Herzog & de Meuron: Natural History (Herzog & de Meuron)

Book Description

More than any of their contemporaries, Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron are challenging the boundaries between architecture and art. Natural History explores that challenge, examining how the work of this formidable pair has drawn upon the art of both past and present, and brought architecture into dialogue with the art of our time. Echoing an encyclopedia, this publication reflects the natural history museum structure of the exhibition which it accompanies, organized by the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Models and projects by Herzog & de Meuron, as well as by other artists, are structured around six thematic portfolios that suggest an evolutionary history of the architects' work: Appropriation & Reconstruction, Transformation & Alienation, Stacking & Compression, Imprints & Moulds, Interlocking Spaces, and Beauty & Atmosphere. Each section is introduced with a statement from Herzog, and more than 20 artists, scholars, and architects have contributed essays, including Carrie Asman, Georges Didi-Huberman, Kurt W. Forster, Boris Groys, Ulrike Meyer Stump, Peggy Phelan, Thomas Ruff, Rebecca Schneider, Adolf Max Vogt, and Jeff Wall.

A building is a building. It cannot be read like a book; it doesn't have any credits, subtitles or labels like pictures in a gallery. In that sense, we are absolutely anti-representational. The strength of our buildings is the immediate, visceral impact they have on a visitor. --Jacques Herzog

Edited by Philip Ursprung. Contributions by Fernando Romero, Carrie Asman, Boris Groys, Gernot Bohme, Jeff Wall, Thomas Ruff, Alfred Richterich, Adolph Max Vogt, Alejandro Zaera-Polo, Reinhold Hohl, Petros Koumoutsakos, Albert Lutz, Christian Muoeix, Hurzeler, Catherine, Rebecca Schneider and Remy Zaugg. Foreword by Phyllis Lambert. Introduction by Kurt W. Forster.

Hardcover, 480 pages, 300 color and 200 b&w illustrations

Customer Reviews:

art of H & DeM.......2007-03-16

H & DeM have always been influenced by art & you can even argue that their body of work could be an entire exhibiton. This book follows up some of their selected projects with interviews of the architects themselves as well as the collaborative artists. It does well to probe into theie unique process of design & actualization of their work. Jaques Herzog says that Art is roughly 20 years ahead of architecture. This vivid book clearly shows the great accomplishments by two men who are constantly trying to even up the odds between art & architecture through inspirations from the natural world.

layers of history, time, artifacts, translated into architecture.......2006-06-03

I don't think this is an "object book" but a book in which herzog & de meuron want readers to understand their work like an archaelogical history. you cannot flip through it like an photographic architectural essay, but you really have to sit down, have a cup of coffee/tea, and really read the book, think about what they are saying, how other ideas such as art, history, materials, cultural, industrial changes, and etc. are interacting to their architectural process. certainly, they have the depth in their thoughts to publish a book that doesn't depend on photographs/architectural drawings. quite refreshing.

Herzog & De Meuron: Natural History.......2003-04-11

Another object book with content that matches the originality of the design. Herzog & De Meuron, the Basel-based architects, are best known for their art museums, but also for creating buildings that are works of art--even when the program is as mundane as a railroad signal box. This companion to the recent CCA exhibition is an anthology of interviews, stimulating essays by artists and clients, and pictures of objects that have inspired them, in addition to an illustrated catalogue of their 200 buildings and projects. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

The Letters to Timothy And Titus (New International Commentary on the New Testament)

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Modern And A Wealth Of Learning
an excellent expounded exposition on the Pastoral Epistles
Exhaustive
A grand achievement

The Letters to Timothy And Titus (New International Commentary on the New Testament)
Philip H. Towner
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary)

ASIN: 0802825133

Customer Reviews:

Modern And A Wealth Of Learning.......2007-09-24

Wherever you browse for Timothy and Titus, the name Towner pops up. So it must be that he is an authority on the field. This can be seen then as his magnum-opus, the Everest of his combined knowledge.

I enjoy this sizable work, as it is pastoral in content and presentation, and never dogmatic. The issues he 'never sees thru to the end' (to quote a previous reviewer), are most likely in support of his tendency to not create more questions than provide answers.

As a Reformed Evangelical, this work fell short of the mark precisely because of its sustained lack of my views. Where a Reformed commentator would have used 'union with Christ', Towner settles for participation with Christ.

But the wealth of knowledge and learning, is its redeeming feature.
It makes an easy read for so big a work. So clearly this 'fresh-off-the-press' expository commentary is an excellent resource for someone looking to buy their first on this subject.

I guess I just like having an authority on Timothy and Titus, first and foremost, in my library.

an excellent expounded exposition on the Pastoral Epistles.......2007-01-20

When first opening this book I was initially overwhelmed by the massive amount of material covered. The reading level is definitely not for beginners, but one will find the material to be well written and well divided. I also found this to be my best source when writing an exegesis paper on 2 Timothy 2:8-13. The massive amount of information assisted me in getting a well rounded view of the passage, in that Towner would take several words or phrases from the text and discuss their meaning or possible meanings historically, contextually, and grammatically.
Great book, definite must buy if you want a good commentary of the Pastoral Epistles on your shelf.

Exhaustive.......2007-01-15

A bit wordy for my taste. Also doesn't seem to resolve some of the critical issues he raises.

A grand achievement.......2006-10-13

Major recent commentaries on the Pastoral Epistles that have featured a more-or-less conservative and evangelical stance include the NIGTC volume by Knight (1992), the Word volume by Mounce (2000) and the Anchor Bible/ECC hybrid by Quinn and Wacker (2000).

Towner is an authority in this area, and has already penned the IVPNTC volume on these books (1994). He also assisted Marshall in the ICC volume (2000). Thus his NIC volume is certainly the newest but also arguably among the finest.

For quite some time now, the NIC series has been the backbone of evangelical scholarship. Begun in the 1950s, the New Testament set is now almost complete (we still await Matthew and 2 Peter/Jude). It is probably the most consistent series in terms of conservative, evangelical scholarship. (The Old Testament set has quite a few more volumes still forthcoming.)

Towner's volume is a welcome addition to the NIC series. As to the Pastoral Epistles (a term he finds no longer of much value), Towner argues for Pauline authorship. There may have been others who contributed to their composition and message, but Paul is clearly their primary author.

On the vexatious question of women in leadership and ministry, he takes the egalitarian approach, finding fault with both the hierarchical and the radical feminist approaches. He carefully assesses the many issues involved in the question of female leadership, and argues that overall Pauline considerations (such as Gal. 3:28) must not be overlooked in this complex debate.

On some controversial topics, he takes a somewhat safe approach. For example, on the issue of homosexuality, he wisely makes this assessment: "The exegesis of these passages is not in question, and the fate of the current debate about homosexuality will rest on hermeneutics". He then directly moves on to the next passage!

The commentary itself is laid out in the standard manner of the NIC series. A lengthy introduction (90 pages) to the three letters deals with the usual material: text and translation, hermeneutical options, historical and theological considerations, and related matters.

The bibliography is helpful and extensive, although it does not follow the trend of some to list everything under the sun which even remotely relates to the book in question.

The commentary is fluid and easy to read, with more technical discussion relegated to numerous footnotes. Towner is fair and judicious to differing opinions, and is clearly well-versed in all the relevant literature.

In sum, this volume is a monumental achievement, giving these three short epistles major coverage. It will serve both student and scholar for many years to come. A splendid effort.

Later Novels and Other Writings: The Lady in the Lake / The Little Sister / The Long Goodbye / Playback /Double Indemnity / Selected Essays and Letters (Library of America)

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Outstanding in so many ways
Writing at its best - and it happens to be in detective noir
The best of Raymond Chandler
Classic American, cynical detective stories.
Priceless Solely for The Simple Art of Murder

Later Novels and Other Writings: The Lady in the Lake / The Little Sister / The Long Goodbye / Playback /Double Indemnity / Selected Essays and Letters (Library of America)
Raymond Chandler
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1883011086

Amazon.com

Raymond Chandler is arguably the best American pulp novelist. His prose is so acutely visual, his characters so raw and intense that it is small wonder that all but one of his books have been made into movies. And his hero Philip Marlowe has graduated into American legend. Together with its companion volume (Stories and Early Novels), Later Novels and Other Writings forms the most complete Chandler collection in print. In addition to his later novels, this collection contains selected essays and letters, biographical information, and textual as well as explanatory notes. As an added bonus, the editor has included Chandler's screenplay to Double Indemnity, the classic Billy Wilder film adapted from James M. Cain's novel. You're able to compare the script to the finished movie and have the rare opportunity to see how one major crime novelist altered and interpreted another.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding in so many ways.......2007-02-24

First, let me say that there's a separate volume of Chandler's early novels. As much as I liked this volume, I actually enjoyed the earlier novels just a little bit more and suggest starting there. I started reading one story and wound up going through all of them in both volumes in the space of a few months. I also wound up reading and enjoying all the Dashiell Hammett stories, but I give Chandler a slight edge.

I won't try to list all the ways these novels are great and entertaining, but here's one thought that hasn't been mentioned in other reviews. Chandler is excellent at presenting a hero-character who has to worry about money and making a living. Indeed, Chandler makes this issue integral to the character's persona and to the plot line. Yes, the books are escapist in so many ways. Yet, in this respect at least, they are far more realistic than almost all of the fiction, and much of the non-fiction, these days.

Writing at its best - and it happens to be in detective noir.......2006-06-20

C-L-A-S-S-I=C HIGH/low notes. These stories are like a deck cards, all aces...... but there are way too few left. I finished "Little Sisters" (GREAT), "Farewell, My Lovely"- is recommended in the other half (earlier edition). The hook is Marlow. In times where many take the easy/cheap way out, I ride hard with Marlow. Marlow does it with style, humor, wit, grit, and nothing less than an all american: get the job done. But in a way that is the opposite his nemesis: the monopolies of power & money. Of course they admire and hate him. But it just doesn't get any better than Chandler. Need an excuse? Then read it for the wrting alone. The best!

The best of Raymond Chandler.......2005-12-05

This book, contaning Chandlers later works, is perhaps the best collection of Chandler you can find. Sure, does not contain the better-known novels - The Big Sleep and Farewell my Lovely - but it does contain The Long Goodbye, which is not only Chandler's finest, but a great novel by any measure.

Chandler lived a tough, hard-drinking life, and these later works came out of his mind with difficulty. But the quality of The Lady in the Lake and The Long Goodbye (The Little Sister is less memorable) make this collection essential.

In addition, the book contains some essays and letters, including Chandler's writing on the mystery genre, which will interest any budding suspense author.

In short, read this book! Read The Long Goodbye, then read it again. This is not just a great mystery, but it is also great literature.

Classic American, cynical detective stories........2005-05-12

Chandler is arguably the best detective story writer out there. If you expand this genre to all mystery writers, he would still be one of the best.

Detective stories aren't as common as they once were, but if you look at the offspring of the Pulp magazine once so popular, television, they are still as popular as ever. Chandler was one author who defined what a detective story was. This book contains four novels:The Lady in the Lake, The Little Sister, The Long Goodbye, and Playback. These are wonderfully entertaining stories that contain the archetypical hard-bitten detective, Philip Marlowe. After reading these stories you will forever see Marlowe in every detective story you see or read, from Magnum to the latest TV cop. How can you not love an author who sums up Modern American Capitalism with lines like these? "We make the finest packages in the world, Mr. Marlowe. The stuff inside is mostly junk." Or an author who in the early 50's, (50 years before the current 'Queers Dress Up' shows) so presciently wrote, "The queer is the artistic arbiter of our age, chum." Or his comment on a speech by a politician, "He did not bore us with any facts."
These books are not just riveting, fun reading, but full of thoughtful quotes like the above.

Chandler also is must-reading for his understanding of criminality, venality, human nature, Southern California, Movies, American culture and American relationship dynamics. I hate to use the word "classic" to describe stories that are just so plain fun to read, but I find it hard not to.

This volume also contains a screenplay, Double Indemnity, and a few essays and letters. The essays "The Simple Art of Murder", and "Writers in Hollywood" should be required reading for anyone interested in 20th century culture, movies, and literature. Just a few tidbits more. Chandler on English Mystery Writers - "The English may not always be the best writers in the world, but they are incomparably the best dull writers." Chandler on boredom - "There are no dull subjects, only dull minds." Chandler on critics - "The average critic never recognizes an achievement when it happens. He explains it after it has become respectable."

My only criticism is that the plots are contrived and sometimes complicated. But such criticism is like complaining that the Mona Lisa would be a fine painting if only it were of a different size.

Chandler is simply wonderful, funny, cynical, and yes, - respectable.

Priceless Solely for The Simple Art of Murder.......2005-01-18

While Hammett may very well have carried the modern hard-boiled mystery forward into the light, Chandler defined it. Of the two, I think I prefer Chandler most. Chandler better than anyone else set the standard for the genre, and laid down the rules to which all the great mystery writers of today rigorously adhere. Here, in brief, is the mystery writer's credo:

'But down these mean streets must a man go who himself is neither tarnished nor afraid.'

As Chandler remarked in his classic essay, The Simple Art of Murder, Hammett rightly deserves the title of Founder of the modern mystery because he succeeded in giving murder back to the kind of people who commit it. So what kind of person goes up against the kind of people who committ murder? Chandler responds with Exhibit A: Philip Marlowe.

Chandler's Marlowe resonates in my favorite mystery romps, the Spenser series, and the archetype also finds its way into more than a few 'Good Cop' dramas.

I enjoy the escapades of Philip Marlowe simply because the wry cynicism, coupled with the tough moral fibre to get to the bottom of any affair and see justice (or at least some sort of closure) served, makes for truly fascinating escapist reading. Each of the books in this collection, as in the collection preceding it, amply deliver on this score.

If you happen to acquire this masterpiece, never let it go. These are classic books, and will never become dated. I personally prefer The Long Goodbye to The Big Sleep, and found the former a longer and more satisfying read. In every story of both collections, there is to be found a depraved tapestry of gilded greater Los Angeles society, quite literally ripped from the headline news of the day. Most mystery fans will love the idea of an honest man in a thoroughly dishonest world, on a righteous quest for justice.

Once you get this triumph of American literature in your hands, mix your favorite drink, disappear to a quiet place with a comfortable chair (with good lighting), and enjoy the Great Master at work. If only more writers could write like this, then I would not need cable TV...

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Charlie Shedd was a wonderful marriage writer!
Letters to - "your name here"
Possibly the most important marriage manual...
Letters to Philip
So old fashioned

Letters to Philip
Charlie Shedd
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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How to Make People Really Feel Loved: And Other Life-Giving Observations
I'm Odd, Thank You God
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The Act of Marriage

ASIN: 0515090786

Customer Reviews:

Charlie Shedd was a wonderful marriage writer!.......2007-05-19

Recommended by the Authors of The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His! and The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His 2 - Livin' It and Lovin' It! (Volume 2) Charlie Shedd wrote this wonderful little book to his son. Order it and you will not be disappointed. We have read it like ten times over the last twenty years. For hard hitting books for seriously troubled marriages, click on the two links for the books we wrote. (The Man of Her Dreams/The Woman of His!" and "Livin' It and Lovin' It!")

Letters to - "your name here".......2007-03-21

This is a great book to read if you are getting married, just married, or have been married for years. The wisdom that Charlie Shedd imparts in this book is timeless and should be shared with anybody who has anything to do with the act of marriage.

Possibly the most important marriage manual..........2006-11-10

...since the Bible.

Charlie Shedd, in his plainspoken way, helps his son Philip lay down the foundations of a great and lasting marriage. With wit and gentleness, Charlie touches on all the elements of a wonderful union from the man's perspective.

Letters to Philip.......2006-07-08

This book has wonderful advice on how to be considerate of the differences husbands and wives bring to marriage. By reading and trying to care for the needs of your spouse, the marriage will be blessed even more.

So old fashioned.......2005-07-19

This little book has some good bits of wisdom in it, but it is also couched in 1950's family roles... expecting the woman to be the house maker and the man is the bread winner... it is a dated concept of personal roles.

Julie, or the New Heloise: Letters of Two Lovers Who Live in a Small Town at the Foot of the Alps (Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, Works. Vol. 6.)

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A Superb Story

Julie, or the New Heloise: Letters of Two Lovers Who Live in a Small Town at the Foot of the Alps (Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, Works. Vol. 6.)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Manufacturer: Dartmouth
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0874518253

Book Description

An elegant translation of one of the most popular novels of its time.

Rousseau's great epistolary novel, Julie, or the New Heloise, has been virtually unavailable in English since 1810. In it, Rousseau reconceptualized the relationship of the individual to the collective and articulated a new moral paradigm. The story follows the fates and smoldering passions of Julie d'Etange and St. Preux, a one-time lover who re-enters Julie's life at the invitation of her unsuspecting husband, M. de Wolmar.

The complex tones of this work made it a commercial success and a continental sensation when it first appeared in 1761, and its embodiment of Rousseau's system of thought, in which feelings and intellect are intertwined, redefined the function and form of fiction for decades. As the characters negotiate a complex maze of passion and virtue, their purity of soul and honest morality reveal, as Rousseau writes in his preface, "the subtleties of heart of which this work is full."

A comprehensive introduction and careful annotations make this novel accessible to contemporary readers, both as an embodiment of Rousseau's philosophy and as a portrayal of the tension and power inherent in domestic life.

Customer Reviews:

A Superb Story.......2003-07-07

It is a pity that Julie, or the New Heloise is neither better known nor more widely read. It is one of the great novels. Rousseau may be most famous as a philosopher and Julie includes many philosophical passages, discussing issues such as education, virtue and religion, but he shows in this novel that he was both a fine writer and an able storyteller. The ideas he puts into the mouths of his characters are interesting, the debates they engage in are continually fascinating, but it is the story he tells which is truly memorable for it is deeply moving.

The novel consists of a series of letters some quite short, some extending to many pages. The main characters are Julie d'Étange, a young Swiss girl of noble birth and her tutor who has the pseudonym St. Preux. They begin an affair and fall deeply in love. It is this initial relationship of pupil to teacher, developing into passion, which is supposed to remind the reader of the medieval lovers Abelard and Heloise. Moreover both pairs of lovers face difficulties and opposition from family. They experience the joys of love and suffer because of it. These parallels however, should not be overestimated, Rousseau is not retelling an old story and Julie's life is quite different from that of Heloise. The story has numerous twists and turns and many surprises along the way. Other characters interact with the young lovers write letters to them and to each other. Gradually over the course of a long novel one begins to care about these people. It is here that Rousseau's skill as a writer is most evident. I found myself emotionally involved in the story of Julie and St. Preux in a way which was quite unexpected. By the end I had felt much joy and not a little sorrow and had been touched by a novel that can bring forth tears.

The epistolary form works very well, and is used cleverly, even if sometimes a letter is so large it could scarcely fit into an envelope. It has to be said however, that this novel is difficult. It has to be read carefully as it continually refers itself back to previous letters, which means that one is constantly re-reading previous passages. Sometimes it is necessary to read a paragraph over again in order to fully understand it. This is not a novel that can be skimmed, but must be savoured and read over a period of weeks. This fact should not discourage anyone from reading Julie, for it is as rewarding as it is challenging. If it is hard, it is also a pleasure.

The edition of Julie published by the University Press of New England is scholarly and a stunning achievement. The translation of Philip Steward and Jean Vaché is the first full translation into English since the 18th century. It reads well and seems both accurate and fluent. There are over seventy pages of notes, which I found both essential for my understanding of the novel and interesting in the way they expand and explain the various obscure references in the text. Stewart writes a relatively short introduction, which is clear and comprehensible. It is neither overly academic nor dry. My only wish is that it were somewhat longer. Spread throughout the novel are twelve beautiful illustrations depicting scenes from the novel. Finally this edition includes a summary of each letter and a chronology of the events in the novel. I found these very useful as a means of finding my way through what can be a dense and complex correspondence. Julie, or the New Heloise is a truly great novel and this edition does it justice.

Saint Chrysostom: On the Priesthood/Ascetic Treatises/Select Homilies and Letters/Homilies on the Statues [A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church - Volume IX]
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Saint Chrysostom: On the Priesthood/Ascetic Treatises/Select Homilies and Letters/Homilies on the Statues [A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church - Volume IX]
Saint Chrysostom
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0802881076

Henry James: A Life in Letters (Penguin Classics)
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The best introduction to the subject

Henry James: A Life in Letters (Penguin Classics)
Henry James
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140435166
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Book Description

This collection of Henry James's letters-more than half of which have never been published-offers a vivid picture of his life of passionate creation and the complex world in which he lived. Through his exchanges with writers such as William Dean Howells, Henry Adams, Robert Louis Stevenson, H. G. Wells, and Edith Wharton, as well as presidents, prime ministers, bishops, painters, and great ladies and actresses, we gain a fascinating glimpse of James's views on sex, politics, and friendship as well as his novels and the art of writing. These letters constitute a landmark of James scholarship and the real and best biography of this most complex and compelling artist.

Customer Reviews:

The best introduction to the subject.......2003-06-14

Now that the University of Nebraska Press has undertaken to publish the complete James correspondence, these one-volume samplers can be relieved of the artificial responsibility to do the impossible - that is, tell the whole story in 600 pages or less.

Horne's effort suffers in comparison to Edel's by its self-imposed mandate to favor previously unpublished letters. (Personally, I found these almost invariably of lesser interest. It looks like Edel skimmed the cream.) But his cannily selected interstitial material makes it a far more rewarding reading experience. I would say this now stands as the best introduction to the subject.

And for what it's worth: the Penguin Classics paperback edition is a very nice piece of manufacture - comfortably sized in dimension and font.

The Letters Of Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl Of Chesterfield V2
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The Letters Of Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl Of Chesterfield V2
Philip Dormer Stanhope
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1430450940

Book Description

In Four Volumes. This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

Lord Chesterfield's Letters (Oxford World's Classics)

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Invaluable manual for any man
An important account of 18th century mores
Practical Ambition
Stark truth, from Lord Chesterfield's point of view
That Right Honourable Lord...

Lord Chesterfield's Letters (Oxford World's Classics)
Lord Chesterfield
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 019283715X

Book Description

Not originally intended for publication, the celebrated and controversial correspondences between Lord Chesterfield and his son Philip, dating from 1737, were praised in their day as a complete manual of education, and despised by Samuel Johnson for teaching "the morals of a whore and the
manners of a dancing-master." Reflecting the political craft of a leading statesman and the urbane wit of a man who associated with Pope, Addison, and Swift, Lord Chesterfield's Letters reveal the author's political cynicism, his views on good breeding, and instruction to his son in etiquette and
the worldly arts. The only annotated selection of this breadth available in paperback, these entertaining letters illuminate the fascinating aspects of eighteenth-century life and manners.

Customer Reviews:

Invaluable manual for any man.......2007-10-05

Lord Chesterfield's writings are by far the best guidelines for an up-and-coming, savvy gentleman to learn the ways of the society. Stanhope's many gems of advice are learned painfully by most through experience, or sometimes not at all. This book is truly a classic and one I will insist my future sons read before making their way in the world.

An important account of 18th century mores.......2007-01-04

The following, and my favorite, quote will no doubt provide a quick and definitive answer to the ageless question: are you upper class?

Dear Boy,
Having mentioned laughing, I must particularly warn you against it: and I could heartily wish that you may often be seen to smile, but never heard to laugh while you live. ... A man's going to sit down, in the supposition that he has a chair behind him, and falling down upon his breech for want of one, sets a whole company a laughing, when all the wit in the world would not do it; a plain proof, in my mind, how low and unbecoming a thing laughing is: not to mention the disagreeable noise that it makes, and the shocking distortion of the face that it occasions. Laughter is easily restrained by a very little reflection; but as it is generally connected with the idea of gaiety, people do not enough attend to its absurdity. I am neither of a melancholy nor a cynical disposition, and am as willing and as apt to be pleased as anybody; but I am sure that since I have had the full use of my reason, nobody has ever heard me laugh.

Practical Ambition.......2006-01-08

Lord Chesterfield was an influential politician, diplomat and cabinet minister during the reigns of George I and II, and this book is a collection of letters of advice, counsel, and sometimes genuine wisdom, written by Chesterfield, over many years, to his son, Philip Stanhope, for whom Chesterfield had the highest hopes of success in the world. What you may get out of this book depends on who you are as a reader: casual readers would do better to stay with mysteries and thrillers; inebriate undergraduates would do better to skip it altogether; but ambitous men and women, actually working in the real world, will find so much here to consider and reflect upon, that it will take several close readings to absorb all that may apply to your career. That one's knowlege of the World must be learned by experience in the World, not in an ivory tower; that one's skills and virtues are of little practical value, unless carefully presented in a pleasing and artful Image; that multitasking destroys all hope of success; these are a few of the ideas which Chesterfield presents in elegant and polished prose. But Chesterfield's personal life, as it unfolds through his letters to its tragic and sorrowful conclusion, presents the most powerful lesson of all about ambition, life, and failure, for those readers who can read beyond what is merely written.

Stark truth, from Lord Chesterfield's point of view.......2004-05-06

"All you learn, and all you can read, will be of little use, if you don't think and reason upon it yourself". This is merely one of the advices Lord Chesterfield gave to his natural son, Philip, in the many letters he wrote to him from 1737 onwards, and that this book compiles.

Chesterfield was an important stateman, who wrote these letters only for the eyes of his son, not for the general public, so he did express in stark terms what he truly thought about many controversial themes. It is, in my opinion, very interesting to read what he considered to be general truths, and to get to know his conception of life, society and politics. Whether you agree or not with his opinions, you cannot remain indifferent to this controversial book.

Lord Chesterfield places great value on appearances. He tells Philip that "If your air and address are vulgar, awkward, and gauche, you may be esteemed indeed, if you have great intrinsic merit; but you will never please; and without pleasing you will rise but heavily". The author is, evidently, a cynic who doesn't believe that the world can be improved. He points out that "The world is taken by the outside of things, and we must take the world as it is". Chesterfields profession is fairly evident at all times, for example when he advises his son "...to be upon your own guard, and yet, by a seeming natural openness, to put people off theirs".

"Lord Chesterfield's Letters" has been considered a noteworthy classic by many, but it has also been strongly criticized. For example, Samuel Johnson said that it taught "the morals of a whore and the manners of a dancing-master". I really don't agree with Johnson: I happen to like this book, and a lot. It is not only very easy to read, but also informative. The reader feels as if he were talking with an old but very experienced person, who played an active part in an enormous number of significant events, and who wants to transmit his knowledge not only on diplomatic affairs, but also about life and education. He often displays great insight, for example when he says that "You must look into people, as well as at them. Almost all people are born with all the passions, to a certain degree; but almost every man has a prevailing one, to which the others are subordinate".

All in all, I strongly recommend this book. It includes a high number of subjects, and I think you are highly likely to find it very appealing. If more is needed to convince you, I'll just leave you with one of the phrases written by the author, and I'll let its excellence to speak for itself: "Mind, not only what people say, but how they say it; and, if you have any sagacity, you may discover more truth by your eyes than by your ears. People can say what they will, but they cannot look just as they will; and their looks frequently discover, what their words are calculated to conceal". What else can I say?... Enjoy this book!.

Belen Alcat

That Right Honourable Lord..........2004-03-08

Lord Chesterfield is the 18th-century English father I never had. In these letters to his son, he gives stern but fair lessons in how to conduct oneself as a gentleman in society. Chesterfield, with his classical learning and lifelong service to the monarchy, is superbly qualified to give such social advice. His dry wit, strong-mindedness, and discerning eye make him entertaining to read, and, though repetitive ("the graces, boy, remember the graces!"), much of his advice is still very apt today. Taking us through the prime of his career to the twilight of his life, these letters show Chesterfield as the ultimate politician--keenly aware of humanity's selfishness, and always ready to use that selfishness to his own benefit. There is something endearing in this open devilishness.

St. Ambrose: Select Works and Letters (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 2)

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"Ambrose: Statesman, Saint and Church Doctor"

St. Ambrose: Select Works and Letters (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 2)

Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0802881246

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"Ambrose: Statesman, Saint and Church Doctor".......2002-02-27

This volume of the "Nicene and P-Nicene Fathers" series contains the principle works of St Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, who was an able statesman and a vigorous defender of the Catholic faith during the late 4th century. The works contained here are divided into six categories: dogmatic, exegetic, moral, sermons, letters, and hymns. Since there are so many works, both minor and major, it is only necessary that Ambrose's most significant ones should be listed. His "On the Duties of the Clergy" represents, in a way, that of Cicero's work four and a half centuries earlier. Also, "On the Holy Spirit" and "The Catholic Faith" are preserved here, and they were apparently written, at the behest of the emperor Gratian, to the general public in order to define, defend, and justify the Divinity of Christ in the face of the swelling Arian party in Northern Italy. Of his moral works, "Concerning Virgins and Widows" and "On Repentance," will be found here as well. In a word, St Ambrose's letters reveal some of his famous conflicts with the pagan Prefect of Rome, Symmachus, who wished to install the Altar of Victory back into the senate-house of Rome, after it had been taken out under the command of Gratian. And again, his letters reveal the conflict between the bishop of Milan and the emperor Theodosius over the massacre at Thessalonica, which, after the Emperor was excommunicated for this deed, ended up prostrate at the Bishop's feet, ultimately depicting the first triumph of Church over State. All in all this volume is great for the study of the Early Church both historically and dogmatically.

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