House

What is tragedy and how does it work? These are questions you will understand better after reading this book. Set sometime in the second half of the 19th century, the story concerns the fortunes of the Gourlay family in the small Scottish town of Barbie. John Gourlay, a big, domineering, but intellectualy challenged man dominates the local economy and has a monopoly of the carrying trade. He is harsh and powerful, of bull-like stature, and famous for his glower. On a brae overlooking Barbie he has built the House wIth the Green Shutters. This house is both the symbol of his dominance and an object of hatred and envy to the townsfolk.

Aristotle defined tragedy as a story depicting the downfall of a great man. At first it is hard to see this stupid, cruel, and grasping merchant as a great man, but The House With the Green Shutters will also improve your notions of what greatness is. John Gourlay is great because there is no fear or compromise in him. Although he may wish to be well thought of by the small-minded, two-faced gossips of the town, he is not prepared to go one inch out of his way for them, scorning even the banal pleasantries of small talk or phatic communication. He wants only their respect not their love, and respect him they do even though they also hate him.

With all true tragedy the tragic element comes directly from the greatness. It is his greatness that destroys John Gourlay. His stubborn pride and unflinching courage are qualities more suited to some heroic age of battles and revolutions. They do not fit into the petty, hypocritical world of 19th century Scotland. In this unheroic world his heroic qualities can only work towards his downfall. The thought constantly in one's mind as you read this novel is, 'If only he were a lesser man . . .' His inability to compromise by lowering himself to the same level as his fellow citizens, works to his disadvantage. Unable to plot, maneuver, and dissemble, his little empire is soon undermined by the arrival in town of Wilson, a glib self-seeking nobody with no real passion, but a much abler businessman in tune with the times. Affable and manipulative, false and corrupt he starts to squeeze Gourlay out of one thing after another. This is ,in effect, the triumph of style over substance that so bedevils our modern age. Although grim, proud and dour, Gourlay is an honest man, inept at chicanery, and unable to bend to suit the occasion.

The House With the Green Shutters is a tragedy in the full classical Greek sense of the word; the preordained fall of a hero who doesn't fit into an unheroic world; a great bull sacrificed to appease the Gods for human hubris. It is even more poignant from the fact that its keynote of tragedy was reflected in the life of its young author who had the misfortune to die only one year after writing such a masterpiece.

What is tragedy and how does it work? These are questions you will understand better after reading this book. Set sometime in the second half of the 19th century, the story concerns the fortunes of the Gourlay family in the small Scottish town of Barbie. John Gourlay, a big, domineering, but intellectualy challenged man dominates the local economy and has a monopoly of the carrying trade. He is harsh and powerful, of bull-like stature, and famous for his glower. On a brae overlooking Barbie he has built the House wIth the Green Shutters. This house is both the symbol of his dominance and an object of hatred and envy to the townsfolk.

Aristotle defined tragedy as a story depicting the downfall of a great man. At first it is hard to see this stupid, cruel, and grasping merchant as a great man, but The House With the Green Shutters will also improve your notions of what greatness is. John Gourlay is great because there is no fear or compromise in him. Although he may wish to be well thought of by the small-minded, two-faced gossips of the town, he is not prepared to go one inch out of his way for them, scorning even the banal pleasantries of small talk or phatic communication. He wants only their respect not their love, and respect him they do even though they also hate him.

With all true tragedy the tragic element comes directly from the greatness. It is his greatness that destroys John Gourlay. His stubborn pride and unflinching courage are qualities more suited to some heroic age of battles and revolutions. They do not fit into the petty, hypocritical world of 19th century Scotland. In this unheroic world his heroic qualities can only work towards his downfall. The thought constantly in one's mind as you read this novel is, 'If only he were a lesser man . . .' His inability to compromise by lowering himself to the same level as his fellow citizens, works to his disadvantage. Unable to plot, maneuver, and dissemble, his little empire is soon undermined by the arrival in town of Wilson, a glib self-seeking nobody with no real passion, but a much abler businessman in tune with the times. Affable and manipulative, false and corrupt he starts to squeeze Gourlay out of one thing after another. This is ,in effect, the triumph of style over substance that so bedevils our modern age. Although grim, proud and dour, Gourlay is an honest man, inept at chicanery, and unable to bend to suit the occasion.

The House With the Green Shutters is a tragedy in the full classical Greek sense of the word; the preordained fall of a hero who doesn't fit into an unheroic world; a great bull sacrificed to appease the Gods for human hubris. It is even more poignant from the fact that its keynote of tragedy was reflected in the life of its young author who had the misfortune to die only one year after writing such a masterpiece.

In his story of the downfall of an arrogant and essentially stupid man, George Douglas Brown is relentlessly unsentimental. His portrait of life in a tiny Scottish town in the late 1800's leaves the reader with no illusions about the narrow-mindedness of the inhabitants. Bleak as their existence is, the novel is not depressing, but fascinating. While many readers will have trouble with the dialect of the speakers (the narration is standard English), the effort required to "translate" is well rewarded.

Houses Of Los Cabos is first and foremost a photographic examination of the architecture of magnificent dwellings in an intensely rugged and beautiful setting. But this wonderful book also provides a fascinating, well-integrated view in both image and text of the community and landscape which inspired the creation of those homes. So it is a comprehensive look at an exotic locale as much as an extraordinary study of the houses which were constructed to take maximum advantage of a remote aerie at land's end, Baja California. The book itself is uniformly of the highest caliber. Thus the printing, binding, design and presentation of the text and photography leave nothing to be desired. Each time one opens the covers and begins to turn the pages new delights await. But I would be remiss if I failed to emphasise in this review the sheer brilliance of the photographer, Rigoberto Moreno. Because it is his contribution which elevates a remarkable work to the level of the sublime. Which means that in addition to a superb volume which details the imaginative use of a supernal setting for house construction, we have as well a portfolio of photographs that are worthy of collection in their own right. Houses Of Los Cabos is a treasure that provides the reader with a feast for the eyes and the imagination. In my opinion, it is one of the finest recently published books to address cogently the development of architectural innovation at the end of the twentieth century.

I live in Los Cabos for 10 years and I discover day by day the incredible architecture and richness of Baja in their houses, landscaping and magnificent views. I can reconize some friends' homes, they were developing as splendid designs with love and dedication in all their details. Please take the time to travel along this book to discover a part of Land's End and enjoy it yourself the magic of Baja.

HOUSES of LOS CABOS is a magnificent book for coffee table or gift-giving, presenting as it does eighteen spectacular homes on the Southern Baja California coast, in Rigoberto Moreno's truly breathtaking color photographs and with commentary by both architects and homeowners. But the large, lushly-produced book is more than that: its presentation page and wonderful Introduction are written by respected Mexican authors, and in its Prologue Mauricio Martínez, whose Amaroma Editions has published many of Mexico's most important art and photography books , gives the reader a glimpse of the passion his team shared over the course of the project.

Poet Raúl Aceves alludes first to the contrast between the desert, high cliffs and dazzling beaches of Los Cabos, and to its magic: "Some men become eagles/as some eagles become men./Others become salt in the sea/and carry legend away on the tides."

Then, in a surprisingly sparkling introductory text, Francisco Javier Ibarra documents the region's centuries of magic in a chronicle that extends from prehistory to current political events, from legend to little-known but memorable facts, from descriptions of Los Cabos as a distinctive ecosystem to Los Cabos as the setting for lively ancient and modern memoirs. By the time the English-speaking reader has perused the opening sections, (s)he realizes that this fine art book is also a glimpse into Mexico's Pacific coastal culture, that its writers are most generous in sharing their intimate view of what is sometimes considered Mexico's "Land's End"; (s)he will also be struck by the unusually careful translation, which allows full access to words as well as images, and hope that other international publishers follow Martinez' lead in this realm.

Opening HOUSES OF LOS CABOS, the first of Moreno's photographs one sees are brilliant angles of the massive cliffs and sea. This will be a book to engage one longer than most architectural/photographic tomes, as the eye cannot possibly take in even the natural details alone, in one sitting. The book's countless varied images also delight in their artful balance -- they are arranged in fine rhythm between interiors and exteriors, paeans to the landscape, to domestic architecture within the landscape, and to the inner life of luxe homes. The construction of architectural planes is celebrated throughout in gorgeous color, and described with substance and precision, to please the armchair traveler as well as the professional architect: architectural touches range from whimsical to majestic, allowing readers to avidly glean design ideas or to imagine themselves as honored houseguests.

The point of this review is to correct an error in Steven Goldstein's review of this book. McKim, Mead, & White were not involved in the construction of the Metropolitan Opera, as he states.

This is a wonderful, ravishing book, although I suppose some readers might be disappointed that the author has limited himself to surviving examples of McKim, Mead, & White's work, with current photographs ... all of them gorgeous. Vintage photographs, where available, would have been a nice addition. For example, it would be interesting, if possible, to compare the Pulitzer mansion in New York as originally built with the current photos ... it has been divided into something like 9 condominiums!

Speaking as a practicing architect and longtime admirer of the works of Stanford White, I found this book was nonetheless a revelation. Gorgeously photographed, it shows a broader spectrum of the residential work of this illustrious firm. McKim Mead and White have a well-deserved reputation for grand public buildings (Penn Station, Madison Square Garden to name two that have sadly been demolished) but are less known for these spectacular houses built for the robber barons of the Gilded Age among whom Stanford White circulated. What is suprising is the facility with which they moved from lavish and elegantly detailed city houses to surprisingly unpretentious inviting summer homes on Long Island and elsewhere. If you love Beaux Arts architecture, skip this book at your peril.

This book combines rich visual appeal with a serious analysis of the residential work of McKim, Mead & White. The introduction is particularly valuable for its succinct survey of the firm's development and its discussion of the collaboration of the partners.

This book is Awesome! So many beautiful homes, I don't know if it makes me happy to see it all, or depressed that I'm not a billionaire! Oh, Well, we can't have it all, but having this book can make you feel like you do.
Keep it in your living room for your friends and guests to see, they will spend hours w/their noses in it. 1,000 pages of delicious architecture. Highly recommend.

This book offers a wide range of home styles from around the globe in almost 1000 pages (999 to be exact). With more pictures than text this is definitely eye candy for anyone who loves residential architecture. A+

I just bought this book on my vacation to Quebec City, my version is in french. I think this book is amazing, lots of great pictures of some spectacular houses with a small write up for each. Great book for the price. A must have for any one who loves houses and architecture.

I never built a building before, I did help build a deck.
I bought this book to build a small music studio (16'x24')
and it was easy to read. It had everything I needed in it to build the building and the project came out great. After reading this book you will think it is easy to build small buildings.

This is a great general building reference book. I pull it out whenever I'm starting something new or if I want a refresher. This book has helpful detailed information on all phases of building design and construction. This includes: 1. Foundation design layout and pouring for slabs, piers, & footings of all sorts; 2. Framing design & construction-- whether pole or platform framing, roof trusses or rafters; 3. Siding & roofing options, design & construction details for each; 4. Wiring details from power to the service panel to switches, lighting and outlets; 5.Plumbing from the well to the septic leach field.

It also has over 20 plans for various buildings ranging from pole barns and equipment sheds to guest houses, garages and studios. I have built several sheds from plans in this book and plan to build more.

I was interested in learning how to build a outdoor storage/workshop building. This book gave me a great foundation. With it's acurate how to list, materials and dimensions, it give confidence to all do it yourselfers. I felt that the step by step from supplies to completion really proved invaluable. I would suggest this book to anyone interested in building their own buildings. I look forward to trying out the next design, a green house/garden shed. I feel this book should be apart of all libraries.

This book is most helpful. For someone who is thinking of building a house with little building experience. The disc which comes with the book has cost breakdown and gives the first time builder a good foundation as what to expect, cost wise. The examples of contracts are also most helpful for plumbing, foundation, framing, etc. Would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of building their own home. Well worth the money.

I wish I'd had this book the first time we built a home; it would have saved much money and headaches dealing with things we didn't know about. We went way over budget on the first one somehow, now I'm prepared to tackle it again with confidence, thanks to this guide.

If you or any one you know plans to build a home, this booklet is invaluable. It decribes how to organize your project, cover your liabilities, avoid pit falls and think ahead. It goes step-by-step through the entire process. Not only does it tell you how things should be done but why. There are an incredible number of ways costs can be inflated on a job that are virtually invisible unless you know better. It's not an exaggeration to say that thirty minutes spent reading this book can save you thousands of dollars and lots of headaches. It's straight-forward and very candid from contractors who have years of experience in the business. The sample contracts, alone, make it worth the price. It's a great way to find out what to expect BEFORE you start building and how to turn simple ideas into huge savings.

Cannot recommend it more highly to survivalists and those interested in growing their own food year round inside a greenhouse. This book is one of the rare treasures I prize in my survivalist library and I sure hope my copy is intact after TEOTWAWKI - I may have it laminated.

I was an absolute beginner in hydroponics before reading this book. I have since planned a simple easy to use system for my need with his ideas and diagrams. VERY EASY TO DO. I am most interested in extremely small-scale hydroponics, which this book is perfect for. He outlines several homemade systems made out of spare parts and plumbing. One even fits on a windowsill. My favorite part is that the book is a reprint and he honestly brings his original theories and ideas up-to-date by sharing his 10 years of experience. The author is concerned with self sufficiency, so alternative energy sources are a big part of the plan. I plan on using his PVC pipe method to grow in my south facing windows in the winter. Wish me luck.

Summary: Excellent information on all aspects of small scale hydroponics.

This book brought together honest and sometimes humorous information about hydroponics, greenhouses and the nitty-gritty of organic methods based on the authors own experiences.

A wonderful compolation of interesting dishes. I give this book out to all my family and friends and gifts. It is perfect for everyone of all ages.

What a clever and enjoyable book..not to mention USEFUL. Lori writes in a unique style that is refreshing and FUN! Her stories of Lyle, teaching a man to dance and little side notes are terrific. I can't wait to try some of the goodies too. It brought me back to my days in Minn. and very fond memories.I highly rcommend you give this book a try. Lori has the perfect recipets for a successful book!!

This is a total delight! Tasty simple recipes, tidbits of wisdom, short essays - all delivered with the driest of wit. Every word is worth reading. Seeing eye to eye on Lyle Lovett doesn't hurt either.

This book is simple and to the point and beautifully written. It gives the reader the insight of how human Corrie Ten Boom was and yet how much she relied on God for her direction. It is filled with humor and innocence as Corrie recounts her childhood memories, but always making it a point to let the reader know that the main focus is God. The delightful stories will stick in your memory bank. It was a very delightful book which I shall cherish and re-read in years to come.

As someone who voraciously gobbles up the writings of Corrie ten Boom, I have to say that _In My Father's House_ is my favorite. Anyone who has read _The Hiding Place_ , _Tramp for the Lord_, _A Prison and Yet_, or other books relating to Corrie's Nazi concentration camp imprisonment and her resulting ministry should do themselves a favor and savor _In My Father's House_. I am so glad this book is back in print and can now reach a new audience. Corrie discusses how the twists and turns of her childhood, teen years, and pre-imprisonment adulthood all came together to prepare her for her WWII and postwar ministry. She shows the evidence of God moving in her life to prepare her for her upcoming adventures. If you don't think so already, _In My Father's House_ may be what convinces you that there's no such thing as coincidence. The simply written, very basic family story of this book holds some deep implications. It may startle you in a pleasant way.

I particularly recommend this book to parents, especially parents of young children. This book will show how God uses you to raise your child to fulfill God's purpose for his/her life. Corrie writes in a very touching way of how her parents, siblings, and extended family were so responsible for the extraordinary woman she became. This book is a beautiful testimony of how God uses families. It will inspire you to go pick up and cuddle your child while praying fervently. It will also remind you of your need to lean on God and rely on his guidance for this your most important job. _In My Father's House_ is a very powerful book.

I recommend that you buy a copy of this book rather than borrowing it or checking it out from the library. As your glance flits across your bookshelves, perhaps a slight smile will come to your face as you notice the familiar spine peeking out at you. I return to my copy frequently and have repeatedly drawn from it for Sunday School lessons and devotional topics. _In My Father's House_ would be a valuable addition to your book collection.

She writes with the love and forgiveness that became her trademark after suffering terrible things at the hands of the Nazi's during WWII. I never cease to be encouraged, uplifted, and inspired when reading anything that she writes-this book included. Very few could have forgiven their tormentors the way that Tante Corrie did. She did it by the grace of God and her life was all the better for it.

In her newest book, America's Lifestyle Management Expert includes her best hints from the last 40 years. She also includes all her favorite family recipes. Her mother started the original "Heloise" column in 1959 and now her daughter's inexpensive, ingenious and very helpful tips are featured over 500 newspapers internationally. "Hints from Heloise" is a book still read by millions.

Heloise will show you how to organize your kitchen and reveals the latest food-safety information. She solves the cooking conundrums, figures out how to repair a recipe which has gone wrong, explains safety in the kitchen, and then whips up a few kitchen spells and tricks.

Are you curious as to which cleaning solutions work the best? Do you want to save time, save energy or look up information on a cleaning problem? Heloise comes to the rescue with her hints on cooking, cleaning, storing and organizing.

"I owe thanks to my mother, the original Heloise, and to all my readers, who have shared their great hints with me over the years." --Heloise

If you are looking for the most comprehensive collection of Heloise recipes of all time and want to get that kitchen organized so you have room to cook...this is the book for you!

What I love about some authors is that they have their own Web sites and take the time to interact with their readership. Heloise has become a success because she listens to the concerns of homemakers and helps them solve household problems. I always look forward to reading her monthly feature in Good Housekeeping. She also has a worldwide syndicated newspaper column.

In her latest feature in Good Housekeeping, she discussed everything from how to remove wallpaper to how do you get rid of scorpions. Live chats are scheduled for the first Thursday of every month at 2pm Eastern Time. You can also write her by sending an e-mail to: Heloise@compuserve.com

Before you ask her any questions, see if the answers are in this largest-ever collection of cleaning solutions. Something tells me that Martha Stewart has a copy of this book! It contains everything a homemaker needs to know.

this book is wonderful. I love the recipes, but it's also the hints about cleaning up and getting things done fast that have really helped me. The good info on food buying and storing will really help me save money. My kids like the quick fun food hints and I love the way she shares info. She's your friend, and I can understand the hints she is telling us. Plus, I laugh at some of them too. I am giving this to all my friends for Christmas. It's just the best and what a bargin.

Just like her other books, Heloise gives great and easy-to-mimic solutions to everyday problems/occurances. She tackles it all! For example, she gives an honest health-related reason why you should not seperate an egg using its shell, then gives you a new way of doing it (using a slotted spoon). That is just one of the many, many hints that she gives and I have tried and now pass on to others to use! In short: great book, can't say enough good things about it.