There has recently been much discussion, indeed argument, regarding the suitability of the Rule of St. Albert for the Carmelite Laity. In the book, the author, former praeses of the Institutum Carmelitanum in Rome and lecturer in Carmelite history and spirituality, presents a powerful defense of the suitability of Albert's Pattern for Life for all Carmelites-- laity and religious alike. In both settting a historical context for the Rule and providing a practical commentary for the laity, the author demonstrates that it is adherence to the Rule that defines a Carmelite and gives each a Carmelite identity.

You can use this book to design a house for yourself with your family; you can use it to work with your neighbors to improve your town and neighborhood; you can use it to design an office, or a workshop, or a public building. And you can use it to guide you in the actual process of construction. After a ten-year silence, Christopher Alexander and his colleagues at the Center for Environmental Structure are now publishing a major statement in the form of three books which will, in their words, "lay the basis for an entirely new approach to architecture, building and planning, which will we hope replace existing ideas and practices entirely." The three books are The Timeless Way of Building, The Oregon Experiment, and this book, A Pattern Language. At the core of these books is the idea that people should design for themselves their own houses, streets, and communities. This idea may be radical (it implies a radical transformation of the architectural profession) but it comes simply from the observation that most of the wonderful places of the world were not made by architects but by the people. At the core of the books, too, is the point that in designing their environments people always rely on certain "languages," which, like the languages we speak, allow them to articulate and communicate an infinite variety of designs within a forma system which gives them coherence. This book provides a language of this kind. It will enable a person to make a design for almost any kind of building, or any part of the built environment. "Patterns," the units of this language, are answers to design problems (How high should a window sill be? How many stories should a building have? How much space in a neighborhood should be devoted to grass and trees?). More than 250 of the patterns in this pattern language are given: each consists of a problem statement, a discussion of the problem with an illustration, and a solution. As the authors say in their introduction, many of the patterns are archetypal, so deeply rooted in the nature of things that it seemly likely that they will be a part of human nature, and human action, as much in five hundred years as they are today.

From the author of The Automatic Diet: “A useful yet fun book that could provide the push you all need to achieve lasting change” (Shape). Ever get the sense that you’re reliving the same events, arguments, and frustrations again and again? Does your relationship, job, or diet always begin full of hope, but, somehow, fail to work out in the end? In Breaking the Pattern, nutrition and public health advocate Dr. Charles Platkin synthesizes years of research in psychology, motivation, success, and achievement into the “The 5 Principles You Need to Remodel Your Life,” helping readers take action in those areas where they feel stuck or doomed to repeat negative experiences. Through a series of self-reflective exercises, Platkin encourages readers to examine their successes and failures, identifying, analyzing, and finally breaking the very patterns that have kept them from realizing their dreams. By incorporating inspirational quotes and stories throughout the book, Platkin creates a positive, healing environment in which even the most self-doubting reader can gain the support and motivation necessary to begin to change his or her life for the better. “[Platkin] breaks down five principles necessary to transform your life . . . And he’s not just spouting theory.” —The Dallas Morning News “Breaking the Pattern blends cozy inspiration with a dose of military rigidity.” —The Denver Post “A road map for anyone who’s failed at New Year’s resolution, or any goal for personal change.” —San Jose Mercury News

A design book filled with beautiful photography and clear ideas for how to use pattern to decorate your home. If you focus on pattern, from texture and color to furniture and textiles, everything else will fall into place. Pattern is the strongest element in any room. In Living with Pattern, Rebecca Atwood demystifies how to use that element, a design concept that often confounds and confuses, demonstrating how to seamlessly mix and layer prints throughout a house. She covers pattern usage you probably already have, such as on your duvet cover or in the living room rug, and she also reveals the unexpected places you might not have thought to add it: bathroom tiles, an arrangement of book spines in a reading nook, or windowpane gridding in your entryway. This stunning book showcases distinct uses of pattern in homes all over the country to inspire you to realize that an injection of pattern can enliven any space, helping to make it uniquely yours.

Neisha Crosland sees pattern everywhere. Her extraordinary eye seeks out symmetry, order and structure wherever she goes: in artefacts, buildings, paintings and, above all, in nature. This book is a tribute to that talent: a visual feast of pattern, color, unexpected information and surprising personal stories. It is also an exploration of why pattern matters to every single one of us. Artists are often asked the origin of their ideas. This remarkably beautiful book is Neisha's answer to that question. She takes the reader from first spark of an idea to the finished product: exploring a myriad of cultural pathways and making unusual connections along the way. For in art, Neisha believes nothing is ever truly original. This book is a personal and revealing account of Neisha's own story as a designer, but it also draws on conversations about pattern she has had with musicians, mathematicians, psychotherapists as well as other designers. Beginning as an art student standing in the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, it travels through many continents and eras: from Mughal India to Moorish Spain, and from pilgrims on the route to Santiago de Compostela to Jacobean England. there are tales of mankind's earliest rituals, alongside explorations of 16th-century court dresses, Baroque wood carving, 17th-century shell-collecting and Russian Constructivist paintings. It ends in Japan over a delicious meal. There is fascinating technical detail, too, including wonderful examples of Neisha's early work using weaving and printing methods that have now vanished because of contemporary commercial pressures on mills and manufacturers. She also explores the ways a technique or color can completely reinvent a design, and how that design can alter its mood when placed in a different interior or when applied to a different medium or product. Working sketches illuminate her argument as well as visuals of her key sources of inspiration. Abundant photographs, too - showing Neisha's work in the interiors of fashionable restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and homes around the world - strikingly illustrate the text. The patterns themselves are stunningly animated by Anikst Design's specially commissioned photography: magazine files become skyscrapers, fine china glides across mirrors, rugs take to the air and fabrics appear like wild seasand rivers. The result is a kind of visual onomatopoeia as well as a thrillingly surreal visual experience for the reader. This book is a loving tribute to the power of pattern that will appeal to anyone who appreciates beauty and has ever wondered why their eye is so delighted.

In a sea of quilting project books, Flossie Teacakes' Guide to English Paper Piecing stands alone. Drawing together many disparate strands, this comprehensive guide offers up a deeper exploration of this precision patchwork craft, providing everything quilters need to know on a practical level to begin navigating fussy cutting and English paper-piecing (EPP). • The most comprehensive guide to English paper piecing on the market today, including history of the craft, artist profiles, and more! • Patterns for original rosettes on which to learn the practicalities of EPP are shown step-by-step, covering everything from templates, paper choice, magic mirrors, how to mock up layouts, glue/thread basting, and more. • Finished examples exemplifying mastery of the skills learned in the book & unique secondary designs within the quilts that demonstrate the fussy cut and rosette piecing techniques. Flossie Teacakes' Guide to English Paper Piecing is not just a how-to text on English paper piecing. While any book on English paper piecing must cover the instructional aspects, Flossie Teacakes offers a softer, warmer approach, exploring the craft on a more tactile paper-and-fabric level and including stories and inspirations this wonderful craft. Author Florence Knapp explores of the craft over a series of interviews and a journey back in time. She captures the elements that make it so much more than a simple technique guide, giving meaning to the act of English paper piecing for those who are intrigued as well as to quilters who are already hooked. As if that isn't enough, there's icing on the teacakes in the form of original paper-pieced rosettes and show stopping quilt patterns included to practice and show off your EPP skills.

Orla Kiely has opened her archives to explore a life dedicated to print. From her earliest and most iconic pattern, Stem, to the evolution of her print design encompassing the worlds of fashion, homewares and beyond, Orla shares the full range of patterns and designs that she has produced since establishing her brand in 1995. This is a celebration of Orla's entire body of work - of colour, of print and of a handbag loved by women all over the world. Foreword written by Leith Clark, founder of The Violet Book and previously Lula magazine.