Roman Villas explores the social structures of the Roman world by analysing the plans of buildings of all sizes from slightly Romanized farms to palaces. The ways in which the rooms are grouped together; how they intercommunicate; and the ways in which individual rooms and the house are approached; reveal various social patterns; which question traditional ideas about the Roman family and household. J. T. Smith argues that virtually all houses were occupied by groups of varying composition; challenging the received wisdom that they were single family houses whose size reflected only the owners wealth and number of servants.Roman Villas provides a meticulously documented and scholarly examination of the relationship between the living quarters of the Roman and their social and economic development which introduces a new area in Roman studies and a corpus of material for further analysis. The inclusion of almost 500 ground plans; drawn to a uniform scale; allows the reader to compare the similarities and differences between house structure as well as effectively illustrating the arguments.
#3044134 in eBooks 2012-10-12 2012-10-12File Name: B000Q35TNO
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Required Reading to Understand HollywoodBy Rick Spellits really frustrating as a movie lover to have so many weekends with nothing for me to see. This happens to many as they age and dont care for the youthful; tent pole; special effects movies that are now offered. The movies that are created to spin off sequels. THIS BOOK EXPLAINS THIS TREND! And it does it from the point of view of a very bright successful producer; Linda Obst who previously wrote another fascinating book; "Hello; He Lied" which I strongly recommend.In this book she examines the trends that are changing Hollywood and not to the better for people like me. Maybe the most salient fact is the percentage of foreign viewership going from 20% to over 50% so character stories where the dialog doesnt translate well are very difficult to get made in this environment given the high cost to produce movies. Another subject touched briefly but well is the trends in financing movies and the micro movie trend.Also interesting is her move to television producing as she sees her movie job disappear. This is followed by great dialog about her relationships as an on site producer at different studios. Just look at the great and popular series being done on TV like "Breaking Bad" to see where some talent is now being directed.Overall; this is the ultimate current book about the movie business; the good and the bad. I couldnt recommend this book higher.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. MUST READ; BEYOND EXCELLENCE; INSPIRING HOLLYWOOD INSIDER BOOKBy Jon Stevens AlonJust as her first book "Hello; He lied" is the best book written about a studio producer navigating the political games played and survival in Hollywood; Lynda Obsts second book is beyond excellent. Former NY Times reporter; she writes with an impressive powerful competence and first class stylization re her transformation from a studio feature film producer to studio TV produce. For me this book was a game changer as following her sage advice and insights; I am guided by the light of her inspiration in my own transformation. I highly recommend BOTH her books. This is a lioness of a woman; which one must be to succeed in Hollywood; and she her writing is gripping; and highly informative; invaluable to anyone interested in a Hollywood studio career. Having a brother; Rick Rosen; who is head of the TV Dept. at WME helps.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Book Worth Owning if Youre At All Interested in Hollywood and Film and TVs FutureBy JanetLynda Obsts second book is a gem. If you really want to know the inner-workings and future of Hollywood; this book is the one to read. I learned a great deal about how studios select projects and where there motivation is coming from -- International money and audiences. As a screenwriter; this book gave me insight into why certain genres are more likely to sell than others (and get produced). There are many solid interviews with studio moguls and top producers here as well. I found Obsts writing to be candid; often humorous; and clear about an industry that can be a mystery. The ending sections about streaming and the future of television producing and writing are terrific. Great job.