This beautiful gardening bookmdash;full of lush photographs and insightful commentarymdash;will surely give readers some new ideas for their home landscaping projects or Bali travel plans. Born of volcanic eruptions many eons ago; Bali is still in the throes of creation as man and nature continue to transform its landscapes. Balinese Gardens presents a unique portrait of the lush volcanic landscapes and gardens found on this magical islemdash;gardens which are further enhanced by traditional ornamental sculptures; tranquil ponds; fountains and sacred springs. Landscape gardener and author William Warren introduces Bali and examines the effect its landscapes have had upon notable visitors over the past century. Specialists in Balinese ecology and culture then provide a broad overview of the islands geography and plant life; including some fascinating insights into the role of nature in Balinese culture.The second part of Balinese Gardens explores Balis finest contemporary gardens in private homes; resorts and restaurants around the island; detailing the wealth of plant life; design and decoration that thte island has to offer. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 photographs by renowned photographer Luca Invernizzi Tettoni; this book is a delight for anyone with an interest in tropical plants and landscape design as well as everyone who has been entranced by the natural beauty of this remarkable island. Topics of this book include: Gardens of Eden The Balinese Landscape Plants of Bali Traditional Gardens in Bali Contemporary Balinese Gardens Gardens in Sanur The Bali Hyatt Garden In Search of Ricefield Views Begawan Giri Estate And many morehellip;
#2115042 in eBooks 2012-10-10 2012-10-10File Name: B00AHEZG3U
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. A Closer Look at Descartes - the PaintingBy David B. JohnsonThis book is an example of what I call; for lack of a better term; `popularized intellectual history where the author takes some interesting historical event or puzzle and uses it to provide a non-technical introduction to a particular thinker. (Other examples of this type of work are Matthew Stewarts The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz; Spinoza; and the Fate of God in the Modern World which is about whether Leibniz and Spinoza ever met and James R Gaines Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment about Bach meeting Frederick the Great.)Steven Nadler; here; takes a look at the often used depiction of the French philosopher Descartes that hangs in Louvre and examines whether the portrait is by the painter it is usually attributed to or whether it is actually a copy of an earlier formal portrait. Along the way he reviews early Dutch culture and politics; explains why Descartes ended up living in the Netherlands; and the importance of portraiture during this period. He also provides an introduction to Descartes thought during this period and the reactions of various friends and critics. The analysis of Descartes writings are presented in a historical fashion.Id recommend this book to anyone interested in a non-technical introduction to Descartes as well as anyone interested in the general milieu and painting history of the early Dutch Enlightenment. Readers well acquainted with Descartes looking for any new philosophical insight into his work should look elsewhere. Notes; bibliography; and index all first rate. In addition; several color plates as well as black and white figures. I gave this a 4 rating because the narrative was somewhat choppy; realizing however the difficulty of combining art history and philosophy in a single small book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good idea; okay executionBy Massimo PigliucciThis is a good idea that didnt quite work out well enough. Im fascinated by historical narratives that weave different types of cultural discourse. In this case the ingredients are all there: a fundamentally important philosopher (by some even considered the father of modern philosophy); a famous painter; the background of the religious wars in Europe; and the rise of a new nation state. And yet; those threads feel largely separate throughout the book; hardly weaved in together. And the most disappointing part is the one that covers Descartes philosophy; which is too didactical and fails to engage; even though his thinking was revolutionary for the time and is still considered pivotal today. The book still makes for a good read; but it could have been so much more.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Finally something differentBy Theofrastus NihilusI must admit I am a bit tired to the biographies of Descartes that offer nothing new and are basically just copies of the earlier biographies. I dont really like books; that are structured around the "Cogito; ergo sum". Those kind of books have already been printed too many times.This book is different; in fact it is not an ordinary biography at all. In addition to the normal investigations concerning Descartess natural science; metaphysics and mathematics; this offers a lot of information about the art history; religious; economical and political movements in 17th century Holland; publishing policy in Europe and other interesting stuff. As fas as I can see all the traditional myths and misunderstandings concerning Descartes are avoided.This book is easy to read and do not require any knowledge about the subject; but the rare publications and letters from Descartes are used often; which is good for the advanced reader.The real page numbers are great; because you cant really refer to the Kindle E-book properly if these are missing. A great way to combine scientific reading and an adventure novel. I would love to read more this kind of books.