Paul Shepheards previous book; What is Architecture?; was about making real; material things in the world -- landscapes; buildings; and machines. The Cultivated Wilderness is about those landscapes; and about the strategies that govern what weve done in shaping them.In the authors words; this book is about "seeing things that are too big to see." His emphasis on strategy makes landscape fundamental -- he says that every architectural move is set in a landscape. Norman England; for example; was constructed as a network of strong points; in a strategy of occupation. The eighteenth-century grid cities of the New World reflect a strategy of reason. Our current strategy is the economic exploitation of the Earth; an intricately woven blanket of commerce that covers up a multitude of other possibilities; many other ways to treat the surface of the globe -- some of which are the landscapes revealed in this book.In a series of first-person narratives; reminiscent of his last book; the author pairs six landscapes; in order of descending scale from global to local; from the seven wonders of the ancient world to the condensed destruction of World War Is Western Front. In an engaging style; Shepheard takes the reader on an odyssey through these landscapes; meeting people and seeing places. He states that now; at the end of a century in which the appropriate landscape was sought but never found; the strategy of turning the land to profit is under review -- and offers this book as his contribution to that review.Important Notice: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images found in the physical edition.
#825954 in eBooks 2013-05-18 2013-05-18File Name: B00C0UQGC4
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Aside from being one of the best guitarists; Christopher Parkening is a master educatorBy Joanna D.Aside from being one of the best guitarists; Christopher Parkening is a master educator. Two talents together is as rare as a total solar eclipse. These books are beloved by guitar teachers and you can see by the 70s haircut and turtleneck; these are not new. Yet--they are unsurpassed.You get pages with vital technique (which will reinforce what a good teacher tells you. My teacher is a fanatic for hand position and finger control--and nothing in here contradicts him.) However; its all for naught if you cant play enjoyable music. And even the short studies that Parkening recommends you memorize and play as a warm-up are full of charming music. Some of the great Baroque repertoire is here and some familiar ditties as well. I havent found one piece in any of these books that I find musically obnoxious.Im not playing out of this book--yet. Im still working through Book 1 and actually in no hurry to get past it. But I bought Book 2 to look forward to what is to come--and because I love the guitar repertoire; especially the Baroque.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. "Emphasize on Artistry and Guitar Expressivity"By RON 101Volume II is designated for guitarists entering the intermediate level. Ive many guitar methods book but Parkening is my preferred; it contains some unique features which were insufficient or lacking in my other method books; as tone production with emphasize on tone color. Most books mention just briefly that one can change tone color by playing over the sound hole for dolce effect or close to the bridge (ponticello) for a metallic sound. Actually between those two extremes there are endless possibilities of expressions which Parkening clearly explains and demonstrates through pictures and diagrams as the engagement between string flash and nail; variety angles of string plucking; using different positions for the same pitch; diverse vibrato techniques; ornamentation ;just to name part of this vast arsenal. All those variegated sounds color enables richness of expressivity.Another unique feature is in-depth interpretation of the musical piece at hand; which helps one to understand the background and the musical construction of the composition. This section gives also performance suggestions and tips to overcome technical difficulties relating to the specific musical piece. Bottom line one ends up not just a better performer; but also a better a better understanding of music with the ability to analyze to an improved extant.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I love his booksBy Bio 101I love his books. The songs are very playable. The explanations are clear and useful. There are a lot of interesting historical and philosophical comments sprinkled in to add interest and character to the book. This book is a mix of scales; etudes; and pieces so that it could be used alone (without other books) to make enough progress so that if you learn the songs well; you can entertain yourself and your friends with quite a few pieces.