The theory of buildings was introduced by J Tits in order to focus on geometric and combinatorial aspects of simple groups of Lie type. Since then the theory has blossomed into an extremely active field of mathematical research having deep connections with topics as diverse as algebraic groups, arithmetic groups, finite simple groups, and finite geometries, as well as with graph theory and other aspects of combinatorics. This volume is an up-to-date survey of the theory of buildings with special emphasis on its interaction with related geometries. As such it will be an invaluable guide to all those whose research touches on these themes. The articles presented here are by experts in their respective fields and are based on talks given at the 1988 Buildings and Related Geometries conference at Pingree Park, Colorado. Topics covered include the classification and construction of buildings, finite groups associated with building-like geometries, graphs and association schemes.

In addition to stamping and stencilling, various relief methods of printmaking, including lino, texture plate and collagraph, the author has included four different types of screen printing and sun and cyanotype print projects as well as how to use rust and plant materials for 'eco' type printing. Transfer methods and altered art prints offer a different take on conventional approaches to this easily accessible art form. But by far the most exciting, and largest section of the book is devoted to monotype prints and monoprinting with the focus on gel printing. Angie Franke uses her gelatine based printing pads (you'll get the recipe) and the commercial Gelli Plate - as well as a fascinating venture into clay bed printing - to explore monoprint methods in many different ways, drawing on other processes in the book to build fascinating results of richly combined layers of colour with stamp, stencil, mask and texture plate tools. Easy to follow instructions with stylish photographs will inspire anyone to give printmaking a go!

Although humble in their function, these carefully crafted barns have shaped the lives of Mainers for centuries. Built long before the days of plastic and plywood, the barns have survived for generations, each with a story to tell. In Bridgton, one barn offered comfort to a sixteen-year-old boy when his father was injured. Another New Gloucester barn was so important to one family that its likeness was engraved on their headstones. Some owners said they would rather see their houses burn than their barns, and others have dedicated their lives and livelihoods to restoring and preserving these buildings. From modest English to grand Victorian, Don Perkins examines the structures, origins and evolution of Maine's barns, demonstrating the vital and precious role they play in people's lives.

The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history and John Henry-the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill-is a towering figure in our culture. But for over a century, no one knew who the original John Henry was-or even if there was a real John Henry. In Steel Drivin' Man, Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero, telling the poignant tale of a young Virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time, the first rail route through the Appalachian Mountains. Using census data, penitentiary reports, and railroad company reports, Nelson reveals how John Henry, victimized by Virginia's notorious Black Codes, was shipped to the infamous Richmond Penitentiary to become prisoner number 497, and was forced to labor on the mile-long Lewis Tunnel for the C&O railroad. Nelson even confirms the legendary contest between John Henry and the steam drill (there was indeed a steam drill used to dig the Lewis Tunnel and the convicts in fact drilled faster). Equally important, Nelson masterfully captures the life of the ballad of John Henry, tracing the song's evolution from the first printed score by blues legend W. C. Handy, to Carl Sandburg's use of the ballad to become the first "folk singer," to the upbeat version by Tennessee Ernie Ford. We see how the American Communist Party appropriated the image of John Henry as the idealized American worker, and even how John Henry became the precursor of such comic book super heroes as Superman or Captain America. Attractively illustrated with numerous images, Steel Drivin' Man offers a marvelous portrait of a beloved folk song-and a true American legend.