Interior Design Books

Peter McKenzie has sifted through the field notes, diaries, and other archival materials of tourists, adventurers, missionaries, military officials, and others to paint a picture of Orisha worship as it was practiced in Yoruba speaking territories in the mid-nineteenth century. It is very interesting that by comparison it seems that the rituals of veneration of the Orishas on THIS side of the Atlantic in modern times bear more in common with the Orisha worship of the past than the practices in modern day Nigeria. It is as if a snapshot of Orisha worship was taken by the people who would be torn from their homes and enslaved in the "new world" and that it has remained faithful to their socio-religious heritage and, in contrast, the forces of missionary Christianity and Islamic proselytization in Nigeria have birthed a very different form of veneration in the cradle of its own origin.

This book is both engaging and informative. Written for non-engineers, this book is an excellent resource for a wide range of interested parties, regardless of their educational background. Consultants, citizen activists, municipal planners, and concerned enforcement personnel can all profit from this non-technical, non-mathematical treatise on all aspects of community noise. Mr. Cowan has taken an exceptionally complex discipline, and given an overview that can round out almost anyone's understanding of the field, and it's filled with plenty of genuinely interesting facts. Herewith is a list of the chapter titles: Acoustic Terminology; Noise Descriptors; Noise Measurement; Noise Control Terminology and Design; Noise Regulations, Guidelines, and Ordinances; Common Noise Sources; and Construction Issues. Included is a well-written and well-reasoned Model Municipal Noise Ordinance. Even the chapter titles don't do justice to all that's covered in the Handbook. In the Acoustic Terminology chapter, there's a concise section on the Hearing Mechanism, and the mechanics of hearing loss. He weaves in fascinating facts such as: the middle ear ossicles not only carry the acoustic signal to the inner ear, but actually amplify the signal more than 20 times between the eardrum and the oval window. You may consider yourself an expert in some area relating to noise, but it's almost a certainty that you'll learn a number of new things from this book. This book could be a tremendous tool for the motivated complainant who is faced with a noise source that is exempted from the local noise ordinance. If they want to approach the problem politically, in meetings, this will provide a crash education that can mold them into a knowledgeable advocate in a very short time. Put some power in your hands, as, after all, knowledge is power

Eric M. Zwerling, Director Rutgers Noise Technical Assistance Center

Born in Vienna, educated in Canada and at Harvard, protégé to Gropius and Breuer, and an assistant to Niemeyer, Seidler has a classic modernist resume. He traveled to Sydney in 1948 to design a house for his parents, stayed, and has practiced there ever since, playing distinctive variations on those masters of orthogonal and organic geometries. What gives his work its special flavor is its rootedness in the sybaritic, outdoor culture of Australia, which occupies a climatic midpoint between New England and Brazil. At 80, the architect remains a passionate modernist, whose timeless, livable houses are chronicled in these two handsomely illustrated volumes with an introduction by Chris Abel, another talented expatriate. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

Born in Vienna, educated in Canada and at Harvard, protégé to Gropius and Breuer, and an assistant to Niemeyer, Seidler has a classic modernist resume. He traveled to Sydney in 1948 to design a house for his parents, stayed, and has practiced there ever since, playing distinctive variations on those masters of orthogonal and organic geometries. What gives his work its special flavor is its rootedness in the sybaritic, outdoor culture of Australia, which occupies a climatic midpoint between New England and Brazil. At 80, the architect remains a passionate modernist, whose timeless, livable houses are chronicled in these two handsomely illustrated volumes with an introduction by Chris Abel, another talented expatriate. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

While Miami Beach is the world capitol of Art Deco, it really doesn't compare to Havana. Here are 175 pages of everything from world class, French inspired Deco to modest streamlined structures.

But wait, there's more. In fact, there is so much Art Deco in neighborhoods like Vedado, that this is but a sample. And that's just Havana! Take the Autopista in either direction and you will find many Cuban cities have more Art Deco. (Also a smaller amount of beautiful Art Noveau).

Professional quality photos, too. Sharp and highly detailed, with the buildings standing up straight. They sure picked a bland building for the cover though. Why not Edifico Bicardi or the Baro-Lasa house?

I have always been a fan of Cuban culture and this book gives you the Cuban color palate to enjoy!

If your looking for decorating ideas, and ideas from well-known famous people, then look no further than Havens II. In this book you will get a glimpse as well as comments from each celebrity as they show and tell you what room is their favorite and what makes it so special to them. If your looking for a book that gives you room decor from the most elegant to the most relaxed, than this certainly is the book to look into for ideas. Add this book to your own personal book collection,and you won't be sorry you did, and give one as a gift to a special friend so that they too can enjoy...

Henry Clay Frick really knew how to live a gilded age life, and you see the evidence in this fantastic book. The images are crisp and well conceived and the text highly informative. I expecially liked the section on Frick's famous mansion on Fifth Avenue in NYC, he was determined to out build Carneige and he suceeded, it is a beaux-art tour de force and the perfect setting today for his singular collection. If you have any interest in Frick, Guilded Age architecture, or fine books in general, then i can't concieve of you being anything but thrilled with this purchase.

J. Ross Wagner's doctoral thesis builds upon the intertextual work of Richard Hays to examine the manner in which Paul interprets scripture in Romans 9-11 and 15. This is a very helpful work which opens up these very difficult chapters by examining the voices that Paul is referencing or alluding to and then shows how these voices in concert with Paul's encounter with the gospel of Jesus Christ shape his message. Heralds of the Good News is a deep engagement with Romans but is also readable for a person with some background in New Testament studies.

This book is a reprint of Herman Miller company's 1952 catalog and it's a super reproduction. With all the Nelson, Eames and Noguchi material inside, this book shows some of the best furniture produced in the 1950s. Great reprint job.