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GREEN BEGINNINGS

Name: GREEN BEGINNINGS
Author: Avrim and Vicki Topel
ISBN: 978-1-4392-1219-6

by Avrim and Vicki Topel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 2, 2008

An excellent, informative guide to sustainable building.

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A couple’s autobiographical account of constructing a green, sustainable home.

While â€œgreen” has become a buzzword for anything from cleaning products to cars, most people participate in environmentalism only when it’s easy or convenient. The Topels’ passion for an ecologically sustainable home was neither. Before building a green home from the ground up, they had little experience in sustainable construction. The couple never label themselves trailblazers, but their account of building their home in Kennett Square, Pa., makes them pioneers compared to the average consumer. Because their experience primarily revolves around architecture, construction permits, building materials and meeting industry standards, readers should be aware that their home-construction experiences might be very different. However, the authors provide sound advice and education for any builder-to-be regardless of location, with the aid of 20/20 hindsight. They describe their vegetative roof–a living, growing mixture of peat moss, mulch and soil–which provides added insulation and an interesting aesthetic. The book also offers glossaries and definitions of the terminology of green building, as well as a photo essay carefully documenting the construction from inception to completion. The only thing missing are dollar figures–while the Topels reference the cost of the home’s frame, it would have been interesting to view the final financial tally. Luckily, the book remains entertaining and educational for both the average consumer and those looking to embark on their own green journey.

An excellent, informative guide to sustainable building.

Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-4392-1219-6

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.