The austere facades that line the labyrinthine streets of Morocco's ancient walled neighborhoods reveal almost nothing of the luminous residences within. "The Villas and Riads of Morocco" lifts the veil on these secret paradises, from fantastic palaces in Fez and Essaouira to middle-class riads in Marrakech to converted casbahs in the southern oases. With more than 200 stunning photographs, this beautiful volume takes us behind the scenes to explore a side of Morocco that is largely hidden to outsiders. The book showcases exquisite interiors that combine rich materials such as cedar and marble; luxurious carpets and textiles; filigree carving and other handiwork; and vibrant color palettes. Also featured is the remarkable mosaicwork found especially in the central courtyard gardens and patios that form the heart of the Moroccan house. Accompanying these sumptuous views is a vivid history of the country's residential architecture and its fascinating mix of Andalusian, Arab, and Saharan influences. "The Villas and Riads of Morocco" not only offers a feast for the eyes but also illuminates an entire culture.

"Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son, Limited."

From the palaces of Fez to the riads of Marrakesh, from the trading posts of Essaouira to the Kasbahs of the south, this book seeks out the most singular living spaces in Morocco, a country blessed with one of the richest architectural heritages in North Africa. Corinne Verner explores the archetypes of the Moroccan built environment in over 200 glorious colour photographs, interspersed with numerous essays exploring a number of related topics, from the decorative arts of Morocco and the concept of the garden as metaphors for paradise to contemporary fashions and developments.

The Riads of the Medina (the traditional guesthouses) have become as much of a Marrakech attraction as the Souks themselves. These Riads showcase what visitors find inspiring about Marrakech; an oasis of tranquility with refreshing dipping pools and luxury hammams; excellent kitchens serving gourmet couscous and tagines; courtyards of fountains and chirping birds; rooftop terraces offering private sunbathing with panoramic views of the snowy peaks of the Atlas mountains. The Riads in Marrakech are something between boutique design hotels and historic private preservation museums.

50 properties featured - a fact box provides essential information on each property and its nearby attractions.

Using rich ethnographic detail, Precarious Modernities offers an immersive account of the multiple scales and entangled actors involved in the objectification and instrumentalization of Casablanca's margins as part of ongoing and contingent processes of 'modernization'. Focusing on the everyday lives and spaces of a mythicized community, and its interaction with heritage activists, international development agendas and technocratic planning regimes, the book documents how the depoliticization of the urban margins aids the consolidation of deeply unequal social, spatial, and economic orders. The result is a unique account of the political continuities, security logics, economic ideologies and competing forces that shape the possibilities open to precarious communities in a storied and sprawling metropolis. As marginalized inhabitants develop pragmatic ways of appropriating or resisting powerful agendas, unanticipated and novel forms of political engagement emerge. These signal the revival and reconfiguration of notions of class and open up creative and alternative spatial avenues for participation in an era of increasing authoritarianisms.