Desde queen 1890 en Estados Unidos se utilizara el terminorascacielos para designar al edificio de oficinas en altura, esteha suscitado diversidad de reflexiones --entre el entornoarquitectonico y la opi-nion pOblica- acerca de sus limites ydisefio. El ras-cacielos es un producto genuinamenteestadouniden-se, fruto del siglo xx, cuya presencia y evoluci6n essin6nimo de progreso tecnologico, la sociedad de consumo y lapolftica liberal. Este volumen propone una revision de los rascacielos queinauguran el nuevo milenio, con la seleccion de edificios de laultima decada del siglo xx y principios del xxi de algunos de losarquitectos mas relevantes de la actualidad. Asf, se muestranedificios que forman parte del debate arquitect6nico actual y quemuestran como sus autores afrontan la arquitectura en relacion conla sociedad y la ciudad.

A basic primer for anyone without musical training who wishesto learn to read musical scores when singing or taking up aninstrument, this accessible and complete book covers classical,popular, jazz, and folk music. Well-known pieces are accompanied bya muscial dictionary, a note directory, and a guide to musicalsigns.

Few music lovers realize that the arrangement of notes ontoday’s pianos was once regarded as a crime against God and nature,or that such legendary thinkers as Pythagoras, Plato, da Vinci,Galileo, Kepler, Descartes, Newton and Rousseau played a role inthe controversy. Indeed, from the time of the Ancient Greeksthrough the eras of Renaissance scientists and Enlightenmentphilosophers, the relationship between the notes of the musicalscale was seen as a key to the very nature of the universe. In this engaging and accessible account, Stuart Isacoff leads usthrough the battles over that scale, placing them in the context ofquarrels in the worlds of art, philosophy, religion, politics andscience. The contentious adoption of the modern tuning system knownas equal temperament called into question beliefs that hadlasted nearly two millenia–and also made possible the music ofBeethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Debussy, and all who followed. Filledwith original insights, fascinating anecdotes, and portraits ofsome of th

What's the secret to writing a hit song? It's as simple as1-2-3-4-5-6 Innovative, practical, and inspiring, "Six Steps toSongwriting Success" presents a surefire step-by-step approach tomastering the elements consistently found in hit songs. AuthorJason Blume, a songwriter with the rare distinction of having hadsongs on the Country, Pop, and RandB charts simultaneously, haspacked this book with such key aids as the three-step lyric writingtechnique used by the pros; lyric, melody, and demo checklists; andtools for self-evaluation-plus many other exercises that work.Blume's warm, humorous style features motivational anecdotes andentertaining stories of how hit songs came to be written andrecorded. Get "Six Steps to Songwriting Success," and get on thecharts

One of Victorian Englands most charismatic characters, DanteGabriel Rossetti painted and wrote with equal passion. He wassimilarly passionate in his personal life: his etherealartist-wife, his earthy blond mistress, and the ravishing JaneMorris are al

Antonio Stradivari (1644—1737) was a perfectionist whosesingle-minded pursuit of excellence changed the world of music. Inthe course of his long career in the northern Italian city ofCremona, he created more than a thousand stringed instruments;approximately six hundred survive, their quality unequalled by anysubsequent violin-maker. In this fascinating book, Toby Fabertraces the rich, multilayered stories of six of these peerlesscreations–five violins and a cello–and the one towering artist whobrought them into being. Blending history, biography, meticulousdetective work, and an abiding passion for music, Faber takes usfrom the salons of Vienna to the concert halls of New York, andfrom the breakthroughs of Beethoven’s last quartets to the firstphonographic recordings. This magnificent narrative invites us toshare the life, the intrigue, and the incomparable beauty of theworld’s most marvelous stringed instruments.

From its ancient status as the jewel of an empire to itsmodern incarnation as a troubled, yet culturally vibrant Europeancapital, Rome has compelled the imagination of artists for over twothousand years. Now, in "The History of Rome in Painting", that

An invaluable guide for both casual opera fans and afficionados,this volume contains act-by-act de*ions of operatic worksranging from the early seventeenth century masterworks ofMonteverdi and Purcell to the modern classics of Menotti andBritten. Written in a lively anecdotal style, entries includecharacter de*ions, historical background, and much more.

In this compulsively readable, fascinating, and provocativeguide to classical music, Norman Lebrecht, one of the world's mostwidely read cultural commentators tells the story of the rise ofthe classical recording industry from Caruso's first notes to theheyday of Bernstein, Glenn Gould, Callas, and von Karajan. Lebrechtcompellingly demonstrates that classical recording has reached itsend point-but this is not simply an expos? of decline and fall. Itis, for the first time, the full story of a minor art form,analyzing the cultural revolution wrought by Schnabel, Toscanini,Callas, Rattle, the Three Tenors, and Charlotte Church. It is thestory of how stars were made and broken by the record business; howa war criminal conspired with a concentration-camp victim to createa record empire; and how advancing technology, boardroom wars,public credulity and unscrupulous exploitation shaped the musicalbackdrop to our modern lives. The book ends with a suitable shrineto classical recording: the author's critical selectio

Back on the job after an involuntary leave of absence, LAPDhomicide detective Harry Bosch is ready for a challenge. But hisfirst case is a little more than he bargained for. It starts with the body of a Hollywood producer in the trunk of aRolls-Royce, shot twice in the head at close range - what lookslike "trunk music," a Mafia hit. But the LAPD's organized crimeunit is curiously uninterested, and when Harry follows a trail ofgambling debts to Las Vegas, the case suddenly becomes more complex- and much more personal. A rekindled romance with an old girlfriend opens new perspectiveson the murder, and he begins to glimpse a shocking triangle ofcorruption and collusion. Yanked off the case, Harry himself issoon the one being investigated. But only a bullet can stop Harrywhen he's searching for the truth . . .

The Renaissance holds an undying place in our imagination, itsgreat heroes still our own, from Michelangelo and Leonardo to Danteand Chaucer. This period of profound evolution in European thoughtis credited with transforming the West from medieval to modern andproducing the most astonishing outpouring of artistic creation theworld has ever known. But what was it? In this masterly work, theincomparable Paul Johnson tells us. He explains the economic,technological, and social developments that provide a backdrop tothe age’s achievements and focuses closely on the lives and worksof its most important figures. A commanding short narrative of thisvital period, The Renaissance is also a universally profoundmeditation on the wellsprings of innovation.

本书的照片都是从国家地理学会超凡的馆藏摄影档案中精心挑选出来的，时间跨越了一个多世纪，反映的题材遍及地球上的每一个角落，也涉及了摄影艺术的每一个层面。这些照片既反映了一些*摄影大师观察生活的独特视角，也代表了我们人类某些共同的情感追求和人性的张扬。 The Collectors Seriesedition of "In Focus" is simply the existing book at a smaller trimsize. This magnificent collection of 280 photographs by many of theworld's greatest photographers tells the tale of portraitphotography over time in page after page of arresting images. Eachphotograph stands proudly on its own, yet taken together, they tella much more complex and subtle story of the ever-evolving art formin constant creative response to new ideas, new eras, and newtechnologies.

Breaking up is hard to do - and when a relationship turnssour, nothing provides more comfort than the cheesy pop hits of the'70s and '80s. Just as Quirk's I Can't Fight This Feeling was ananthology of classic love poetry, You Give Love a Bad Name featurespoetic writings on breaking up - and moving on - from The Bee Gees,Michael Bolton, Pat Benatar, Hall and Oates, and many others.Packaged in an elegant hardcover volume with a deluxe ribbonmarker, it's the perfect gift for anyone seeking to mend a brokenheart. Includes these timeless classics: - Is She Really Going Out with Him? - Joe Jackson - She's Gone - Hall and Oates - Cold Hearted - Paula Abdul - Alone - Heart - Goodbye to You - Scandal

The world of the fashionista is brought to vivid life with 101introductory lessons on such topics as how a designer anticipatescultural trends and "sees" the fashion consumer, the workings ofthe fashion calendar, the ways a designer collection is conceived,the manufacture of fabric, fashion illustration, and more. Illustrated in the distinctly unique packaged style of thebestselling101 THINGS I LEARNED IN ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL, this newbook on fashion design will be a perfect book for any fashionschool wannabe, a recent graduate, or even a seasonedprofessional.

Like Moses delivering forth the Ten Commandments, Henry Owingsis bringing music fans The Rock Bible an insider's guide to livingthe rock 'n' roll dream. This hilarious rulebook is full of dos anddon'ts for musicians, wannabe musicians, and rock fans of all ages.Here's what The Rock Bible has to say about Singers: 'When you feellike stage-diving, make sure the people in the front row like yourmusic enough to catch you.'Backstage antics: 'Couches at rock clubshave never been cleaned. Think of the crazy things that have beendone on these couches, and then proceed at great personalrisk.'Lifestyle: 'If you want to die while in a famous rock band,there are four options. 1. Suicide. 2. Car or plane crash. 3. Drugoverdose. 4. Murdered by a crazy relative. Just pick one and stickwith it.' Complete with faux-biblical illustrations and parablesand essays from comedian Patton Oswalt, drummer Brian Teasley, andprofessional smartass Andrew Earles, The Rock Bible is a rude andraunchy look at the best and worst of rock 'n'

An answered prayer for Beatles fans and collectors, the first?volume of a unique work that exhaustively chronicles all known and?available Beatles recordings! Have you ever watched a Beatles film clip andwondered: ? Where was that filmed? ? Is any more of that footage available? Have you ever heard a Beatles interview andasked: ? When was that taped? ? Where’s the best place to find the completerecording? Way Beyond Compare has the answers to these andthousands of similar questions. It’s the key to unlocking thesecrets behind every known Beatles recording in circulation through1965, telling you where to find them, what makes them unique, andhow they fit within the context of the Beatles’ amazing musical andcultural journey.

The moral of this book is that behind every great engineeringsuccess is a trail of often ignored (but frequently spectacular)engineering failures. Petroski covers many of the best knownexamples of well-intentioned but ultimately failed design in action-- the galloping Tacoma Narrows Bridge (which you've probably seentossing cars willy-nilly in the famous black-and-white footage),the collapse of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel walkways -- andmany lesser known but equally informative examples. The line ofreasoning Petroski develops in this book were later formalized intohis quasi-Darwinian model of technological evolution in TheEvolution of Useful Things , but this book is arguably the moreilluminating -- and defintely the more enjoyable -- of these twotitles. Highly recommended.