Book Description
In this compelling work, Brian Ladd examines the ongoing conflicts radiating from the remarkable fusion of architecture, history, and national identity in Berlin. Ladd surveys the urban landscape, excavating its ruins, contemplating its buildings and memorials, and carefully deconstructing the public debates and political controversies emerging from its past.
"Written in a clear and elegant style, The Ghosts of Berlin is not just another colorless architectural history of the German capital. . . . Mr. Ladd's book is a superb guide to this process of urban self-definition, both past and present."—Katharina Thote, Wall Street Journal
"If a book can have the power to change a public debate, then The Ghosts of Berlin is such a book. Among the many new books about Berlin that I have read, Brian Ladd's is certainly the most impressive. . . . Ladd's approach also owes its success to the fact that he is a good storyteller. His history of Berlin's architectural successes and failures reads entertainingly like a detective novel."—Peter Schneider, New Republic
"[Ladd's] well-written and well-illustrated book amounts to a brief history of the city as well as a guide to its landscape."—Anthony Grafton, New York Review of Books
Customer Reviews:
Interested in Berlin, architecture/urban design, or German history??.......2005-08-18
'The Ghosts of Berlin' was a great overview of the urban history of Berlin. The main argument of the author is that German history is apparent in the urban landscape of Berlin. The book was easy to understand and had a lot of relevant photos and maps to show Berlin throughout the ages. A turnoff about this book for me was that Ladd was repetitive on some points and really drove home his opinions on the many roles the Berlin Wall served (a whole chapter doesnt seem like much on such an important subject, but most of the chapter seemed to repeat and restate the same information). However, in general the book provided a great start for researching the complex history of architecture, city planning, and urban spaces in Berlin. I chose to read this book as research for an architecture project I am designing in Berlin & it proved to be a very good decision. It is especially helpful if you have been to the city and have seen first hand some of the spaces he describes. I would recommend it to anyone with interest in Berlin, architecture, history, or urban design.
Makes Me Want To Visit Berlin! .......2005-03-06
I read The Ghosts of Berlin for a college course. When Americans say "this place has such a rich history," it brings a chuckle from me and is reinforced by books such as this.
The book focuses on the last 125 years or so of Berlin's extremely diverse and chaotic past. Ladd writes in a very detailed, yet concise manner. Berlin has had virtually every type of government known to man rule over it and an entire chapter is devoted to the most vital eras in the city's history; namely, the Imperial City from the late 19th century until the end of WWI, the Weimar republic in the '20s, Nazi Germany from 1933-1945, the divided city during the Cold War (with an entire separate chapter dedicated to the the Berlin Wall), and the capital of a reunified Germany. The focus is as much on the changing architectural styles as well as the social and political outlooks of the day. There is much symbolism in the buildings Ladd writes about and we get a great interpretation of what they mean. Ladd illustrates his work with some nice black and white photos, so we do not have to rely on his descriptions alone.
While this book isn't quite a tour book reagarding which restaurants to visit or tourist attractions to avoid, it is a great book to learn about one of the most prominent European cities. So why only four stars instead of five? Well, I did have a deadline to meet and had to rush through this book in about 2 days. Maybe I didn't appreciate as much as I should have.
I highly recommend it!.......2003-06-13
This book was required reading for my university geography module "Geographies of the European City". I thought it would be long, dull and confusing. I was very wrong! It is one of the first academic books that i just couldn't put down!
Intresing, mind opening and detailed, yet written in a simple and accessible manner. I learnt not only a lot about the history of Germany and Europe and the Second World War but also about how we view cities, how they are formed and their role in the world today.
Forget the guide books! Take this instead!.......2003-01-16
This book was on the short list of texts my German language/culture study abroad course required. As far as the architectural culture went, this book was all you needed to taste the essence of the capital. It was better than any guide book out there, especially relating the tulmultuous past with what you were seeing with your own eyes as an urban landscape.
Berlin is complex, historically and culturally - from its imperialist days to Hitler's capital to the scarred divided city just now seaming together. Germany is the embodiment of ambiguity - which is made abundantly evident by its very structures throughout the wide city. Brian Ladd's photography is unobtrusive and tasteful, illustrating his thoroughly researched work. He compares an old photograph to one taken recently by him to study, at one point, how unchanged some parts of the city have been in the midst of constant upheaval in the last century.
It is remarkable how entertaining the book is, as well as its vitality in its examination of Berlin. It was, quite simply, such a pleasure to read. The Ghosts of Berlin takes in the large picture, of a country uniting, political ideologies - past and present, and the significance of massive structures - standing and ruined. It also encompasses details in exquisite ordinariness, like street corners, department stores, and public transportation. All this is told in an appealing style that is accessible (so you don't need any background in Germany or Berlin), but not overly casual (Ladd is informed and comprehensive).
A city comes to terms with its past.......1999-06-24
This is a brilliant book that looks at a remarkable city after the fall of the Berlin Wall and asks the question: How to come to terms with the monuments of the past? The Brandenburg Gate? Hitler's Bunker, etc. Should they be torn down, the stories they embody erased? Or should they stand as a legacy of German culture, however tainted it may be. A remarkable book about a remarkable city. Do read it.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of the American Planning Association, published by American Planning Association on March 22, 1998. The length of the article is 822 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: The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape. (book reviews)
Author: Helen E. Meller
Publication:
Journal of the American Planning Association (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1998
Publisher: American Planning Association
Volume: v64
Issue: n2
Page: p251(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Outstanding collection of 78 royalty-free motifs focusing on nature themes — the sun, bamboo plants, long reeds and grasses; floral scenes with birds, small animals, fish, plus many abstract designs, all imbued with the lovely, tranquil lines and rhythms of nature. Varied shapes make the designs adaptable to wide range of projects.
Customer Reviews:
Good Designs but no color guides for clarity.......2006-06-27
The designs are very good. The problem I see with this book is there no finished designs or color guides. If you are new to stained glass it could be difficult to visualize a finished design. But all in all a good design book.
Interesting designs but the title is misleading.......2003-09-15
I found some very interesting nature patterns in this book, but almost a fifth of the book contained designs (at least 12) which I found unrecognizable as anything belonging to nature or anything else. If you are into these abstract designs, then this is an added bonus. I was disappointed and would rather have had traditional nature designs as pictured on the cover.
Book Description
Blonde presents the eternal appeal of the glamour blonde. With such photographers as Doris Kloster, Christophe Mourthe, and Tony Ward, the book features the best portfolio work of the top international names in traditional glamour photography, as well as more glamour-oriented fetish photographers and fashion/portrait photographers. Blonde includes such celebrity nudes as Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Anna Nicole Smith, Pamela Anderson, and Joanne Guest. The book also features 1950s calendar girls, nudes in outdoor, natural, and low-key settings, and dressed up blondes from fetish to space doll costumes. The pictures in Blonde are as diverse and up to the minute as in other successful erotic photography titles published by Thunder’s Mouth Press.
Customer Reviews:
Not sure what Dilandau2 is on (about)..........2002-01-11
Hmmm. What can I say, beyond the fact that Dilandau2 must be talking about some other book or submitted the review as a joke. Not funny, but then the character of that name (without the 2) in Escaflowne was somewhat odd too (understatement)
Yes, it's more of the same, but for those of you who like Cathy, this is the sort of thing you'll like (terrible cliche, but true)
Who is Dilandau2 and what was he/she reading?.......2000-01-21
This is a collection of Cathy comics similar to all the other Cathy books. I have no idea what Dilandau2 was reading and/or smoking when he/she read the book. I have no clue what the "SCUM manifesto" is, and I went through the entire book again looking specifically for parts where Cathy is with her mother. Sorry, no pinking shears, no blood, no Hallmark greeting cards. Lots of parts where they're stuffing themselves on holiday food, returning clothing, trying to organize closet space, and discussing whether Cathy should accept the marriage proposal her boyfriend has given her (yes, she finally gets a marriage proposal). This collection covers the time period from Christmas 1994 to Valentine's Day 1996. It is interesting to see what was important in the world at the time, and I think gives a fun time-capsule of the times. Cathy shops for a PC, tries online dating, and tries to get "organized" by spending bundles on "organization systems". If you like Cathy comics, you'll like this. If you don't like Cathy comics, you won't. But its the same old Cathy - she hasn't gone nuts on us like Dilandau2 suggests. Dilandau2 either received a "joke" copy without knowing it, or more likely, thought it would be funny to lie online.
Product Description
Considering that much of his life was spent in poverty and ill health, it is something of a miracle that in only forty-six years George Orwell managed to publish ten books and two collections of essays. Here, in four fat volumes, is the best selection of his non-fiction available, a trove of letters, essays, reviews, and journalism that is breathtaking in its scope and eclectic passions. Orwell had something to say about just about everyone and everything. His letters to such luminaries as Julian Symons, Anthony Powell, Arthur Koestler, and Cyril Connolly are poignant and personal. His essays, covering everything from "English Cooking" to "Literature and Totalitarianism," are memorable, and his books reviews (Hitler's Mein Kampf, Mumford's Herman Melville, Miller's Black Spring, Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield to name just a few) are among the most lucid and intelligent ever written. From 1943 to l945, he wrote a regular column for the Tribune, a left wing weekly, entitled "As I Please." His observations about life in Britain during the war embraced everything from anti-American sentiment to the history of domestic appliances.
Customer Reviews:
Inside the Mind of the 20th Century.......2002-05-30
I'm not going to review all four volumes of this collection separately; what I say below applies to them all.
There are lots of reasons to read Orwell's letter, essays and journalism:
1. He's a great writer. It's a pleasure to read him, just for entertainment value. There's a little piece of doggerel from Orwell's school days that he quotes several times that is now stuck in my head:
The rain it raineth every day
Upon the just and the unjust fella
But more upon the just because
The unjust has the just's umbrella
I don't know why that sticks with me, but it's a great illustration of Orwell's use of solid, colloquial and even humorous English.
Moreover, in addition to providing wonderful model prose he occasionally writes essays about writing and language (the use of "Basic English", oratorical versus conversational English, what drives a writer, the totalitarian perversion of word meanings, etc.), which are insightful and interesting.
2. If you're interested in the Second World War (or for that matter, the Spanish Civil War), Orwell's writings amount to a sort of diary, a primary document. Even his book reviews almost inevitably contain some reference to the political and historical scene.
3. Orwell loved socialism (yes, the man who write _1984_ was a democratic socialist), but he loved freedom more. His simultaneous battle for socialism and against totalitarianism (i.e., the Soviet Union) is engaging, even -- or maybe particularly -- where he drops the ball.
...
I think Orwell's heart was in the right place -- he had seen close up (and written a good deal about) the suffering of the poor. Like many people who have their hearts in the right place, he jumped immediately to the idea that redistribution of private property and collective ownership of the means of production were the only way forward.
On the other hand, he was a writer and a man of ideas, a person who greatly prized personal freedom. His essays give an intriguing glimpse into the battle raging inside him between collectivism and individual liberty.
The First of a Terrific 4-Volume Set.......2001-01-15
I read this set many years ago, and it's great. There were better novelists, but Orwell was the best 20th Century essayist, at least in English, that I know of. Together with "Down and Out in Paris and London," "Homage to Catalonia," and "The Road to Wigan Pier," these four large volumes comprise the best of Orwell's nonfiction. As an essayist, Orwell was consistently clearminded, idealistic, honest and to the point. He is a pleasure to read, and he is one of my intellectual heroes.
I don't have a copy in front of me as I write this, but I'm pretty sure this first volume contains Orwell's unforgettable essays on the inner life of colonialism, "Shooting an Elephant" and "A Hanging". I highly recommend this set to anyone who is the least bit interested in Orwell.
Book Description
Avast, matey! Climb aboard for a thrilling journey of puzzling fun with The Everything KIDS' Pirates Puzzle and Activity Book. Packed with mazes, crosswords, matching games, hidden pictures, and more, it's the perfect companion for any swashbuckler-in-training. Gather round your fellow privateers and hunt for booty and doubloons while dodging scallywags in this high-seas adventure!
With this book, you'll:
Crack the Codes of Conduct
Unscramble letters in Walk the Plank
Eliminate pirates in What a Way to Go
Break through the crowd in Standing Room Only
Connect the dots in Buccaneers
Search a ship in Crowded Cargo
Loaded with exciting and entertaining puzzles and games to keep you busy for hours at a time, The Everything KIDS' Pirates Puzzle and Activity Book is just the thing to ensure that you'll have an action-packed, swashbuckling good time! Yo-ho-ho!
Average customer rating:
|
Sail Red Kids Can Read (Sails)
Various
Manufacturer: Rigby
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0763559067 |
Average customer rating:
- A VERY good adventure book!!
|
Kids for Sail
Sam Bendall , and
Pamela Bendall
Manufacturer: Orca Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Sports & Recreation
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Travel
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Boats & Ships
| Transportation
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Soccer
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Soccer
| Biographies
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Sports Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Sports & Recreation
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Travel
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Boats & Ships
| Transportation
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Soccer
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Water Sports
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Biographies
| Sports
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0920501494 |
Customer Reviews:
A VERY good adventure book!!.......1997-06-18
I've read this book at least 10 times and every time I enjoy it just as much as before! This book has a lot of adventure and some suspense. Each time you read it you find something new and interesting. The book has some interesting facts because Sam (one of the kids) writes reports for school and you get to read them. All around I think this is one of the best books
Average customer rating:
|
Wack Water Fun with Science
Ed Sobey
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Fluid Mechanics
| Mechanical
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Education
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Science & Technology
| Specific Skills
| Education
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Experiments & Projects
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science & Technology
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Teen Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0071348093 |
Book Description
Learn all about flight with the science activities. Kids will eagerly soar into the wonderful world of aerodynamics when they build the spinning, flying, rocketing creations described in this book. There are 69 science demonstrations and projects to construct and test, from boomerangs and water rocket launchers to homemade hovercrafts. Many of the experiments can be extended to become topics for school science fairs using the author's easy-to-follow suggestions. Icons alongside each model explain the physical principles involved, while troubleshooting tips keep the experiments running smoothly. It also includes a timeline of major flight achievements. Water science activities for home, school, and the beach! Ed Sobey helps kids explore the wonderful world of water with 69 lively hands-on projects for the beach, swimming pool, and kitchen sink. Using everyday materials, he combines the fun of water games and toys with the scientific concepts behind water pressure, hydro-power, and other key principles. These activities can be expanded into science fair entries too. Not only are the physical principles explained but special demonstration and troubleshooting tips are included to ensure hours of fun.
Average customer rating:
|
Sail Away
Donald Crews
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0590859110 |
Product Description
A family goes sailing on a perfect day which later turns into darker skies, and higher seas but calms down as they are arriving home.
Average customer rating:
|
Sail Red Kids in the Kitchen (Sails)
Various
Manufacturer: Rigby
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0763559113 |
Average customer rating:
|
Whitecaps Sets His Sails (Hubcap Kids Adventures)
Pat Sunseri
Manufacturer: Broadman & Holman Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Action & Adventure
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Christian
| Fiction
| Religions
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Ages 4-8
| Christianity
| Religions
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Values
| Social Situations
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Picture Books
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 080542055X |
Books:
- The Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping / Harvard Design School Project on the City 2
- The History of Castles: Fortifications Around the World
- The Houses of McKim, Mead & White
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Feng Shui: The Complete Guide to the Art and Practice of Feng Shui (Illustrated Encyclopedia)
- The Lighthouse Encyclopedia: The Definitive Reference
- The Log Home Book: Design, Past & Present
- The Most Beautiful House in the World
- The New American House 2: Innovations in Residential Design and Construction: 30 Case Studies (New American Architecture)
- The New American House 2: Innovations in Residential Design and Construction: 30 Case Studies (New American Architecture)
- The New Boutique: Fashion And Design (Design New Titles)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Sea of Monsters
- The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dicti
- The Designs of William E. Poole: 100 Classic House Plans
- The Meaning of Gardens
- The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs
- The PDMA Handbook of New Product Development, Second Edition
- The Riddle of the Traveling Skull
- The Renovated Home: Redesigning, Reorganizing, Redecorating
- The Projective Cast: Architecture and Its Three Geometries
- The Tavern on Maple Street
Berlin
Berlin Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay)
The Wall Jumper: A Berlin Story (Phoenix Fiction Series)
Berlin (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Berlin Alexanderplatz: The Story Of Franz Biberkopf (Continuum Impacts)
