Interior Design Books

Full-color, full-page photographs illustrate High-Rise Living, a tour of high-rise architecture, guiding the reader through twenty-five different apartments with a spectacular view in Europe, Asia, Canada, Australia, and the United States. Text descriptions of each residence summarize the building's history, general design, unusual features, and more. An elegant and inviting spectacle, and highly enjoyable browsing material for architecture and interior design enthusiasts - the skillful arrangements that personalize high-rise living spaces are also appealing to behold.

Hip Hotels Italy joins others in the lauded Thames & Hudson "Hip" series that blends a travel guide with a design resource, focusing on the biggest names in architecture and interior design. Notable establishments in Italy which include olive mills, caves, abbeys and even fishing huts show how all types of architecture can be transformed and renovated for tourism. The color photos are splendid.

There is perhaps no greater riddle in ante-Nicean studies than the Hippolytus question. Beginning with Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History and passing into the florilegia, commentaries, and chronicles of the Byzantine world, doubts and speculations as to the provenance and authorship of the traditional corpus can be detected. Döllinger's nineteenth century hypothesis of a Hippolytus Romanus, the first "anti-pope" and author of a diverse body of Greek Christian literature, achieved canonical status among patristics scholars by the early twentieth century and continues to exert a strong influence over the field. Brent's scholarship is a child of this critical tradition, but with important emendations. The "anti-pope" idea has long since gone by the boards, and Brent is no exception. But in Brent's revision, the notion of a maladjusted Roman ecclesiastic who took on all comers has reached its ultimate reversal. Hippolytus of Rome, the "presbyter" and author, is depicted as the antithesis of a puritanical dissenter and has achieved the sublime status of an inter-denominational reconciler.

Neither is the nineteenth century view of the corpus accepted without significant deletions. Here the name of Pierre Nautin looms large. Brent takes seriously, as he should, the textual studies of the late forties and fifties, in which Nautin sought to establish the division of the corpus between two writers, one a Hippolytus Orientalis, the bishop of an unknown see, the other the ever-shadowy figure of Josephus of Rome. For Brent the corpus is to be divided, but between two Roman authors, indeed, between two members of the same "house-school." The first, in acrimony as well as in time, remains anonymous, but the second is the tender and repentant Hippolytus, who sought throughout his writings (contra Noetum, in Danielem, de antichristo) to re-align the thought of his disaffected community with that of the wider Roman outlook. His editorial hand, according to Brent, can even be discerned in the works of his rambunctious predecessor, some of which were preserved incorrectly under Hippolytus' name. These works include a chronographical composition, parts of which found their way onto the side of the now-famous Roman statue which even today resides in the Vatican Library, an eschatological treatise de Universo, and the problem-child of the corpus, the text now known as the refutatio omnium haeresium, never transmitted under Hippolytus' name.

But Brent's deeper interests lie in his attempt to link particular sociological realities with the texts and to show how text and social analysis might combine to reorient our understanding of the early Roman communities. Remaining true to the Döllinger hypothesis in its broadest outlines, especially in its view that the principal extant documents were composed in Rome, he sets about to delineate Hippolytus' role in a "fractionalized" Church (P. Lampe's term). As a means of social reconstruction, he suggests several new and brilliant solutions to age-old Hippolytan problems, the most interesting of which is his proposal that the statue's title list, usually taken as the catalogue of a Hippolytus Romanus, represents the literary works of not one, but of several ancient authors (115-203). Not necessarily related to this project, but necessary to interpreting the statue as the symbol of a Church community, is his attempt to refute Margherita Guarducci's suggestion that the original venue of the statue was the library of the emperor Alexander Severus (222-235 C.E.) and her skepticism regarding the reliability of the records left by Pirro Ligorio, its sixteenth century discoverer. This he undertakes in detail and at length (3-115).

Brent's findings can be summarized as follows: (1) Rome's "fractionalized" Church is best explained by the existence of "house-schools," each with its own "president" who bore episcopal authority. (2) Callistus, one such "president," and the author of the refutatio, another "president," clashed when Callistus admitted the excommunicated members of other house-schools to membership in his own school. Callistus was attempting to create a monarchical episcopate by his actions, demonstrating that monarchical episcopacy had not yet emerged in Rome (contra Lampe). (3) Hippolytus inherited the leadership of the community which had resisted Callistus' claims (368-457). He modified its theological concepts in the direction of Monarchianism, amended its paschal teachings, and generally attempted to adapt his own thinking to the new organizational realities of the Roman Church. The important traditio apostolica is part of a later pseudonymous stream of literature with unclear tributaries (184-97, 301-7, 458-540).

Brent's study is required reading for Hippolytan scholars, for those working in ante-Nicean studies, and for students of early ecclesiology. Unfortunately typographical errors abound and in some sections syntax is not a strength. But as the first grand-scale work in English in this century on the Hippolytus question, the significance of this complex and erudite book cannot be over-rated.

John A. Cerrato

A wealth of detail in quality pictures and history. Just one of many similar books in my collection that I refer to time and again. Of course, no one book can cover the gambit of houses in Britain, but this one makes a good stab at it.

My only complaint is that the size is a bit small--I'm used to coffee table size. But well worth Amazon's price despite that small drawback.

The first thing that hits you about this book is its price. I got mine in 1996 , and am glad I did. As time goes on, this book will become more and more scarce, so buy it now before the price doubles again in another six years.

Yes, it's expensive, but worth it. This is an invaluable reference, a must-have addition to the library of any scholar of Southeast Asia. The book is a gem, a wonderful combination of cartography, fine book binding, printing and production, and unique scholarly content. For a person like myself who enjoys maps, fine books, and Southeast Asia, this book is a treasure. This is a book that will be a family heirloom 100 years from now, and worth more than it's current purchase price.

The book is large-format, measuring 12 ½ inches high by 9 ¾ inches wide. But, it is not a massive or heavy book. It's actually rather thin, coming in at only about 150 pages.

The introduction is interesting in that it goes on for 51 pages. Pluvier simply uses the introduction to individually introduce each map. He states that his book "by no means (should) be considered a survey of South-East (sic) Asian history." The introduction is very nicely cross-referenced, in terms of time periods and countries/regions.

Following the introduction is a brief alphabetical list of all of the rulers and governors listed in the introduction text. Then follows a "selection of literature on South-East Asian History." Pluvier refers specifically to D. G. E. Hall's 1961 Historians of South-East Asia for pre-European information. The simple bibliography is very well done, providing information on historiographies, and is further sub-divided by modern country names, making it easy to find specific listings.

There are then two separate indices, one of personal names, and the other of geographical names. Both indices are highly detailed and reference both the introduction as well as the maps.

Strangely enough, the list of rulers and select bibliography are not listed in the table of contents, so readers do not know they are there unless they happen upon them inside the book. This is a minor editorial oversight.

The final portion of the book is its heart, a collection of 98 maps, diagrams, and charts in 64 pages. All are full-color, beautifully rendered and easy to follow. Note that the legend for each map is unique to that map alone; there is no overarching legend for all of the maps. Therefore, the reader must be careful to be familiar with the legend of the individual map in question.

In conclusion, this is a must-have reference for the Southeast Asian scholar, as well as a wonderfully well produced book to add to the collection of any lover of fine books. But its price is close to prohibitive, and I recommend its purchase only for those scholars who definitely will have reason to use it and appreciate it on a regular basis.

This is the place to start when you are looking for information about the history of science in the Netherlands. This book is a combination of new work and 're-cycled' material from older books, including Van Berkel's overview of Dutch Science from 1985, 'De voetsporen van Stevin'. Although the quality of the presented work is high, so, unfortunately, is the price; almost two hundred dollars is outrageous for such an essential work (especially when you realise that the technical quality of the volume is mediocre: normal paper, no color reproductions), but regrettably typical for this publisher; so most people will have to go to the library to read this work.

The volumes present a rather rare glimpse at a long period in the history of Judaism in Mesopotamia (ca. 227 BCE- 700 CE), which was, almost entirely, under the control of two successive Iranian dynasties (Arsacid and Sasanid). The area bordered on the western frontier of India and the eastern frontier of Rome, extending from the Tigris-Euphrates to India and into central Asia. The Persian/Iranian influence upon Judaism and its history is believed to have begun from 539 BCE when Palestine was under the rule of the Iranian Achaemenid empire which controlled the region until 332 BCE (the Persian Period), during the Macedonian conquest of the region by Alexander. Extensive studies on Jewish history in Persia/Iran simply do not exist, and the main reason that Persia/Iran has fared so poorly at the hands of posterity is due to the paucity of sources. Our primary sources come mainly from Greek & Latin (classical) sources who were interested in Iran only at the specific points at which Persia interested Greece or Rome. Their comments on Iranian political and cultural affairs were based on second-hand information, embellished with occidental disdain for the alien orient which seems to have held up firmly against Roman political and military propaganda. Since both the Iranian and Jewish sources (apart from Josephus) are neither widely known nor, by those who know them, historically interpreted, the author has not hesitated to extensively cite the relevant Talmudic documents. The author's aim in these volumes is mainly to reconstruct the historical and socio-political aspects of Babylonian Judaism, rather than aspects of Iranian religious and cross-cultural influences, an ambiguous and yet much debated topic in Near Eastern and religious scholarship.

The volumes present a rather rare glimpse at a long period in the history of Judaism in Mesopotamia (ca. 227 BCE- 700 CE), which was, almost entirely, under the control of two successive Iranian dynasties (Arsacid and Sasanid). The area bordered on the western frontier of India and the eastern frontier of Rome, extending from the Tigris-Euphrates to India and into central Asia. The Persian/Iranian influence upon Judaism and its history is believed to have begun from 539 BCE when Palestine was under the rule of the Iranian Achaemenid empire which controlled the region until 332 BCE (the Persian Period), during the Macedonian conquest of the region by Alexander. Extensive studies on Jewish history in Persia/Iran simply do not exist, and the main reason that Persia/Iran has fared so poorly at the hands of posterity is due to the paucity of sources. Our primary sources come mainly from Greek & Latin (classical) sources who were interested in Iran only at the specific points at which Persia interested Greece or Rome. Their comments on Iranian political and cultural affairs were based on second-hand information, embellished with occidental disdain for the alien orient which seems to have held up firmly against Roman political and military propaganda. Since both the Iranian and Jewish sources (apart from Josephus) are neither widely known nor, by those who know them, historically interpreted, the author has not hesitated to extensively cite the relevant Talmudic documents. The author's aim in these volumes is mainly to reconstruct the historical and socio-political aspects of Babylonian Judaism, rather than aspects of Iranian religious and cross-cultural influences, an ambiguous and yet much debated topic in Near Eastern and religious scholarship.

Based in south-west London, Maxine Fox is a complementary health therapist and holistic design consult who works with her clients to resolve their physical, emotional, and spiritual stress through a holistic approach. In "Holistic Home: The Homemaker's Guide To Health And Happiness", Fox addresses how anyone's residence can work against their emotional and physical well-being, and how that same residence can be transformed to support and enhance the lives and well-being of those who live there through the careful application of holistic life principles. From cleaning up the premises from chemical contaminants, to eating properly, to the use of color, and more, the health supporting aspects of any home and life style can be improved. Of special note is the section devoted to Active Healing and addresses the issues of community, market-place, the global environment, 'Animal Magic', gardening, 'The turning of the Year', the cosmos, and 'The Self/The Whole'. Enhanced with references, a bibliography, and a 'user friendly' index, "Holistic Home" is a welcome addition to the growing library of Alternative Medicine & Life Style titles, and is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers wanting to incorporate holistic principles into their lives and homes.

I found "Holy Lives, Holy Deaths" to be an enormously satisfying book, which I would gladly recommend to others to buy -- except for the price. Like other Society of Biblical Literature volumes, it seems to be aimed at professional scholars and libraries, not students and general readers. (Has anyone done a study of the SBL's publishing practices, and whether lower prices, and larger printings or frequent reprintings, would be justified by increased sales?)

I would instead advise trying to find a library copy before ordering it, as I am certain that some readers will find it objectionable on religious grounds (an unfortunate but inevitable fact), or discover that the material is just too unfamiliar, and the approach too difficult, for them to get enough out of it. If you like the book, you will probably want a copy available for further reference; it is packed with interesting details and bibliographic information.

As for the book itself, "Holy Lives, Holy Deaths" is an impressive attempt to apply tools developed in other fields, notably by New Testament scholars attempting to uncover the oral traditions behind the Gospels, Acts, and the Apostolic Fathers and early Christian apocrypha, to Jewish documents reflecting the same period. This has been done in an unsystematic way by others, but Wire's methodological sophistication and range of materials sheds new light on seemingly familiar territory.

Short narrative passages from Rabbinic literature are arrayed and analyzed alongside comparable narratives from Hellenistic Jewish writings, the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Texts, and, perhaps more controversially, the New Testament. The working assumption is that at least some of these stories circulated independently of their present contexts, and that a careful reading reveals how storytellers worked, and the social functions the stories were intended to serve.

Wire covers retellings of Biblical material, stories about Biblical figures, and stories about contemporary (or then recent) events and people, looking for patterns, techniques, and implied occasions. Teaching episodes, miracles, and martyrdoms all find a place, with other subjects, topically arranged for easy comparison of like with like. Among Wire's more interesting contributions is the suggestion (which I think she demonstrates effectively) that many early stories about Jesus fit most naturally in a Jewish setting into the mold of Martyred Prophet / Teacher, NOT that of Failed Messiah.

Readers unacquainted with the Jewish story-telling traditions investigated by Wire may want to compare some equally (or more) wide-ranging collections, without her analytic interventions in the presentation. Unfortunately, most such anthologies are excessively popularized to be of much use for scholarly purposes, or are very scholarly, and assume a great deal of background on the reader's part.

A good approximation of an introductory collection would be the late Raphael Patai's massive "Gates to the Old City: A Book of Jewish Legends," which is unfortunately out of print (again). It is usually available used (note that, in my experience, the original Avon paperback edition was so overstuffed that it tended to fall apart on purchase). Unhappily, as the editor-translator, Patai decided to leave out most of the Biblical "proof-texts" offered in the originals, and so tends to avoid those stories which depend on Hebrew word-play. Patai's companion volume, "The Messiah Texts" is probably available (if you are willing to wait), and would also be worth consulting. Howard Schwartz is best known for retellings, but his "Reimagining the Bible: The Storytelling of the Rabbis" is a first-rate collection of essays, with useful bibliographic notes, and much of it is accessible to a beginner, unlike Michael Fishbane's several admirable volumes on Rabbinic readings of the Bible. Among more narrow collections, Reuven Hammer's "The Classic Midrash: Tannaitic Commentaries on the Bible," in the Paulist Press's Classics of Western Spirituality series, is an invaluable introduction, with extended sections allowing the reader to see how passages fit into their extant literary context -- the one area where Wire leaves readers to fend for themselves.