How Buildings Work: The Natural Order of Architecture

How Buildings Work: The Natural Order of Architecture
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Excellent introduction to architecture

Mandatory Reading If You're Thinking of a New House

Great Introduction for the Novice

What buildings are

All architecture/ building science students should own this

How Buildings Work: The Natural Order of Architecture

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 019516198X

Book Description

Illustrated with hundreds of illuminating line drawings, this classic guide reveals virtually every secret of a building's function: how it stands up, keeps its occupants safe and comfortable, gets built, grows old, and dies--and why some buildings do this so much better than others. Drawing on things he's learned from the many buildings he himself designed (and in some cases built with his own hands), Edward Allen explains complex phenomena such as the role of the sun in heating buildings and the range of structural devices that are used for support, from trusses and bearing walls to post-tensioned concrete beams and corbeled vaults. He stresses the importance of intelligent design in dealing with such problems as overheating and overcooling, excessive energy use, leaky roofs and windows, fire safety, and noisy interiors. He serves up some surprises: thermal insulation is generally a better investment than solar collectors; board fences are not effective noise barriers; there's one type of window that can be left open during a rainstorm. The new edition emphasizes "green" architecture and eco-conscious design and construction. It features a prologue on sustainable construction, and includes new information on topics such as the collapse of the World Trade Center, sick building syndrome, and EIFS failures and how they could have been prevented. Allen also highlights the array of amazing new building materials now available, such as self-cleaning glass, photovoltaics, transparent ceramics, cloud gel, and super-high-strength concrete and structural fibers. Edward Allen makes it easy for everyone--from armchair architects and sidewalk superintendents to students of architecture and construction--to understand the mysteries and complexities of even the largest building, from how it recycles waste and controls the movement of air, to how it is kept alive and growing.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent introduction to architecture.......2007-04-20

The underlying premise of this book is that architecture is an imitation and application of the principles of nature. To build is not merely to impose our will on nature. It is to cooperate with nature.

Shelter is a natural human need. Building is the art of meeting that need. It does so, according to Allen, by following the example of nature herself and applying her principles. An organic analogy runs through the book. Buildings live and breathe. A building, like a human body, is matter so arranged that it interacts dynamically with its environment and thus perpetuates the arrangement. Buildings, however, are highly dependent on human beings, whom they serve. The parts of buildings, e.g., the roofs, walls, windows and mechanical systems must work together with the other parts in such a way as to "survive" but most importantly to provide optimal human shelter. Buildings that outlive their usefulness "die."

My favorite passage from the book is a section entitled "People as the Measure" (pp. 169-171). Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the history of architecture, Allen explains how "people literally became the measure of buildings." For example, the brick... was standardized in medieval times within a range of sizes and weights that could be easily manipulated by the left hand of the mason, leaving the right hand free to operate the trowel." Allen cautions against bulk materials manipulated by machines instead of people: "[T]he finished product will not automatically display the human-scale texture that hand-sized components have and that occupants often subconsciously identify with."

This book was very educational for me, a Ph.D. in philosophy who has left academia to help run a construction business. I highly recommend it to new students of architecture or engineering or anyone who has amateur interest in those fields.

Mandatory Reading If You're Thinking of a New House.......2005-11-08

This is a book on how buildings are designed. It's not a book on how to design a building, that's the architect's job. It's a book on what the architect is going to do to design the building you want.

The book contains hundreds of line drawings on the components of a building. This is how a wall is built, this is how heat circles around a room, this is how a truss structure holds up the roof, this is how electric power is brought into the house and distributed.

This is not a book on how to design a house, you can put the bedrooms anywhere you want, you can have as many bathrooms as you want. This is the basic design of how the building does its job of providing the walls that make up the bathroom, keep it warm/cool, with water inside but kept where you want it.

I consider this book to be interesting to anyone interested in the subject. I consider this book to be mandatory reading for anyone even thinking about building a house or having one built.

Great Introduction for the Novice.......2005-08-05

I approach this book as someone who likes to walk around old neighborhoods and look at houses. I have collected architectural field guides for years and I can identify most building styles. However, I had little idea how buildings worked.

This book was enjoyable because the writing style was simple and straight to the point. One does not need a technical background to get a lot out of the book. Edward Allen's skillful line illustrations also add a great deal. If I could not understand the technical description, the simple illustration helped me with the underlying principle.

To give you an example of why this book is helpful to a non-specialist. I have heard of septic systems my entire life. However, I had no idea how they worked. With the help of very clear illustrations and straight forward writing, this mystery has been solved. This book is a great introduction to all those interested in architecture. Highly recommended.

What buildings are.......2003-02-28

HOW BUILDINGS WORK is just a great book, even more interesting than Macaulay's THE WAY THINGS WORK. Buildings are everywhere, and most everyone uses buildings of various kinds for various purposes. Yet how a building works is often a mystery. In this way, I think buildings are much like computers; most people who use them have no clue about the inner workings of them.

Edward Allen takes us through the functions of a building without going into traditional architectural theory. This book is more concerned with the needs that buildings must fulfill, and how we can fulfull them. He discusses water, waste, heat, ventilation, lighting, accoustics, energy, structure, and more, first by explaining each particular concept, and then by examining how problems can be solved with the knowledge of those concepts.

While this isn't a book on theory, neither is it a wholly practical book. That is, it won't equip you with the skills to go and build a house. But it will open your eyes to the various elements of buildings and building construction and you may think "Aha!" the next time you look at a building and observe a strange structural or design detail. You don't have to be an architecture freak to enjoy the book either. You just need to be curious.

All architecture/ building science students should own this.......2002-02-21

I practice and teach architecture. This is the best book I have ever found for communicating material essential for the study of building science and architecture. The presentation style is frendly and informative. The knowledge of the subject displayed by Edward Allen is superb. I am a unashamed book-a-holic, if I could only take one book to the proverbial desert island - How Buildings Work would be it.

The Works of P. Virgilius Maro, with the original text reduced to the natural order of construction; and an Interlinear Translation, as nearly literal to the idionatic difference of the Latin and Englsih languages will allow . . .

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The Works of P. Virgilius Maro, with the original text reduced to the natural order of construction; and an Interlinear Translation, as nearly literal to the idionatic difference of the Latin and Englsih languages will allow . . .
eds.] P. Virgilius Maro [Virgil] [Levi Hart & V. R. Osborn
Manufacturer: Charles DeSilver
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000NKPM7I

The Holy Order of Water: Healing the Earth's Waters and Ourselves

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The Holy Order of Water
You'll Be Restored
The most important book you will read this year
The Holy Order of Water:Healing the Earth's Waters and Ourselves
Living Water

The Holy Order of Water: Healing the Earth's Waters and Ourselves
William E. Marks
Manufacturer: Bell Pond Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Healing | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 088010483X

Book Description

Long gone are the days of drinking naturally pure water from flowing rivers and streams. It is already common today for people to use bottled water or home water filtration systems for their drinking water. How have we come to such a predicament, and what can be done about it? Continuing pollution, ever increasing population and industrial demands, destruction of the rainforests, overpumping of the ground water are all responsible for the deterioration of water quality— but the underlying reason, as William Marks shows in this wide-ranging, thoughtful book, is a lack of understanding of and respect for the nature of water itself.

Marks covers such diverse topics as water's role in the origin of the universe and of life, cosmic rain and water in interstellar space, water in the myths of various peoples and religious traditions, the power of water in the many forms it takes in the natural world, vortex energy and living water, water and the human body, water healing, and a history of water pollution. He offers hope for the future by discussing the work of such visionaries as Theodor Schwenk and Viktor Schauberger. Marks shows us that finally water can be understood only when seen as the mediator not just between life and death but between the physical world and the spiritual world as well.

Customer Reviews:

The Holy Order of Water.......2007-04-23

I am an artist and read The Holy Order of Water about three years ago when I was painting a body of work about water. This interesting mix of personal anecdotes, mythology, and science, supports the realization that I've had after living on a lake for 14 years that water is alive. It gave me lots to ponder while working and I've since decided to focus all of my work on water. Thank you, William E. Marks, for your efforts to raise awareness and preserve water resources.

You'll Be Restored.......2006-09-22

Hello H2O Lovers,

As a layperson on the path of being a true leader in the H2O movement, I am very glad to have been offered this book to open my eyes about the elixir of life.

This book is astounding in its clarity and authenticity. Its fun to read and brings home my actual deepest feelings about water.

It brings you a masterful tapestry from the authors life story, the science, the philosophy and even the spirituality of water.

Read it. I promise it will trasform your life and it will transform your relationship with water.

You will never relate to a cup of water in quite the same way again.

Truly,
Leslie Gabriel aka WaterMan
Host Of "And So It Flows"
WBCR 97.7 FM Great Barrington, MA

The most important book you will read this year.......2006-01-20

This book is as important to the Earth as Water itself. Many of us are increasingly concerned about what we are doing to the environment. Our concerns about the plight of water and its importance to the survival of life on this planet are addressed magnificently in this book that describes powers of water of which even I was unaware!

Water is a mystical, magical substance, and oh how we take it for granted; filling it with carmel coated sugar substances for profit; tossing our waste products into it as if it had no value of its own, wasting it on "the perfect lawn" which servies absolutely no purpose or function, or even washing our cars, which cry the death knoll of Earth daily.

Care enough about Water to read this book. Pass it on to your friends. Give it as a gift for Arbor Day, Earth Day, Valentine's day. It's the most important book you will read this year.

The Holy Order of Water:Healing the Earth's Waters and Ourselves.......2006-01-14

William Mark's book, Holy Order of Water is extraordinary. It has given me soulful connection in understanding water and what it really means for us, as humans, and for myself, personally. The book is filled with fascinating scientific information that I can read (and have chosen to re-read, time and time again), as it enlightens even a non scientist, like myself, to understand what is happening with our water and what we can ultimately do to survive. The wealth of content on rituals and traditions with water throughout the world and time makes this book a valuable resource. Mark's bold statement of "polluting our planet's water is the same as poisoning the blood in our bodies" illustrates his strong passion on the subject and his ability to awakens the reader to the urgency for change. Marks' intimate relationship with water touches on all levels from the physical, mental, to spiritual and is awe-inspiring. It is sublime and yet profound. Holy Order of Water is truly an enjoyable and intriguing read.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book are:
"As we continue to evolve, we will learn how water was, is and always will be the source of our awakening and survival;" "The more of us who believe in the idea that we can create a world that lives in harmony with the teachings of water, the greater the possibility that it will happen in reality;" "You, and your offspring, as members of the human race will either survive or die according to your relationship with water;" "Whatever your situation, there are opportunities available for you to help yourself, your family, and humanity to enjoy a better life through water, and to reduce your life's negative impact on our sensitive water world."

I highly recommend this book.

Living Water .......2005-05-15

The Holy Order of Water is a beautiful orchestra of science, spirituality, healing and hope. Throughout the book, William Marks weaves his awe-inspiring adventures of life and love with water. While Marks makes the interconnectivity between mankind, water and the universe utterly clear; you get that his relationship with water is special. He is not just giving us information or telling the story of water; he loves it deeply. His commitment and passion is beautiful and it makes this book wholly unique and fascinating. I read this book in a day and I continue to go back to it for specific water-related facts, quotes, and information on people/places referenced in the book.

Serengeti: Natural Order on the African Plain

Average customer rating:

Circle of Life in East Africa Documented in Stunning Photographs
Excellent choice if you're going or have gone...
Picture book
Pictures, just pictures
Wildlife and nature photography at its best!

Serengeti: Natural Order on the African Plain

Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Tanzania | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0877014418

Book Description

Spending 18 months on the Serengeti Plain of eastern Africa, Iwago captures in nearly 300 extraordinary full-color images a world of calm beauty and quick violence, where the daily drama of life and death for over two million animals is played against a spectacular landscape. Sure to win a new round of fans, this classic, best-selling (over 90,000 copies sold!) volume of wildlife photography is now available in a handsomely jacketed new hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Circle of Life in East Africa Documented in Stunning Photographs.......2006-08-29

Pay heed to the subtitle of this book - "Natural Order on the African Plain" - as it does not shy away from images that may not show up in a children's book. I'm so glad this tome is still in publication, as it is a beautifully photographed document of life and death on the Serengeti Plain that stretches across Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. Photographer Mitsuaki Iwago has captured the vibrancy of the mythic wildlife of this expansive area, in particular, the scope of the Great Migration, when over a million wildebeest and zebra travel hundreds of miles in search of water.

Iwago has a wondrous eye for detail, whether it's an uninterrupted pattern of zebras with their heads bowed to drink up from a watering hole or a gaggle of hungry hawks gnawing on the dead carcass of a lion. My personal favorites are any pictures showing adult animals and their children and the ones showing the Masai villagers living so naturally amid the wildlife. Even the eye-wincing scenes of death make for vivid reminders of how essential the cycle of life is on the plain. I have been lucky enough to have been on safari on the Masai Mara, which is the northern part of the plain, and the images in Iwago's book perfectly evoke my experiences on the range rover as we looked at life happen. This is a great coffee-table book at the right size not to be overwhelming.

Excellent choice if you're going or have gone..........2006-08-04

This book has the pictures we wish we could have taken, excellent information, covers the serengeti from rain season to dry. Highly recommend for someone going to or who has been to the serengeti.

Picture book.......2004-01-27

The pictures are stunning.

But it is only a coffee-table book, and there it will remain, because pictures is all it is. You get no sense of place; it is impossible to orient yourself ... a nice picture of an elephant is just that, and this book provides no context whatever.

But, it does have nice pictures.

Pictures, just pictures.......2002-05-17

The pictures are fine, but this book won't show anyone interested in wildlife anything new - & it doesn't explain anything...

Wildlife and nature photography at its best!.......2002-01-21

These images bring the Serengeti to you. This being largely a pictoral tour of the Serengeti, words do it little justice. If you are an intelligent animal lover with a pulse, you will pay twice the cover price for this book.

Performance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin: Out of the Natural Order

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Performance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin: Out of the Natural Order
Jane Goodall
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0415243777

Book Description

Performance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin reveals the ways in which the major themes of evolution wre taken up in the performing arts during Darwin's adult lifetime and in the generation after his death.
The period 1830-1900 was the formative period for evolutionary ideas. While scientists and theorists investigated the law and order of nature, show business was more concerned with what was out of the natural order. Missing links and throwbacks, freak taxonomies and exotic races were favorite subject matter for the burgeoning variety theatre movement. Focusing on popular theatre forms in London, New York and Paris, Jane Goodall shows how they were interwoven with the developing debate about human evolution.
With this book, Goodall contributes an important new angle to the debates surrounding the history of evolution. She reveals that, far from creating widespread culture shock, Darwinian theory tapped into some of the long-standing themes of popular performance and was a source for diverse and sometimes hilarious explorations.

Democracy: The God that Failed: The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy, and Natural Order

Average customer rating:

Democracy: caveat emptor :-).
A blueprint for liberty
the only book on political theory you will ever need
Valuable but flawed work
We need more books like this

Democracy: The God that Failed: The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy, and Natural Order
Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Manufacturer: Transaction Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Democracy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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History & Theory | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

The Myth of National Defense
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Man, Economy, and State with Power and Market (Scholars Edition)
Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature and Other Essays

ASIN: 0765808684

Customer Reviews:

Democracy: caveat emptor :-)........2007-09-27

I liked this clearly writtten book with its novel viewpoint and analysis about the perils of government which is not limited in its scope and is firmly believed to be acting for the good by way of democracy. It occurred to me after reading chapter 1 that the current situation in Burma is simply the Junta exercising its high time preference to leapfrog the democratic process and go straight to the logical consequences of contemporary democracy. This would be a valuable book for the Burmese pro-democracy leadership to read, so that they might not repeat the mistakes of the world's most recently liberated states.

The conclusion that the state should be replaced by insurance companies and contracts is reasonable, and does currently work in certain classes of international business activity to circumvent the complications and delays of inter-state law, but I suspect--if computer security is anything to judge by--security and sophisticated scare-mongering would become a dominant preoccupation and divert capital from more productive activity.

The state as a monopoly is democratically granted its temporary monopoly, and although any constitution is simply a piece of paper which may be capable of abuse by interpretation and manipulation, it is up to the electorate to exercise good judgement in their electoral choices. Which is another good reason for many to read this book at this juncture in time. Furthermore--as a crude metaphor--just because a metal ladder doesn't specify hat it should not be leaned against overhead electricity cables, sufficient 'a priori' knowledge should avoid this from happening instead of having to legislate for the banning of metal ladders and pursue claims for damage or death through the courts and seek compensation by way of insurance.

A blueprint for liberty.......2007-09-14

This, for me, has been perhaps the most important book I have ever read, as it introduced me to the Austrian School and libertarianism more generally. In my earlier youth I had been a staunch monarchist (with somewhat anti-capitalist biases), and thus the book's defence of monarchy had piqued my interest. In short order I purchased the book. Given that I read it without a sufficient background in either Economics or Philosophy (both of which I am in my second year of studying now), it was a difficult read. Nonetheless, the author's clear prose and intelligent commentary and explanations aided me through reading and partially understanding the content of his work. The book is heavily packed both with theoretical and empirical insights, and the author makes a convincing case for his thesis that monarchy provided a better framework for liberty than democracy, that the logical conclusion of classical liberal thought ought to have been market anarchism and not minarchism, and that this largely is the cause of the movement's slow death, and that conservatism needs to make a return to basic principles. The author is particularly excellent when writing on the topic of private defence and the evolution of the city and cooperation.

A few problems I have with the book; although I appreciate Hoppe's tendency to include multiple footnotes, a lot of their content could've been integrated into the core text. Better editing of the book could've avoided instances of repetition. I disagree almost entirely with Hoppe's thesis on immigration in a democratic State (which has been the source of much undeserved controversy surrounding the author, mainly by unscrupulous individuals, and I also believe that the author overstates the necessity of the libertarian to be a cultural conservative (though the reverse certainly is true.) Hoppe also does not offer a full grounding of his theory on property in this book, but given that it is not the core topic of the volume, I can forgive the oversight. This is not a book for beginners in Economics, Philosophy or political economy. I recommend reading this book after one has read Rothbard's For a new Liberty, and after one has achieved a sufficient grounding in economic and philosophical theory (Economic Logic is an excellent place to start.) In spite of these flaws, the author's contribution is invaluable, and ought to be on any serious thinker's bookshelf.

the only book on political theory you will ever need.......2007-07-29

Personally I had never fallen for the myth of democracy (neither had any of the founding fathers of America; do a web search on James Madison quotes, for example). It ought to be obvious to any thinking person, or anyone who talks to the typical voter, that mob rule cannot work. But my objection was always more along the lines of that of Traditionalists, such as Julius Evola. Despite my knowledge of Austrian economics, of which Hoppe is of course a devotee, I had never thought of objecting on a purely economic basis.

That's what makes this book so valuable: Hoppe uses the only existing valid economic theory to demolish any illusions any serious person might have about mob rule.

The book is not perfect. Hoppe lacks the perspective that comes with an understanding of history as cyclical. This causes him to imagine that ideas are what drives social organizations; of course, ideas are only invented after the fact, to rationalize whatever stage a given society has reached. Humans act on instinct. All civilizations pass through the same phases. There is nothing that can stop the ongoing collapse of the West. Likewise, monarchies always follow the anarcho-capitalism phase Hoppe prefers (which in practical terms will reduce to a benign feudalism, as the natural elites emerge as rulers of small domains). Monarchies are in turn replaced by mobs as the society comes unglued. It is much the same on the individual level. The poor strive and save and become rich; the rich become decadent and spend their capital inheritance, and again become poor, and the cycle starts anew...

Nevertheless this is the best book on political theory I have seen simply because it is the only one written from the perspective of real economics. It gets extra points for not shrinking from very important ideas which are controversial, for example footnoting the work of social scientists such as J. P. Rushton, which of course the false schools of sociologists and egalitarians despise and fear. And personally I like this better than Evola's pro-monarchist works because it doesn't ever devolve into mushy mysticism. An absolute must for the bookshelf of anyone who wants to understand the exact mechanisms by which the West was undone.

Valuable but flawed work.......2006-03-16

Democracy: The God That Failed, by noted market anarchist Hans-Hermann Hoppe, is a valuable but flawed book. First I'll talk about the valuable, and then about the flaw.

First of all, Democracy is an invaluable resource (hah !) when Hoppe discusses the differences in the incentive systems of monarchy and democracy. In chapter 1, "On Time Preference, Government, and the Process of Decivilization", Hoppe explains the concept of time preference, how a future-oriented (low time preference) economy is the mark of progress, and how government, both because of its attacks against property and the legitimacy of these attacks, is inherently destructive to time preference, and thus progress. He also introduces the notion of monarchy as private ownership of government, and democracy as public ownership of government, and how the passage from monarchy to democracy raises time preference in governance, destroying all the remaining incentives for the ruling class to contain their attacks on private property.

In chapter 2,Hoppe gets into the meat of the incentive systems, and how they flow from the concept of time preference. While these chapters get a bit repetitive, they provide plenty of information on the topic. Here is a little list :
* The historical transition from monarchy to democracy (p50-54).
* The rise of the democratic income tax (p54-56) - while monarchies did not typically raise more than 5-8% of their population's resources, the income tax has brought this percentage higher than 50% in most countries.
* The rise in democratic government employment (p56) - government employees represented 3-5% of the workforce in the early 1900s, and around 15% by the seventies.
* The imposition of fiat money by democracies and the resulting inflation (p56-58) - transforming the gradual deflation under monarchies (with periodic failed attempts at fiat money) with the brutal inflation we know today.
* The absurd rise in national debts (p59-60).
* The rise in legislation and the creation of a legislative class (p61-62).
* The rise in interest rates, proving a rise in time preference (p62-65) - Between the 19th century and the rise of democracy, interest rates had attained a historic low of below 3%, while today they sit at 4-5% and higher depending on the times.
* The rise in military spending (p65) - while monarchies spent most of their budget on militaries, the amount of GDP taken by modern militaries is higher than it was in the past.
* The lower birthrates (p66) - which seems like a bizarre addition and not a very good argument, but is explained by Hoppe's conservatism, which I will discuss.
* A discussion about the numerous factors influencing crime rate, including time preference (p66-68).

This, to me, is the most valuable chapter in the book.

In chapter 3, "On Monarchy, Democracy, Public Opinion, and Deligitimation", Hoppe examines the phenomena of public opinion and how it is twisted by the democratic process. Hoppe also proposes, on pages 70-75 and 91-94, a process of deligitimation as the best solution to eliminate government. Chapter 4, "On Democracy, Redistribution, and the Destruction of Property", continues on this theme, discussing the destructive redistributive nature of democracy.

In chapter 5, Hoppe examines the concepts of centralization and secession, when one or the other can be conductive to freedom, and why secession would be beneficial in today's increasingly centralized democratic superstructures.

In chapter 6, "On Socialism and Desocialization", Hoppe changes gears completely and examines how the process of desocialization should have proceeded in former Soviet territories and how it should proceed in today's democracies.

I'm afraid this is where my praises end. Most of the rest of the book is dedicated to two main propositions : that immigration should be restricted, and that conservatism is the best social system. By conservative, Hoppe means "someone who believes in the existence of a natural order, a natural state of affairs which corresponds to the nature of things: of nature and man" (p187). While this is uncontroversial, what he really means is that a conservative believes, as an act of faith, that society should be "based and centered on families" (p201), "families, kinship relations, cmmunities, authority and social hierarchy" (p203), and that the "heads of families and households reassert their ultimate authority as judge in all internal family affairs" (p185). These are, to me, repulsive statements.

It seems he intends his conservatism to be an extension of the concept of natural aristocracy. Now let me be honest. I am not, in any sense of the word, an egalitarian, a populist, or a liberal. I agree that natural aristocracies must develop and are necessary. I am definitely "conservative" in Hoppe's general definition... but not in his more specific definition. His primitivist conclusion that family, race and community need to become the focus of society, and that family is the source of civilization, seems very unproven. Family, as Stefan Molyneux points out, is the fundamental source of coercion and collectivism. As such, the conservatism of Hoppe is no different from anarcho-syndicalism : it replaces one democratic state with a multitude of oppressive concentrated states (in this case, parenthood). Therefore his whole thesis seems futile : in trying to destroy both monarchy and democracy, he desires to create millions of familial monarchies.

In fact, it seems to me that family structures are definitely anti-aristocratic. Your family is not chosen, the "head of the household" is not chosen on the basis of merit, and neither is the right to have children. Traditionally, "reproductive rights" and familial supremacy have been associated with egalitarianism, not elitism. Historical anarchies also do not prove his thesis that familial supremacy is natural - they are definitely tribalist, but not so primitivist as to collapse back to family units as supreme. So I think Hoppe's argument fails the burden of proof and fails on the face of the evidence.

His points on immigration are also good on surface but flawed in depth. He makes the excellent argument that immigration would be much less of a problem if free trade was the norm. But from this, he uses dubious arguments about the need for distance between races and cultures to justify restricting immigration to unprecedented levels. Once again, I agree with his basic thesis - that multiculturalism is not good in itself - but once again he seems to be buying into liberal rhetoric (this time, about cultural exclusivity) to fuel his aristocratic position. It just doesn't work.

This book has extensive footnotes, sometimes dwarfing the main text, but usually for good reason. His quotes are often interesting additions to the book proper.

My final verdict is that I'm keeping the book on the basis of its first chapters, which make excellent reference material. The second half of the book is a case taken in weird directions and which lacks the rigor and justification of his excellent case that monarchies have better incentive systems than democracies. I would recommend this book to anyone who is either a family-worshipping anarchist or someone who can stand the bad parts of the book to get the good parts.

We need more books like this.......2006-03-15

Dr. Hoppe is one of the best libertarian/anarcho-capitalist writers out there. This book is well argued and well written. More writers should take Hoppe's lead in expanding on the themes here. Even if one finds contention with some of his ideas, largely one is left with a refreshing perspective not found in the usual drivel to be had in the social sciences. Highly recommended and worth having as a reference and an example of how to write well and reason well.
Certainly for a libertarian or anyone interested in the themes of freedom this is a must have. Highly recommended.

Order in the Court: Crafting a More Just World in Lawless Times (Reflections on the Essence of the Law)

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Order in the Court: Crafting a More Just World in Lawless Times (Reflections on the Essence of the Law)
Benjamin Sells
Manufacturer: Element Books Ltd
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International Environmental Law: Fairness, Effectiveness, and World Order

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International Environmental Law: Fairness, Effectiveness, and World Order
Elli Louka
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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International Human Rights in Context: Law, Politics, Morals

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This book analyzes the law and policy for the management of global common resources. As competing demands on the global commons are increasing, the protection of environment and the pursuit of growth give rise to all sorts of conflicts. It also analyzes issues in the protection of the global commons from a fairness, effectiveness and world order perspective. The author examines whether the current policymaking and future trends point to a fair allocation of global common resources that is effective in protecting the environment and the pursuit of sustainable development. The author looks at the cost-effectiveness of international environmental law and applies theories of national environmental law to international environmental problems. Chapters include analysis on areas such as marine pollution, air pollution, fisheries management, transboundary water resources, biodiversity, hazardous and radioactive waste management, state responsibility and liability.

The Principles of Social Order: Selected Essays of Lon L Fuller

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The Principles of Social Order: Selected Essays of Lon L Fuller
Lon L. Fuller
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The Morality of Law, Revised Edition (The Storrs Lectures Series)

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Lon Fuller coined the term "eunomics" for "the study of good order and workable social arrangements." The essays in this volume--representing most of the work of his mature years--are his "exercises in eunomics." They are studies of the principal forms of legal order, including contract, adjudication, mediation, legislation, and administration. In addition, the volume includes several essays on legal education and the ethics of lawyering. The volume also includes a lecture on freedom published here for the first time, in which Fuller develops the idea that the forms of legal order are the diverse vehicles by which freedom is effectively exercised in society.

The Music of the Spheres: Music, Science, and the Natural Order of the Universe

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Not a definitive exposition but a nice introduction
Regrettably Concise
Fabulous!
A beautifully written history of music and science.

The Music of the Spheres: Music, Science, and the Natural Order of the Universe
Jamie James
Manufacturer: Springer
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Book Description

The parallel histories of music and science - from celestial harmony to cosmic dissonance. For centuries, scientists and philosophers believed that the universe was a stately, ordered mechanism, mathematical and musical. The perceived distances between objects in the sky mirrored (and were mirrored by) the spaces between notes that formed chords and scales. The smooth operation of the cosmos created a divine harmony that composers sought to capture. With The Music of the Spheres, readers will see how this scientific philosophy emerged, how it was shattered by changing views of the universe and the rise of Romanticism, and to what extent it survives today. From Pythagoras to Newton, Bach to Beethoven, and on into the twentieth century of Einstein, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Cage, and Glass, this is a spellbinding examination of the interwoven fates of science and music throughout history.

Customer Reviews:

Not a definitive exposition but a nice introduction.......2001-06-20

Jamie James did not write, in this work, the definitive exposition on The Music of the Spheres. What is contained in this work is, however, an excellent introduction into the topic in my opinion. Many of the key players are mentioned and a bit of biographical background information is presented with them which provides a good reference point for more reading.

As a good introduction should, this book starts in the ancient past with Pythagoras and Plato and moves right up to the 20th century. There is a bit, perhaps, of editorial bias on some of the characters that have been involved in this topic throughout history; nevertheless, one is not put off on anyone mentioned by the book if someone decided they'd like more than an introductory course in the Music of the Spheres.

As it was my intention, before even reading this book, to look deep into this subject, I was not put off at all by the historical coverage of the topic as opposed to a more practical treatment. It's not an in-depth practical work on the Music of the Spheres, but as an introduction to the topic and coverage of some of the historical and biographical background, I was not left disappointed.

A very interesting read, it fueled the desire to look deeper into the subject and helped shed a little background and perspective on a few of the historical figures connected with the topic. Worth the read, even twice.

Regrettably Concise.......2000-04-24

I began reading this book with the highest of expectations, based both upon the credentials of the author and the reviews contained herein. However, now that I have completed it, I must rate it with some personal disappointment. Although the book is some 230 pages long and covers several millennia worth of history, its structure lends the feeling that it is a collection of condensed articles taken from the pages of periodicals. Anyone who reads Discovery Magazine will immediately recognize this factually succinct trait.

And succinct is what best describes the depth of information presented by this book. It provides a very thorough lineage of relevant historical figures throughout the ages, but sadly it only gives the majority of them a cursory mention. While he devotes alot of attention to the specific numerological devices of Pythagoras and such, very little of their ideas are easily comprehendible according to his fragmented explanations, and the reader must go to an outside source to grasp their true mechanics. The passages concerning musical scales suffers especially from a lack of explanation, and if I had not already possessed an insight into their nature, I would have been utterly befuddled about what Mr. James was trying to tell me.

Further on, the author begins to insert his personal opinions about the people he is describing. In an interesting chronicle of a minor feud between Kepler and Fludd, Mr. James draws sides immediately and nearly dismisses Fludd as a mystic who merely regurgitated archaic knowledge, but only after slight after slight does he admit, seemingly regrettably and with an apologetic tone, that the very crux of Kepler's argument was wrong. And worse still, near the end he offers the opinion that Brahms was the `most cosmic' composer of all time, and then in no way supports his conjecture. It is incredibly frustrating to try and figure out why the author feels the way he does about almost every subject he brings up, an obstacle made even more difficult given the author's semi bombastic, abstruse sentence structure. A notable exception to this is his chapter on Newton, which was the most thorough and intelligible character description offered.

In summation, the phrase `A brief and cursory history of' should be inserted before its title to give any potential reader an accurate idea of what this interesting-yet uneven and biased-account of the dissolution of and between science and music achieves. It mentions fascinating concepts and ideas, but altogether it does little more than refer to them with a glib capacity.

Fabulous!.......1999-12-27

Get inside the mind of Pitagoras and Plato and discover an extraordinary interpretation of music. Then drift away through Reinassence Science till the XX century and find how connected the universe, the music and the human mind are. Music can even start a rebellion, as it happened in Belgica.

A beautifully written history of music and science........1998-07-12

This is a beautifully written exposition of both the harmony between music and science before the Renaissance, and the separation of the two into divergent disciplines after. James captures the beauty of the beliefs of the early musician-scientists, and how their contemplations sought to explain the meaning of life, God, and (like the Unification Theory of today) all existence. It is a fascinating story of how, one by one, scientific proofs separated science from the arts as knowledge increased. The book is well-explained, stimulating to the higher brain, and soothing to the lower brain. (Sorry, but if you get that, then you get it--and the book.) A rare non-fiction in that I never put it down.

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