Architecture, Poetry, and Number in the Royal Palace at Caserta

Book Description

The great palace of Caserta, near Naples, probably the largest building erected in Europe in the eighteenth century, became an archetypal expression of absolute monarchy. It was begun in 1752 for Carlo di Borbone, King of the Two Sicilies, who worked closely with its chief architect, Luigi Vanvitelli. Although Vanvitelli was one of the most notable architects of his century, as Caserta was one of its major buildings, this study by a leading scholar of Baroque and Neapolitan architecture is the first book in English on the architect and his masterpiece.

The book offers a new view of the palatial and megapalatial in architecture. Although the monarch for whom it was built never spent a night under its roof, Caserta was designed to provide the royal family and the court with a grand residence and more. It was also intended to house the offices of the government bureaucracy, barracks, a national library, a university, and a national theater - not only to symbolize but to contain the organs of a large modern state.

Caserta influenced much that came after: plans by Boullée for a new Versailles to return pride of size to France, buildings in both Imperial and Soviet Russia, palaces of the later British Empire, even the Pentagon. As Hersey notes, "if Carlo di Borbone could return from the grave and rule the United States, he would move the seat of executive power from the White House to the Pentagon."

The book also provides intriguing insights into the relationships between poetry - painted and sculptured allegories - and number - architectural planning that has become a geometrical game. It sketches the intellectual background of Carlo's conception, emphasizing the king's mythical forebears and his love of mathematical order. It shows that the Neapolitan poet and philosopher, Giambattista Vico, influenced the king to incorporate such mythic figures as Hercules and Aeneas into his genealogy and Vanvitelli to introduce their likenesses into Caserta's art, which is in turn integrated with the geometry of the palace's gardens and the numerical sequences of its rooms.

George L. Hersey is Professor of Art History at Yale.

Architecture, Poetry, and Number in the Royal Palace at Caserta

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Architecture, Poetry, and Number in the Royal Palace at Caserta
George L Hersey
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR91HC

Book Description

When goofy inventor Senbe Norimaki creates a precocious robot named Arale, his masterpiece turns out to be more than he bargained for!

Book Description

When goofy inventor Senbei Norimaki creates a precocious robot named Arale, his masterpiece turns out to be more than he bargained for!

Book Description

There's something peculiar about the Tsun family, who have been forced to land their rocket in Senbei's yard. For instance, why does their son turn into a cuddly tiger whenever he feels the female touch? And what do the gifted Tsun children have up their sleeves when they compete at Penguin Village's very own high school Olympics?

Customer Reviews:

The Good Stuff.......2007-06-01

The comedic pace is as perfect as ever, and Toriyama's styles continues to progress. You can see the stylistic similarity to Dragonball developing.
In this volume not a lot happens, but it's just nice to 'hang out' with the Norimaki Family. The Santa Claus chapter at the end is pretty hilarious (santa looks a bit like Krillin...?). But we still have to wait until Obatchaman and Turbo show up.

Book Description

Covering all of the basics, this new book provides a solid foundation for introductory learners of the Microsoft Office V.x Macintosh integrated software. Part of our BASICS series, this text is ideal for first time users of this software suite. Though introductory in nature, Microsoft Office V.x Macintosh BASICS is comprehensive enough to cover the most popular features of word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and much more!

Book Description

This study examines the struggles of African Americans for economic equality. It argues that in their struggle for jobs and economic opportunities, civil rights activists rejected gradualism in favor of rapid gains, which generated widespread opposition in various segments of society. Civil rights leaders initially focused on grassroots activities and antidiscrimination legislation to achieve economic and social equality. With the passage of laws, the issuing of executive orders, and a general decline in grassroots protests, however, they increasingly relied on the courts and the federal bureaucracy to achieve their goals. In addition, the failure to achieve more than token progress toward equal employment opportunity convinced many civil rights leaders of the inadequacy of vague promises, and beginning in the 1960s, they came to champion more sweeping objectives that often included the use of numerical goals and timetables
As civil rights leaders and government bodies moved beyond the notion of simple nondiscrimination, opposition to the new goals and strategies arose in many circles, including labor unions and certain groups of intellectuals. As a result, affirmative action became one of the most controversial and volatile political issues of the 1980s and 1990s
(Ph.D. Dissertation, New York University, 1985; revised with new preface)

Customer Reviews:

A TRUE PORTRAYAL OF A MOTHER'S LOVE.......2006-03-23

Gentle Giant, despite previous comments, is a book that exudes the unconditional love and strength of a mother towards her child. Although I have no children, I know that, to a mother, their child's happiness and well-being is paramount. Wendy's love for, and dedication to Grant is undeniable and can not be disputed for a second. Having worked with children with autism, I can not even begin to fathom the patience and strength of which Wendy and her family are such amazing examples. Wanting the best for Grant, Wendy followed the advice of experts, hoping to provide her child with the quality of life that all parents wish for their children. Gentle Giant is a must read for anybody, regardless of whether or not you have any connection to a person with autism. Above all, it is an inspiring glimpse into the lives of the Robinsons and the incredibly special and irreplacable light that Grant brought to their lives.

A remarkable story.......2006-02-24

The Gentle Giant is a remarkable book that everyone who has their lives touched by autism (and those who do not) should read. It is a moving and touching account of one family¹s life with autism. Wendy speaks candidly about what it is like to live with Grant and his autism on a daily basis. Grant reminded me in so many ways of my own son Alistair, of his highs and lows and of how every small positive step he takes is in reality a giant leap. She helped me to understand why I do the work that I do to try and unravel the tangled web that is autism. Whether we will every achieve this I do not know. I know that people like Grant and Alistair are very special and we are privileged to have known them. Thank you, Wendy, for telling us about your son. Our lives are richer for it.

Unconditional love.......2006-02-23

The story of a mother's unconditional and unfaltering love, Gentle Giant is a must-read. What a wonderful mother and wife Wendy Robinson is. Her love for Grant is so clearly evident throughout the book, and her attempts to find a solution to break down the wall that existed between Grant and the real world showed true devotion to her son. Wendy's story made me realise that raising my, now grown up and, thankfully, 'normal' sons was an absolute breeze. How would I have coped had I been in her shoes? Would I have had her strength, both mentally and physically? I can only hope that whoever gave her these gifts would have blessed me with them too. Mums (and dads), Gentle Giant is a book that will make you count your blessings. Bravo Wendy! YOU are inspiring

Gentle Giant: The Inspiring Story of an Autistic Child.......2006-02-22

Contrary to other reviews, I want to highly recommend this book.Methods used were ones recommended by the professionals at that time and were carried out in a strictly controlled way.
I know this family and the love put out to Grant was paramount, and it shows through in the pages of the book. I recommended this book to many including professionals and the feed back was such that nobody could fail to see the dedication and total committment to improve the life of Grant, sometimes at great personal sacrifice.

This is why I feel that, if you are interested in Autism, it is a book that should be read.

Manifesto for Self-Serving Cruelty.......2005-08-07

This book is just as bad as Elisabeth and Niko Tinbergen's book entitled "Autistic Children: New Hope for a Cure." They tout enforced hugging as having a 100% success rate which simply isn't true. Their works including this one by Robinson are for the birds. That term came from birds pecking seeds which horses passed in their manure. The expression "for the birds" means of minimal value and from a very questionable source.

As much as I love reading books about people with autism, this one upset me greatly. I just cringed at the parts where Grant was held forcibly; struck, tied to chairs and given inappropriate medications. Talk about abuse!

What upset me the most was the total disregard for the boy's feelings and the tired old misperception that people with autism don't feel. That is a steaming crock of horse manure. Feeling is what autism is all about! Suggesting otherwise is not only cruel, it is a blatant fallacy.

Another upsetting part was when Grant made efforts to communicate his wishes and needs and was completely disregarded. I am so sick of people expecting those on the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum to make ALL the social concessions to appease the NT world! Whatever happened to meeting one another halfway? The brutality described in this book sounds like something straight out of a "How to Exacerbate Autism" to me.

As a survivor of enforced hugging, which I absolutely detest and cannot in good conscience support, the parts where Grant's mother forces him to endure punitive and restrictive hugs with NO regard for HIS needs made me wince. It was for HER and not for her child! Speaking from experience, it is terrifying; painful; upsetting and shows a COMPLETE disregard for the one being subjected to this treatment. How cruel to take what is purportedly a loving gesture and convert it into something punitive and dreadful!

I knew a child with autism who hated hugs and ran from a relative who was notorious for swooping down on children with raucous displays of affection. From the child's perspective, the hugger appeared to be an attacker. From where that child stood, it can be extremely frightening to have somebody rushing and lungeing at you. Donna Williams, author of "Autism: An Inside Out Approach" does a stellar job of addressing the very real problem of enforced hugging. Indeed, Grant's older brother tries to get through to their mother that these punitive hugs are not in Grant's interests at all. He even spoonfed her a taste of her own bitter medicine, but even that failed to register. I was just disgusted with the way the mother subjected Grant to this treatment, knowing full well it was traumatic for him when it was just an emotional elixir for HER needs only.

Deep pressure relaxation is one thing. The best approach is to allow the person with autism to decide when to apply some soothing deep pressure massages. Since autism is a neurobiological condition that affects sensory integration and processing, it seems very stupid and counterproductive to expect people on the a/A spectrum to do a sensory about face when confronted with unpleasant and even painful stimuli. Letting the person with autism make the decision as to when to have this done is key; force does not work nor does it engender love. It can, in some cases sour people on hugs.

Books such as the Tinbergens' smug treatises on autism; the "Hug Therapy" books and Allen's "Holding Therapy" make me want to run for cover. The fallacy these books reinforce is that by continuing to enforce people to endure hugs, they will enventually cave in and like them. Not true. Donna Williams in "Autism: An Inside Out Approach" says this "emotional rape" just teaches the person with autism to "give the desired response" so as to be released from this. It just teaches forced submission.

I am sorry, but I cannot in good conscience recommend this book and have used it as an example of what NOT to do and how NOT to treat anybody. This is one of the worst books I have ever read to date on this subject. Please, please, do not, repeat, DO NOT subject people to this form of treatment. This book is just a manifesto of self-serving cruelty. Too bad there does not yet exist a bumper sticker that reads, "Have you NOT hugged your autistic child / parent/sibling / friend / spouse / partner today?"

I think Grant was a casualty of the "treatments" (sounded more like abuses to me) that he was forced to endure. I say wave that Enigma Banner proudly and declare to All & Sundry that the world is for EVERYONE and not just the neurotypical (NT) population. Just imagine the hue and cry and movements for reform that would take place if any NT person was subjected to the repeated abuses that Grant endured.

Book Description

The most in-depth combat and development history of the Japanese Zero ever assembled! This superb history is told through first-person interviews with Zero pilots and the U.S. airmen who fought against them. Includes cutaway drawings, serial number lists, detailed appendices, and a registry of surviving planes. Contains exquisite cutaway drawings by Rukyu Watanabe. Foreword by Saburo Sakai.

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Zero, History of Japan's Legendary A6M Zero Fighter.......2002-06-25

When you are not fluent in Japanese, there are not very much other publications about the A6M Zero I could recommend you to buy. This book has it all: splendid photographs - both historical and of surviving planes-, an indepth text which not just tells the allied side of the story - there is a forword by Zero Ace Saburo Sakai himself -, and a good bibliography of 27 earlier publications about this plane, proving that the author can read the original language himself because most of them are in Japanese. It also list all the classics in the English language up to publication date, only missing the ARCO/Aircam No. 18 by Richard M. Bueschel, published in 1970 and since long out of print, though updated and reissued by Schiffer Books in 1995. The Polish/British Mushroom Publications brought out a Zero monograph by Artur Juszczak as well in November 2001, more focussed on modellers, which can also be used as a sort of 'Walk Around', because there are shots of almost all parts and angles of the plane, something which it has in common with another Polish 'Zero' book by Arthur Lochte.

The definitive Zero book.......1999-07-22

Mikesh is that rare combination of combat pilot (he was a FAC during the Vietnam War) and historian (former curator at the Natl Air & Space Museum). Japanese military aviation is his speciality, and this book is the definitive history of Japan's remarkable Zero fighter.

A must for WWII Japanese Aviation Historians.......1999-05-22

Zero Combat & Development by Robert Mikesh, does a splendid job of telling the story of the history and development of the A6M all models are included and a break down of their history and purpose of coming into play are described. The book covers the successes of the earlier A5M and discusses the specifications handed to Horikoshi. It does an excellent job of explaining the structural defect present in the early model A6M's and what corrective measures were taken to prevent more accidents. It shows many photos interior cut away drawings and specifactons. I am an aviation historian and a model builder and I even learned from reading this book. Also valuable is the information obtained from the captured A6M and the test of many American fighters of that time against the A6M. Don't just take my word for it read it for yourself.

Book Description

More than the fascinating story of Asquith's love for Venetia Stanley, these letters provide a rare inside look at British politics. They reveal a statesman faced with political ruin in the Irish civil war who escaped by leading Britain through the crisis of 1914 and the early years of the
war. Asquith confided completely in Venetia, sharing with her military secrets that were unknown to the Cabinet or to naval and military commanders. He described political intrigues and wrote openly of his colleagues--who include Lloyd George, Churchill, and Kitchener.

Politics, Religion and Love: The Story of H.H. Asquith, Venetia Stanley and Edwin Montagu, Based on the Life and Letters of Edwin Samuel Montagu

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Politics, Religion and Love: The Story of H.H. Asquith, Venetia Stanley and Edwin Montagu, Based on the Life and Letters of Edwin Samuel Montagu
Naomi Levine
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0814750575
Release Date: 1991-09-01

Book Description

This is the story of three fascinating and strong-willed individuals: H.H. Asquith, Prime Minister of England; his friend and confidant, Edwin Samuel Montagu, a Jewish member of the Cabinet, and also Secretary of State for India; and the third, the sexually liberated Venetia Stanley, a brilliant adnd politically sophisticated woman and a member of one of England's oldest aristocratic families.

This book is also a recital of racism and anti-semitism in England in the early century - not merely among the uneducated or the lunatic fringe of the Tory Party, but amoing the well-educated, the stars of Oxford and Cambridge, and the leaders of the Liberal Party as well. It demonstrates that even so educated and affluent a man as Montagu, almost totally assimilated, who spent a life time trying to escape his Judaism, who married a woman who had nothing but scorn for all religions - was not immune from the pain and humiliation of anti-semitism.

H. H. Asquith: Letters to Venetia Stanley

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H. H. Asquith: Letters to Venetia Stanley
Eds.) H. H. Asquith (Michael & Eleanor Brock
Manufacturer: Oxford Univ. Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBSX38

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H.H. Asquith Letters to Venetia Stanley
Michael and Eleanor Brock Brock
Manufacturer: Oxford Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKN1YS

Book Description

This guide to the birds and birding areas of the Cincinnati Tristate updates, expands, revises and reorganizes the ori- ginal edition. Emphasis is placed on the natural habitats of the Tristate and on the seasonal fluctuation of regional bird populations. The guide is designed primarily for be- ginning birdwatchers and for those visiting the Cincinnati area.

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