In An Arena for Higher Powers Olof Sundqvist investigates ceremonial buildings and religious ruler strategies in Late Iron Age Scandinavia (i.e. AD 550-1050/1100). The author offers here an account of the role played by religion in political undertakings among the pre-Christian ruling elites at halls and cultic buildings. Sundqvist applies a regional approach, so as to be able to account for the specific historical, cultural and social contexts. The focus is mainly on three regions, the Lake Malaren area in Sweden, Trondelag in Norway, and Iceland. Since the political structure and other contextual aspects partly differed in the three regions, the religious strategies for gaining legitimacy and authorization at the sanctuaries also varied to some extent in these areas.

State Oddities takes a different kind of look at the American nation, spotlighting the fun foibles, peculiarities, and twists in each of the 50 states that are (mostly) united under the Stars and Stripes. State Oddities is a fascinating trip through the 50 states for students studying America, teachers planning classroom activities, and general readers who will enjoy an eye-opening journey through the nation's fun side. It offers a compelling look at the character of America through the individuality of 50 very distinct states that together form the USA. This book paints a picture of the broad sweep of the American story, offering a gateway to the country as it developed into one nation filled with individual states that can be remarkably different from each other, yet unified under such national symbols as the American flag and "The Star-Spangled Banner." The author of State Oddities has become known as a master of "painless history," telling America's story in a sparkling style along with the historian's eye for fascinating detail. On the book's cross-country journey, the reader will find that it differs from other works by taking a fresh look at stories we think we know. Engaging, entertaining, readable, and informative narratives for both students and adults Teacher-friendly entries on each state form the building blocks for history, geography, and social studies projects Lively sidebars add spice to the book Helpful Fact Box overviews for each state Fascinating images in every state entry Bibliographic references and suggestions for further information

Dear reader, if you are holding in your hands the book "Legends of the Phoenix" by A.V.Trehlebov, then in just a moment a magnificent journey awaits you filled with fascinating knowledge about the hidden history of our world and some of the most fascinating societal processes to ever occur. If you have already read a few dozen books on the subject but are still asking yourself the questions "Who am i?" "What is my purpose here?" or "Why do we die?" then this book will become a treasure within your library. If you are still searching for the answers to the age old questions of the origins of life on earth, the origins and evolution of our modern civilization, the origins of different races, the true history of the people on earth, our spiritual growth as humans, or the universal laws of the universe, then this book has come to you at the right time. Through years of scientific study, this non-fiction tractate is written in a simple yet fascinating manner and is suitable for all readers. The phoenix, as in the title of the book, is an ancient Russian symbol symbolizing the rebirth of Russia and the Slavic people. From folk tales it is written that these birds rise from their ashes, are then reborn in a magical flame and appear in a purer form. Since history has always been written by, and for the benefit of the current rulers, disregarding any previous facts or knowledge, we use the experience and heritage of our ancestors which have been laid out in the "Legends of the Phoenix." "Legends of the Phoenix" is devoted to the revival of the ancient, million year old culture and heritage of the Slavic people. The information in this book has deep roots from the Slavic Vedas dating back hundreds of thousands of years with knowledge not yet fully discovered by our modern civilization. Consisting of two parts, the first part "Origin of the Slavic-Aryans" discusses the root origins of the Slavic people, the ancient texts and archaeological monuments, the eon old Slavic ancestry, our beliefs, morals, commandments, and the answers to the mysterious wise tales of the Slavs. The second part called "The Path to Light" discusses the connection and meaning of the Slavic and Hindu Vedas, the stages of the ancient Slavic spiritual belief "Rodoveriye," the meaning of spiritual development, the paths and goals of our ancient societies, the wisdom behind each stage of life and how to get ready for and create virtuous offspring, the nature of divine and demonic entities and their purpose, the importance of understanding your inner self and past lives, the structure of all our energy bodies, the origins of the Vedas, what it means to have a non-dualistic view of the universe, and the secrets of the Golden Path.

This new volume addresses the lasting contribution made by Central European emigre designers to twentieth-century American design and architecture. The contributors examine how oppositional stances in debates concerning consumption and modernism's social agendas taken by designers such as Felix Augenfeld, Joseph Binder, Josef Frank, Paul T. Frankl, Frederick Kiesler, Richard Neutra, and R. M. Schindler in Europe prefigured their later adoption or rejection by American culture. They argue that emigres and refugees from fascist Europe such as Gyoergy Kepes, Paul Laszlo, Victor Papanek, Bernard Rudofsky, Xanti Schawinsky, and Eva Zeisel drew on the particular experiences of their home countries, and networks of emigre and exiled designers in the United States, to develop a humanist, progressive, and socially inclusive design culture which continues to influence design practice today.

Architecture and Control makes a collective critical intervention into the relationship between architecture, including virtual architectures, and practices of control since the turn of the twentieth to twenty-first centuries. Authors from the fields of architectural theory, literature, film and cultural studies come together here with visual artists to explore the contested sites at which, in the present day, attempts at gaining control give rise to architectures of control as well as the potential for architectures of resistance. Together, these contributions make clear how a variety of post-2000 architectures enable control to be established, all the while observing how certain architectures and infrastructures allow for alternative, progressive modes of control, and even modes of the unforeseen and the uncontrolled, to arise. Contributors are: Pablo Bustinduy, Rafael Dernbach, Alexander R. Galloway, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Maria Finn, Runa Johannessen, Natalie Koerner, Michael Krause, Samantha Martin-McAuliffe, Lorna Muir, Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen, Anne Elisabeth Sejten and Joey Whitfield

Each century has its own unique approach toward addressing the problem of high density and the 21st century is no exception. As cities try to cope with rapid population growth - adding 2.5 billion dwellers by 2050 - and grapple with destructive sprawl, politicians, planners and architects have become increasingly interested in the vertical city paradigm. Unfortunately, cities all over the world are grossly unprepared for integrating tall buildings, as these buildings may aggravate multidimensional sustainability challenges resulting in a `vertical sprawl' that could have worse consequences than `horizontal' sprawl. By using extensive data and numerous illustrations this book provides a comprehensive guide to the successful and sustainable integration of tall buildings into cities. A new crop of skyscrapers that employ passive design strategies, green technologies, energy-saving systems and innovative renewable energy offers significant architectural improvements. At the urban scale, the book argues that planners must integrate tall buildings with efficient mass transit, walkable neighbourhoods, cycling networks, vibrant mixed-use activities, iconic transit stations, attractive plazas, well-landscaped streets, spacious parks and engaging public art. Particularly, it proposes the Tall Building and Transit Oriented Development (TB-TOD) model as one of the sustainable options for large cities going forward. Building on the work of leaders in the fields of ecological and sustainable design, this book will open readers' eyes to a wider range of possibilities for utilizing green, resilient, smart, and sustainable features in architecture and urban planning projects. The 20 chapters offer comprehensive reading for all those interested in the planning, design, and construction of sustainable cities.