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Well-designed houses, cities, villages, yards, and furniture are an essential and integral part of worthy civilization. And so closely do the possibilities of in dividual attainment in these directions depend upon widespread culture that it'is a serious national concern to make knowledge in this field general. Ignorance in art is more dangerous than illiteracy. Furniture, houses, and towns are being built constantly — either well designed or poorly designed. Mis takes ih street planning made one or two hundred years ago are still obstacles to the dignity and beauty of many cities. And mistakes made today will cause annoy ance hundreds of years hence. The same statement holds with regard to house building. This book aims to meet this situation in the most practical way by ex plaining the principles of design in simple terms and illustrating them with such familiar material that everyone, builders of small houses, of large houses, and those who lay out residence tracts, may feel their responsibility. To possess precise working methods in observation of good art, and to apply these methods constantly in observation of houses, gardens, and cities is to develop a knowledge of the reasons why for likes and dislikes. If enough people reason why. The result will be a national art consciousness of design, the basis of a critical public sentiment which it will be dangerous to offend. No condition of what we call culture is more to be desired.
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