Few constructions illustrate better the culture of leisure than the swimming pool. Although on some occasions it can play a religious, landscapist or sporting role, the image of a swimming pool is almost always associated with lazy hours enjoyed in a bathing suit in the warm sun. Adding a swimming pool to a private house certainly increases the quality of life, not only because of its intrinsic advantages, but also because it suggests a benign climate and an idyllic life in the open air. Book jacket.