We live in a world of brands. Brands play a crucial role in business competition, but have also become an important social phenomenon. Brands are represented by signs and symbols, gestures and images. They stand for values, hopes, and desires, for experiences and expectations. They evoke emotions and associations. "Branding From A to Z" is a purely visual crash course in the essence and impact of brands, alphabetically pairing symbols with images, so that the "C" of Campbell's Soup is paired with a photograph of Che Guevara; the "D" of Disney with a whimsical portrait of Salvador Dal'; the sign for the Euro with Albert Einstein's mug; McDonald's Golden Arches with Marilyn Monroe, skirt aflutter over a gusting grate; the royal blue "Q" of Q-Tips with the even more royal Queen Elizabeth II; and all the way to the swishy "Z" of Zurich Insurance, paired with Frank Zappa, who sits quizzically upon a toilet.

Brands identify products and services. Yet a brand is much more than a "brand name" or a "brand logo" on a "brand-name product." Brands reflect individual and collective desires that go far beyond a product's utilitarian benefit. Brands are found in every business and in every market. The sense of fascination they evoke is the key to the success of such brands. "Brands & Desires" presents 25 vivid examples of the link between brands and desires, beginning with The Rolling Stones (desire: coolness), and continuing on to include Apple computers (religion), De Beers diamonds (fidelity), Ikea furnishings (growing up), Freitag bags (individuality), Marlborough cigarettes (freedom), Benetton clothing (justice), Red Bull soft drink (action) and Greenpeace (resistance).

Cairo has one of the highest concentrations of Islamic architectural treasures in the world. This introduction to the subject begins with an analysis of the Cairo's urban growth from the Islamic conquest in 641 through to the Ottoman Period and the reign of Muhammad Ali at the beginning of the 19th century. From that point, the reader is given a guided tour of the evolution of Cairo's Islamic architecture and an overview of its main styles through the investigation of monuments spanning 1200 years. Includes a descriptive catalogue of the major monuments from the early Islamic period through the Fatimid, Ayyubid, Bahri Mamluk, Circassian Mamluk and Ottoman periods.

From the author of The Natural House Book comes a provocative volume for anyone interested in design, designing or building which integrates the lessons of the past with today's technology to create structures where the land, the home, and the spirit coexist harmoniously. 146 color photos. 18 illustrations.