The definitive text of this American classicmdash;reissued with an introduction by Edward Albee (Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and A Delicate Balance) and Williams essay "Person-to-Person."Cat on a Hot Tin Roof first heated up Broadway in 1955 with its gothic American story of brothers vying for their dying fathers inheritance amid a whirlwind of sexuality; untethered in the person of Maggie the Cat. The play also daringly showcased the burden of sexuality repressed in the agony of her husband; Brick Pollitt. In spite of the public controversy Cat stirred up; it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Critics Circle Award for that year. Williams; as he so often did with his plays; rewrote Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for many yearsmdash;the present version was originally produced at the American Shakespeare Festival in 1974 with all the changes that made Williams finally declare the text to be definitive; and was most recently produced on Broadway in the 2003-04 season. This definitive edition also includes Williams essay "Person-to-Person;" Williams notes on the various endings; and a short chronology of the authors life. One of Americas greatest living playwrights; as well as a friend and colleague of Williams; Edward Albee has written a concise introduction to the play from a playwrights perspective; examining the candor; sensuality; power; and impact of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof then and now.
#502815 in eBooks 2013-01-31 2013-01-31File Name: B00B9WSLZY
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. An indispensable reference on senior living facilitiesBy Margaret P."Building Type Basics for Senior Living" is nominally authored by the founder and chairman and the president of Perkins Eastman; a large New York-based architecture and interiors firm that is not a household name but which has offices across the country and around the world and which is responsible for dozens of large projects; some of which most anyone would recognize. They are especially known for their innovative housing and healthcare projects such as the senior living facilities that are the focus of this book. Over a dozen principals and senior designers from the firm contributed to the text. The result is an excellent reference for this type of project from the experienced experts; from programming to life cycle costs for materials.Its not a particularly visually exciting or trendy book that will appeal to architecture studentsmdash;in fact; it is rather drab and drymdash;but it will have a large audience as an essential text for anyone actually involved in designing or building such facilities: architects; engineers; material suppliers; healthcare REIT executives; etc. It covers not only the basic concepts but the unique social aspects of senior housing as well as issues of great current importance such as energy usage and retrofitting historic structures. It is not only provides complete coverage of all related topics but an intensity of detail. It is well-organized and has useful appendices and a detailed index.Most of the illustrations in the print version are in black and white; although there is a section of color photographs in the middle; but the Kindle version substitutes the original color illustrations for the black and white ones in many cases and so is well worth considering even for those who normally would prefer the print edition.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Insightful and Well Edited ...By Dr. EConsidering adding this text to your collection and wondering if it is really worth the hefty price-tag? Here are some thoughts that might assist you in your decision-making process:Pros:-There is a small section in the middle of the text the provides full-color; inspirational photographs. Of course; seeing these (and they ARE beautiful); makes me wonder why Wiley Publishing cannot incorporate more full-color photos to clearly illustrate this text.-Provides a world-view. (This is a GIANT "pro"!) There is an entire chapter pertaining to "International Challenges" (307-24). It explains that while much of the world used to look to Scandinavia and the U.K. as the gold-standard for senior-housing; that has shifted to Canada and the U.S. This grants these countries the "opportunity to help newly emerging; aging societies create social; political; and economic systems that avoid the mistakes that have been made elsewhere" (307). This is intensely relevant to most who will purchase this text.-Tremendous attention to detail. Simple suggestions are provided; such as landscaping with trees that have leaves which change with the season ... since then senior residents will always have a reminder of the time of year. Additionally; having landscapers consider plants with cultural meaning and avoiding plants with toxic properties (175). These details can make the difference between a good facility and a truly extraordinary one.-Progressive. The text discusses the inclusion of work-out rooms; coffee shops; libraries; and even small theaters (58; 59; 57). These writers has their proverbial finger on the pulse of contemporary approaches to senior-living. And; thank goodness for that! These writers are stressing the creation of facilities that allow for joy. (And; hasnt that always been one of the goals of architecture and planning? To make comfortable living-spaces that have the potential to bring joy; if not comfort?).Potential Cons:-Approximately; one-quarter of each page is white space. If I were to speak optimistically; I might add that one can take copious notes in this over-sized margin. Nonetheless; it can translate as a bit of a waste. (And; those of us involved in the arts/architecture/planning genuinely tend to care about conserving resources. It would appear that this text could have included considerable fewer pages if the publisher valued space a tad more.All told; if more architects used these innovative; thoughtful approaches; the words "senior living" would not be nearly as anxiety-provoking. Purchase this without hesitation ... and begin improving lives.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. much better than the text for the college facilitiesBy ...This is a great interesting read - you can really dive into the expertise shared in it and makes the university campus one look shallow by comparison.I disagree however with some of the advisements such as the appliances to pick not because I am looking into this subject to learn to futureproof my own home but because these designs dont take into consideration the possibility of a distressed budget. I know of one assisted living facility that was designed to the nines that now cannot afford to fix their roof - if they had chosen a simpler roof; they would be able to find more contractors willing to bid on the job. I think the appliances are too built in if you follow this text and I think there should be consideration made for how easy it is to find a plumber - to open up a wall; etc.