Books about Textures from Amazon.com

As a boy, Brian Greene read Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus and was transformed Camus, in Greene's paraphrase, insisted that the hero triumphs "by relinquishing everything beyond immediate experience." After wrestling with this idea, however, Greene rejected Camus and realized that his true idols were physicists; scientists who struggled "to assess life and to experience the universe at all possible levels, not just those that happened to be accessible to our frail human senses." His driving question in The Fabric of the Cosmos, then, is fundamental: "What is reality?" Over sixteen chapters, he traces the evolving human understanding of the substrate of the universe, from classical physics to ten-dimensional M-Theory.

Assuming an audience of non-specialists, Greene has set himself a daunting task: to explain non-intuitive, mathematical concepts like String Theory, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and Inflationary Cosmology with analogies drawn from common experience. For the most part, he succeeds. His language reflects a deep passion for science and a gift for translating concepts into poetic images. When explaining, for example, the inability to see the higher dimensions inherent in string theory, Greene writes: "We don't see them because of the way we see…like an ant walking along a lily pad…we could be floating within a grand, expansive, higher-dimensional space."

For Greene, Rhodes Scholar and professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University, speculative science is not always as thorough and successful. His discussion of teleportation, for example, introduces and then quickly tables a valuable philosophical probing of identity. The paradoxes of time travel, however, are treated with greater depth, and his vision of life in a three-brane universe is compelling and--to use his description for quantum reality--"weird."

In the final pages Greene turns from science fiction back to the fringes of science fact, and he returns with rigor to frame discoveries likely to be made in the coming decades. "We are, most definitely, still wandering in the jungle," he concludes. Thanks to Greene, though, some of the underbrush has been cleared. --Patrick O'Kelley.
Price: $7.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Look great without adding bulk.

The geniuses behind Big Girl Knits present 25 all-new curve-flattering projects that explore the beauty of color & texture.

Jillian Moreno and Amy R. Singer brought the average American woman—a size 14—a collection of stylish, flattering patterns in Big Girl Knits. Now they’re back with 25 new curve-friendly projects that embrace color and texture, plus adaptations to make almost any pattern suitable for all shapes and sizes.

Part knitting instruction book and part sassy style guide, More Big Girl Knits goes beyond teaching the basics—fit, proportion, motif placement, and balance principles—to tackle all-new methods for creating knitwear with brilliant colors and sumptuous textures that voluptuous women can wear with pride. The second half of the book features attractive patterns, from jackets to sexy tank tops that are proportioned to fit and shaped to create a fetching silhouette. Packed with tips and tricks on what to avoid, what to embrace, and how to modify any design to flatter your body, this smart guide will show Big Girls how to look gorgeous in colorful, texture-rich knitwear..
Price: $18.31 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Texture makes the difference between run-of-the-mill landscapes, and paintings that spring to life. In Creating Textured Landscapes with Pen, Ink and Watercolor, pen and ink is used to add depth, impact and textural contrast - the key to realism in landscape painting. With the help of reference photos and field sketches, the author shows how to create realistic and colorful paintings of landscapes ranging from expansive mountain vistas to more intimate vignettes. Various components of landscape paintings are simplified for the reader and brought together throughout each chapter into full-page finished landscapes, giving readers a goal to work towards. The tools demonstrated are simple and fun to use plus pen and ink is used to enhance the more highly textured areas of the paintings..
Price: $13.38 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Uncover the glory in your home! Use paint to create inspired living spaces that reflect your style and your home's character

Once upon a time, there was a sad little Victorian house on the corner, abandoned by its previous owners and abused by time. Your Home, A Living Canvas is the Cinderella story of that house and its transformation into a charming, historic home, thanks to the loving care of acclaimed decorative artisan, Curtis L. Heuser.

From the grand staircase to the cozy third-floor master suite, this book takes you along on the complete floor-to-ceiling, room-by-room makeover. You'll learn about the design concepts and inspirations for each space, along with real-world how-to's behind the wall treatments, ceiling features, architectural highlights, and other exquisite details.

• A series of 25+ step-by-step demonstrations show how Heuser used murals, trompe l'oeil and faux finishes to blend old with new, reclaiming the spirit of the house's former glory, while incorporating unique personal touches.
• Covers a range of decorative styles, from the exotic crackle-finish bookcases in the study, to the Italian country villa-inspired kitchen, to a sophisticated dining room that embodies the Old World ambiance of classic European interiors.
• Offers a wealth of expert decorating advice on using color to evoke mood, displaying your collections, mixing and matching eclectic furnishings, and more.

Whether you're interested in a simple faux finish technique or are dedicated to preserving the architecture and charm of your own historic dwelling, this book will help you create a living environment rich in color, texture and atmosphere ... a place called "home.".
Price: $16.70 [Notify me when price goes down.]

For the Germans and Austrians, memorializing the Holocaust has required public recognition of their crimes; for the Jews, it has required public expression of their suffering. As James Young brilliantly demonstrates, each monument is charged with the often highly problematic struggle between collective memory and national self-image, self-interest, and the aspiration toward a future. Through the memorials and monuments, Young illuminates the process whereby the meaning of the Holocaust continues to be redefined in each new generation in Europe, Israel, and America. This richly illustrated book is a groundbreaking study of the fusion of Holocaust memory and public art in contemporary life..
Price: $22.61 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The complete how-to guide for turning faux, mural, and decorative painting skills into a viable, home-based career! Covering everything from the fundamentals of buying supplies to coping with the growing pains of a successful business, this essential sourcebook provides a wealth of tested tips and techniques on such crucial topics as getting referrals, buying insurance, building a portfolio, dealing with supply stores, evaluating job sites, negotiating prices, interviewing clients, and much more!.
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