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Islamic Art I publishes the papers delivered at the 10th Colloquy on Art and Archaeology in Asia, organised by the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art of the University of London. These papers deal with a group of paintings collected and preserved in four albums (H. 2152, 2153, 2154, and2160) in the Topkapi Saray Museum in Istanbul. The paintings have been known since the beginning of the century but really entered the literature only when some of the more intriquing images were published in 1954. They had not been studied as a group before 1980; indeed, they had virtually defiedclassification by date, place of execution, and interpretation. For these reasons, they have largely been omitted from all major histories of Islamic painting. The majority are now published in Islamic Art I - which contains more than 500 illustrations - for the first time. Equally for the firsttime are contained in one volume an accurate account of the literature dealing with them, and a series of essays by international scholars and specialists proposing suggestions as to their dates, attributions, and meaning. ... Read more

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"The Mexican Roof , built as an architectural signal for an organisation promoting sustainable agriculture, is one of the few examples where a very ambitious project, conceived in the architecture design studio at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, has been successfully translated into reality. Executed by the students themselves in a remote province in Mexico it is basically a roof made out of bamboo that shelters the new community from the sun and collects water, the basis of any kind of growth. It is a conspicuous landmark that also serves very practical functions. The book presents the building process in Mexico starting with the finished roof and going back in time as well, an index that lists the various notions of the conceptual work in Vienna. Special attention is given to a specific method of teaching that encourages students to go for their visions, even if difficult, by providing methods, experience and determination necessary to solve the problems associated with this endeavour. ... Read more

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Amsterdamse Bos, Bois de Boulogne, Epping Forest, Grunewald, Zoniënwoud; throughout history, cities in Europe and elsewhere have developed close relationships with nearby woodland areas. In some cases, cities have even developed – and in some cases are promoting – a distinct ‘forest identity’. This book introduces the rich heritage of these city forests as cultural landscapes, and shows that cities and forests can be mutually beneficial.

Essential reading for students and researchers interested in urban sustainability and urban forestry, this book also has much wider appeal. For with city forests playing an increasingly important role in local government sustainability programs, it provides an important reference for those involved in urban planning and decision making, public affairs and administration, and even public health.

From providers of livelihoods to healthy recreational environments, and from places of inspiration and learning to a source of conflict, the book presents examples of city forests from around the world. These cases clearly illustrate how the social and cultural development of towns and forests has often gone hand in hand. They also reveal how better understanding of city forests as distinct cultural and social phenomena can help to strengthen synergies both between cities and forests, and between urban society and nature.

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Cultural Politics in the Third World examines the subtle and multi-faceted relationship between culture and politics in developing countries. The book cautions against both politically reductionist examinations of culture as well as culturally reductionist examinations of politics. By placing culture within its proper political perspective, it demonstrates that civilizations are not clashing, nor are they about to in the foreseeable future. With its contextualization of culture this book will be of interest to both academics and students studying political science, sociology and developmental studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Historically Inept..............
Kamrava uses an ethnocentric view of historical processes that helped shape the modern state of Third World nations by privileging the West as "mature" nations in opposition to non-Western states that "were resting on their political laurels and relishing in past glory" while the West began "evolving and flourishing well beyond their own borders" (70). To characterize Third World nations as `resting' and `relishing' their past glory [which Kamrava does not explain] seeks to blame the Third World for their own colonization. Kamrava deftly bypasses any mention of the ravages of colonization on Third World countries and does not consider the effects of colonization on indigenous political structures nor on their cultural practices. Instead, he offers an elitist position by positing democracy as the standard for achieving a stable society. Kamrava's assertion that democracy has a "proven performance" in that modern democracy is decidedly not proven [and in what context does he mean by proven?], nor has democracy as a modern political system been around long enough for Kamrava to be able to make that claim. Kamrava asserts that the only way a nation can achieve a common sense of purpose, a common emotional investment in itself, is by complete and free member participation.Would not Nazi Germany be an example of a people, who, in the beginning, believed they were supporting the party of their own free will? And more currently, North Koreans? They also believe in their nation's superiority, as did China, Japan, Britain, France, and many other nations at different times throughout history. Kamrava would also argue that United States voters act `freely' and `unmanipulated' by voting in general elections. Yet, Kamrava would not see the hegemonic control oozing from the election process itself, most particularly in the barrage of manipulative ads that use anything from scare tactics to outright lies in order to sway the voter, not to mention the very rules of the election process that are structured in such a way as to favor the two party system and to discourage the "average man or woman" from attempting to enter the exclusive political culture of US government.
Kamrava also tries to portray a state democracy as more separate from culture than the other political systems he describes. He argues that "The state, in fact, does not have any institutions whose implicit or explicit function it is to influence cultural norms. Instead, through its diplomacy abroad and its economic policies at home, the state merely plays up the desirability of democracy, the prestige of joining the rest of the politically `advanced' and `developed' states of the West. If any cultural values are promoted, they are done so subtly and are apt to be those enshrined in the agreement that made the transition to democracy possible: continued popular respect for certain institutions of the old regime" (103). There are a number of erroneous points in this quote. First, for example, the US dept. of Education's job is to influence cultural norms in the sense that it decides what aspects of US culture and history US children will learn about in public schools, much of which is decidedly biased, incomplete, racist, sexist, and ethnocentric. Secondly, by stating that the state merely "plays up democracy" Kamrava ignores any neocolonialist acts (such as interference in other governments through economic sanctions,military or covert means)by the big seven Western governments or the capitalist exploitation of labor in the Third World sanctioned by the World Trade Organization. Kamrava paints a utopian de Tocqueville-esque public participation in society that denies any of the very real negative or hegemonic effects of democracy.
Under Kamrava's description of non-democracies he states that "in their efforts to endlessly rally the masses from one emotionally-laden project to another, inclusionary states usually resort to two means, one institutional and the other cultural. . . Culturally, the state capitalizes on and magnifies those social values that are most resonant among the people and also serve its own interests most expeditiously" (105).I find this statement particularly contradictory to Kamrava's initial argument, especially considering how the current US "democratic" government has hired PR firms in order to best understand how to manipulate the US public to support their far-right wing self-serving agenda, which manifests itself in the constant flow of fear-based political ads that capitalize on the tragedy of 9/11 and the myth that only those in power now can keep the nation safe. Kamrava, in his description of non-democracies, in reality describes our current form of democracy, though to be fair, he could not have known the state of the US in 2006 as he was writing in 1999.
Kamrava's analysis lacks the necessary historical grounding. Without acknowledging the West's forcible colonization of Third World nations and the postcolonial struggle of those colonized nations,Kamrava merely pays homage to the colonizer by first reconstructing the "lazy natives" who "sat on their laurels" (and therefore deserve their fate) while the West created modernity, and by touting the Western democratic political system as the only viable and "white/right" way to go. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

How military base land-use planning impacts international relations
This is an unusual, highly specialized book, discussing the impact of US military bases in South Korea, with an emphasis on architecture and land-use planning. Korea is a country where every bit of land is precious, and Koreans are accustomed to living in accommodations that would be cramped by US standards. Thus, when the US takes land to create sparsely built suburbs for US military personnel, the effect is incredible illwill: From the Korean perspective, not only do Americans take their land, they then waste it. On the other hand, the US is faced with the dilemma that military personnel will rebel against assignments in Korea unless they can live in spacious, US-style housing.

The author persuasively argues that of all the problems in US-ROK relations, inefficient land use by the US military is the number one irritant. There doesn't seem to be a solution to this conundrum, although the US suffers in the long term due to the resultant anti-Americanism in South Korea.

US bases in Okinawa and Italy are also discussed, but the major emphasis is on South Korea.

Also, the author delves into a phenomenon that most Americans would find shocking - entire communities of prostitutes, isolated from the rest of Korea, staffed by women from the ex-Soviet states and other poor countries. These women exist in a legal no-man's-land beyond the control of Korean police, and when a US soldier or a pimp commits a crime against a prostitute, the prostitute's only recourse is the US military police.

skewed view
This book has missed the mark.What is written is not factual.For example, it is stated the LPP was signed after a tank incident when in fact it was signed 3 months before that accident.It is stated that China occupied Korea from 1639 to 1895, while the Mongols occupied Korea once and Japan occupied Korea twice China never occupied Korea.Another thing for example he talks interchangeably about Okinawa and Japan, while they are not one in the same.He talks about the US and its hold on Okinawa but never criticizes that Japan occupies Okinawa.It is indeed a separate nation and nationality from Japan.Many other issues stated as facts are wrong or inaccurate.

The author never lived at any of these places and could never know what it's truly like to be a local citizen or a US citizen stationed there.Finally I thought that the author might have some ideas as to how to fix the problems that he mentioned but he doesn't.It's just 300 pages of how the US has treated other countries so poorly.If I didn't know better, I would think he was paid by some Korean and Japanese citizens to write the book.

As hoped for
As an American who has been affiliated with a few overseas military installations, I hoped that this book would deal with the sociocultural aspects of plopping thousands of middleclass Americans down in a different country and then tailoring their environment to make it seem as though they are still in Virginia or Illinois.America Town exceeded my expectations, as it provided a lot of new information that helped me to better understand some of the experiences I had in Asia, Western Europe, and The Med.
I would say that this is a "niche" book, so if you are not curious about how the US designs its overseas military bases or have not lived on one, then you might find this either unbelievable or boring.
Given our current controversial empire building in the Mideast, however, the way this book provides a history of how nations have always designed their occupations and then connects it to America would also appeal to anyone interested in geo-politics. ... Read more

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Book features history of the country estates of England.Includes notes and bibliography.Hardcover. ... Read more

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They see themselves as historic centres while simultaneously becoming secondary in the dynamics of regional urbanisation. They move between rural idylls and chronically overloaded junctions. They are innovative commercial locations and yet remain eternally the provinces. Are the middle-sized towns between all the cracks? Or is this position in-between an opportunity in itself because this kind of urban fabric has so much potential? Linz is a prototypical middle-sized town. Not only in terms of its size and geographic position, between the hotspots of Vienna and Salzburg, but also because of the widely strewn palette of attributes. And, in fact, in the recent past Linz has used this in-between position and developed a remarkable talent for reinventing itself. Linz is European Capital of Culture in 2009. This exceptional situation calls once more for a new pitch. Who can Linz learn from and what can others learn from Linz? What does Linz share with Madrid or Galati? Which of its attributes are shared with Moscow or Davos? An urban road movie - to the end of the world - is looking for the answer.

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice looking, but scattered
Nice photos on most pages, but the author jumps around and goes into topics that I'm not sure anyone will care about. Text is sappy and meaningless most of the time (example:"Ladders are pure potentialenergy: they just stand there waiting for that moment when they feel theweight on the first rung, then the second, etc. Imagine being a ladder. Itmust be what a fireman feels like: a life of expectancy."). You'rebetter off with the triumvirate of nicely photographed AND written"rustic lifestyle" books: Cabin Fever; Adirondack Style; RusticStyle. ... Read more

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"Eco-Urban Design" focuses on the unprecedented challenges currently faced by architects and designers. In a world where climate change, diminishing natural resources and an increasing global population have become indisputable facts of life there is now a rising demand for evolved buildings that no longer endanger the Earth's fragile ecological systems.

This book endeavours to tell the positive side of the story by featuring considered design solutions provided by the world's most innovative architects and engineers. By only including realised projects which have been subjected to post construction monitoring this publication provides evidence-based information that measured reductions in carbon emissions, water and energy usage can actually be achieved in the field and not just on the drawing board.

These completed projects demonstrate best practice and will inspire a new hybrid generation of designers who will combine architecture and engineering skills to resolve a key environmental challenge. Furthermore, these creative construction projects from a variety of genres including, commercial property, public buildings, social housing and private homes give testimony to the fact that investment in green archineering also provides a commercial advantage to forward thinking developers and investors.

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„Afghanistan. Von innen und außen", ein Kompendium der poetischen Fotos und Schilderungen von Karl Wutt, macht die vielfältigen Kulturen des Landes über subtile Nuancierungen begreifbar, als Gegenbilder zum medial vermittelten, wegen Krieg, Terror und Islamisierungstendenzen zunehmend gröber gewordenen Eindrücken. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Environments, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2006. The length of the article is 8985 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cultural heritage in socio-economic development: local and global perspectives.(IDEAS)(Report)
Author: Tolina Loulanski
Publication: Environments (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 34Issue: 2Page: 51(19)

Article Type: Report

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Thomas Ramsden Ashworth (1864-1935) was an Australian publicist and architect. At the age of seventeen he worked as a carpenter and builder, and studied architecture in Melbourne. From 1898 until 1902 he was the president of the Victorian division of the Free Trade and Liberal Association. In the Legislative Assembly he remained consistent to the principles which he published in a book written with his brother H. P. C. Ashworth (c1865-? ) entitled Proportional Representation Applied to Party Government (1901). He was the chairman of the canister- makers' section of the Chamber of Manufactures in 1910-17. In 1916 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects and was also a founder of several companies including the Union Can Co. and was for many years a director of Bussell, Robson Pty Ltd, clothiers. He was the president of the Victorian Employers' Federation in 1920-34. He founded the Employers' Federation Insurance Co. Ltd in 1927 and chaired its board of directors. ... Read more

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Alle zwei Jahre zieht es Kunstinteressierte aus aller Welt nach Venedig zur La Biennale di Venezia. 1895 begründet, ist sie die bekannteste und älteste dieser zweijährlichen Ausstellungen. Hundert Jahre später wurden schon weltweit über sechzig Kunstbiennalen veranstaltet. Worin liegt die Faszination dieses Ausstellungsmodells? Anhand von 22 Porträts ausgewählter Biennalen sucht das Buch Antworten auf diese Frage. Begleitet von zahlreichen Abbildungen, liegt damit erstmals ein Übersichtswerk zu diesem Thema vor. ... Read more

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Die Geschichte darf als bekannt vorausgesetzt werden: im Jahre 1985 wurde auf Vorschlag der griechischen Kulturministerin Melina Mercouri erstmals der Titel einer ‚Europäischen Kulturhauptstadt’ vergeben. Mittlerweile haben mehr als 40 europäische Städte teilgenommen. Zwischen Vision und Frustration, Kulissenaufbau und Strukturmaßnahmen bewegen sich die auserwählten Städte. Was ist der Beitrag der Kultur für die Identität Europas und welche Rolle spielen darin die Kultur(haupt)städte? Linz als – neben Vilnius – Kulturhauptstadt Europas 2009 ist Anlass, sich dieser Fragestellung zu widmen. Ausgehend vom Profil der Kulturhauptstadt Linz sollen grundsätzliche ästhetische, kunsttheoretische, kulturwissenschaftliche, soziologische und theologische Fragen zum Phänomen Kulturhauptstadt erörtert werden. Eine Besonderheit dieses Heftes ist ein Experiment: Richard Ferkl als Bildender Künstler und Grafiker wird das Thema in Form einer Bildrecherche und –reflexion erörtern.

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Sie verstehen sich als historische Zentren und werden gleichzeitig zu Nebenschauplätzen in der Dynamik von Regionen. Sie bewegen sich zwischen ländlicher Idylle und chronisch überlastetem Verkehrsknotenpunkt. Sie sind innovativer Wirtschaftsstandort und bleiben doch Provinz. Wie lebt es sich in solchen Mittelstädten? Welche Entwicklungsperspektiven sind denkbar? Das Werk stellt die Linzer Variante in einen internationalen Kontext. Linz ist eine prototypische Mittelstadt und hat in der jüngeren Vergangenheit seine Mittelposition zwischen Industrie und Kultur, zwischen Wirtschaftsmetropole und Naturraum, zwischen den touristischen Hotspots Wien und Salzburg genutzt und Talent zur Neuerfindung gezeigt. 2009 ist Linz europäische Kulturhauptstadt. Dieser Ausnahmezustand ruft nach neuen Profilierungen. Von wem kann Linz lernen und was können andere von Linz lernen? Was hat Linz mit Madrid oder Seattle gemeinsam? Welche Eigenschaften findet man auch in Moskau oder Davos? Ein urbanes Road-movie – bis ans Ende der Welt – sucht die Antwort.

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Was macht eine Stadt für ihre BewohnerInnen lebenswert? Wie kann Qualität gemessen werden? „Linz Atlas" zeichnet anhand von thematischen Karten ein statistisches Porträt von Linz. Aus der Fülle des vorhandenen Datenmaterials wird eine Auswahl getroffen, die für die Alltagsrealität der einzelnen BewohnerInnen unmittelbare Bedeutung hat. Für manche ist ein Dach über dem Kopf entscheidend, für andere ein breites Kulturangebot, für andere wiederum ist ein gut ausgebautes Kinderbetreuungssystem, die Qualität der Schulen, des öffentlichen Verkehrs oder der Luft ausschlaggebend. Wenn auch die Ansprüche von verschiedenen Bevölkerungsgruppen unterschiedlich gewichtet werden, so gewinnen soziale und ökologische Kriterien für die Beurteilung von Lebensqualität in der Stadt doch ständig an Bedeutung. Jenseits der unzähligen subjektiven Blicke auf die Stadt, auch jenseits politischer Imagebehauptungen zeigen die nackten Zahlen – im Vergleich mit anderen Städten in Europa - die Stärken und Schwächen von Linz auf.

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Flucht und Migration bleiben bestimmende Themen der Zeit und prägen die humanitäre Situation in Aufnahmeländern. Das Integrationshaus in Wien, konzentriert auf die Aufnahme und Integration von Asylsuchenden und Flüchtlingen, arbeitet seit 15 Jahren fremdenfeindlichen Tendenzen entgegen. Zu solchem zivilgesellschaftlichen Engagement enthält dieser Band vielfältige Erfahrungsberichte und Kommentare bis hin zum Dachgartenprojekt, das 2010 in Zusammenarbeit mit der Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien realisiert wird.

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2009 ist für Linz ein großes Jahr. Die Hauptstadt des Bundeslandes Oberösterreich wird, gemeinsam mit Vilnius, Kulturhauptstadt Europas. In vielen Veranstaltungen wird das Kulturhauptstadtjahr ein Schaufenster für die Vielfalt Europas bieten. Thematisch wird das Programm so offen wie möglich gehalten.

Architektur, Bildende Kunst, Bildung und Wissenschaft, Darstellende Kunst, Design, Europa, Film und Kino, Gender, Geschichte, Gesellschaft und Politik, Industrie und Arbeit, Infrastruktur, Jugend, Kinder, Kommunikation, Kulinarik, Literatur, Medien, Musik, Öffentlicher Raum, Natur und Ökologie, Region, Religionen, Soziales und Migration, Sport, Stadtteile, Tourismus, Vilnius, Volkskultur und Wirtschaft heißen die Stichworte. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Industrie, Kultur und Natur ist dabei von besonderem Interesse. Der Band enthält nicht nur das komplette Programm, sondern zeigt auch auf, warum das Kulturhauptstadtjahr ein Meilenstein für die Zeit danach ist.

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Als Jubiläumspublikation zum 10-jährigen Bestehen bietet das Buch einen reich illustrierten Einblick in die Vielfalt des Kunstprojektes SOHO IN OTTAKRING. Der Spielort im Wiener Bezirk Ottakring ist exemplarischer Ort globaler gesellschaftlicher Transformationen durch Migration und Ökonomisierung. Das Leitthema der Publikation sind die Möglichkeiten von Kunst im Spannungsfeld der verschiedenen Interessen am öffentlichen urbanen Raum. Namhafte Autoren setzen sich mit der Entwicklung des Gebietes und internationalen Vergleichsbeispielen auseinander.