George Books

I totally agree with tifepiphany! The work is a gift to all who love 17th Century poetry / George Herbert / and poetry of the highest level. The Critical Introduction alone makes this a necessary book - the re-creation of the text and a generous selection of facsimile prints on corresponding pages make this a delight! Do yourself and favor and buy this book... I bought 2 copies. Books like this usual cost 50 to 60 dollars. Thank you Mario Di Cesare for this amazing work that should set a new standard for scholarly re-creations of texts - especially for those of us who can not afford $150.00 facsimiles. This is now one of my most beloved books.

The amount of detail in this reproduced/recreated edition of the Bolleian Tanner 307 edition of Herbert is a GREAT service to all interested in Herbert and 17th Century English Literature. This text, convincingly, elucidates many elements of the strong editing by Buck (1633) and makes available the source text for Buck and what is arguably the central text for understanding George Herbert. Thank you Mario Di Cesare!!!

--- by way of correction, Amazon lists this work as only a little over a hundred pages, it is in fact closer to 400 - and each page a treasure.

Di Cesare makes a relatively persuasive argument that this Bodleian manuscript is more authoritative than a widely accepted first printed edition of 1635. The manuscript is not Herbert's, so it is a live argument as to which represents his most specific intentions. I don't know which is closer to what Herbert had in mind, but the extraordinarily painstaking reproduction of such elements as the relative size of letters is appreciated.

Mario A. Di Cesare writes: The Bodleian manuscript of George Herbert's wonderful set of poems called The Temple is a beautiful work made with loving care at Little Gidding in the months after Herbert's death in 1633. It is also the most important manuscript of Herbert's poetry.

This volume presents an exact transcription of the manuscript, page by page, rendering precisely or recording not just the spelling and punctuation (including the placement of punctuation), but also the visual layout, the special characters (size, position, emphasis), the corrections and insertions, and the graphic characteristics of the page: Computer typography allowed me to imitate the original pages closely. (Lots of facsimile pages are also included.) My three-part introduction shows why contact with original manuscripts is important, argue the primacy of this manuscript for Herbert's text, and give critical readings of the poems themselves.

I am happy to report that my book has been widely praised by reviewers and called indispensable for anyone seriously interested in Herbert's poetry.

We can learn much from the true spiritual giants. GM was one of them. Through the Spirit and discipline he succeeded to serve God in spirit and in truth. It's doable!

This powerful biography gets to the real story behind the legendary sinner-turned-saint, George Muller. This bio is a reader's dream! The author has a masterful way of turning a phrase and more importantly he shows us how and what and who made Muller who he became--a man of God extraordinaire. I was deeply moved by his story. The faith that distinguished his Christianity from mediocre believers of his day was unclouded by sentimentality or mystical notions, it was steeped in Scripture and bathed in the love of Christ. A fiery life that I will refer to when I need an inspirational pick-me up. A wonderful book that truly brings glory to God!

I bought this book looking for anecdotes of some amazing ways God answered prayer in George Muller's life, especially ones that could be used as illustrations for teaching, sermons, etc... What I didn't expect was God to work in my heart so much while reading it. The book certainly contains many amazing accounts of how God provided for George Muller and his ministry, but more than anything the book is a powerful narrative of how God responds to faith and prayer. Muller's life goal was to show that God is a living God who hears and answers prayer, and God richly blessed this life of faith.

The refreshing thing about this biography is that you learn just as much about the almighty God whom Muller served as you do about Muller himself. The author also often steps out of the narrative to help the reader to apply lessons from Muller's life. However, these asides never feel forced or interrupt the flow of the narrative, they only add to the reader's enjoyment and edification. I'm certain that the writing of this book itself was bathed in prayer, and it will show in the heart of the reader.

As mentioned before in other reviews, the language is a bit formal, as was common style in the late 1800's, but it's still very accessible, even to High School students. I heartily recommend this book!

The ultimate George Muller biography, written by a man who knew him, and the one approved by Mr. Muller's own son-in-law. This biography breaks down George Muller's life into sections and explores each section thoroughly. Tremendous insight is gained into why and how he became a great man of faith and prayer. And as if the unfolding of this isn't enough, there's the added bonus of author A.T. Pierson's insightful commentary on biblical principles for deeper-level Christian living. I am reading this book a second time just to take in and digest all he has to say about these things, especially in relation to following the call of God on one's life. I was not expecting this from a biography and all I could think while reading it was "Where was this man when I was starting out?" It's like sitting at the feet of your own personal mentor. While some of the writing style is a bit "too late 1800's" it does not detract from what is being said. This is an extremely rich read. (The DVD "Obstacle to Comfort" serves as a great companion to this book.)

George Nelson's life work goes beyond the production of a building or a product although he did both of these things . . . and well. George thought about the fundamental problems of living in a designed environment.

A terrific biography about a wonderful and creative individual. Although George Nelson created many iconic designs his legacy lives more in how he lived his life and who he chose to be.

An intelligent and humanistic piece of biographical work. I couldn't put it down and at the end of the book I felt as though I had lost a friend.

George Nelson was not only a creative artistic talent, he was also a commercial genius (just like Picasso was). These two talents provided his secret for success that would reward him throughout his life. This book documents in detail how George Nelson thought and designed. The attention is clearly on his biography, this is not a coffee table book filled with an overdose of pictures. A wonderful biography about a designer that was the founding father of American Modern Design. I also suggest to visit the wonderful online archive about George Nelson at WWW.GEORGENELSON.ORG.

Although the book is minimal on color illustrations and its strength relies mainly on its text, contrary of what I had expected, I was very pleased with it. It is a very comprehensive study of the work of Nelson, one of the pioneers of American industrial design, giving more importance to the concepts and the process of design, rather than to the produced objects, buildings and exhibitions themselves. The preface by Ettore Sottssass is equally outstanding, as most of his written works are.

Dive into his life and be amazed at the quality and quantity of his output. Superb

In a way, Orwell's reports on English poverty in the 1930s are an update on F.Engels's solid and shocking study on the situation of England's working class nearly a hundred years before. (Engels was not only Marx's financier, he contributed major works himself. His place among communist icons is of a different quality from later politicians like Lenin, Stalin etc. His book on the working class was straightforward sociology and it wrote history.) However Orwell was not a scientist, his texts remain journalism and he devoted less time to it in total, though his personal commitment while it lasted was breathtaking. He lived it. He lived with them, his subjects. I am of split mind about that.
I am not sure that I think all that highly of Orwell as a reporter. There is something missing. He remains strangely aloof, there seems to be little passion, little empathy, little sympathy, but a certain condescension and impatience with the victims of circumstances.
His reports and analyses on the situation in Spain are of a different caliber. They are a passionate attempt to explain the conflicts inside the Republican, anti-Franco camp to whoever wanted to listen. As we know from history, it was useless.
The book is a guide through parts of European history, written by a contemporary observer. Letters help understand the personal situation of the writer. Reviews add to our understanding of the man more than of the reviewed books.
Some of his reviews would be smash hits here in Amazon, e.g. the one on Mumford's Melville bio. Less popular might be his aside that Conrad's genius is proven by the fact that women don't like his books. He had a hard time figuring out Henry Miller, who was something new, but if he was something good was not so easy to decide. (He does shed some more light on himself here by mentioning that birth and copulation are disgusting subjects. Odd, isn't it? But maybe the usual for the time.)
And there is an excellent long essay on Dickens, the greatness and the shortcomings of the great novelist. This text motivates me to go on with the volumes 3 and 4 of the set. The man had a lot to say, even if I don't like all of what he says.

I read this set many years ago, and it's great. There were better novelists, but Orwell was the best 20th Century essayist, at least in English, that I know of. Together with "Down and Out in Paris and London," "Homage to Catalonia," and "The Road to Wigan Pier," these four large volumes comprise the best of Orwell's nonfiction. As an essayist, Orwell was consistently clearminded, idealistic, honest and to the point. He is a pleasure to read, and he is one of my intellectual heroes.

I don't have a copy in front of me as I write this, but I'm pretty sure this first volume contains Orwell's unforgettable essays on the inner life of colonialism, "Shooting an Elephant" and "A Hanging". I highly recommend this set to anyone who is the least bit interested in Orwell.

I'm not going to review all four volumes of this collection separately; what I say below applies to them all.

There are lots of reasons to read Orwell's letter, essays and journalism:

1. He's a great writer. It's a pleasure to read him, just for entertainment value. There's a little piece of doggerel from Orwell's school days that he quotes several times that is now stuck in my head:

The rain it raineth every day
Upon the just and the unjust fella
But more upon the just because
The unjust has the just's umbrella

I don't know why that sticks with me, but it's a great illustration of Orwell's use of solid, colloquial and even humorous English.

Moreover, in addition to providing wonderful model prose he occasionally writes essays about writing and language (the use of "Basic English", oratorical versus conversational English, what drives a writer, the totalitarian perversion of word meanings, etc.), which are insightful and interesting.

2. If you're interested in the Second World War (or for that matter, the Spanish Civil War), Orwell's writings amount to a sort of diary, a primary document. Even his book reviews almost inevitably contain some reference to the political and historical scene.

3. Orwell loved socialism (yes, the man who write _1984_ was a democratic socialist), but he loved freedom more. His simultaneous battle for socialism and against totalitarianism (i.e., the Soviet Union) is engaging, even -- or maybe particularly -- where he drops the ball.

...

I think Orwell's heart was in the right place -- he had seen close up (and written a good deal about) the suffering of the poor. Like many people who have their hearts in the right place, he jumped immediately to the idea that redistribution of private property and collective ownership of the means of production were the only way forward.

On the other hand, he was a writer and a man of ideas, a person who greatly prized personal freedom. His essays give an intriguing glimpse into the battle raging inside him between collectivism and individual liberty.

Seferis is great. These poems don't feel dated in the least, nor do they sound translated. They emerge from some deep root in the shared brain, and brim into life like grace. If you like Montale or Cavafy, you'll probably like Seferis as well. All three have a large vision that begins in the local and reaches the world.

The edition, by Princeton, is very fine, with clear print and a helpful introduction.

...(like myself). Seferis is graceful, erudite, and profound without being pretentious or willfully obscure. His work is lovely and haunting. I first became aware of his poems when Stephen King excerpted bits of them in SALEM'S LOT, which I think says something about how broad an audience Seferis appeals to. His poems tell stories as well as create imagery and mood, which helps make their beauty all the more affecting.

Although it is difficult for me to select my favorite modern Greek poet since I hold several of them in high esteem, among his peers, Seferis crests the wave of poetic intensity. His poetry is always laden with images often as tragic as they are beautiful. Like Kimon Friar, Edmund Keeley has brought the powerful verse of modern Greeks to the English reader (see the Amazon excerpts of this work). In sum, Seferis' poetic world is enthralling.

Seferis is the ultimate point of poetry. The real king of poetry. His name will be around throughout ages and the words he wrote will be remembered. The nobel was the least that people could return to him.

What a thrill. Although Mel graduated from Lane ten yearsbefore me, I enjoyed his book immensely. Some of that thrill wasbecause I grew up six blocks west of where Mel did. He mentions manyfamiliar landmarks: Hamlin Park, swimming at the Belmont Rocks, local movie theaters, the Lindberg Beacon atop the Palmolive Building, Lincoln Park Zoo, the Lincoln-Belmont YMCA, and of course, Riverview Park and the roller rink. I, as he, used to listen to Randy Blake on WJJD, and rode the Green Hornet streetcars. Much of the book is dedicated to Lane Tech. I thought I was reading about myself, as Mel took me to Riesz's and McGovern's stores. As a "freshie" he learns as all of us did, about the sacred campus lawn, being subjected to a penny attack, how the room numbering can get you lost, and a trip to the discipline office. He uses terminology which was part of our experience at Lane such as: socials, course book, rovers, division rooms, and of course, the Myrtle and the Gold! Thanks, Mel! I recommend his book for all alumni who would like to take a walk down memory Lane (Tech).

Set in Chicago from the Depression-era to the early 50s, this emotion-laden book chronicles the maturing of a young boy and his brothers, all born in Texas and whisked to Chicago by their courageous mother to escape an abusive father. With remarkable attention to detail, it captures the intense, profound love this family shared, as well as the pain they endured living "on the wrong side of the tracks". It sends a strong reminder that the most important things in life do not have a price tag.

"George Street, Our Street" is not a book, it's a time machine. It took me back through the 30's, 40's, and 50's. By page 39, along with sneaking peeks further on, I was traumatized. I couldn't talk around the lump in my throat ... I walked through old neighborhoods, I walked the halls of Lane, I went to the "Fog Bowl" football game at Soldier Field with Mt. Carmel. I froze, once again, watching Lane's football team beat Fenwick. I was back at the corner of Damen and Diversey selling newspapers again. What a trip! Quite a trip. I would urge all Laneites from all classes, past, present, and future to read this book. Those from the 40's and 50's will be instantly trans- ported back to those times. The alumni from the 30's and before will very much identify with it. All others who came after will have purchased a window to the past and will more fully understand: "Wherever you go, what ever you do, remember the honor of Lane". David V. Radcliffe, Lane Tech Class of January,1950

I am a personal friend of the author Mel Giles and I know the work involved into putting this book together. It took him many years and a lot of hard work to tell this story just as it needed to be told. Can't wait for the sequel!

A portal onto George Tooker's unsettling paintings is a 1997 New Yorker cartoon by Tom Cheney titled Skeleton in Cubicle. In the middle of a group of nine office cubicles is a skeleton in a suit jacket. The office workers in the eight surrounding cubicles go on with their work as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The message, here in a macabrely humorous cartoon in a mass-market periodical, about the soullessness and anonymity of modern life is clear. In his paintings, Tooker (born in Brooklyn, 1920) delves imaginatively and in some respects literally into the implications and dimensions of this cartoon which evokes a amused burst of recognition for many.

Tooker had done a painting reminiscent of the cartoon three decades earlier. His Landscape with Figures (1966) is a red-tinted complex of cubicle-like connected squares with individuals with only the upper parts of their heads visible peering out of them. The only one whose head appears enough so that a mouth is visible is the woman in the foreground. Her mouth is open, but her breathing appears to be involuntarily suspended. The closed eyes of the others in the cubicle-like squares gives off the impression that the group has been beset by something unimaginable, such as the soullessness and anonymity of modernity, and has no natural attributes such as presence of mind or breathing to respond to it.

Tooker's paintings are not conventional depictions of prevailing angst such as ones for example seen in illustration art in popular periodicals or on book jackets. Nor do they fall within the type of modern art depicting the oft-noted anxieties and neuroses going modern life which has been imaginatively and masterly represented by major artists such as Bacon and Munch. While inevitably evoking existential estrangement such as explored by Camus and Sartre and the dread and fears of modern times, Tooker's deft, iconic paintings of extreme angst go beyond these. In going beyond these, Tooker's paintings emerge onto the plain of hope. The artist recognizes this in saying in a quote from a letter, "In some of my paintings I am saying 'this is what we are forced to suffer in life,' while in other paintings I say, 'this is what we should be.' I oscillate between the earthly state and a concept of paradise." This other--bright, optimistic--aspect of Tooker's paintings is disclosed in material in essays by art critics with references to Middle Age religious art. The portrayals of the agonies of Christ or of saints and the relatively primitive, stiff picturing of the individuals in the Middle Age paintings are recognized in both the subject matter and stylistic features of Tooker's paintings.

The singular achievement of Tooker's paintings is reaching the nadir of angst bringing on virtual immobility, while in so doing not being blinded to the possibility of the state of peace. As the paintings are not narrative, Tooker deals with these apparently diametrically opposed states in different paintings. Thus, mixed with works of individuals suffering fear, dread, and worry are works of individuals in a preternaturally state of peace. Dark Angel is one such work. While immediately imparting different feelings and reactions, upon inspection one sees that the differences are in fact minor, or at least less than is commonly expected. With their iconic persons, formalities of style, similar range of color and color tone, and compositional arrangement, one sees almost an affinity between emotional pain and spiritual heights. This association is usually ascribed to saints, martyrs, and the persecuted. Tooker extends it to ordinary individuals in the conditions of modern society.

A large (10" x 11"), almost square format paperback with fold out cover which is illustrated throughout predominantly in full colour. Following the introduction which provides a brief biography of the artist, the books proceeds to consider the paintings chronologically. Each painting is discussed in detail; the intelligent and accessible commentary taking into account relevant events in the artist's life that might bear influence on the work. The book concludes with an illustrated (black and white) catalogue raisonne of paintings, a list of exhibitions and a selected bibliography.

This is a splendid book, beautifully presented; it is well laid out and with many if the images presented against a neutral grey page background which well suites the work. The book designer should be commended too for arranging the text alongside, or within a page of, the images to which to it refers; without compromising the layout (other publishers and designers please take note - it can be done!).

The book contains over 145 paintings of which more than 85 are in full colour, most of the latter are half to full page size. The printing is excellent and well conveys the subtle delicacy of the paintings as well as the luminosity of the paint surface; with the result that the images truly glow out from the page.

George Tooker is surprisingly fresh and intriguing, misteryous and subtle.
Like Garver says, he is a classic in modern times, perfectly integrated though.
I always wanted an art book with his works, but only now I had this occasion, thanks to amazon!

George Tooker is a genius, and this book certainly does his work the justice it deserves. His lifetime's portfolio is lovingly reproduced, along with study drawings for many of the paintings, and explanations as well. The emphasis in this art book is on the pictures, rather than the text... highly recommended. (By me at least.)

Most school-age children grow up learning about George Washington Carver, and about all his wonderful inventions with peanuts. In fact, because of these inventions, he became known as "The Peanut Man," an identity that George Washington Carver wanted to shed.

George was born to a slave woman in southern Missouri, but when he was young his mother was kidnapped and he never saw her again. George and his brother Jim were raised by the farm owners, and treated as their own kids. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Carver encouraged George to further his education when they realized how talented he was with plants.

George went on to go to school and colleges, eventually earning his master's degree in Iowa before being called to Alabama to work. When he first arrived there, he was shocked by the poverty and devastation. He quickly developed the motto "Make grass grow"-and he promptly did just that, made grass grow on the campus, and then in the agriculture department that he directed.

There are some facts that are misrepresented about George in public education--for instance, I always heard that George Washington Carver invented peanut butter. According to this book, he didn't, but did come up with several other imaginative uses for it.

I read the book in one sitting out loud to my 12- and 6-year-old daughters. I appreciated how educational it was, but it was a bit hard to read all at once. It didn't hold my six-year-olds attention long either. My older daughter, on the other hand, was fascinated by the story as this was more information than she'd ever seen on this interesting historical character.

George Washington Carver is highly recommended for public school teachers, and home school students alike. Stock full of information, your child (and you!) are sure to go away with little known tidbits about this wonderful inventor.

Armchair Interviews says: Most interesting and educational.

Books about George Washington Carver are typically written for an older age range, so it's refreshing to find a picturebook biography on the subject complete with color illustration and vintage black and white photos throughout. Kids in grades 3-5 will find it most accessible, following his early life as a slave and orphan, his college achievement as the first Afro-American to attend Iowa State, and to his work in conservation. An outstanding coverage, not to be missed!

Bolden, Tonya. George Washington Carver. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2008.

This very handsomely designed book chronicles the life of an extraordinary man. His story unfolds in clear informative text and fascinating archival photographs and other visuals including Carver's own scientific drawings and artistic paintings. It documents his heroic persistence to obtain a college education in a country laced with racism and then describes his impressive career as a researcher and educator. Carver taught and modeled a "waste not, want no" philosophy, believed that "every human need could be met by things that grow" and when he could no longer teach funded the creation of a foundation that would benefit students in the future. We need a teacher like him even more in the early twenty-first century. This absorbing, respectful and inspiring biography belongs on every library shelf.

In New York City, the early months of the year are known for two things: Cheek chilling winds of a bitter nature, and assigned biographies of famous people. All around the city children and their parents scramble to find something ANYTHING on their assigned subjects. And in February's Black History Month some familiar names start to crop up. "Harriet Tubman. Do you have ANY Harriet Tubman books?" "Jackie Robinson. I'll take whatever you have." "I'm sorry, but do you have any books on," glances down at paper, "George Washington Carver?" It's funny, but a librarian can start to get a little picky about the biographies they're handing out after a while. We have a couple George Washington Carver books on our shelves. There's Aliki's A Weed Is a Flower and of course David Adler's A Picture Book of George Washington Carver. You'll find some books for older kids as well, but these are usually either too complex for the fourth graders who need them, or too dull. So imagine my delight when I heard that Tonya Bolden not only had a new biography coming out, but that it was also going to be on George Washington Carver! My personal philosophy when it comes to biographies is that you can never have too many on one subject or another, and to my mind no children's author has ever done this man justice. Now, with eye-popping visuals and a great deal of research, Bolden presents a man who accomplished much more than merely finding a use or two for the peanut.

Born during the Civil War, George was raised by a couple that had owned his mother before him. Quick to learn, if a bit sickly, George had an affinity for the natural world around him and was as interested in art as he was in working with plants. He got his schooling at the Neosho school and after a variety of jobs he attended college and became the first black professor at what is now Iowa State University. Booker T. Washington was quick to pick up on George's skills and convinced him to come to the Tuskegee Institute. There, Washington did everything he could to teach others about revering and respecting nature. He helped farmers learn how to yield better crops and make the most from their land. He found infinite uses for the peanut and the soybean. In 1943 he died, but his legacy of caring for the earth and its products lives on and is more important now than ever.

As I read through this book, it became pretty clear that I knew next to nothing about Carver aside from his peanut-related accomplishments. Right from the start Bolden sucks you into his strange and interesting story. Born during the Civil War, George and his mother were kidnapped by raiders when he was a baby. George was rescued. His mother was not and he never saw her again. I also didn't know that his notoriety as "the Peanut Man" was around even during his lifetime and that he had to fight against it, to some extent. I was particularly grateful for Bolden's Afterword too, which is not afraid to bring up criticisms of Washington that he was a "non-threatening Negro" because he did not openly protest segregation. I respect any children's book which isn't afraid to show a little of its subject matter's complexity. To me, this Afterword fits the bill.

If Tonya Bolden is known for anything, it may be for her remarkable ability to write visually stimulating, interesting biographies without a lot of photographic elements on hand. Her Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl was an excellent example of this. With Carver she has had a slightly easier time of it. Somehow she was able to find great photos of many of the important people in Carver's life as well as images of him as young as thirteen or so. The book is designed to resemble a photo album both in its paper and in the lovely little corners that look as if they are holding each photograph in place. I also found it interesting that Bolden would sometimes, perhaps with space in mind, put interesting tidbits in her photo captions and not the proper text. For example, George was raised by Susan and Moses Carver who were opposed to slavery. Says the caption next to their photographs, "Some suggest that George's mother was a mercy purchase, but it is unclear why she was not therefore immediately freed."

Sometimes it's a lot easier to write a biography about a firecracker. Writing one about a quiet man who enjoyed painting flowers is heads and tails more difficult, but no less important. In one section Bolden says, "If he had had the temperament of a Frederick Douglass or an Ida B. Wells, he might have packed away that microscope and raised rallies for equality of opportunity and against night riders and lynch mobs. Carver was no magician, no Douglass, no Wells. He was his own unique self with much to offer flowing from his innate and studied insights into nature's ways and gifts." As such, I've read few biographies of quiet scientific people that quite compare to Bolden's beautiful 41-page title. She shows how our contributions to the world hinge upon the gifts we choose to use.

George Washington Smith, 1976-1930, was one of the most talented architects practicising in the Spanish Colonial Revival style and this book is a product of clippings from the remains of his own scapbook of published work. Aside from a brief introduction, there is no text except for that which originally accompanied the photos from 1920s magazines. All photos are only from the period. Although George Washington Smith was acclaimed during his lifetime in Southern California where his designs were built, magazines' shift of focus to other styles probably contributed to his lack of nation-wide recognition today. His surviving homes are now greatly prized and premium priced, however. This is a great resource for all interested in the Southern California Spanish Colonial Revival style.

Located exact item I needed and it was promptly delivered. I am a first time user and was very satisfied with the process. I will definitely use you again.

This is truely is a must have book for anyone remotely interested in Santa Barbara architecture. Beautiful images and sketches of the historic work of George Washington Smith make up this coffee table treasure. Highly reccommended.

This is a fascinating book on a singular talent. It was so interesting to see images and articles, gathered from the era in which Mr. Smith practiced. The photos are wonderful and the text is highly informative. George Washington Smith was the foremost master of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and this book honors him. I highly recommend it to anyone with any interest whatsoever in this style of architecure, you wont be disappointed, it is a long awaited tribute to one of the finest American residental architects of the 20th century.

I openned this book expecting to read a story about a house and how it was built. I was surprised, and impressed, to discover that what went on as Mt. Vernon took form was far more interesting than I had expected. This is not so much a book about a house as it is the story of how George Washington related to the slaves on whom he relied to execute his architecture. In other words, the story here reverberates far beyond the boundaries of the plantation. It went to the heart of the republic, and it goes to the heart of this nation. Slavery is encoded in our national DNA (sorry, Jefferson). The Dalzells make it clear that it is also mortared in the wood and plaster (cut and painted to look like stone) of our national edifice. Are you tormented, or at least intrigued, that a slaveowner could style himself father of a republic dedicated to freedom? Maybe Washington was, too. Find out. Visit Mt. Vernon, and do it by reading this book.

Knowing Professor Dalzell and Mrs. Dalzell personally, I was incredibly curious to see how they blended the two seemingly connected but perhaps contrasting topics of George Washington and his home. Essentially, they were connected very successfully. The entire history of the home itself is told vividly with photographs, anecdotes, and objective descriptions of its development. Following, Washington's own personal, military, and political history is told in light of the times, and in the book's shining ability, in relation to the home itself. The Dalzell's cleverly-melded arguments and discussions leads the reader to a full knowledge of Mt. Vernon and its inspiring owner.

For an Architect practicing in any era since Monticello was built, it has always been easy to enter into Jefferson's process--to commune with the models and the methods he sat down with as he designed (time and again) the house that he built as a monument to his ideas and his place in history. In part, this has been because he planned and drew much as we do today. We have the drawings. We know (and can quickly avert our eyes from) the form of labor. We can hold these two-dimensional maps up to the brilliant artifact, and be satisfied, with ourselves, that we have made a connection to the past. Mount Vernon, however, has had to wait for the Dalzells to read, for us, the full and fully three-dimensional process of its becoming. This beautifully written book brings to George Washington's home, a context of meaning and National symbolism that time and distance had almost obliterated. The book is a restoration project: and as such, it is a key compliment to the preservation work so ably executed over the years by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. I heartily recommend this book to architects (amateur and professional), their clients (who may find comfort in learning that building has always been a trial), architectural historians, or anyone at all who is curious about the faithfulness of our democracy to the designs of one of its primary draftsmen.

Mount Vernon was both architecturally innovative and a true mirror of Washington's feelings and mind. He never wrote an autobiography and his diaries consist largely of farm accounts, but in Mount Vernon, the authors write, "he produced a text from which it is possible to coax a remarkably full sense of his political convictions and of how, over time, they changed." The book, George Washington's Mount Vernon, combines the public and the private sides of his life and uses the combination to enrich our understanding of both.