Marcus Vitruvius Pollio; a Roman architect and engineer flourishing in the first century B.C.; was the author of the oldest and most influential work on architecture in existence. For hundreds of years; the specific instructions he gave in his "Ten Books on Architecture" were followed faithfully; and major buildings in all parts of the world reveal the widespread influence of his precepts. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica; he was "the chief authority studied by architects; and in every point his precepts were accepted as final. Bramante; Michelangelo; Palladio; Vignola; and earlier were careful students of the work of Vitruvius." His book is thus one of those rare works that have been supremely important in the creation of the greatest art masterpieces.Vitruvius describes the classic principles of symmetry; harmony; and proportion in architecture; the design of the treasury; prison; senate house; baths; forum; and temples; the construction of the theater: its site; foundations; and acoustics; the proper style and proportion for private dwellings; the differences between the Ionic; Doric; and Corinthian styles; methods of giving durability and beauty to polished finishings; and many other topics that help us understand the methods and beliefs of the Roman architect.It is a direct; authoritative; and detailed introduction to the ancients methods of construction; the materials of the architect; and the prevailing aesthetic beliefs of the times; but it is also a work of art. Vitruvius wrote in such a fascinating manner; and digressed from his subject so often (as; for instance; when he wrote about the winds; Archimedes in his bath; and why authors should receive awards and honors at least as often as athletes); that his book has had a continuing appeal to the general reader for many centuries. Besides being an instructive treatise on nearly everything connected with Roman and Greek architecture; it is an entertaining description of some aspects of the life and beliefs of the times. This edition is the standard English translation; prepared over a period of several years by Professor M. H. Morgan of Harvard University.
#1303343 in eBooks 2012-12-19 2012-11-21File Name: B008TVLIYO
Review
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful. A fantastic guitar book. tooBy Studs KreitzerThis is probably the best bargain youll ever run into. I got it under a week ago and am still swooning at how many new things Ive learned in so short of time. I play a Les Paul Standard electric guitar. but have gotten rusty over the years. This songbook has completely reawakened my interest in the instrument as well as in singing. I have no idea if it works well for pianists. but can vouch that its one of the best guitar books Ive ever encountered.Ages ago. I would pick up a songbook of some sort or other. and I (like many people) got used to finding all kinds of errors or cheesy chord approximations. This book has nothing but good stuff throughout. If you dont believe me. try playing Cohans "Youre a Grand Old Flag" exactly as shown. The inversions there are brilliant. especially if you use a plectrum and alternate the bass notes in a Luther Perkins style. There are several places where these lower notes within the chords quite magically provide a wonderful counterpoint to what the voice is doing.As a rough estimate. Id say that I want to learn at least 80 of these songs---thats how good the selection is and how rich the arrangements are. Even if I never play these songs for anyone. Ill be learning valuable guitar and vocal techniques. I think. Just as one example. there are tons of guitarists who dink around with nothing more than a small collection of major and minor chords. But this book is filled with tons of neat chords you might never run into otherwise. Even if youre familiar with diminished and augmented chords. I predict youll find something here youve never seen before. As one example. I found a wild one in "After the Ball is Over" which I recognized by ear but had never played before (anyone for a C-seventh with a flatted fifth?) And theres lots of others. Someone ought to make a list of every guitar chord used in this collection.So. what Im getting at is that this is a fantastic book for learning valuable guitar technique in the context of songs you probably already know unconsciously or from childhood. My interests lie primarily in acid rock and hard rock from the sixties. but seriously this is the book Im getting the most out of.Finally. Ive just got to comment on what a couple other reviewers have mentioned. First. the key of F makes sense guitar-wise for many of these songs. A brief strum-though will show you why; the various open chords used sound ideal and arent some sort of chintzy approximation. And then. one person complained that the book wont lie flat on the music stand. Well. notice the emblem on the top-left of the cover. It reads: "Lay Flat. Sewn Binding." That says it all. This book. like everything from Dover is a quality production using sewn signatures throughout. (Ive done business with Dover for nearly forty years. first as a mathematician. then as magician and now as a musician). Do the old thing we all learned in grade school a half-century ago. where you break in a new book by degrees. Anyway. it lies flat on my music stand perfectly well so I dont know what this person was seeing. As for an odor. well. I have an overly acute sense of smell and havent noticed anything untoward. My suggestion would be not to store it by the kitty litter box in between rehearsals.Whew! This turned out longer than I expected. But Im so enamored with the book that I wanted to share my delight with others (my first review ever for ).In a nutshell. this is the perfect guitar songbook for learning the instrument. I think. And at a bargain price. too.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Nice Collection of American SongsBy William StruseA fine collection of American folk music and songs. Each piece has a informative description about the history of the song.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. American Song Treasury falls shortBy Jacques DEnfieldThis compilation is a decent cross-section of USA songs. but not as comprehensive as I expected.
