"Site Matters" is the first comprehensive theoretical treatment of a crucial concept in urban design, planning, and architecture -- "site." The way that planners and designers have dealt with the term over the years has changed dramatically, yet little has been written on it. Initially, it simply referred the actual physical area in which a building was erected or a delimited space planned. Over the past century, though, it has gradually become a much more complicated concept, referring on occasion to the immediate surroundings of a parcel and on other occasions as part of a broader geographical complex in which different sectors interact with each other. And most recently, the site has come to be understood as a component of broader ecosystems, where the site and the broader system work upon each other. Bringing together some of the leading lights in the design and planning field, Site Matters will be essential for today's planners, designers, and architects, all of whom must wrestle with this concept.

How do writers approach a new novel? Do they start with plot, character, or theme? A. S. Byatt starts with color. E. L. Doctorow begins with an image. In Off the Page, authors tell us how they work, giving insight into their writing process. Gathered from some of today's best writers-Paul Auster, Martin Amis, Gish Jen, Dan Chaon, Alice McDermott, and many others interviewed on washingtonpost.com's "Off the Page" series-host Carole Burns has woven their wisdom into chapters illuminating to any writer or reader. How does place influence authors? How do they make a sex scene work? How do they tell when the work is done? Walter Mosley defying genre; Shirley Hazzard on love; Michael Cunningham on compassion: these and more from Richard Ford, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Charles Baxter will deepen your appreciation for the art of writing and excite you to try new ways of writing yourself.

This book is a look at the fun game of "lets play pretend" that my 4 year old twin grandchildren and I play every day. Kali and Kyle pretend to be animals, we march like we are in a parade, we think how it would feel to be popcorn or butter melting in the sun. We can be ballet dancers, basketball stars or dinosaurs. We can ride on a bus, live in a tent or be trees waving in the breeze. We can be babies, super heroes or even vegetables. The options are endless in our days of play. These games help develop their creativity and thought processes but we just call them FUN. Grandchildren are a true gift from God. There is nothing more joyful than the sound of their laughter. There is nothing more healing to a grandmother's achy joints than a 4 year old running to you with arms outstretched saying "Grandma, I love you this much " Along with the title of grandparent comes the freedom to play, giggle and spoil these kids while you love them with all your heart. A children's book is nothing with out illustrations that make kids get involved with the story. My illustrator, Amy Keech, has captured Kali and Kyle magnificently in her pictures. Her ability to let you feel like you are part of our games is unique. We hope you enjoy this book as much as we enjoyed creating it.