What makes a sustainable house a sustainable home? NEW SUSTAINABLE HOMES will address that question by presenting a wide range of projects where the architect and client have made a conscientious effort to incorporate sustainability into the design of the home and construction materials used in its execution. The result is a home that is less toxic to live in, is cheaper to operate, and often gives back to the environment rather than taking away. Also, and this is the most important consideration for many, it is a great looking, highly livable home that not only retains its value but has been shown to increase in value more quickly than more conventionally conceived houses because of cheaper operating expenses. These designers and their clients are not on the fringe. NEW SUSTAINABLE HOMES will show readers will learn about the many materials and techniques that make up today's sustainable house, including: 1) the use of pervious concrete on driveways that allows water to seep through to the water table below. 2) using bio-fiber panels in lieu of plywood for interior finishing 3) using organic, green roofs that improve insulation, absorb sound and manage storm-water runoff 4) solar water heating systems 5) use of high thermal performance windows 6) photovoltaic electrical systems

Ponta is a Labrador retriever puppy who uses the amazing Guru Guru Bone to transform into a human girl. She has fallen in love with Mirai Iwaki, who-after the initial shock-has overcome his concerns about her true canine form. So now the two are dating. But everything is new and different for Ponta, and she's having a rough (ruff?) time with the relationship. When the Guru Guru Bone stops working its magic, Ponta finds herself trapped in her original dog form, and unable to communicate with Mirai. To make matters worse, there's a good-looking Labrador who has set his romantic sights on her! When the Lab's adorable owner starts spending time with Mirai, will Ponta be in the doghouse?

A step-by-step reference to adapting a home or vacation site for hot climates covers everything from building materials and cooling systems to decorating with comfort-enhancing furniture and design elements. 12,000 first printing.

Mangaka is a term for someone who creates manga. The artists in MANGAKA AMERICA represent the newest dynamic talents in the field and are professionally creating it for an American audience, something that was unheard of 20 years ago. MANGAKA AMERICA showcases a selection of these US-based mangaka, highlighting each artist's unique contibution to the genre. Manga fans are often anxious to learn new skills and techniques, and this book also provides mini-tutorials in which each artist provides instruction on character design, layouts, digital inking, and coloring.

The Way We Live Alfresco combines Stafford Cliff's unerring eye with the remarkable photography of Gilles de Chabaneix to present a marvelous portrayal of the delights of living alfresco. An indispensable reference for getting the best of living outdoors, this book is organized into five specific sections: Outside the Home, Transitional Spaces, Rooms Outside, Bringing the Outside In, and Living Outside. Each fully illustrated section brings the reader to the heart of what it means to live and dine alfresco-in the open, but closely in touch with the good things of life. From buildings specifically created away from the main home, to the decorative use of natural objects such as stones and leaves inside the home, this book will provide an endless source of inspiration for those seeking to bring comfort and style to their outdoor living. With 300 full-color photographs that take advantage of every opportunity to make cross-cultural comparisons and connections, The Way We Live Alfresco is sure to dazzle every reader with the beauties of the alfresco lifestyle.

In November 1955, Nasser Ali Khan, one of Iran's most celebrated tar players, is in search of a new instrument. His beloved tar has been broken. But no matter what tar he tries, none of them sound right. Brokenhearted, Nasser Ali Khan decides that life is no longer worth living. He takes to his bed, renouncing the world and all of its pleasures. This is the story of the eight days he spends preparing to surrender his soul. As the days pass and Nasser Ali Khan grows weaker, those who love him - his wife, his children, his siblings - gather round, incredulous, to try to comfort him. Every visitor stirs up a memory, and in the course of this week Nasser Ali Khan revisits his entire life, a life defined by three relationships in particular. He remembers his late mother, who sacrificed everything for his revolutionary brother, but who also, in the last week of her life, found solace only in smoking and listening to him play his tar; his angry wife, who can't forgive him his melancholy and irresponsibility; and Irane, his first love, whose father forbade her to marry a poor musician and inflicted the wound that fuelled his music. The pieces of Nasser Ali Khan's story slowly fall into place, and as they do, we begin to understand him. By the time the eighth day dawns, having witnessed Nasser Ali Khan communing with Sufi mystics, Sophia Loren, the spirit of his late mother, his own demons and, bravely, with Azrael, the angel of death - we feel privileged to have known him. Brilliantly weaving together the past, present and future to explore the successes and joys, failures and disappointments of Nasser Ali Khan's life and through his story, the meaning of any of our lives - Marjane Satrapi has also once again presented us with a complex and deeply human portrait of the men and women of her country, and of pre-revolution Iran itself. She delivers this tremendous story about life and death, and the fear and courage both require, with her trademark humour and insight. Chicken With Plums is Marjane Satrapi's finest achievement to date.

The co-author of Jenna Jameson's autobiography follows the dark adventures of adult entertainer Claudia Corvette from her troubled childhood and struggles with abuse and addiction through her career in the pornography industry and her experiences with cosmetic surgery. Original. 75,000 first printing.