The seventeenth century is often known as the Dutch Golden Age, not only because of the great wealth the country amassed but also because of the impressive cultural flowering. The art of painting in particular reached a high point. Throughout the century, countless highly talented artists created masterpieces that still evoke our admiration more than four centuries later. Their paintings are the jewels in the collections of museums all over the world.

The artists of this period began painting landscapes, still lifes, scenes from everyday life, marine pictures and church interiors in a way that had never been done before. It was as if the artists wanted to record daily life around them, but they all did this in their studios at their easels. These painters had a degree of imaginative power that we find difficult to imagine. The art of the Dutch Golden Age is characterised by ceaseless creativity, huge levels of production and a style that was unique and typical of that time. The great names of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals are world famous but the paintings of the lesser known old masters are often wonderful, splendid, exquisite or imposing.

The Golden Age of English Glass features 150 objects from the collection of John H. Bryan, ranging in date from c.1650-1809. These enable a full and detailed discussion of the history of English glassmaking during its critical period of innovation (c.1650-1675) and its world triumph (c.1700-1775), including discussions of crystal table glass, ‘black’ glass bottles, window glass, mirrors and lighting (glass candle­sticks and chandeliers). In spite of the fact that these pieces are among the most important examples of English glass known (the collection includes, for instance, twenty-five drinking glasses made between about 1690 and 1720, when English table glass is widely regarded as being among the most refined and perfect expression of the glass­makers’ art anywhere in the world), few have ever been published. The scholarly text brings together the latest information in a dynamic area of research. Essays accompanying catalogue discussions of individual glasses place them in their wider historical and technical settings. The book is illustrated with some 215 colour photographs of the objects in the collection (including groups and details), some seventy-five comparative objects from other collections and fifty-five period prints, paintings, drawings and other documents that convey the historic context of their use and also document processes of manufacture and decoration. Also available:
British Glass 1800-1914 ISBN 9781851491414 20th Century British Glass ISBN 9781851495870

The automobile is the ultimate analog machine and mankind’s most ingenious, seductive and damaging invention. For over a century, cars have provided reference points for our notions of style, status and desire. In design terms, the Age of Combustion was as rich and varied as architecture’s Baroque – and far more popular. And now it is coming to an end, as the internal-combustion engine is superseded by the battery and cars become wheeled computers, running on AI not oil. Together with a wide-ranging introduction, this book reproduces 60 of Stephen Bayley’s popular monthly columns for Octane, the outstanding classic car magazine where, for more than 10 years, he has provided the most consistent and insightful commentary on car culture, often based on privileged access to industry insiders.

The Age of Grandeur builds upon the best-selling Understanding Jewellery by Daniela Mascetti and David Bennett, which is considered to be one of the most important and frequently referenced books on jewelry ever produced. This new edition, revised and expanded, sees the authors focus solely on the 19th century, bringing with it over 250 new color photographs of jewelry from this most celebrated era.

Taking the reader through the history of jewelry over the decades, we learn how and why particular styles came about and then changed. From Napoleonic classicism and Victorian sentimental and memorial jewelry, through the Romantic era and its penchant for naturalism, the Gothic style and recreation of the Renaissance and, finally, the unique designs of the Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Arts and Crafts periods, this comprehensive study enlightens and fascinates. With stunning photographs accompanying us on our journey through the decades, creating a rich visual history that brings the text to life, this book remains the essential bible on 19th-century jewelry.

Crete was famous in Greek myth as the location of the labyrinth in which the Minotaur was confined in a palace at somewhere called ‘Knossos’. From the Middle Ages travelers searched unsuccessfully for the Labyrinth. A handful of clues that survived, such as a coin with a labyrinth design and numerous small bronze age items. The name Knossos had survived – but it was nothing but a sprinkling of houses and farmland so they looked elsewhere. Finally, in 1878, a Cretan archeologist, Minos Kalokairinos discovered evidence of a Bronze Age palace. British Archaeologist and then Keeper of the Ashmolean Arthur Evans came out to visit and was fascinated by the site. Between 1900 and 1931 Evans uncovered the remains of the huge palace which he felt must be the that of King Minos, and he adopted the name ‘Minoans’ for its occupants. He employed a team of archeologists, architects and artists, and together they built up a picture of the Bronze Age community that had occupied the elaborate building. They imagined a sophisticated, nature-loving people, whose civilization peaked, and then disintegrated. Evans’s interpretations of his finds were accurate in some places, but deeply flawed in others. The Evans Archive, held by the Ashmolean, records his finds, theories and (often contentious) reconstructions. 

More and more children are overweight. What they are eating is very important for them, as well as for children of normal weight. Surgeon, weight loss specialist and amateur chef Kristel De Vogelaere sees heavy children combating this chronic disease on a daily basis in her consultations.

Obesity is absolutely not risk free! Overweight children have a higher chance of developing health problems, and therefore it is more than necessary that obese children are offered help and that attention is paid to prevention. In this second book, Prof. De Vogelaere would like to offer insight to you, the parents, about the causes and consequences of obesity so that you can help your children counter it from a young age. This book will help you along by offering recipes and practical tips for learning healthy food habits and a healthy lifestyle together with your children. Going down this road together lightens the load and leads to a healthier family as a whole.

“I recommend to every Architect, designer and those who have a passion for New York to own this magnificent book…there is no better on the extraordinary Beaux Arts of New York.” —Lemeau, Decorator’s Insider

“This great, beautiful, glossy, polychromatic slab of a book more than does justice to an epic period in architecture when some of the world’s most luscious buildings were designed for some of the most unpleasant people in American history.” — Timothy Brittain-Catlin, World of Interiors

“New York would be little more than another faceless glass-and-steel city were it not for its Gilded Age buildings and institutions… An American Renaissance: Beaux-Arts Architecture in New York City, written by Phillip James Dodd with photography by Jonathan Wallen, is a gilded embrace of this legacy.”  — The Critic
The Gilded Age, also referred to as the American Renaissance, is an era associated with unparalleled growth, technological advancement, prosperity, and cultural change. Spanning from the 1870s to the 1930s, it marks the first time that the titans of American finance and industry had more wealth than their European counterparts. As the center of this dynamic economy, New York City attracted immigrant workers and millionaires alike. It was not enough for the self-appointed elite to just build their own grand châteaux and palazzos along Fifth Avenue—collectively they dreamed of creating a new metropolis to rival the great cultural capitals of London, Paris, and Rome. To flaunt their newly acquired wealth they needed an architecture dripping in embellishment and historical reference. Enter the Beaux-Arts.

This book, which has been painstakingly researched and beautifully photographed over many years, takes a close look at 20 of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in New York City. While showing public exteriors, its focus is on the lavish interiors that are associated with the opulence of the Gilded Age—often providing a glimpse inside buildings not otherwise viewable to the public. While some of the buildings and monuments featured are world-renowned landmarks recognizable and accessible to all, others are obscure buildings that history has forgotten.

Set amid the magnificent achievements of an American Renaissance, this book recounts not only the fascinating stories of some of New York’s most famous and significant Beaux-Arts landmarks, it also recalls the lives of those who commissioned, designed, and built them. These are some of the most acclaimed architects, artists, and artisans of the day—Daniel Chester French, Cass Gilbert, Charles McKim, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Stanford White—and some of the most prominent millionaires in American history—Henry Clay Frick, Jay Gould, Otto Kahn, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and the ubiquitous Astor and Vanderbilt families. Names that—as Julian Fellowes (the acclaimed director of Downton Abbey) notes in the Foreword—“still reek of money.” Excerpt from the Introduction

An Overview of TCI and TIVA was written by two of the leading lights in anaesthetic pharmacology. It is an invaluable source of information on the practice of total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with or without target-controlled infusion (TCI) technology. In this long-awaited third edition of their popular book they have maintained the small size while thoroughly updating it to include recent developments and insights in the field, many of which have emerged from the work of their own research group. The fine balance between the provision of practical information to promote safe and effective clinical practice, with information on the scientific and theoretical foundations, will benefit and stimulate novice and more experienced TIVA users alike.

An Overview of TCI and TIVA was written by two of the leading lights in anaesthetic pharmacology. It is an invaluable source of information on the practice of total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with or without target-controlled infusion (TCI) technology. In this long-awaited third edition of their popular book they have maintained the small size while thoroughly updating it to include recent developments and insights in the field, many of which have emerged from the work of their own research group. The fine balance between the provision of practical information to promote safe and effective clinical practice, with information on the scientific and theoretical foundations, will benefit and stimulate novice and more experienced TIVA users alike.

Georgian Jewellery is a celebration of the style and excellence of the eighteenth century, and of the ingenuity that produced such a wealth of fabulous jewelry. Heavy academic tomes have already been written about the period, but this book examines it in a more colorful and accessible way. The book aims to show that Georgian jewelry is not only the stuff of museums and safe boxes, but that it can be worn as elegantly and fashionably today as it was 200 years ago. Much disparate information about the jewelry has been gathered together and the period is brought alive by portraits and character sketches of famous Georgians in their finery, fashion tips, gossip, and some rather outrageous cartoons of the time, as well as fascinating recently discovered facts. With information on how to identify, buy and repair pieces, this sumptuously illustrated volume contains the largest single catalogue of 18th Century jewelry.

This lively biography narrates the story of Louis Vuitton (1821-1892), who, at the age of 14, set out on foot for Paris from his native village in the Jura mountains and ultimately became one of the most successful manufacturers of luggage and leather goods in the world. Arriving in the metropolis at age 16, he was taken on as an apprentice at the atelier of Monsieur Maréchal, where expert packers and talented custom box and luggage makers catered to a wealthy clientele. He perfected his craft there, becoming the personal packer and luggage maker for the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. In 1854 he opened his own atelier, and with access to the highest levels of society and a gift for innovation and design, he was on his way to an illustrious career. This book, full of previously unpublished information, reveals the story behind the man and the legendary luxury goods empire he founded.

Every religion is the product of the spiritual realizations of some of the greatest human minds, the likes of whom rarely walk on this earth. Religion becomes a unifying force when it focuses on the enlightening thoughts preached by these men; however, it tends to become disruptive when it depends on the limited knowledge of ordinary people to interpret them. The World of Religions presents eight major religions of the world and discusses their origin, growth, and their impact on society. The chapters reveal the greatness of every religion, all of whom aspire to integrate purity, compassion, and peace in everyday life. Contents: Foreword; Preface; The Art and Science of Religion; Hinduism: The Religion of Inclusiveness; Buddhism: Religion of Compassion; Jainism: Religion of Asceticism; Sikhism: Religion of the Gurus; Zoroastrianism: Religion of Goodness; Judaism: Religion of Obedience; Christianity: Religion of the Saviour; Islam: Religion of Surrender; Religion in the E-age; Acknowledgements; Select Bibliography.
• An insightful handbook on spiritual thoughts for all, be an atheist, agnostic or a devout

• An analytical comparative study of the major religions of the world

• An excellent attempt to talk about dharma to the generation of this e-age

Every religion is the product of the spiritual realizations of some of the greatest human minds, the likes of whom rarely walk on this earth. Religion becomes a unifying force when it focuses on the enlightening thoughts preached by these men; however, it tends to become disruptive when it depends on the limited knowledge of ordinary people to interpret them.

The World of Religions presents eight major religions of the world and discusses their origin, growth, and their impact on society. The chapters reveal the greatness of every religion, all of whom aspire to integrate purity, compassion, and peace in everyday life.

Contents: Foreword; Preface; The Art and Science of Religion; Hinduism: The Religion of Inclusiveness; Buddhism: Religion of Compassion; Jainism: Religion of Asceticism; Sikhism: Religion of the Gurus; Zoroastrianism: Religion of Goodness; Judaism: Religion of Obedience; Christianity: Religion of the Saviour; Islam: Religion of Surrender; Religion in the E-age; Acknowledgements; Select Bibliography.

“Charles Higham – rugby player, talented excavator and one of the great archaeologists of his generation – is an engaging raconteur. His fast-moving autobiography tells of the life well lived, of a world authority on Southeast Asia’s past. This is a fascinating and adventurous journey complete with academic debates, serious archaeology, its triumphs and minor disasters galore. Read this book if you aspire to be an archaeologist. It will inspire you to great deeds.” – Brian Fagan, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, University of California, Santa Barbara.

“Higham charts an archaeological Odyssey from Roman Britain via the Bronze Age stock-breeders of central Europe to prehistoric Thailand and the origins of Angkor. This complements a personal journey equally eventful, from a double first and rugby blue at Cambridge to building a university department in New Zealand. Here is a life laden with academic honours and the thrill of discovery on a series of digs that have transformed understanding of the human past in a hitherto-under-evaluated part of the ancient world.” – Professor Norman Hammond, Senior Fellow, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge University.

“Charles Higham presents a readable and often witty account of a golden age in archaeological excavation in Thailand, Neolithic to Iron Age, from his perspective as a fundamental contributor. A must-read for colleagues, students, and the interested public are like.” – Emeritus Professor Peter Bellwood, Australian National University.

In this unique memoir, Charles Higham, one of the great archeologists of his generation, describes the inside story of how his many excavations have introduced Southeast Asia’s past to a worldwide audience. For over 50 years, he and his Thai colleagues have explored the arrival of early humans, the impact of the first farmers, the remarkable rise of social elites with the spread of metallurgy and the origins of civilizations. Once seen as a cultural backwater, Southeast Asia now takes center stage in understanding the human past.

The last fifteen years of Russian history have profoundly altered Moscow, bringing dramatic changes to the Communist city it was in the eighties. These alterations have increasingly highlighted Moscow’s many contrasts and multiple facets.

The guide seeks to do more than just recount and illustrate the city’s architectural history. It strives to be a tool to study the building trends that have shaped it. After a short introduction and the essential information needed to plan a visit, the book includes several essays that give the city’s historical context and then critically consider its possible future developments. The itineraries include about a hundred architectural works, both historical and contemporary, which are fully illustrated with images, drawings and descriptions, and are marked on the front of the map with a reference number corresponding to the section in the book and the icon on the back of the map. The guide also provides information about museums, libraries, institutions, movie theatres, restaurants and gathering places.

In today’s economic climate, where trust between business and IT in most companies has never been more fragile, we have to find the possibilities to completely rethink IT, and transform it into a strategic asset for our companies. But this won’t be an incremental change; this will be a fundamental paradigm shift – and this book can be your guidebook. This book provides an answer to the following questions: · What is business/IT Fusion and what is the difference with business/IT Alignment? · How will the new Fusion of business and IT function, particularly in its relationship with the business customers and with its suppliers? · What will the new IT organization look like from a Fusion perspective? · What are the tools and mechanisms to make Fusion work? How can we implement ‘intelligent governance’ and move from budget thinking to portfolio thinking? · How can I use the concept of architecture and turn this into a business instrument? · How will we staff these new IT organizations? What type of skills do we need, and how will we attract them? · How can I rebuild the image of IT, and market technology innovation to the business? · What will the new breed of CIO look like, who can transform IT into a Fusion concept? · How to build a ‘new deal’ between Business and IT, and how to maintain it? This is a book for IT professionals (IT and Business people), to assist them in dreaming up the next wave of information technology and information technology departments. This is a book to help them think about what’s next for their organisation, for their department, and for themselves. This is a book that deals with the capabilities; mindsets and strategies that will help shape the next generation of information technology.

Understanding photographs has never been easy. Many photographs – including some of the best known – were not taken with a clear idea in mind. And even if they were, the idea was soon overlooked or forgotten. In this profusely illustrated book, Ian Jeffrey hands us the tools to decode key photographs. By giving the reader the necessary biographical and historical information, the author helps us to fully understand photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, Cindy Sherman, Rinko Kawauchi, Nan Goldin, Thomas Ruff, Dorothea Lange, Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paul Strand, Diane Arbus, and L.szl. Moholy-Nagy, among others. At the same time, readers explore an overview of the history of photography by looking at one image at a time. Each entry includes a concise biography along with an illuminating discussion of the works and relevant contextual information.

This wide-ranging study is the outcome of the author’s thirty-year quest to collect information about a neglected and almost forgotten field of history – the prisoner of war, the conditions under which he was held and how he employed his time during long years of captivity. In this instance, the whole is set against an historical background dating from the Seven Years War (1756-63) to Napoleon’s downfall in 1816. Information has been painstakingly acquired by detailed searches through the Public Records Offices of England, Scotland and Wales and the archives of numerous county towns. The author has also studied more than one hundred towns and villages, where paroled captured officers were detained, and visited the sites of prison depots – great and small – and ports and rivers where the dreaded prison hulks had once been moored. The gathering and examination of artefacts, relics and other relevant material was a further important aspect of this extensive study. During the course of his lengthy researches, the author assembled what may well be one of the largest private collections of prisoner of war artefacts in existence. Although thousands of items of prisoners’ work have survived to the present day, most have disappeared into private collections and museums, at home or abroad. A representative selection of items from the author’s own extensive collection is featured in the second part of this book and will show the extraordinary high standard of workmanship achieved by many of the prisoners of war.

The Historic Center of Mexico City protects 500 years of history, and cultural and artistic wealth. In addition, it is the scene of an effervescence that keeps it alive and transforms it every day. This guide has two objectives. On one hand, the reader will find in it information to deepen their knowledge about the heart of this great city. At the same time, the guide has a practical purpose, as it contains plans, routes and useful information that will accompany the reader in his role as traveler or explorer. Whoever has this guide in their hands will discover the center of the hand of curators, music lovers, chroniclers, foodies, landscapers and amateurs, whose very different outlooks and recommendations have only one common denominator: an excessive passion for the Center.

Headrests from Southern Africa – The architecture of sleep presents the subject of southern African headrests in a fascinating new light. The book, richly illustrated – often with in situ photographs, offers unique historical and personal information collected from many of the original owners and carvers of the headrests. So, for the first time African headrests are brought to life with detailed information and the stories of their creation, ownership, use and significance.

The 438 headrests from the collections of Bruce Goodall from Cape Town and Frédéric Zimer from Paris are presented according to 3 geographical areas: KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo (where the Ntwane people live) and Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland).

Since 2003, Goodall has made numerous field trips collecting, as well as interviewing and photographing the owners and carvers of headrests. In 2017, Goodall’s collection grew substantially with the purchase of a comprehensive collection of headrests from the Msinga area of KwaZulu-Natal. This collection had been assembled and meticulously documented by the late Anglican priest Clive Newman and his friend and assistant, Mavis Duma, between the late 1980s and the mid-2000s. The Zimer collection has been built up since the 1990s through his many travels in Africa, and his acquisitions from collectors and African art dealers around the world.

This publication not only offers insight into the personal and historical dimensions of this important southern African tradition through the text written about the headrests and their owners by Bruce Goodall, but includes essays by Newman, Nel and Leibhammer and a text about collecting by Duma. Together these facilitate a penetrating understanding of these valued items as well as a respectful appreciation of the cultures and individuals who made and used them.

The rose is generally seen as the most romantic flower. No other plant blooms for so long and profusely, and comes in so many different shapes, scents and colors. Roses deserve a place in everyone’s home, outside – in the garden or on the balcony – but certainly also indoors on the table. The Joy of Roses answers every question you may have about roses: from the history of the rose to applications in the home. The different types of roses are discussed in detail with descriptions of the flower, the scent, the thorns, the inflorescence and information about the best place for this specific species. The book also provides information about cultivators, which flowers go well with roses and their care. Anneke Beemer’s beautiful photos complete the book.