Architecture Theory since 1968

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Great for learning more in depth about architecture theory

Woa!

Greatest Hits

No House of Cards

All texts of postmodernism in one book

Architecture Theory since 1968

Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965-1995

Architecture Culture 1943-1968: A Documentary Anthology (Columbia Books of Architecture)

Rethinking Architecture: Reader in Cultural Theory

Programs and Manifestoes on 20th-Century Architecture

Theoretical Anxiety and Design Strategies in the Work of Eight Contemporary Architects

ASIN: 0262581884

Book Description

In the discussion of architecture, the prevailing sentiment of the past three decades has been that cultural production can no longer be understood to arise spontaneously, as a matter of social course, but is constructed through ever more self-conscious theoretical procedures. The development of interpretive modes of various stripes--poststructuralist, Marxian, phenomenological, psychoanalytic, as well as others dissenting or eccentric--has given scholars a range of tools for rethinking architecture in relation to other fields and for reasserting architecture's general importance in intellectual discourse.

This long-awaited anthology is in some sense a sequel to Joan Ockman's Architecture Culture 1943-1968, A Documentary Anthology (1993). It presents forty-seven of the primary texts of contemporary architecture theory, introducing each by detailing the concepts and categories necessary for its understanding and evaluation. It also presents twelve documents of projects or events that had major theoretical repercussions for the period. Several of the essays appear here in English for the first time.

Customer Reviews:

Great for learning more in depth about architecture theory.......2006-11-10

A bit of a tough read though.

Woa!.......2004-06-26

I'm a graduate student in architecture, and for a theory course we read selections from this book, and two other similar theory anthologies, Kate Nesbitt's "Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture," and Niel Leach's "Rethinking Architecture." All books attempt to do roughly the same thing, and I have to say the Hays (this one) was the one I got the least out of.

I'll start with one minor criticism, which wouldn't condemn the book, but is extremely infuriating: the page numbers are printed on the inside upper corners of the pages near the spine, not the outside upper corners as is standard practice in books. This makes it difficult to flip through and find what you're looking for, and is just sort of a mind-bogglingly idiotic thing to do. Compounding the problem, many pages are simply not numbered!

That little complaint aside, I guess Hays does do a pretty good job with his selection of essays. If anything it illustrates how much the discourse has obfuscated itself over the last 30+ years. To give you the the flavor of the book, here are a few selections:

"The concept of architecture is itself an inhabited constructum, a heritage wich comprehends us even before we could submit it to thought. Certain invariables remain, constant, through all the mutations of architecture. Impassable, imperturbable, an axiomatic traverses the whole history of architecture. An axiomatic, that is to say, an organized ensemble of fundamental and always presupposed evaluations. This hierarchy has fixed itself in stone; henceforth, it informs the entirety of social space."
(Jacques Derrida)

"The combination of the system theory of the urban realm with its dynamic interpretation as a pressurized field gives rise to an assembly language based on impregnation, with system elements existing simultaneously, and at least virutally, everywhere, emerging to actualization only within nodes (conjunctions) of mutually interfering systems."
(Stanford Kwinter)

"This suggests the idea of architecture as "writing" as opposed to architecture as image. What is being "written" is not the object itself - its mass and volume - but the act of massing. This idea gives a metaphoric body to the act of architecture. It then signals its reading through an other system of signs, called traces. Traces are not the be read literally, since the have no other value than to signal the idea that three is a reading event and that reading should take place; trace signals the idea to read. Thus a trace is a partial or fragmentary signal; it has no objecthood."
(Peter Eisenman)

They are not all quite like that of course, but most will not find this 'easy' reading. Learning to read english like this is a skill that takes some time to develop. Hays's little blurbs preceding each writer are decent enough, grounding you a little before you take on the selection, but they are not spectacular.

I simply cannot recommend this book to anyone other than students forced to read it or those with a highly devoted interest in contemporary architectural theory. Anybody else will find it useless. (The Nesbitt and Leach were somewhat better)

Greatest Hits.......2002-12-01

This is a great book for students and professionals alike. As a collogue once said, "A Hayes book is like buying a greatest hits CD, all the good things are there". Hayes compilation saves time by retrieving the most influential articles since 1968 and places them in one place, most with a preface to the article. Must have for any student. Pages are also east to underline and annotate in the margins.

No House of Cards.......2002-06-05

I praise Michael Hayes for his succinct and accurate notation and massive inter-article references. This text is the bible of a discipline that ostensibly began in the twentieth century, as self-conscious writing began to absorb architecture as a theme or subject.

Each successive wave of theorization about architecture contains similar elements of concern and patterns of approach, each multivalent through time or the pen of the author. Hayes gathers the contentious groups and individuals who have jumped into the fray of Architectural Theory and presents them neatly, their most salient essays all within one binding.

All texts of postmodernism in one book.......2000-04-25

This book, which is very beautifully printed, shows us all the relevant texts of the post-modern architecture debate. Although this debate is very difficult to understand, all the texts are introduced by a very clear text. References and literature is everywhere and exhaustive.

Average customer rating:

Architecture Theory Since 1968
K. Michael (editor) Hays
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQ8KMK

Book Description

no description

Customer Reviews:

The Complete Handbook of Sand Casting.......2005-10-28

A well thought out book with easy to follow instructions. A good reference book for the novice foundry man. I would suggest this book for anyone even remotely interested in casting and foundry work.

A Sand Crabs View.......2001-09-24

This has got to be the sand casting bible, because for one it really does start at the begining. This book will treach you how to start from scratch, build your own furnace, and how to make the anciliary equipment. Most importantly it is written by one of the experts in the field, he will take stepby step through your first casting, and teach you how to figure out what went wrong. So if this is what you want to do this is the book for you.

Establishing your own foundry.......2000-02-05

C. W. Ammen has done an admirable job of condensing the three foundry trades apprenticeships into a paperback. If ever a live steamer or inventor wanted to set up a small foundry this would be the book to buy.

Mr Ammen knows his business and how to teach it but he is not a technical writer. You will have to live with the book's faults. It's poorly edited and there are a good many clumsy sentances and examples of bad grammar.

Do not let these faults distract you from the narrative. A good industrial craftsman with little knowledge of foundry practice can follow the instructions given to ultimately produce practice sand castings of most any metal of good quality.

An excellent reference for sand casting........1998-12-16

This is possibly the best reference work for sand casting that I have ever read. It covers bench and floor castings, in all the popular metals (iron, brass, etc..) Ammen uses his 35 years of foundry experience to provide a complete and explicit reference for sand casting.

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The Complete Handbook of Sand Casting

Manufacturer: Tab Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book Description

For the 75th anniversary of Anne Frank's birth, an important publishing event - the first full-color visual book celebrating the legacy of Anne and her famous house. The photographs compiled here are in both black-and-white and color; they are vivid and moving, and make a lasting impression. The reader experiences the house and its relics, and sees photos of Anne's family and friends, the people who helped them and the changing Amstrerdam neighborhood where they lived.

Customer Reviews:

Inside Anne Frank's House: An Illustrated Journey Through Anne's World.......2007-06-12

I visited Anne Frank's huis in Amsterdam. This book not only brought me back there, but allowed me to digest the details of what they illustrated. Very moving! A topic people all over the world mustn't forget.

While the book followed the tour of the house, there are areas of the book that seem to have a weak translation into English. I wanted to absorb every written word, but there were areas that were not very clear. But I wouldn't give up the book for that. Thank you Ms Westra! And Thank you Mr. Frank for sharing the story of your precious little girl. I'm sure you are with her now.

Great book, but watch out -- it's got two titles!.......2006-05-09

FYI, for those of you who have been to the Anne Frank House:
Except for the cover, Inside Anne Frank's House is COMPLETELY IDENTICAL to the deluxe edition of a book sold in the Netherlands and on annefrankhouse.org under the title, Anne Frank House: A Museum with a Story. (Here's the link to the other version: [...])

It's a beautiful book, well made and with many, many large photos, and I heartily recommend it. But it's not so beautiful as to warrant inadvertantly buying two, like I did. ;)

WOW THIS BOOK ON ANNE FRANK WAS SO GOOD.......2005-03-07

Look at the subject it says it all. Basically its about the history beyond her, hiding place, diary. The text and photos wre good. Basically knew everything about her, but the main reason bought book is the photos that I haven't seen it yet. Thank you.

An Illustrated Journey.......2005-01-09

I have long been interested in the story of Anne Frank. Over the years I have read many books about her and I continue to reread the diary every year. Recently, this book came to my attention and I gave it a read. There is much about it that impresses.

This book is subtitled An Illustrated Journey Through Anne's World and that seems appropriate. The key attraction of the book are the hundreds of photos that fill its pages, many of which I had never seen before. With its oversize, coffee table book format, and slick pages, it is a beautiful thing to look at. Where the book begins to let the reader down is the text.

Granted, the text is minimal and what there is can be highly informative and descriptive; however, I noticed a number of typos in my edition and many of the pictures were mislabeled (if the label could be found at all). It also seemed like different people were in charge of different sections of the book because there was no consistency to the presentation. I actually liked the structure of the first section of the book, where German history ran in small pictures along the bottom of the pages and the Frank family filled the top. I wish this style would have continued because it was very informative and allowed the reader to make connections but this was dropped rather quickly.

Still, there is a lot to be said for this book. It's cliche that a picture says a thousand words but it is amazing the emotion that is captured in some of these shots, particularly if you know the story behind them.

We Remember, If Only We Would Learn.......2004-12-15

It's an ordinary house, not spectacular at all. It wouldn't be worth photographing at all except for the extraordinary young lady who lived here and who kept a diary during one of those times when the devil was loose on the earth and good men did nothing to stop him.

But because of this young lady and her extraordinary diary this house is a monument, a church if you will, that commemorates not just this girl but all of those who went with her, and all of those who tried to help them.

The book itself is beautifully done, not only a photographic guide but a history, a memorial in its own right with quotations and photographs of objects displayed in the actual exhibition. ==Let us never forget!

Let us also remember the other holocausts that followed to prove that we didn't learn enough: Rwands, Cambodia, Ethnic Cleansing in former Yugoslavia, and what may happen in Iraq between the Sunni, Shiite, and Kurds.

Amazon.com

Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite

Book Description

If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the top contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. The great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argued that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite

Customer Reviews:

Other Books.......2007-09-03

Well, it really doesn't get any better than this. I was hooked on hits from the first time I saw the cover image in a comic shop.

The news media scenes now, are pretty much right out of today, with screaming pundits on the television, American style.

The fascism and violence prompts Bruce Wayne out of retirement. Heartened by the assistance of a young girl, he plans his strategy.

He has one major obstacle.

Superman, who is now a covert special forces operative lapdog.

The greatest tale of batman.......2007-08-14

This book tells the return of Batman in an future where Gotham City is in peace but sudenly appears a new threat, mutants, and they are powerfull and they work like a gang of destruction, you will see the Joker, Superman, Catwoman, Two Face, etc all of them older, cracier and pitiless. Fank Miller give power to the history he is a genius, and the drawing is strange but with a lot of impact and action. If you like batman, you must have this book, and if you never read a batman comic, then when you read this one you will change your mind.

Not For Me (...and possibly not for you).......2007-08-06

I will start by saying that I have enjoyed DC Comics and their heroes for almost twenty-five years. In particular, I have always loved reading about Batman, Robin, NightWing, and anything that was related to the Gotham crime fighting circuit. I couldn't believe that after all these years, I had yet to read what was regarded as one of the best graphic novels of all time. While on vacation this summer, I decided it was time to finally read this classic.

First, the artwork doesn't appeal to me. I know others love it and will defend how wonderful it is. That's fine, it just doesn't suit my tastes and I can get over it provided the story is good. So, is the story good? It's okay. I can definitely see why other people like it, and I appreciate the different approach Miller took to the time and setting, I felt that it was too over the top though. I found myself wondering if this was suppose to be ten years after Bruce's retirement, or forty. I also didn't care for some of the assumptions that are made throughout the story in regards to several characters' pasts. The development and appearance of "Robin" in this novel was weak and pointless, other than to provide a cheap reason for an event (that I won't spoil) that takes place near the conclusion of the book.

Finally, I felt like the book drug on way too long. The brutality of Gotham City and the Bruce Wayne vs. Batman ego struggle was beat to death in my opinion. I could have cared less about the politics of Gotham, which also was repeated time and time again. I didn't feel as though there was a decent balance between those storylines and the ones involving Two Face and Joker.

To wrap this up, I will be honest and say that I did not enjoy this masterpiece the way almost everyone else has. The futuristic story and excessively "dark" setting feel like paths I've been down too many times in too many other books. I am glad though that most seem to have enjoyed the story, it just isn't for everyone.

One of the great graphic novels of our generation.......2007-08-01

A friend of mine let me borrow his copy of this and I read the whole thing straight through. Now a year or so later I am buying The Watchmen and this book comes up as recommended. I can't help but buy it. Frank Miller paints an incredible revision of the idea of Batman. His art and story flow so well together. This book has helped to re-define the current definition of a graphic novel. I can't recommend this enough.

It's either this or Alan Moore's Watchmen.......2007-07-25

This is without a doubt, one of the finest graphic novels you will probably ever read, if not the absolute best. If you ask me, this is as honest a portrayal of Batman/ Bruce Wayne as we're ever going to get. A vigilante in every sense of the word, this older, darker Batman is preoccupied with his age and the persistent belief that he can die at any given moment. There's a believability to his internal thoughts and actions that strikes one as being completely realistic. I think that's what makes this project work so well, the fact that all of the characterizations in the book are spot on and make perfect sense. The Joker is a homicidal maniac, not some clown. Commissioner Gordon is a man who's been around for a long time and knows that once they get him out of his position, there may be no one else who can keep Batman out of trouble. Superman becomes a weapon for the government. Some other familiar faces show up and some may or may not be how you remember them to be but Miller manages to keep everything fresh and interesting.

The art takes a little getting used to but I think for the most part it works. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole mutant gang thing but those are my only trifles with the book.

In the end, I feel that this is the best Batman story I've ever read or will ever read.

Average customer rating:

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000FHGJSK

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Batman : The Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000LZHPM0

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Books 1-4 )

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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Books 1-4 )
Frank; Janson, Klaus; Varley, Lynn Miller
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000J2N0GK

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Graphic SF Reader
A High-Tech Plot in a High-Tech Comic

Batman Digital Justice
Moreno
Manufacturer: DC Comics, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 9991837574

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

This was around the time of the massive Bat-craze. The book was a look at all digital and computer art, and that was also the premise of the story.

In the future, the Joker is a computer virus, and the Batman of that time and type has to try and track it down and stop it from doing crazy Joker type things.

A High-Tech Plot in a High-Tech Comic.......2001-03-30

This hardbound graphic novel by Pepe Moreno is sophisticated and intriguing. Developed in 1990, this book takes the legend of Batman and gives his spirit life in the grandson of Commissoner Gordon, Sgt Gordon. Gotham may be high-tech, but it is still swalloed in crime.

Sgt Gordon is after serious criminals and part of the enemy is not human; but a computer virus established by the Joker himself to cause such havoic in the city. The art work is computer generated and the paper it is produced on is high gloss.

The plot is well developed and even though so many things are going on, it is easy to follow. This comic has some neat little extras after the story that contribut to a well made book just right for any comic fan. A must have.

Average customer rating:
Batman DK2: The Dark Knight Strikes Again books 1-3 ENTIRE SET (The Sequel to The Dark Knight Returns ALL THREE BOOKS INCLUDED! ALL FIRST PRINTS!)
Frank Miller
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000W24P5W

Product Description

The Dark Knight Strikes Again is Frank Miller's follow-up to his hugely successful Batman: the Dark Knight Returns, one of the few comics that is widely recognized as not only reinventing the genre but also bringing it to a wider audience.Set three years after the events of The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again follows a similar structure: once again, Batman hauls himself out of his self-imposed retirement in order to set things right. However, where DKR was about him cleaning up his home city, Gotham, DKSA has him casting his net much wider: he's out to save the world. The thing is, most of the world doesn't realize that it needs to be saved--least of all Superman and Wonder Woman, who have become little more than superpowered enforcers of the status quo. So, the notoriously solitary Batman is forced to recruit some different superpowered allies. He also has his ever-present trusty sidekick, Robin, except that he is a she, and she is calling herself Catwoman. Together, these super-friends uncover a vast and far-reaching conspiracy that leads to the President of the United States (Lex Luthor) and beyond.

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Batman the Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller
Manufacturer: Warner Books / DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000LBZ6EI

Batman the Dark Knight Returns #1 First Print

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Batman the Dark Knight Returns #1 First Print
Frank Miller
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000RIKZEG

Product Description

1st print 1986 edition

Batman the Dark Knight Returns #2 First Print

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Batman the Dark Knight Returns #2 First Print
Frank Miller
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000RIJK88

Product Description

This is a 1st print 1986 edition.

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Batman The Dark Knight Returns book one
Frank Miller Klaus Janson
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000RKW7JK

Product Description

DC Millennium Edition Graphic Novel

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