murder on the estate, which has been isolated by the storm and a blackout. Jeanne and Owen quickly realize that the Barretts plan to have the Landrys take the blame and to be unable to deny it.

Two families, each with its faults and misunderstandings, each with love and loyalty; for all their differences much the same. And a puzzle Jeanne has little time to solve.

What Shall I Make? (2001)
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What Shall I Make? (2001)
Ray Gibson
Manufacturer: Usborne Publishing Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M65IY0

Book Description

The German-American photographer Jessica Backhaus has portrayed the village of Netno and its residents in Northern Poland.

With a sure eye and an unusual color language, she points out the distinctive aesthetic of details she encountered: plastic flowers and crocheted pillowcases, images of saints and lace doilies, and cherries preserved in mason jars.

The intimate character of the images suggests that the photographer must have developed a special relationship to her subject: In Backhaus' photographs we feel the warmth, cordiality, and authenticity with which she was received in Poland. The photographer's clear gaze captured the beauty of everyday details and moods. Jesus and the Cherries describes a Poland still a long way from the modernizations that the full integration in the European Union will bring. Jessica Backhaus thus tells a tale of traditional ways of life that may already belong to the past.

Jessica Backhaus was born in Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1970. At the age of sixteen, she moved to Paris, where she studied Photography and Visual Communications. Here she met Gisele Freund, who became her mentor. In 1995, she went to New York, where she assisted the photographers Francois Halard, Michel Comte, and Patrik Demarchelier. Since 2000, she has worked as a freelance photographer in New York. Her work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London, in New York, in Paris and other European cities.

A limited edition with signed photograph in a specially designed slipcase will also be available.

Book Description

This volume contains peer-reviewed papers and case studies derived from invited papers. The contributions address two key problems: (i) natural, technological and environmental risks, risk prevention and sustainable development; and (ii) science, risk and society. The papers provide an invaluable insight into, and archival record of the relationship between risk, science, and society in a world that has become more turbulent since the tragic events of 11 September 2001. The papers from scientists, policy makers, and practitioners cover the topics of risk, sustainability, science, and society and are of value for natural and social scientists, teachers, students, economists, and politicians. The book can also be read with profit by authorities responsible for public safety, risk management, and risk mitigation plans, and insurance companies.

Risk Science and Sustainability: Science for Reduction of Risk and Sustainable Development for Society

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Risk Science and Sustainability: Science for Reduction of Risk and Sustainable Development for Society
Alik Ismail-Zadeh
Manufacturer: Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MV5Y5S

Book Description

Timely, original, provocative, and one of the first studies of the way in which the World Bank is reinventing itself as the "Knowledge Bank." Essential for those with an interest in the future of the World Bank, the role of think tanks, and the changing nature of development.

The Professional Secretary's Handbook: Communication Skills
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Great Starting Place

The Professional Secretary's Handbook: Communication Skills
John Spencer , and Adrian Pruss
Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Secretarial Aids & Training | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Secretarial Aids & Training | Business Skills | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook

Merriam-Webster's Secretarial Handbook (Third Edition)

The Professional Secretary's Handbook

Professional Excellence for Secretaries (Fifty-Minute)

The Valuable Office Professional: For Administrative Assistants, Office Managers, Secretaries, and Other Support Staff

ASIN: 0764100238

Customer Reviews:

Great Starting Place.......2000-05-09

For those who are looking for a good place to start to be able to effectively communicate in an administrative position, this is it! It is very down to earth with great ideas, as well as things to think about that few would consider. Places emphasis in how you come across in business situations, helps you see your strengths as well as weaknesses. This is a must have for beginners.

The Professional Secretary's Handbook: Management Skills (Professional Secretary's Handbooks)

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The Professional Secretary's Handbook: Management Skills (Professional Secretary's Handbooks)
John Spencer , and Adrian Pruss
Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Secretarial Aids & Training | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Secretarial Aids & Training | Business Skills | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0764100246

Amazon.com

Secretaries and administrative assistants are, undeniably, responsible for making the wheels of commerce and industry spin smoothly. The Professional Secretary's Handbook: Management Skills by John Spencer and Adrian Pruss, is the rare manual that actually understands their role and is focused on ways to help them develop a repertoire of administrative talents necessary to perform these critical functions even more effectively. A companion volume on communication skills, from the same authors, also is available.

Average customer rating:

Cleaning Services Bid Estimation - The Best Out There

Cleaning Services Bid Estimation: A Resource Guide to Cleaning Services Bid Estimating, Work Loading, and Cost Accounting
Walter Fenix
Manufacturer: Entaecan Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Marketing | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
New Business Enterprises | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Commercial and Residential Cleaning Services: A Resource Guide to Developing and Maintaining Your Own Janitorial or Home Cleaning Business

Construction Cleanup: A Guide to an Exciting & Profitable Cleaning Specialty

The Cleaning Encyclopedia

The Professional Cleaner's Personal Handbook

Sales and Marketing for Janitorial Service Businesses : Strategies for Promoting, Estimating, and Bidding Cleaning Services

ASIN: 0971747768

Book Description

CLEANING SERVICES BID ESTIMATION provides experienced professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs, with practical charts, tables and worksheets that can be used to determine cleaning times, production rates, price per square foot, work loading and other cost accounting endpoints, that are needed to establish cleaning services pricing or bid estimates. These tools, if used properly and consistently, can greatly enhance the profitability and competitive edge of cleaning services businesses. This guide comes complete with examples, supporting formulas, concise explanations and worksheet forms.

The guide is particularly well suited to individuals who have started cleaning services businesses recently, and may be struggling with how to establish competitive service rates, as well as those contractors who simply wish to improve the competitiveness and profitability of their businesses. It is equally suited to those individuals without cleaning services experience, or those are currently employed in the cleaning services industry and are seriously considering self-employment as cleaning services contractors. They will find, that much of the practical information and many of the tools needed to make such a transition are presented here.

Customer Reviews:

Cleaning Services Bid Estimation - The Best Out There.......2007-05-26

This book has done wonders for our office, we now have a concise, consistent and highly accurate process for submitting our bids. Get this book, you will not regret it, it's worth every penny and more.

Scientific Watergate Dyslexia: How and Why Countless Millions Are Deprived of Breakthrough Medical Treatment
Average customer rating:

Dyslexia isn't mysterious anymore- & this isn't good science

Good information

correction of my email name/address

Your smart and there is hope, healing and help available.

A MEDICAL MIRACLE WORKER

Scientific Watergate Dyslexia: How and Why Countless Millions Are Deprived of Breakthrough Medical Treatment
Harold N., M.D. Levinson
Manufacturer: Stonebridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Neuropsychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Internal Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books | Cardiology | Critical Care | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Gastroenterology | General | Hematology | Hepatology | Infectious Disease | Nephrology | Neurology | Oncology | Pulmonary | Rheumatology | Urology
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Total Concentration: How to Understand Attention Deficit Disorders

A Solution to the Riddle--Dyslexia

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0963930303

Customer Reviews:

Dyslexia isn't mysterious anymore- & this isn't good science.......2005-02-23

Dr. Levinson does many readers, especially parents of children who struggle to read (have dyslexia) a disservice with his theories. Dyslexia is a reading disorder,not a mystery and people who waste time and money pursuing unlikely solutions to reading problems have been led astray.Specialized instrution is the answer- not magic ear treatments! This kind of quackery is unethical!

Good information.......2003-02-15

This is an excellent book. Please do not listen to the individual that said this book was unscientific. If you would like evidence concerning cerebellar deficits in dyslexia they are easy to obtain. This book does have a scientific basis. Please do not assume that just because the Orton society does not sanction this book that it is "way outside of scientific thought". At one time scientists thought leeching was a good thing. Go figure. Science is a process, there are always new developments. If you would like to research Dr Levinson's theory for yourself you can go to infotrieve.com put dyslexia and cerebellar in the search bar and you can buy scientific articles on this topic to your hearts content. This database has articles that are peer reviewed such as Journal of the American Optometric Association, Annals of Dyslexia, Experimental Brain Research etc.

That said, this is what I like about this book:
1. Dr Levinson does not claim that cerebellar deficits are the ONLY cause of dyslexia. He also cites some research by Irlen on visual processing deficits and says the cause of dyslexia may be different for individuals.
2. He says that this treatment does not work for everyone. The degree that it will help people also varies from individual to individual.
3. He does not claim to cure anyone and is upfront about the fact that problems will still exist.
4. He listens to his patients. He does not take the "I am doctor. I am expert", stance. He speaks about defining dyslexia based on the accounts of individuals that struggle with it.
5. He states that dyslexia should not simply be based on a reading discrepancy. Many individuals have a hard time reading but muddle along, without falling too far behind. But the process is still slow and painful.

I could go on but space is limited. This book is a good read. It may help the dyslexic person in your life or it may not. But it will provide you with information.

correction of my email name/address.......1999-09-06

The proper aol email screen name/address for my review is Mrshangel@aol.com not Marshangel@aol.com

Your smart and there is hope, healing and help available........1998-06-24

I strongly urge people to read all of Dr. Levinson's books and cannot praise his diagnostic and treatment procedures/methods(etc.) highly enough. As I have been a very successful patient of his since 9/84 to present. His books have wonderful self-help, self-teach, self-healing as well as self-acceptance themes ever-present, and have transformed the lives of many people over many years, myself especially. The books also repeatedly emphasize that "You aren't alone" and you're smart and that there is hope, healing and help available!! The photographs of actual patients in "A Scientific Watergate" put "real faces" and emotion on the words...again showing you that you aren't all alone... The books also repeatedly prove that a multitude of what can appear to be unrelated single symptoms have one common cause and one safe treatment that can (at least in my case) almost put the "disease" into a "near-remission" state...giving you back a peaceful, healthy, stable equiliburium...restoring your mind-body balance and sense of wellbeing physically, mentally, spiritually...additionally Dr. Levinson and I both endorse a series of non-medical therapies within a Scientific Watergate, which include tinted lenses.

A MEDICAL MIRACLE WORKER.......1998-06-22

I AM WRITING THIS REVIEW TO FURTHER EXPAND UPON MY CONTRIBUTION THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THIS BOOK& TO HELP OTHERS... AS THE TALMUD SAYS THAT TO SAVE ONE MIND IS TO SAVE THE WORLD ENTIRE. THIS BOOK PUTS REAL HUMAN FACES ONTO MANY OF NOT MOST OF THE STORIES IN ORDER TO SHOW PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF THAT YOU AREN'T ALONE!!! THE BOOK ESPECIALLY TOUCHED MY HEART WITH THE SECTION ON LISA NOMER,WHO FOUGHT BACK AGAINST KGB-GESTAPO LIKE BAR EXAMINERS. THIS SECTION HELPED ME TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO SUCCESSFULLY SUE A LARGE UNIVERSITY!! I ALSO WAS THRILLED TO READ THE SECTIONS ON HELEN IRLEN(COLORED TINTED EYEGLASS LENSES WHICH I WEAR). AS DR L'S VERY SUCCESSFUL DYSLEXIC ADHD PATIENT SINCE 9/84-PRESENT,(ALMOST 14YRS) I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE WHO HAS COMMENTS AND/OR QUESTIONS,P.S. THIS BOOK DOES A REALLY NICE JOB OF EXPLAINING THE MUSICAL TALENTS,SKILLS & SYMPTOMS OF MUSICIANS LIKE MYSELF, JOAN SPARKS,& OTHERS,WHO ARE DYSLEXIC AND/OR ADD/ADHD/SSS SCOTOPICALLY SENSITIVE(IRLEN SYNDR)FONDLY,MARSHA LAMPERT MBA WANTAGH NY

Scientific Watergate - Dyslexia - How & Why Countless Millions Are Deprived Of Breakthrough Medical Treatment

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Scientific Watergate - Dyslexia - How & Why Countless Millions Are Deprived Of Breakthrough Medical Treatment
Harold N. Levinson
Manufacturer: Stonebridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUJA5S

Book Description

Collection of articles providing new research on warfare in ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican societies based on archaeological, ethnohistorical, and linguistic evidence

Customer Reviews:

A provocative look at ancient warfare.......2004-07-28

While archaeologists often acknowledge the role of warfare in the development of chiefdoms and early states, many ignore an in-depth study or discussion of warfare, preferring to look at trade/exchange or settlement patterns. As _Ancient Mesoamerican Warfare_ demonstrates though, several Mesoamerican archaeologists are more than happy to grapple with the topic of warfare in chiefdoms and early states.

After a brief introduction by the editors, the first section of the book examines the material culture of prehistoric and early historic Mesoamerica and the evidence for warfare. While one might expect the three chapters in this section to look at fortifications or weapons, the main focus of two of the chapters is an artifact much more mundane and not usually associated with warfare-pottery. George Bey III's article ("The Role of Ceramics in the Study of Conflict") illustrates two ways in which warfare can affect ceramic production. For the Late Classic site of Yaxuná in the Yucatán, after its conquest by Cobá, chemical and petrographic analyses indicate that the locally made domestic and burial pottery was quickly replaced by pottery made in Cobá. This indicates that the political elites did have an interest in domestic pottery production, and suggests that the elites at Cobá saw conquest and identity being linked to domestic ceramics. In his second case study, the chemical analyses indicates that endemic, internal warfare in the Petexbatun region of Guatemala during the Late Classic period destroyed trade networks and caused domestic pottery production to become more localized.

Arthur Joyce's article looks at the nature of contact between Monte Albán and Teotihuacan in the Basin of Mexico with sites in the Río Verde valley of Oaxaca. While there are some general similarities in the pottery styles at times between the areas under study, Joyce notes this is not definite proof of conquest. Similar pottery styles could also be due to the spread of a common technology via some process of trade and exchange, or some other form of indirect, hegemonic control.

The second section of the book looks at the relationship between warfare and ritual. Pagliaro et al. look at reverential and desecratory termination rituals in Mayan contexts. With their stress on the context of the finds, their chapter is good for both archaeologists and historians attempting to recognize the type of destruction levels found at Mayan sites. A case study exemplifying many of their points is Brown and Garber's "Evidence of Conflict during the Middle Formative in the Maya Lowlands." Another examination of desecretory termination rituals is the article on warfare at Yaxuná by Ambrosino et al.

The iconography and epigraphy of warfare is the focus of the third section. "Text and Contexts in Maya Warfare" by Diane and Arlen Chase provides a useful review of the Maya glyphs used to denote warfare. While there is uncertainty in the exact meaning of some glyphs, their review clearly shows that the Mayan had a vocabulary that could express and denote conflicts of varying scale-ranging from the capture of individuals or settlements to the destruction of entire dynasties and polities.

The two case studies in this section, one by Kent Reilly III and James Garber, and another by Annabeth Headrick, may sound convincing due to their use of the ethnohistoric record, but it must be noted that there is a danger in extrapolating the ethnohistoric record back to earlier periods.

The fourth section contains two articles focused on the ethnohistoric record. While Geoffrey McCafferty takes a nuanced approach in "Ethnic Conflict in Postclassic Cholula, Mexico." Employing a dialectical methodology, he attempts to note the overlaps and ambiguities in the ethnohistoric and archaeological evidence. Constructing a more complete story of the past is not his goal per se (222), but understanding the limitations and biases in the two types of evidence is.

The final section contains only two essays. The first by Stephen LeBlanc compares research on warfare in the American Southwest to Mesoamerican warfare studies. This article provides a detailed overview of warfare studies in the Southwest and makes a strong case for it being a serious affair and not a small-scale, ritual behavior. The essay ends by examining the similarities and differences between warfare in Mesoamerica and the Southwest. This is a useful chapter since it provides a comparison on warfare in a neighboring geographic area.

The second essay by Payson Sheets is a summary of the papers in _Ancient Mesoamerican Warfare_. This particular essay is useful since it not only summarizes the articles in the volume, but also places them in context to previous generations of Mesoamerican scholarship.

There are two minor problems with this book. A chronological chart and maps showing the various culture zones of the groups mentioned in the text would have made it more accessible to scholars working elsewhere in the world. The quality of the figures varies between articles.

Overall, _Ancient Mesoamerican Warfare_ is an admirable study examining warfare in chiefdom and early state societies. While the geographic focus is on Mesoamerica, the theoretical and methodological scope of the papers should have wide appeal to scholars working in other geographic regions and time periods. The book also provides a glimpse into the different ways archaeologists are attempting to deal with warfare. A warning to scholars looking for a book describing Mesoamerican fortifications, weapons, strategy and tactics-this book is not for you.

Customer Reviews:

A book with a soul.......2003-02-19

Well, I love travelling and I love penguins, I even collect them, so when I saw Joe and Sally in the cover with the great pyramids in the background, I knew this was a book for me. The pictures always put a big smile in my face as I see these penguins come alive. I never thought a book could be heart-warming, but this one really is.

Note to author: Mr. Puchner, please consider yourself cordially invited to bring Joe and Sally to Mexico anytime. We would love to see you around here and the penguins would look even lovelier with a nice suntan.

Wonderful work!

A book with a soul.......2003-02-19

Wonderful work!

Joe and Sally are lucky travelers.......2000-04-30

If you love to travel and love penguins this is a book for you. If you love to give gifts to friends that have everything, this is the gift for them. The pictures are perfect and Joe and Sally just add to it. Mr. Puchner's notebook is fascinating, you can see the true artis that he is.

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