Random House New Releases - Science - Acoustics & Sound

The Venus Blueprint by Richard Merrick

2012-05-22T00:30:00-05:00

The Venus Blueprint Uncovering the Ancient Science of Sacred Spaces
Written by Richard Merrick

Trade Paperback, 272 pages | EVOLVER EDITIONS | Body, Mind & Spirit - Mythical Civilizations; Religion - Ancient; Science - Acoustics & Sound | $19.95 | 978-1-58394-538-4 (1-58394-538-5)

In 2010, Richard Merrick took a family trip to Scotland's Rosslyn chapel—the enigmatic fifteenth-century temple made famous by Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Little did he know he was about to embark upon an intellectual and personal journey that would lead to the discovery of a real-life lost symbol—one that reveals the connection between the world's most sacred temples and opens up a treasure trove of lost science and ancient secrets.

The symbol he discovers—the Venus Blueprint—is based on that planet's orbital pattern, which takes the shape of a five-pointed star when seen from Earth. As Merrick digs deeper, he realizes the Venus Blueprint was an integral part of the design template of some of the most significant religious architecture around the world--including St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the Roman Pantheon, the Greek Parthenon, the Temple of Jerusalem, and the Great Pyramid of Giza, as well as many buildings designed by the secretive Freemason society.

Upon further examination, Merrick is astounded to discover that temples designed using the Venus Blueprint are endowed with extraordinary acoustics that, when supplied with the right tones and frequencies, are capable of harmonizing with Earth's resonant frequencies and evoking altered states of consciousness. He then proposes a fascinating idea: Could it be that the ancients used these harmonics to enhance entheogenically induced visions—to commune with the divine and liberate the gods within?

Supported by an impressive array of historical research and scientific analysis, The Venus Blueprint offers compelling evidence of an ancient lost culture that was both spiritually and scientifically advanced.

The Venus Blueprint by Richard Merrick

2012-05-22T00:30:00-05:00

The Venus Blueprint Uncovering the Ancient Science of Sacred Spaces
Written by Richard Merrick

eBook, 272 pages | EVOLVER EDITIONS | Body, Mind & Spirit - Mythical Civilizations; Religion - Ancient; Science - Acoustics & Sound | $14.95 | 978-1-58394-539-1 (1-58394-539-3)

Site and Sound by Victoria Newhouse

2012-04-10T00:30:00-05:00

Site and Sound The Architecture and Acoustics of New Opera Houses and Concert Halls
Written by Victoria Newhouse

Hardcover, 256 pages | The Monacelli Press | Architecture - Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings; Music - History & Criticism; Science - Acoustics & Sound | $50.00 | 978-1-58093-281-3 (1-58093-281-9)

Victoria Newhouse, noted author and architectural historian, addresses the aesthetics and acoustics in concert halls and opera houses of the past, present, and future in this stunning companion to the highly regarded Towards a New Museum. Site and Sound explores the daunting, perennial question: Does the music serve the space, or the other way around?

Heavily illustrated throughout—with historic images, spectular color photographs, detailed drawings—this volume is an informed and enjoyable presentation of a building type that is at the heart of cities small and large.

Newhouse starts with a survey of venues from ancient Greek and Roman times and progresses to contemporary works around the world. She singles out Lincoln Center in particular for its long history and its transitions and remodelings over the years. Two major chapters cover the present: one focuses on recent work in the West, including the National Opera House of Norway in Oslo by Snøhetta (2008), the Casa da Música in Porto, Portugal, by Rem Koolhaas (2005), and many more; the second examines the boom in concert halls in China. A final chapter looks at projects that are currently planned and the future of an architecture for music.

Random House New Releases - Science - Acoustics & Sound

The Venus Blueprint by Richard Merrick

The Venus Blueprint Uncovering the Ancient Science of Sacred SpacesWritten by Richard Merrick

The Venus Blueprint by Richard Merrick

The Venus Blueprint Uncovering the Ancient Science of Sacred SpacesWritten by Richard Merrick

Site and Sound by Victoria Newhouse

Site and Sound The Architecture and Acoustics of New Opera Houses and Concert HallsWritten by Victoria Newhouse

The Venus Blueprint Uncovering the Ancient Science of Sacred Spaces
Written by Richard Merrick

The Venus Blueprint Uncovering the Ancient Science of Sacred Spaces
Written by Richard Merrick

Site and Sound The Architecture and Acoustics of New Opera Houses and Concert Halls
Written by Victoria Newhouse