5 comments about Color Harmony in Your Paintings.

1. This book is an excellent intro to creating harmonious paintings. She explains some of the very difficult concepts of color harmony in a way that's very easy to understand. I've been a pro painter for almost 20 years now and I found this book to be very, very helpful. She has a great explanation of the Munsell Color Wheel that alone is worth the price of the book!



2. I had checked a number of painting books out of the library and was so impressed with this one that I purchased it. I didn't rate it 5 stars because I could imagine there being a more complete and sophisticated book. However, she appears to be a solid painter and she deals with more than just a couple of color wheels. She also offers up her manner of mixing colors. It's always nice to know how someone else approaches these matters.



3. Color and composition are the most important tools an artist can use to elicit a response from a viewer. But it is color we see first. Color either grabs the viewer with its expression of a mood or emotion or it does not. In "Color Harmony," artist and teacher, Margaret Kessler has given a great gift to those of us seeking help with this important subject.
   
   Kessler's well illustrated book shows how to use color to establish depth and form, create eye-pleasing contrasts, convey different times of the day and specific atmospheric conditions, and heighten the expressiveness and impact of a painting. She also emphasizes the importance of using the color wheel as we paint. It surprises her that many artists do not have the color wheel close at hand while painting. Color is just that important!
   
   "Color Harmony" is organized into six sections:
   
   1. The Basics of Color (properties, mixing, matching)
   2. Choosing a Color Scheme
   3. Discovering the Munsell Color Wheel
   4. Mastering the Contrasts of Color (varying value, temperature, and intensity)
   5. How Light and Atmosphere Affect Color (depth; variations with time of day and weather)
   6. Designing With Color (a full demonstration that ties all the principles together)
   
   This book can serve as a good guide for the new artist... and a refresher guide for those who are not so new.



4. I took a chance on ordering this book; it came today. Just glancing through it, I can tell it is worth every cent. I am quite baffled by the review of Mr. Minz.



5. There is a printing error on page 17. The colored circles should be labeled:
   COOL: Cad. Yel. Deep, Quinacridone Red, Ultra. Blue, T-Z White.
   WARM: Cad. Yel. Med., Grumbacher Red, Phthalo Blue, T-Z White with a touch of Lemon Yellow.
   Please spread the word and keep those brushes wet.
   Margaret Kessler

4 comments about A World History of Architecture.

1. This 2nd edition was published in 2003 under ISBN: 1856693538 [Hb] and ISBN: 0071417516 [Hb], in 2004 under ISBN: 1856693716 [Pb], and in 2008 under ISBN: 0071544798 [Hb] and ISBN: 1856695492 [Pb]. It is magnificently illustrated guide to the global history of architecture is an update to include the non-western world and works from women on 608 pages. This impressive survey includes a wealth of information, and is beautifully formatted and enhanced with 570 photographs (300 in color) and 350 line drawings. A series of maps precedes the informative and well-written text.
   This 2nd edition gives a deeper knowledge and wider perspective of traditions in architecture throughout the world--from prehistoric through modern structures. The book includes photos, plans, scales for important monuments, residences, government buildings, and religious structures, complete with photos, plans, and scales, including: The Parthenon, Cheops Pyramid, Pantheon, Hadrian's Wall, Versailles, Monticello, The Brooklyn Bridge, Boston Public Library, Rockefeller Center, Fallingwater, The High Museum.
   This book also examines the unique methods of great architects past and present. Among them are Alvar Aalto, Robert Adam, Leon Battista Alberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Gustave Eiffel, Peter Eisenman, Antonio Gaudi, Frank Gehry, Walter Gropius, Imhotep, Le Corbusier, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Michelangelo, Glenn Murcutt, Andrea Palladio, Eero Saarinen, Koca Sinan, Louis Sullivan, Christopher Wren, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
   The 1st edition was published in 1989 under ISBN: 0874847842 and titled "A History of Western Architecture".
   BIOGRAPHIES:
   Michael Fazio is emeritus professor of architecture at Mississippi State University, an architect, and architectural historian. He holds a Ph.D. in the history of architecture and urban development from Cornell University.
   Marian Moffett earned a Ph.D. at the M.I.T. (1975) and taught history of architecture at the University of Tennessee, where she had collaborated and co-authored with Lawrence Wodehouse including the first edition (1989) titled A History of Western Architecture.
   Lawrence Wodehouse, a native of Norwich, England, received a Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews (1980), taught history of architecture at the University of Tennessee and others, and was the author of many books and numerous scholarly articles, a registered architect in the UK, and a founding member of the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.
   CONTENTS:
   Preface
   Maps
   Introduction 1
   Ch. 1 The Beginnings of Architecture 9
   Ch. 2 The Greek World 39
   Ch. 3 The Architecture of Ancient India and Southeast Asia 67
   Ch. 4 Traditional Architecture of China and Japan 87
   Ch. 5 The Roman World 111
   Ch. 6 Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture 141
   Ch. 7 Islamic Architecture 165
   Ch. 8 Early Medieval and Romanesque Architecture 191
   Ch. 9 Gothic Architecture 229
   Ch. 10 Indigenous Architecture in the Pre-Columbian Americas 275
   Ch. 11 Renaissance Architecture 295
   Ch. 12 Baroque Architecture 353
   Ch. 13 The Eighteenth Century 397
   Ch. 14 Nineteenth-Century Developments 419
   Ch. 15 The Twentieth Century and Modernism 475
   Ch. 16 Modernisms in the Mid- and Late Twentieth Century 533
   Glossary 568
   Bibliography 572
   Picture Credits 576
   Index 577



2. It is an outstanding book for aspiring architects who want to gain more knowledge about the history of what they study and practice. From the Egyptians to the modern architects like Frank Gehry, this book explains how, why, and where the great structures of the world were built. It is an excellent research material to use.



3. I have always admired architecture. I love wandering through cities, marvelling at their skyscrapers, and travelling to Europe to see older buildings. I bought "A World History of Architecture" so that I could better understand not only the beauty of these buildings, but their place in architectural history. "A World History" exceeded my expectations.
   
   Its sixteen chapters describe the characteristics and innovations of architecture's major movements. You will learn what makes Gothic architecture Gothic, and Romanesque Romanesque. "A World History" also explains how these styles developed from eachother. Although appearance might suggest otherwise, today's skyscrapers are the descendants of the Parthenon and Pantheon.
   
   Not all chapters describe western styles, however. There are long, interesting sections about Egyptian, Indian, Chinese, Islamic and Pre-Columbian American architecture. The authors explain how these types influenced Western architecture, something I never realized. It is fascinating to read that Islamic mosques were the source of many concepts found in medieval cathedrals, and that Mayan buildings inspired some of Frank Lloyd Wright's work.
   
   The book is well written and full of beautiful pictures that illustrate the ideas described in the text. I don't think there is a single page devoid of pictures, which alone make the book interesting to leaf through.
   
   My only complaints concern the hefty price and bulky size. This is more of a textbook than bedroom reading. I found it uncomfortable to lay down on a couch to read this, or even sit in an armchair. It is best read sitting at a desk, like your chemistry textbook in high school.
   
   Otherwise, "A World History" is perfect. Having read this, I feel like I have completed an architectural class. This book gave me a knowledge architectural history that I cant wait to use on my next vacation.



4. Professors Fazio, Moffet, & Wodehouse have assembled a book which is impressive in its scope and thoroughness. It covers each subject with a depth appropriate for an academic environment, but remains approachable to the average reader. The photographs and plates are numerous and richly illustrate each topic throughout the volume. Expect this book to become a standard text in the field.

No comments about Images and Identity in Fifteenth-Century Florence.

5 comments about The Greeks and the Irrational (Sather Classical Lectures).

1. E.R. Dodds' "The Greeks and the Irrational" is based a series of lectures the author gave at Berkeley in 1949 and by his admission "reproduced here substantially as they were composed." I have a fervent wish other scholars in the last half-century have followed up on his work, although as of this writing I'm unaware of the extent to which they've done so.
   
   Through a style and format that could use a little polish, Mr. Dodds annihilates one idea (the ancient Greeks were primarily philosophical purveyors of reason) and strongly suggests another (later-arriving Christianity borrowed liberally from the Greek mystical tradition). Both of these views, I suspect, stunned even receptive academic listeners at this early date.
   
   Consider the origins of gods as agents of justice--an idea strongly favored in Judaism (in a monotheistic setting, and later extended by Christians). Dodds clearly shows the Greeks far ahead with their jealous deities, but adds "religion and morals were not initially interdependent, in Greece or elsewhere." Or try on the notion that "in the Archaic Age the mills of God ground so slowly ... in order to sustain the belief that they moved at all, *it was necessary to get rid of the natural time-limit set by death*". (Italics mine.) So before we get out of the second chapter the good professor (in 1949!) has introduced us to the idea that the Greeks set religious precedents in attributing justice to their gods (fear would be added later) and extending deistic dominion to the afterlife.
   
   Beyond unearthing a treasure-trove of religious antecedents, Mr. Dodds daringly devotes an entire chapter ("The Blessings of Madness") to the rich history of the uncomfortably close association (for some) between supernatural beliefs and ... mental illness. As a reference Julian Jaynes' seminal work "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" (1976) also provides a wealth of fascinating data in this area. Indeed, both Dodds and Jaynes raise the non-intuitive yet strangely attractive thesis that schizophrenics (who obviously hear "second voices") might have attained priestly status in many ancient societies.
   
   These ideas and many others (e.g., the application of dreams, the non-originality of afterlife rewards and punishment, and the toxic introduction of a mind ["soul"]/body dichotomy), had me not only furiously underlining, but also footnoting (which Dodds also provides, almost to the point of annoyance) and questioning. As a springboard for digging into other ancient religion sources, "The Greeks and the Irrational" has few rivals even in the present--Joseph Campbell, perhaps, excepted.
   
   Dodds' scope and insights also unintentionally contribute to the book's two minor failings: a lack of full development for many of his ideas and a non-linear and anti-climactic chapter organization. The professor glumly admits these shortcomings in his preface, attributing both to the material's original lecture source.
   
   But these are trifles. As a wonderfully rich vein of ancient religious ideas--culled from the history of a stereotyped "rational" culture--this book is first-rate. That the author points out a myriad of ideas that continue to be claimed as "original" by modern religions was an unexpected and fascinating bonus.



2. Eric Dodds was sometime professor of Greek at Oxford. This book created a certain amount of a stir in its day both within and outside the arena of classical studies by either addressing, or being believed to address, up-to-date issues of anthropology and psychology. It consists basically of the Sather Classical Lectures that Dodds was invited to deliver at the University of California in 1950, and as it has been reissued in paperback in 1997 it's fair to assume that the publishers intend it to reach a wider readership than the dwindling band of classical initiates.
   
   I very much hope it does that, but a word or two would probably be in place regarding what to expect and what not to expect to find in the book. The author's preface warns us not to look in the book for a history of Greek religion, and more pertinently recognises that modern scholarship is a world of specialists, and Dodds reiterates right at the end that he is `a simple professor of Greek'. Amateurs, dilettantes and bluffers will find plenty of material to suit them I don't doubt, but Dodds is not one of their number. This work is best read as a standard piece of classical scholarship, not as breaking down any moulds or enclosures. The most casual glance at the daunting catalogue of references in the notes appended to each chapter will show what a vast amount of writing on the topics covered here was in situ before Dodds, and how could it be otherwise? Any commentary on, say, Plato or Empedocles or Greek history by and large had to do its best with issues of religion and trends in thought. There are numerous references to other cultures, and Dodds is certainly better versed in such matters than other classics dons that I knew. By my standards he shows wide reading and deep interest in anthropology and human behaviour. On the other hand my standards in these matters are a thing of shreds and patches, and if I wanted to improve that situation this is not where I would look. The focus here is exclusively on Greeks, and any parallels cited are cited from that point of reference. Another thing to be wary of is trying to read this book as any kind of parable for our times. In my own view it is a powerful parable for our times, but that's my own parable only. In the last chapter Dodds alludes to recent history. His date is 1950, which is nearer to the start of the first world war than to 2005. It seems to me that what he has to say about the recrudescence of irrational religion and what he calls `the pathetic reverence for the written word' is very near the bone indeed in 2005, but even if I'm right Dodds could not have known that in 1950, and modern history is invoked by him to illustrate ancient history, not the other way about.
   
   What one does expect and demand from a professor of Greek is knowledge and elucidation of what Greeks said thought and did. This is where The Greeks and the Irrational comes up trumps. There are eight chapters plus two appendices (on maenadism and the semi-magical theurgy). Dodds begins, very reasonably, at the beginning with Homeric terminology for the divine, seeing a culture in which values were a matter of status rather than of morality in any modern sense. He traces the development of the latter together with an analysis of various kinds of `madness', the significance (for Greeks not for Swedenborg or for Kant or for moderns) of dreams, the phenomenon of shamans in the context of trends in religious belief, the rise of rationalism and the counter-reaction that followed it, and the complex issue of Plato's teachings, which are far from unified or consistent. His final chapter is `The Fear of Freedom', and for my money this rings (or tolls) a loud clear bell in the early years of the third millennium. Genuine freedom of thought, much less of expression, is resented widely as being subversive, it seems to me, not least in a culture that likes to pose as embodying liberty by some kind of definition. In this Dodds seems to me to support my own view, but my own view it remains. Dodds is talking about Greeks.
   
   The presentation of the material improves as the book goes along. The early chapters contain too much Greek that should have been reserved for the notes in what was after all lectures, not the printed word, and will not be fully intelligible without help unless you have Greek. For all that they remain readable, and anyone who can recognise a first-class mind and a first-class scholar will recognise it here. In this respect Dodds has not been as adept as his Cambridge opposite number Denys Page, whose History and the Homeric Iliad followed about a decade later in the Sather series of annual lectures.(Curiously, Page was restricted to six lectures, not the eight he seemed to have been expecting.) Dodds has all eight at his disposal, the book is beautifully written, and I ended wishing there had been more. Still a book for a wide reading-public I should say, wherever intellectual curiosity and a wish to understand human thought-processes thrive.



3. Surprised to see this old classic still in print, one can certainly recommend it, though with a list of debating points. Written in the Age of Freud the viewpoint is a trifle dated, yet not so, and wears well, despite the slight 'Greek on the couch' tone. It should not surprise us that the Age of Reason coursing through the Greeks should coexist with a great deal of Hyperborean tribal lore among some quite rude and saucy fellows, with their epic tales, animal sacrifices, Olympian divinities and iron weapons. Further, we overselect the 'Ionian Enlightenment' from a world far richer in content, one where Pythagoras sounds echoes of Indian religion, reincarnation was associated with the classic cultic mysteries, and the polytheism denatured by later monotheism flowered for the last time as the first version of the 'aesthetic state' so doted upon by Hegel, Wagner, and Nietzsche. The latter, after all, blames Euripides for 'rationalizing' the rich masterchords of the world of Greek tragedy. Dodds worries along with Gilbert Murray over this aspect of the Greek 'irrational' but we seldom realize that Indian culture and Greek culture in the Axial Age resembled each other more than we think.

   But more than that, it is our own conception of rationality that might be at fault. After all, between the high Enlightenment, Kant and Hegel on reason in history, then the instrumental reason critiqued by Adorno, we have no good stable definition of what rationality we are talking about. Homer's nod! What is the boundary of the 'irrational'? In an age of scientism, that boundary is miscast, and the Greeks remain to be discovered as a people with a balance we may well have lost! Always a fascinating piece of work.




4. It is not uncommon for major figures of Ancient Greek thought to be deemed 'rationalists', a word often tainted by modern science in its implications. E.R. Dodds' book is fairly difficult to gauge on this. On one hand, it reconsiders the 'rationalist overview' by tracing back various guises of irrationalism that permeated Greek culture - a belief in daimons, the conception of a useful mania, theurgy, astrology, mystery cults. Writing about these elements, Dodds surveys a wide variety of authors and themes and provides a lively compendium. On the other hand, his methodology has shortcomings. The reader soon realizes that the ambivalence of Greek thought between the power of reason and its limitations is not a virtue according to Dodds. This is a legitimate point of view, but it has important consequences on the book's agenda. It is unabashedly teleological: irruptions of irrationalism are usually seen as 'symptoms', as setbacks from Dodds' ideal of positivistic rationalism. This is emphasized by his characterization of 5th century BC as Greece's Aufklarung. The chapter on theurgy is equally representative: while it is well-researched and in-depth, it is also filled with simplifications (the equation 'theurgy = magic', frequent in 1950s and 1960s scolarship, is stated repeatedly) and shows little sympathy for either theurgy or its theorists; this section would color many subsequent studies on the spirituality of late Neoplatonism, until scholars such as H.-D. Saffrey (a pupil of Dodds) favored an approach which was more open-minded and receptive. In spite of this, Dodds' book remains extremely stimulating and should be read by all those who are fascinated by the blurred line between reason and what is out of its reach; but it should not be considered as the last word on its objects of study.



5. Dodds introduces his material with an anecdote of a young man he met in the British Museum who confessed his inability to get excited about the Elgin Marbles, because, after all, the Greeks were so "terribly rational." Dodds then poses the question, "[w]ere the Greeks in fact quite so blind to the importance of nonrational factors in man's experience and behaviour as is commonly assumed both by their apologists and by their critics?" In answering his own question (the answer is, of course, "no"), Dodds writes an interesting book.

   Dodds's chapters (originally lectures) are roughly chronological and thematic, starting (as one must) with Homer's use of "ate" and working down through the increasing rationality of classical Greece to the Hellenistic Return to Irrationality. En route, he deals with perceived shamanistic influences, the notion of divine inspiration, the question of whether man has a soul, etc.

   _The Greeks and the Irrational_ is great in itself and may have value, as Dodds indicates in his closing chapter, to moderns seeking to understand their own relationship with Irrationality. It is also enlightening background reading for any student of the classics generally, in particular providing useful commentary on Homer, Plato (lots on Plato) and the tragedians. Because each chapter was originally a lecture, Dodds' style is eloquent and also readable. Each chapter is buttressed with an impressive clump of endnotes (about a quarter of the book must be notes) for further research.

5 comments about Antonio Gaudi: Master Architect (Tiny Fellows).

1. I ordered this book because I loved the copy I got from my public library. BUT it was not clear in the "ad" that the words (Tiny Fellow) in the title meant that the book WAS REALLY TINY!! It is just 4 1/2" square! This means that the images, which are really beautiful in the full-sized version, are way too small to be meaningful or useful to me.
   I will be returning the book for a refund and ordering the full sized version, if it is available.



2. If you don't know, "Tiny Folio" or "Tiny Fellows" really does mean TINY. The description says that it's a hardback book and in a review it is described as being an unusual size and shape. After receiving the book, I went back to the description to see if I overlooked the fact that it is a teensy weensy book. I can't find the 4.5 X 4.75 INCH dimensions anywhere in the description. I ordered it as a gift for someone else, but I will see if I can exchange it for an Antonio Gaudi book that's not quite so tiny.



3. Pictures are good, with well written history, but 4" by 4" book was so tiny.



4. The set of photos is comprehensive, however I felt that the lighting of the exterior photos was too flat to convey the visual impact of the buildings.

   I admit that I have not seen the buildings in person, however I felt that Teshigahara's documentary gave me a much better feel for the buildings -- making their noteriety understandable.




5. Essentially this is a picture book, but what pictures! The photography has used the extraordinary architecture and added a new dimension to it in vision and lighting. If you would know Gaudi, look at his work: and this is one of the best ways to do it if you cannot readily get to Catalunya. In addition, the production and design of the book, in a relatively small format, has been very carefully thought out, resulting in one of those rare volumes which is delightful to handle and admire in its own right, quite apart from its content. An absolute little gem.

No comments about Pools & Gardens (Evergreen Series).

4 comments about Cuba: 400 Years of Architectural Heritage.

1. WONDERFUL PICTURES AND YES, THE PAPER IS EXCELLENT QUALITY. DEFINITIVELY A COFFEE TABLE PIECE. CAN ANYONE SAY COHIBA? THE TEXT IS VERY CLEAR AND TO THE POINT AND INFORMATIVE ALL AT THE SAME TIME. ARCHITECTURE YOU NEVER THOUGHT EXISTED THERE.



2. great book. awesome pictures and paper quality. Very good price in amazon.
   Thanks.



3. Lots of beautiful photography (by Andrea Brizzi) for anyone who dreams of Cuba and would like to feel the cobblestones of Old Havana underfoot, taste the mojitos in the lobby bar of the Hotel Nacional, hear the strains of the mariachi band at sunset, and learn about the history of our most enigmatic, so-close-yet-so-far neighbor through it's architecture and the very readable text by Rachel Carley.



4. One of the best pictorial books on Cuba that has ever been published. It's the realization of profesionals and very objective, a very difficult achievement considering Cuba. Highly recommended to those willing to discover the real Cuba.

4 comments about The Unreal America: Architecture and Illusion.

1. The main thrust of The Unreal America is that commercial interests are choking out our experience of genuine regional and cultural diversity--in architecture, travel and even our knowledge of history. The first three quarters of the book is devoted to the theme parks, shopping centers and architectural restorations that Huxtable abhors, including Disney World, Celebration, Florida, Las Vegas and colonial Williamsburg. The last quarter of the book is disjointed from the beginning because she abruptly switches gears and lauds buildings that she finds exhilarating and which properly integrate materials, use and environmental context.

   The book is must reading for anyone who has a passion for architecture and is concerned about how commericalism and real estate development affects our society. Although the tone of Huxtable's writing is haughty, angry and sometimes repetitive, her message is an important one. Huxtable rails against The Disney Company and its penchant for creating fake, idealized versions of real places. Walt Disney's dream was to create clean, controlled environments where happiness abounds, but in the years since his death in 1966, the dreams and fantasies of children of all ages have become mass-merchanidised and channeled into a narrow focus of personalities and products. Huxtable maintains that Disney has become a mass dispenser of schlock-from amusements to art to architecture.

   Huxtable also decries the way that shopping center malls and superstores such as Home Depot and Walmart have choked out diversity in retailing. "In the reality of suburban America," she writes, " there is no place else to go", because malls and movie megaplexes have replaced downtowns and streets. Huxtable acknowledges that architecture is largely influenced by investment economics. She is a realist that does not expect that strip malls and shopping centers should go away, but she denounces the banality of their designs and how our collective experience of that stifling sameness makes society more homogenized.




2. This book was awesome from the beginning to the end. The way she wrote was breath taking. I like cheese and pasta. Cheese is good on asparagus. I like the cheese on this book.



3. Though her thoughts on what she thinks are "good" modern architects are very illuminating and insightful, her rants against Disneyfied structures and environments are tiresome, pithy and repetitious. She seems like she's trying to sound like a hip, streetwise rock critic or something. Forget the first 50% of the book (or skim), and save your time and energy for the last 50%.



4. The Unreal America: Architecture and Illusion, by Ada Louise Huxtable, is a book that is inviting to a non-academic audience. Huxtable makes case studies of structures that she has experienced and groups them into two categories- 1) What she finds reprehensible, the theme architecture discussed in the beginning chapters- 2) What she finds enlightening and exhilarating, the extension and modification of modernist ideas in contemporary works. Because of this categorization, the book is a bit disjunctive as Huxtable switches gears from complaining to lauding. Her approach to all structures is personal. She tends to incorporate her own reactions into her criticism and back up her feelings with formal description and by citing philosophers of culture such as Baudrillard and Eco. It is refreshing that Huxtable does not invoke a Marxist critique to indicate all that is wrong with corporate theme architecture and all that is right with public projects. On the other hand, her subjective disdain or praise is convincing only insofar as one acknowledges these opinions as expert. The first part of her book comes off as a social critique of theme parks, malls, and consuming venues that take their forms from the past. The second is more descriptive of how architects control materials and space to successfully fit a use/purpose while also creating new structural forms. This book deals with complex issues of simulacra and new history, but Huxtable keeps the language simple and approachable to the non-academic reader. Unfortunately, those already familiar with Baudrillard, Eco, Barthes, et al will find these arguments long dated. This book is a quality introduction to contemporary architecture for the uninitiated. The cognoscenti, however, will find the book unremarkable. A more comprehensive book that is excellent complementary reading to The Unreal America, is Architecture After Modernism, by Diane Ghirardo, which achieves more objectivity and depth.---William V. Ganis (WillemG@aol.com

5 comments about Smart Communities: How Citizens and Local Leaders Can Use Strategic Thinking to Build a Brighter Future.

1. I got this book because it is being used as a textbook for a college course I am taking, but once I got into the book, I started enjoying it. Morse is a real excellent writer and she makes the subject matter of creating good communities interesting. Normally, I would dread reading a book for class, but this one is a good read especially for those who wnat to be more involved in making a smart community.



2. I'm sure that you are busy. I've got a lot of things to do myself, more than I can get done today. And then the time comes when you have to stop being busy, some times you just have to sit and let the batteries recharge. As the old saying goes, sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.
   
   And the question has to come up of what can one person, you or me do to make the community we live in a better place. Suzanne Morse's book can't tell you what you can do. But it can tell you what other people like you have done. Will her ideas work in New York City, no. Will they work on the block you live in within New York City, in the neighborhood you live in, yes.
   
   Meanwhile I've got to quit writing about this book. I'm going help the local community theater try to get started. I don't know anything about theater, but I can find some way to help, even if it's just sweeping the floor.



3. This book is an antidote for the cynicism and sense of helplessness that pervades too many of our communities. We are given actual examples of communities builing on their strengths, talents, histories and values to create new energy and optimism. As an amatuer historian, my favorite chapter was the one on preserving the past as a way to begin building the new. Now I have the language to encourage renewal by honoring the past.



4. I was attracted to this book while looking for insights into strategic thinking for work in another arena. I was not disappointed.

   Smart Communities offers many very useable ideas for anyone with responsibilities for thinking and acting strategically to enhance our lives together. And that probably includes most everyone.

   Along with very practical help, the accounts and interpretations of real experiences also offer inspiration and hope.




5. Finally, an exceedingly hopeful book about how to effect meaningful change in a community, large or small. Here, Dr. Suzanne Morse, in her characteristic lively and to-the-point style, has given us a guide, repleat with documented examples of how to move the needle on those issues we're all too familiar with: poverty, lack of a board base of leadership, chidren's welfare. Armed with more than 10 years of hands on experience working with groups in communities all across the country, Dr. Morse's book, as well as many of her other supportive pieces such as What Works, guarantees us all that we no longer have to start at square one. If you were depressed by Robert Putnam's novel a few years back, Bowling Alone, which bemoaned the lack of citizen involvement in communities today, this book and the work of Dr. Morse will give you not only hope but the tools to join forces with others where you live to make a difference.
   Read it for the cheer joy of finding out how this is done, and done well.Each chapter ends with, How to Get Started in Your Community, a virtual workbook for action. Her reference section will also help guide you in fruitful directions.Putnam's latest book, Better Together: Restoring the American Community, speaks of a hint that citizens are beginning to "bowl together". Dr. Morse's book is proof that they are and have been doing so effectively for the past decade.Enjoy--an exhilerating read.

3 comments about Adobe and Rammed Earth Buildings: Design and Construction.

1. This book is full of great information and is well worth purchasing. For the average consumer it is all you will need. However as an engineer, I wish it had more technical information (shear capacity of adobe walls, etc). I've looked for such a book, but I don't think it exists.



2. This book is for the individual who wants to and is able to build his/her own home. The details are geared towards someone who is already familiar with building techniques and jargon. If you're planning to design your own adobe home but have a contractor do the actually building of it, you probably don't need to know this much and will be overwhelmed by the information provided.



3. This book is easy to read and understand when the author explains adobe and rammed earth buildings. The book seems to be a bit more focused on the details of adobe brick making which is great if that is what you want. The rammed earth sections are very informative but lack some of the construction details. I would have liked to have seen more detailed decriptions with better drawings of forms, for example. The author also has several table having containg soil composition that was a bit too technical for practical use. Overall,I believe this book is well worth the money for an introduction to adobe and rammed earth buildings. Additional books would be needed to learn enough to build one yourself though.