The Phenomenon of Life: The Nature of Order, Book 1 An Essay of the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe (The Nature of Order, Book 1)

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Gordon L. Prescott come to life?

Some of these reviews are flawed

Dissapointing

The actual physical book is not up to the ideals of the content

This book changed the way I look at everything...

The Phenomenon of Life: The Nature of Order, Book 1 An Essay of the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe (The Nature of Order, Book 1)
Chris Alexander
Manufacturer: Center for Environmental Structure
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Amazon.com

Christopher Alexander, the humble messiah of good architectural design, invites readers to get comfortable with their inner judgments in The Nature of Order: The Phenomenon of Life. Best known as principal author of A Pattern Language, Alexander has designed and built countless projects worldwide, all the while thinking deeply about the nature of his work. Frustrated with the 20th century's reluctance to acknowledge human commonality and reliance on Cartesian mechanism, he urges us to rethink our understanding of space itself. With an architect's precision and clarity, he explains his theory of life as the order inhabiting space--an order both variable in degree and apprehensible to human minds. Though the scientifically minded will resist his seeming subjectivity, it will be hard for any to argue that his many examples of good and bad design are equivalent. Alexander's combination of powerful analysis and compelling synthesis makes The Nature of Order essential 21st-century reading. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

What is happening when a place in the world has life? And what is happening when it does not? In Book 1 of this four-volume work, Alexander describes a scientific view of the world in which all space-matter has perceptible degrees of life, and sets this understanding of living structure as an intellectual basis for a new architecture.

He identifies fifteen geometric properties which tend to accompany the presence of life in nature, and also in the buildings and cities we make. These properties are seen over and over in nature, and in cities and streets of the past, but have all but disappeared in the deadly developments and buildings of the last one hundred years.

The book shows that living structure depends on features which make a close connection with the human self, and that only living structure has the capacity to support human well-being.

The other three volumes of The Nature of Order continue this thesis with three complementary views giving a masterful prescription for the processes which allow us to generate living structure in the world. They show us what such a world must gradually come to look like, and describe the modified cosmology in which "life" as an essential quality, together with our inner connection to the world around us-towns, streets, buildings, and artifacts-are central to a proper understanding of the scientific nature of the universe.

". . . Five hundred years is a long time, and I don't expect many of the people I interview will be known in the year 2500. Christopher Alexander may be an exception."-David Creelman, author, interviewer and editor, HR Magazine, Toronto

Christopher Alexander is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, architect, builder and author of many books and technical papers. He is the winner of the first medal for research ever awarded by the American Institute of Architects, and after 40 years of teaching is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

Customer Reviews:

Gordon L. Prescott come to life?.......2006-09-25

Read 'The Fifteen Properties' excerpted in the 'First Nomination for Book of the Century' customer review, or any other excerpt, and then consider the words of Gordon L. Prescott from 'The Fountainhead':

"The flowing life which comes from the sense of order in chaos, or, if you prefer, from unity in diversity, as well as vice-versa, which is the realization of the contradiction inherent in architecture, is here absolutely absent. I am really trying to express myself as clearly as I can, but it is impossible to present a dialectic state by covering it up with an old fig leaf of logic just for the sake of the mentally lazy layman."

I wish I could give a 'no star' review, but amazon doesn't have that option.

Some of these reviews are flawed.......2005-12-04

Anne Broadbent's review below is completely unjustified. She writes "At the beginning of the first book, Alexander shows a beautiful pagoda - but I still think I wouldn't want to have one near me, in the guise of a shopping centre, school, house, gym, restaurant, bank or whatever: I'd rather see it in its original cultural setting." Alexander agrees completely with this point. His whole theory involves local adaptation following the fundamental properties and transformations that he has outlined in these books. Nowhere does he suggest that we should use the pagoda's form in any other cultural context. If you look at some of the examples he gives from nature you will understand this. He discusses the way sand dunes form following some of the fundamental properties. Does this mean he claims we should create sand dunes in the jungle? Of course not. Examples of buildings, places, and natural phenomena, are used as a means of displaying these fundamental properties and how these properties occur universally in phenomena which the majority of humans, and all other life forms would agree contain the quality of life. Throughout the series of books, Alexander provides hundreds of examples of human creations and natural creations to support his thesis. This may or may not be news to Miss Broadbent, but this is widely acknowledged as good scientific method.

Dissapointing.......2005-11-17

I very much enjoyed 'Pattern Language' and had great hopes for this series, however, after finishing book one, I am not sure I will invest in further volumes. I give the author credit for the time and effort spent in trying to develop his 'unified field theory' of good design, but unlike some of the common sense examples in Pattern language, this book moves to a level of metaphysical abstraction that seems to stretch the ideas past their breaking point. Not-Separateness? The Void? Though he makes a valiant effort, I just couldn't shake the fact that I was reading an after-the-fact justification of the authors pre-conceived tastes. Which essentially boil down to: old = good, new = bad.
Most off-putting also, were the scrawled, barely legible sketches that were meant to illustrate some of the principles. They are so poorly rendered as to be distracting and not very helpful to boot. I would expect more graphic sense from someone purporting to explain the universal secrets of good design. I really wanted to love this book, but I find it simply frustrating.

The actual physical book is not up to the ideals of the content.......2005-08-02

I haven't finshed reading the content of this book - this is more a comment on the delivery medium...

The 'hardcover' book more closely resembles a cardboard cover book. Mine is easily bent and permanently warped in multiple dimensions - makng it much more like your typical large paperback book than a $75 hardback book. It seems harder and harder for publishers to strike that balance between quantity and quality of pictorial content on the one hand, and quality and flashiness of the cover on the other.

This book changed the way I look at everything..........2005-07-10

As a total amateur, I have no design training. I am fascinated by architecture and design, but really only "know what I like". I read "A Pattern Language" when working on object oriented computer systems and find it fascinating - I still re-read it. So, when I saw this book, I was hoping that it would be interesting.

It is way beyond interesting. It completely changed the way I look at the world. It deserves to be read carefully, slowly, savored. Alexander makes his work accessible to both architects and lay people alike.

Bravo.

Even with two kids in college, I am going to spring for book 2. Higher praise could not be given.

The Phenomenon of Life: the Nature of Order, Book 1

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The Phenomenon of Life: the Nature of Order, Book 1
Christopher Alexander
Manufacturer: Center for Environmental Str
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LZO5LE

Customer Reviews:

fun.......2001-12-27

This is a fun book. Clever idea and usually understandable. Especially good for presenters who wish to add some humor and/or color to a talk.

Wonderfully inventive as well as humorous........1999-07-19

Sally Swain has taken the time to find the key which can unlock all those frustrations ordinary people have with the arcane manner in which MOST critics deal with art. It is such a baloon burster that it dare not be missed by all serious students of art.

Very funny parodies of famous paintings.......1998-04-21

Sally Swain's Great Housewives of Art and ditto Revisted are hilariously funny parodies of famous paintings, and a very sophisticated form of humour in that if you do not know the original paintings you are at a loss as to why other people are rolling in the aisles. Women find them funnier than men, but men are the ones being sniped at by Ms Swain's brush. What she does is take a famous painting, like Munch's "The Scream" and alter it ever so slightly so that it becomes "Mrs Munch bemoans the tomato sauce stains on the wall". So you have Monet's "Waterlillies" becoming "Mrs Monet vacuums the pool" and Rembrandt's "Woman Bathing" Mrs Rembrandt defrosting the Fridge. A good book to keep in the bathroom, but if you are having a large party remove it or people stay there too long!

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Great Housewives of Art Revisited
Sally Swain
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIWKTC

Book Description

Need a hand? Here are over a thousand! Over 1100 pairs of hands in all shapes, sizes, and shades: writing, sewing, with pointing fingers, much more, all copyright-free. Perfect for spot illustrations and many more projects.

Customer Reviews:

Hands by Harter.......2000-06-24

This book must have taken a while to research as it has the most wonderful illustrations of hands. Being an artist I really appreciate this book. The illustrations are perfect for photo- copying and can be used for photo transfer.

Ideal for designers and artists.......2000-06-22

An excellent sourcebook for illustrations of hands. Hands doing anything and everything. Keep in mind when the title says 19th century, it literally means 1800-1899, so there will be no modern subjects in the illustrations. No phones, computers, remote controls, etc., but there are hundreds of hands performing 19th century tasks. Also included are prosthetics, a sign language alphabet, palmistry illustrations, medical illustrations and even hands performing shadow puppets. All in all you get a lot of drawings of hands. I found this book better than most clip art books in the fact that the style of the illustrations varies more. There are pen and ink using crosshatching technique and solid, bold line art, so the feel of the illustrations varies more and you are more likely to find what you are looking for. Great Book.

Book Description

The dastardly Sae has gone too far! First she sabotaged Momo's blossoming relationship with Toji, now she's trying to embarrass Momo in front of the school at the swim meet. Can anyone help Momo? Well, "Wiley" Kiley seems eager to help, but can Momo trust that he's really looking out for her best interests, and not just trying to get into her pants? And poor Toji-will he ever see through Sae's veil of lies and be able to trust Momo? The Peach Girl soap opera gets is about to get a little meaner in volume 3 of Miwa Ueda's high school drama.

Customer Reviews:

My friend the enemy, part 2.......2006-04-13

After Toji's kiss Momo has mixed feelings. She wants to have enjoyed the moment, but her emotions are clouded by Sae's warnings that he is just a lecherous pervert, so she feels wrong about it all. But a surprise visit from Toji at Momo's home in the evening goes a long way to restore her faith in him...until Sae begins to unsettle everything again. She's pulling out every weapon in her arsenal to besmirch Momo's reputation, including telling Toji that a newly formed bruise on her cheek is from Momo hitting her after she saw Sae and Toji kissing one another.

The two want to make up, but with Sae's poisonous words entering both of their brains it becomes difficult to do. Suddenly, Toji is not coming to school and Momo is concerned that it might be because of their fight, though the rest of the class knows it's because he has appendicitis. When Kiley is the one to tell her the truth she rushes to Toji's side, to find Sae already there. Then things just go from bad to worse.

I am really starting to appreciate the subtle nuances of character development in this series. Momo is strong despite her self issues, and manages to stand up for herself often...just at the wrong times, usually when Sae has spent time blackening her name and Momo's reactions predictably follow the pattern of Sae's machinations. Sae is scheming, manipulative, conniving, and has no originality to her whatsoever... and yet she still manages to dominate a number of people in the story. Toji is hard to be sympathetic with at times, true he is being manipulated and doesn't know who to trust, however he is quick to believe the bad in people, so naturally he falls into Sae's scheming. And then there's Kiley, who though he is a lecher seems to be the one who legitimately cares about Momo... he is always there when she needs him, he is always worried about her feelings, but she is so quick to blow him off because of her "idealized" crush on Toji for too long... given the choice between the two I would have chosen Kiley long before this point...at least he is genuine and caring and accepts Momo with all her flaws that he never seems to see.

Overall, I am quickly getting addicted to this manga. This is high school angst at its juiciest, and I plan on reading the rest of the series as soon as is humanly possible.

The best yet.......2002-10-15

I gave this volume of the Peach Girl series five stars because it is the best of the first three. When the story starts, Sae has finally gotten what she wants; Momo and Toji have broken up. As if this is not enough, she enters Momo in the end of term swim meet... in every event. Not only will Momo be tanner than ever, but she will probably exhaust herself competing. To top it all off, Momo's classmates are crueler than ever. It's Kiley to the rescue, looking out for Momo no matter what... and all he wants in exchange is a ...hug?
The first part of this series comes to a grand climax in the last scene of this manga. For all Peach fans rooting for Momo, your heart will break and then you will cheer... buy the book if you want to know what I'm talking about. It will be well worth it.

Peach Girl #3.......2002-08-06

I'll try not to write a review with any spoilers in it, but you really do have to have read the first two novels in order to understand what's going on in this book. I buy the Peach Girl manga for two reasons: 1) the story is so close to highschool reality, that most of the time, it's hard not to understand what the characters are going through, and 2) Miwa Ueda's artwork is absolutely beautiful! Continuing from the last book, in part three, Sae is still working to make Momo's life a living hell, and there are few people who Momo can really trust anymore. Toji is beginning to smarten up, and Momo is being more friendly to Kiley. If you liked the previous two books, there's no reason why you shouldn't like this one.

And so the plot thickens..........2002-06-02

Great! Toji finally gets a clue, Kiley finally gets a hug, and Sae finally gets her comeuppance! It didn't quite satisfy my lust for vengeance, because Momo really does get terribly abused and I feel Sae should at least be hit by a truck, but there you have it. I also feel some crueler punishment for Toji is in order, as I harbor a deep grudge against him for his previous actions in books 1 and 2, but we'll see how it goes in book 4. Tantalizing and full of poignant moments, as well as some funny ones.

Impressive from start to end........2002-04-28

This was my favorite of the three published Peach Girl manga. The ending was satisfying, and they had a lot of good Kiley moments! If he's your favorite character, you'll love him more this time around.
In a way, this could be the end of the series, but there are a lot of unfinished questions, which you'll discover in the end of the book. If you thought that Momo ended up the underdog in the first two, you'll be satisfied with this one.

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New Love, Old problems Part 3
More twists and turns that leave you craving

Peach Girl: Change of Heart, Vol. 3
Miwa Ueda
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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New Love, Old problems Part 3.......2006-04-14

Ryo has lured Momo into a position where she is undoubtedly compromised. When he tries to force himself upon her she grabs the only weapon at her disposal that she has access to, a ballpoint pen, and stabs him in the head with it. Thinking she killed him she manages to get away, running into Kiley's arms just at the nick of time. Kiley comforts her and she has to admit to him that he was right all along about how Ryo is and that she misjudged him. In fact the whole thing smacks of how Momo used to be with Toji about Sae, back in the days when they were an item.

What Kiley and Momo are unaware of is that Sae and Ryo end up going home together after the incident with Momo, and Sae uses this info to try to hurt Momo the next day. It backfires, as Momo does not care about what Sae does, so long as she doesn't hurt Toji in the process. ..and a chance encounter with Ryo again, held off conveniently by a bottle of pepper spray that Kiley given her, makes Momo doubt everything that Kiley has ever told her when it comes to how he feels... so when she gets the opportunity she decides to give Kiley the thing he has been begging at for weeks, her body...but could his feelings for another prevent him from connecting with her physically?

Once again...pure drama... although I find it hilarious that Sae has come under Ryo's spell, considering he is playing her in the exact way that she has played everyone up until now. I also find it funny that Kiley's feelings keep vacillating between women...who is he in love with, and why is he stringing Momo along if he has feelings for another, or more importantly why would she put up with it if she knows? Momo irritated me a touch in this episode, I mean I can understand allowing Kiley some freedom about his past and his past loves, but this is too much.. He admits he can't love her completely because of another woman and then she freely accepts it just because Toji said something pointed that made sense? Unbelievable... and yet so good.

Manga fans, this is worth the hype. Pick it up, you won't regret it.

More twists and turns that leave you craving.......2003-07-14

I read girl's comics because they are like popcorns but some can be really too corny (i.e. Mamalade boy). Peach Girl is of the too-corny variety but I have to admit, it is one of the most twisted yet attractive soap opera for teens. At the end of the last page, it leaves you craving to find out what happens next.

In this book, Momo narrowly escapes rape attempt by Ryo (Kiley's brother). By the way, Japanese comics feature way too much sexual violence in casual way. I mean, they treat rape attempt the same way as if someone made a catcall (if you read Peach Girls and Mars you know what I mean). The girl just cries a little but the boy still loves the girl so the girl gets happy even if the perpetrator still lurks around free. Well, it's a soap opera... Anyway, Momo escapes from Ryo and now believes what Kiley has been saying all along. Ryo is like male Sae! He is pure evil. Sae is unaware of Ryo's true nature and is just too happy to sleep with him. I can't wait to find out how their relationship will develop (a match made in hell). Momo is worried because Toji is still Sae's boyfriend and this may hurt him. Momo also realizes that she truly loves Kiley and is willing to go all the way with him. But just when Momo is ready to give herself to Kiley, Kiley pulls away. Momo is worried and does not know what is going on. So she consults the school nurse, Misao. When she arrives to Misao's place, she finds that Kiley has been visiting Misao all along. It seems both Ryo and Kiley love Misao! Kiley is not over his feeling for Misao and this hurts Momo. What is going to happen next? And how many more books will be in Peach Girl? I only hope Sae and Ryo get what they deserve and Momo gets the boy(s).

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Peach Girl: Sae's Story Volume 3 (Peach Girl (Graphic Novels))
Miwa Ueda
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Sae hasn't been very lucky in love so far, but is Shinji the one?! Will he look beyond Sae's flaws and accept her for who she is? Or has Sae fallen for the wrong guy once again? In order to become closer to him, Sae promises to pay Shinji back for the damage to his car. But to do that, Sae must work part-time jobs nonstop and even trick Saru into helping her out. Will Sae get the happy ending she's been dreaming of? Or will she fall on her face once again?

Peach Girl Vol. 3 (Peach Girl) (in Japanese)

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Peach Girl Vol. 3 (Peach Girl) (in Japanese)
Miwa Ueda
Manufacturer: Kodansha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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Peach Girl, Vol. 3

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ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417659084

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