Arts and Photography Books Reviews

Dark Night Of The Soul Photography Book By David Lynch

2010-11-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

Just received this book in the mail today! To purchase the book and/or to find out more about Dark Night Of The Soul, check out www.dnots.com

Video Rating: 4 / 5

FMK 3 of 3 Remaining Friends With a Past Sex Partner Relationship Philosophy

2010-11-11T22:55:00.000-08:00

PUBLISHED BOOKS AUTHORED BY SIFU FREDDIE LEE 1) "Living the Way" Finding love, happiness, and peace in modern society by living the simple life. www.createspace.com 2) "Spiritual Martial Arts" Showing the way towards peace and spirituality through Martial Arts. www.createspace.com All books are $10. If you would like a signed copy send payment and shipping information via PayPal to FreddiesModernKungFu@live.com. There is a shipping charge of $2 for domestic US orders. I can email you the PDF. File for $5. THE TAO OF FREDDIE'S MODERN KUNG FU SPIRITUAL MARTIAL ARTS TheTao of Freddie's Modern Kung Fu (FMK) is a Spiritual Martial Arts (SMA) and Spiritual Life Development Academy on YouTube.com that specializes in the development of the body, mind, and soul. Freddie is a Mystic that teaches on all aspects of life. Freddie's Martial Arts teachings are highly inspired by Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do and his life lessons come from his innate wisdom within that had been sparked by his understanding of the ancient wisdom of Eastern Philosophy, specifically Buddha, Lao-Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu, Osho, J.Krishnamurti, Eckhart Tolle, Tao, Zen, Tantra, Abraham Maslow, Erich Fromm, and others. Freddie is serving the public as a: 1) Fitness Trainer 2) Spiritual Martial Arts Master Instructor (Private) 3) Relationship Counselor 4) Spiritual Guide Personal and private instruction is available in Evanston, IL and Chicago, IL. If you want to learn combat techniques privately with me ...

Video Rating: 0 / 5

Scott Kelbys Digital Photography Boxed Set Volumes 1 2 and 3

2010-11-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

ISBN13: 9780321678737
Condition: New
Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Rating: (out of 63 reviews)

List Price: $ 69.99 Price: $ 39.99

Original :: Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3

Scott Kelby The Digital Photography Book Vol 3 Review

2010-11-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

Hey guys I just got this book by Scott Kelby and wanted to share a few of the things I like about it with you. Twitter! www.twitter.com Be sure to check out www.tutvid.com Check out the blog @ http

Video Rating: 4 / 5

The Magic of Digital Nature Photography A Lark Photography Book

2010-11-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

ISBN13: 9781579907730
Condition: New
Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Rating: (out of 20 reviews)

List Price: $ 19.95 Price: $ 11.52

Original :: The Magic of Digital Nature Photography (A Lark Photography Book)

Excellent Martial Arts Side Kick Advice Train for side kick martial arts

2010-10-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

GREAT KICKING MATERIAL CLICK Blue Link www.elasticsteel.net martial arts training dvd martial arts tips martial arts books martial art books martial arts training videos An advice on how to practice for side kick by a Kinesiology and Martila Arts expert Paul Zaichik. This video talks about the mid-section conditioning exercises for a side, that enables the body to be in upright position. Excellent Martial Arts Side Kick Advice Train for side kick An advice on how to practice for side kick by a Kinesiology and Martila Arts expert Paul Zaichik. This video talks about the mid-section conditioning exercises for a side, that enables the body to be in upright position. Excellent Martial Arts Side Kick Advice Train for side kick โ�ขTahtib - Egyptian Stick Fencing Lotus - Egyptian Martial Art Eritrea Testa Nigeria Dambe South Africa Nguni Stick Fighting Rough and Tumble Obnu Bilate Fanchento Laamb Wrestling Nuba fighting Evala wrestling Tinku โ�ขBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Capoeira Luta Livre Maculele Vale Tudo โ�ขDefendo โ�ขWen-Do โ�ขOkichitaw โ�ขMano Negra (Manegra) โ�ขLucha Libre โ�ขRumi Maki โ�ขVacon โ�ขAmerican Kenpo โ�ขAmerican Kickboxing โ�ขBok Fu Do โ�ขCatch Wrestling โ�ขChun Kuk Do โ�ขCollegiate Wrestling โ�ขDanzan-ryลซ โ�ขJailhouse Rock โ�ขJeet Kune Do โ�ขKajukenbo โ�ขKapu Kuialua โ�ขLimalama โ�ขLua โ�ขMarine Corps LINE Combat System โ�ขMarine Corps Martial Arts Program โ�ขModel Mugging โ�ขModern Army Combatives โ�ขRed Warrior โ�ขSli Beatha โ�ขSmall Circle Jujutsu โ�ขTo-Shin Do

Video Rating: 4 / 5

Sro Material Arts Books Quest Helper xD

2010-10-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

Sro Material Arts Books Quest Helper Jangarn Shin Tomb Cave Uniques Unique Killer xD fun tutorial help lvl 90 95 100 Berserker Staff Dual Axe Nuker Spear Sin Guilde SRO Silkroad Online Pluto GoDsGuN Kameno PvP Fortress War FTW Thief Trader Hunter mmorpg 2009 s/s nuker vegas +7 sword shield high lvl blow me away music high quality falter sun som sos weapons

Video Rating: 4 / 5

Mexican Folk Art Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books

2010-10-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

ISBN13: 9780486427508
Condition: New
Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Rating: (out of 24 reviews)

List Price: $ 3.95 Price: $ 0.86

Original :: Mexican Folk Art Coloring Book (Dover Coloring Books)

Bryan Petersons Understanding Photography Field Guide How to Shoot Great

2010-10-16T02:56:00.000-07:00

ISBN13: 9780817432256
Condition: New
Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Rating: (out of 52 reviews)

List Price: $ 24.99 Price: $ 14.27

Original :: Bryan Peterson's Understanding Photography Field Guide: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005 Official TV Spot 1 HD HIRES

2010-10-13T02:56:00.000-07:00

This is the first high-definition, high-resolution, and high-quality TV Spot # 1, from the fourth "Harry Potter" film, and based on author JK Rowling's fourth-best-selling book of the "Harry Potter" novel series as well as the "Harry Potter" merchandise/video-game series/septuptrilogy/media/book series/trilogy/film series/franchise: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." (2005). TV Spot # 1 SCENES: # 1.) Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) retrieved a paper that read: "HARRY POTTER", which surprisingly shocked everyone and accused Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) for submitting his name into the Goblet of Fire even though he was underaged, which meant someone or something "bewitched" it,. # 2.) After being selected as the "Fourth Triwizard Champion," Barty Crouch Sr., Minster of Magic's Unlawful Enforcement, discovered that the Goblet of Fire has a "binding magical contract," which meant that Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) had to compete, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) faced an Hungarian Horntail Dragon, during the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, Harry (Daniel Radciffe) and friends let go of the Portkey, transported them into the Quidditch World Cup. # 3.) Beauxbatons Academy students performed their traditional welcoming dance introduction, the sneaky Rita Skeeter (Miranda Richardson) interviewed Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), by making false accusations to think that he has an affair with Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and entering the Tournament with ease # 4.) Harry Potter ...

Video Rating: 0 / 5

The Usborne Complete Book of Art Ideas Usborne Art Ideas

2010-10-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

ISBN13: 9780794514396
Condition: New
Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Rating: (out of 17 reviews)

List Price: $ 19.99 Price: $ 12.14

Original :: The Usborne Complete Book of Art Ideas (Usborne Art Ideas)

Conversations with Changes by Shirin Abu Shaqra

2010-10-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Produced in 2010 by Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains - France. 12mn Written and directed by Shirin Abu Shaqra Synopsis It's a journey in an imaginary city ; a heterotopia within which one comes across fragments of events, away from History books, parts of lives too small to figure in oral History, too small even to figure in the never written History of losers. I see a photograph, I imagine... This time, I imagined men, women, but also a child-statue and a lamp post. Original Soundtrack Patricia Alessandrini and Justin Yang DOP Nicolas Franรงois Graphic motion and matte painting Bassem Tabet

Video Rating: 0 / 5

The Digital Photography Book Volume 2

2010-10-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

ISBN13: 9780321524768
Condition: New
Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Rating: (out of 232 reviews)

List Price: $ 24.99 Price: $ 12.73

Original :: The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2

Sun Tzu On The Art Of War Penny Books

2010-09-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Rating: (out of 70 reviews)

List Price: $ 1.20 Price:

Original :: Sun Tzu On The Art Of War (Penny Books)

Morning glory evening grace Hugh Hewitt master of the Hughniverse

2010-09-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

These are 2 pictures of one of my favorite radio talk show hosts, Hugh Hewitt. Here's his bio, courtesy of www.HughHewitt.com Professor Hugh Hewitt (born February 22, 1956) is a lawyer, law professor and broadcast journalist whose nationally syndicated radio show is heard in more than 120 cities across the United States every weekday afternoon. Professor Hewitt is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, and has been teaching Constitutional Law at Chapman University Law School since it opened in 1995. Professor Hewitt has been a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News Network, and MSNBC, and has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. He has received three Emmys for his work as co-host of the ground-breaking Life & Times program, a nightly news and public affairs program that aired on the Los Angeles PBS affiliate, KCET, from 1992 until 2007. Professor Hewitt also conceived and hosted the 1996 PBS series, Searching for God in America. He is the author of a dozen books, including two New York Times best-sellers. Professor Hewitt is best known as the host of his radio show, which has an audience estimated at more than 2 million listeners every week. Since its debut in July of 2000, Professor Hewitt has conducted groundbreaking interviews with government officials from both parties and widely respected analysts, authors and pundits. In a 2006 profile of Hewitt for The New Yorker, the dean of the Columbia ...

Video Rating: 0 / 5

The Art of War by Sun Tzu Classic Collectors Edition Includes The Classic Giles

2010-09-24T02:55:00.000-07:00

Rating: (out of 146 reviews)

List Price: $ 12.95 Price: $ 7.90

Original :: The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Classic Collector's Edition: Includes The Classic Giles and Full Length Translations

The Digital Photography Book Volume 3

2010-09-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

ISBN13: 9780321617651
Condition: New
Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Rating: (out of 83 reviews)

List Price: $ 24.99 Price: $ 13.77

Original :: The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3

New Spice Study like a scholar scholar

2010-09-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

BEHIND THE SCENES: newspicepromo.blogspot.com - Do you want to be a scholar? Then study at the Harold B. Lee Library. Do your research here, study here, and be a scholar! Stephen Jones: Lead / Co-writer Scott Winn: Co-writer / Director of Photography www.scottdavidwinn.com Derek Bodily Co-writer / Special FX Jacob Fenn: 1st AC / Editor / Compositing FX www.fennworld.com Eric Johnson Sound Design Jonathan Adamson: Special FX Olivia Gallegos: Production Coordinator Raven Alard: 1st AD Kiffen Schultz: Book Cart Boy / Special FX Jared McPhillen: Special FX Matt Brown: Production Assistant Mike Hill: Unit Manager Chris Garcia: Project Manager www.bioslash.com

Video Rating: 4 / 5

WNY Book Arts Center keeping a traditional printing style alive in Buffalo

2010-09-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

With equipment that is over 100 years old. A group in Buffalo is preserving and innovating the process of traditional relief printing and bookmaking. skunkpost.com The WNY Book Arts Center is home to the WNY Book Arts Collaborative. This group exists to promote, encourage and develop Printing & Book related Arts through education and access for individual artists and underserved communities. The WNY Book Arts Center is located at 468 Washington St. at the corner of Mohawk St. in downtown Buffalo, 1 block from the Central Library.

Video Rating: 0 / 5

Jailed

2010-09-13T04:04:00.000-07:00

JAILED After a freak motorcycle accident left me with two cracked vertebra in my back and neck, two broken ribs and facing a four month confinement to my bed, I realized that I now had ample time on my hands to think about what direction my career as a photographer would take. I recalled a photograph I took a few years back while at a zoo. The subject of that photo was a tiger -- but more than an image was shot. I was struck by what jumped out of the picture - a personality, a soul. It dawned on me that what the lens had somehow caught could be best portrayed in black and white. The essence of a creature's spirit captured solely through motion and light. Once I was able to walk again, I headed directly to the zoo. My enthusiasm was never dampened, but I quickly realized that this was going to be tougher than I thought. It became quite clear that every animal had its very own distinct personality. The seemingly fierce lion may really be a gentle soul and that outwardly cute monkey may have real anger management issues. It took hours of observation to get know each creature as a person and then even more time to await the perfect opportunity for my new "friend's" persona to come shining through. I hope these images similarly speak to you as they reveal each animal's unique beauty, majesty, power, and spirit. Though all are in physical captivity, their irrepressible characteristics could never be shackled. Several of the portraits have been published in different Art and ...

Video Rating: 0 / 5

Best Bruce Lee Music Video Ever Tribute to the masterBy AJ

2010-09-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

www.mikestackleshop.com Credit for this video goes to AJ. I did not make this. I am ust sharing the video with as many people as possible. Has clips from Way of the dragon, Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury as well as the footage from Game of Death and The Big Boss. The video is called "Lose Control" but the song is called "Hero" by Sevendust. (Thanks Godspeedf24). His movies were and still are awsome. Especially when you look at everything else that was coming out in the late 60's and early 70's. He was 30 years ahead of his time. When you look at how bruce lee trained through his books (not his movies) he was actually a well rounded mma fighter. In his own series of books he displayed a knowledge of wrestling skills, boxing, judo (he trained with gene lebell). He had everything from a proper fighting stance to take down defences which he called "Tackle Defence". To sum it up. The guy was 40 years ahead of his time. And that goes for making movies as well as Martial Arts. Every Martial Arts fighter or fan across the planet owes him a lot. Support this Bruce Lee forum here z3.invisionfree.com If you have a bruce lee wesite that you would like linked then PM me. I am always up for supporting the Bruce Lee comunity

Video Rating: 4 / 5

2009 Olivia Calendar

2009-04-21T03:20:00.001-07:00

2009 Olivia Calendar

Introduced with an eye-stopping, portrait of the beguiling Dita Von Teese, Olivia's 2009 Calendar celebrates the classic pin-up rendered with the unique, spritely, Olivia touch. Long regarded as the High Priestess of the genre, Olivia leads us through a month by month feminine delight with her favorite models: Dita Von Teese, Shannon Tweed, Sandi Taylor, Bettie Page, Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson, Rhonda Ridley, Bridget Marquardt, and Heather Kozar.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #51959 in Books

Published on: 2008-08-15

Number of items: 1

Binding: Calendar

24 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Olivia in her Own Words...I was born in 1948 in Long Beach, California, but spent most of my childhood on the east coast. As a small child, I was provided pencils and paper to amuse myself. I would spend hours drawing my mother sleeping on the couch, mother dancing around the house, and in general the perils of being her. She was a disgruntled glamour-puss, and would entertain me with terrible imitations of Mae West, Garbo, Dietrich, Hepburn and Zsa Zsa Gabor. She was a cross between Sophia Loren, Lucille ball, and Rosie the Riveter. She was my muse. My father was a freelance aeronautical engineer, and is a great, funny dad. He traveled from job to job, which made us move often. As an only child I was constantly thrust into new environments. I used my blossoming artistic talent to alienate new friends and teachers, using them constantly as subjects in sketches and portraits for classmates and neighbors. I arrived in New York City in '67 and went to The School of Visual Arts. I spent a few blurry years waitressing, and living in the Village, the Bowery, and Soho. I had a brief stint in the fine art world participating in a few lucky, incredible shows. All I could see ahead was a long hard road swimming upstream in the fine art world. Necessity demanded a new direction, and since I had always drawn women, I went to the men's magazines to start what I thought was a temporary road, somehow along the way, I thrived and stayed. I met my husband Joel in 1975, and two years later we began a greeting card business, 'O Cards', to publish my art. Joel and I married in '79, and he has been the greatest influence and partner in my life. He has provided me with support and vision his vast collection of erotica and pin-up has been a pleasure to watch grow, and it's fed me artistically over the years. we are inseparable. Joel is the silent partner, preferring to growl and grumble behind me. I showed my new work at 'Erotics Gallery' in '82 in New York, and then in the mid 80s began a 15 year relationship with the publisher/gallery Robert and Tamara Bane. I had fourteen one-woman shows through the years at their galleries, and they did many graphic editions. I also had shows in San Francisco, Tokyo, New York, and many other cities and galleries. In '93, Joel and I published the first of our five books, "Let Them Eat Cheesecake", under our own imprint, Ozone Productions. We are no longer with the Tamara Bane Gallery, and we are currently publishing our own limited editions, which will be shown on our own on-line gallery as well as Bettie Page Las Vegas, among other venues to come. While painting all these years, I had to keep an economic eye on what I created, but I was still able to flourish because of Joel's publishing and licensing. I often felt 'lost but driven' through these years, but I've stayed with the theme of erotica, pin-up, glamour, and burlesque. So my art life has been variations on a theme. Now, I am published each month in Playboy Magazine. Thanks to Hef's generosity, and his position as pinup genius, I grace his pages and I get to partner with him creatively. I supply the images, he writes the captions. I see my career at this moment steeped in the joy of pin-up, and now I see Hef as my muse. He has launched many of the top sex icons of the last half century, and influenced the sexual attitudes of the last 50 years. His creation of an empire based on the joy of sex was spurred on by images from his youth from the likes of Enoch Boles, George Petty, and Alberto Vargas. I'm trying to recreate the spark that lit his fire and keep my sensibilities as a woman. There are so many elements to doing great pin-up. I leave just as much on the floor as there is on the desk. It is all part of the process of being an artist, and one that I'm very grateful for.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful!!
This calendar is exactly what I hoped it would be. It is nice and large and the art is exceptional. Just gorgeous!

It also shipped almost a full week before we expected it.

Fantastic Calendar.
I had been looking for this calendar for a while before I found it on Amazon. It's a great calendar with lots of room to write in birthdays and events! The pictures are great full color works of art, as I LOVE Bettie, Dita and the Girls Next Door!!!!
I'll be buying Olivia calendars every year now!!!

Acccording to my husband......
My husband is always pleased to get this calendar for Christmas, so he has quite the collection. While the subject matter doesn't suit me personally, I admire and apprecitate the talent that went in to it.

Price: $13.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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American Fashion

2009-04-20T14:00:00.001-07:00

American Fashion

Ultimate and unprecedented, American Fashion is a richly illustrated celebration of the history of fashion in this country. Commissioned by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), AMERICAN FASHION is a visual journey beginning with the protean creators in Hollywood and New York during the1930s and the significant and creative expansion that took place in the years surrounding World War II.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #31544 in Books

Published on: 2007-09-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

319 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
If you've ever wanted to know anything about the history of fashion in this country, you're likely to find it in the pages of this engrossing read --Gotham Magazine

Customer Reviews

Very Cool Book
I haven't read much yet, but I have looked through it at all the pictures. There are some really great photos in here. I love fashion, so this is a great book to add to my collection. It's great to flip through when I'm bored. If you love fashion, buy this. I'll read it eventually, and I'm sure it's filled with interesting info about American Fashion.

History of Fashion
Book is a gift for someone special who is very interested in fashion and I know she will enjoy this book. Feel I got a very good deal since it is a pricey book but something you can go back to for many years. Amazon did a great job on getting to me quickly.

You can bet on this one
All the glamour.
Great photography.
Great shots.
Rich.
Beautiful colors.
Stars!
The whole nine yards!
I love it!!!

Price: $31.50 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Doubt: A Parable

2009-04-20T00:20:00.001-07:00

Doubt: A Parable

"A superb new drama written by John Patrick Shanley. It is an inspired study in moral uncertainty with the compellingly certain structure of an old-fashioned detective drama. Even as Doubt holds your conscious attention as an intelligently measured debate play, it sends off stealth charges that go deeper emotionally. One of the year's ten best."-Ben Brantley, The New York Times

"[The] #1 show of the year. How splendid it feels to be trusted with such passionate, exquisite ambiguity unlike anything we have seen from this prolific playwright so far. Blunt yet subtle, manipulative but full of empathy for all sides, the play is set in 1964 but could not be more timely. Doubt is a lean, potent drama . . . passionate, exquisite, important, and engrossing."-Linda Winer, Newsday

Chosen as the best play of the year by over 10 newspapers and magazines, Doubt is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, where a strong-minded woman wrestles with conscience and uncertainty as she is faced with concerns about one of her male colleagues. This new play by John Patrick Shanley-the Bronx-born-and-bred playwright and Academy Award-winning author of Moonstruck-dramatizes issues straight from today's headlines within a world re-created with knowing detail and a judicious eye. After a stunning, sold-out production at Manhattan Theatre Club, the play has transferred to Broadway.

John Patrick Shanley is the author of numerous plays, including Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Dirty Story, Four Dogs and a Bone, Psychopathia Sexualis, Sailor's Song, Savage in Limbo, and Where's My Money?. He has written extensively for TV and film, and his credits include the teleplay for Live from Baghdad and screenplays for Congo, Alive, Five Corners, Joe Versus the Volcano (which he also directed), and Moonstruck, for which he won an Academy Award for original screenplay.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #104173 in Books

Published on: 2007-09-30

Original language: English

Binding: Paperback

54 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
John Patrick Shanley is from the Bronx. He was thrown out of St. Helene's kindergarten, banned from St. Anthony's hot lunch program and expelled from Cardinal Spellman High School. When asked why he had been treated in this way, he burst into tears and said he had no idea. Then he went into the Marine Corps. He did fine. He is still doing ok.

Customer Reviews

Copy of "Doubt"
The item arrived promptly and was in excellent condition, like new. Excellent customer service by the vendor.

Excellent companion to the movie
A great movie based on a great play! This books allows you to go over the dialogs and discover details that one may miss when watching the movie. I suggest reading the preface after reading the whole play and then...start thinking!

a giant ripoff
This appeared to be a novel. It is only a few pages with less than 1/4 of the dialog from the movie. A TOTAL RIPOFF.

Price: $7.50 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World

2009-04-16T03:00:00.001-07:00

Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World

A journey across four continents to the heart of the conflict over who should own the great works of ancient art

Why are the Elgin Marbles in London and not on the Acropolis? Why do there seem to be as many mummies in France as there are in Egypt? Why are so many Etruscan masterworks in America? For the past two centuries, the West has been plundering the treasures of the ancient world to fill its great museums, but in recent years, the countries where ancient civilizations originated have begun to push back, taking museums to court, prosecuting curators, and threatening to force the return of these priceless objects.

Where do these treasures rightly belong? Sharon Waxman, a former culture reporter for The New York Times and a longtime foreign correspondent, brings us inside this high-stakes conflict, examining the implications for the preservation of the objects themselves and for how we understand our shared cultural heritage. Her journey takes readers from the great cities of Europe and America to Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, as these countries face down the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum, the British Museum, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. She also introduces a cast of determined and implacable characters whose battles may strip these museums of some of their most cherished treasures.

For readers who are fascinated by antiquity, who love to frequent museums, and who believe in the value of cultural exchange, Loot opens a new window on an enduring conflict.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #38424 in Books

Published on: 2008-10-28

Released on: 2008-10-28

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

432 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. After covering Hollywood's cutting-edge directors (Rebels on the Backlot), former New York Times correspondent Waxman embarks on a grand tour of some of the world's finest museums—the Met, the Louvre, the British Museum, the Getty—and the countries from which some of their most famous antiquities were illicitly taken. Skillfully blending history and reportage, Waxman traces the stories of treasures like the Elgin Marbles, then jumps into the debate over whether they should be restored to their countries of origin. She finds no easy answers: while acknowledging the dubious means by which European and American museums acquired many antiquities, she concedes that the governments clamoring for their return don't always have adequate plans for their maintenance. (Turkey compelled the Met to hand over the famous Lydian Hoard, only to have its masterpiece stolen.) Waxman's account is animated by interviews with museum curators, accused smugglers and government officials, putting a human spin on the complex cultural politics before arriving at a middle ground that strives for international collaboration in preserving a broad, global heritage. 8-page color insert, 20 b&w photos. (Nov. 1)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From The Washington Post
From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com Reviewed by Roger Atwood Early this year, officials at the Metropolitan Museum of Art trussed up one of the prizes of its collection, an ancient vase known as the Euphronios krater, and sent it back to Italy. Italian authorities had presented evidence that the piece had been looted from a tomb near Rome less than a year before the Met paid $1 million for it in 1972. Faced with the prospect of a lawsuit and a ban on receiving any future loans from Italian museums, the Met, writes former Washington Post and New York Times reporter Sharon Waxman, "stalled, stonewalled, and would not be swayed -- until it was forced to do so." Seeing great institutions humbled like this might give satisfaction to some, but what is served by such returns of art? If they're meant as a statement against looting, how does shifting a pot from New York to Rome advance that interest? These are the underlying questions of Waxman's absorbing and well-researched Loot. Although her views are often unnervingly one-sided (her sympathies lean toward letting museums keep their contested holdings), she gives all actors in this bitterly antagonistic drama a hearing and writes with flair and an earnest sense of inquiry. Waxman recounts the story of Lord Elgin and his marbles and exposes lesser known but egregious cases of 19th-century pillage, such as the removal of three heads from a mural depicting the life of Egyptian pharaoh Amenophis III. Someone simply cut them from an out-of-the-way tomb in the Valley of the Kings; blank squares now indicate where the pharaoh's visages once appeared. "It is shocking. Imagine the Mona Lisa's face cut out of her canvas with a kitchen knife," writes Waxman, who was led to the scene by a guide with a flashlight. The faces are now in the Louvre, labeled simply, "From the tomb of Amenophis III" with no explanation of their pillaged past. Waxman wants the Louvre and other museums to be more upfront with the public about the unethical or illegal origin of their treasures, even if they don't return them. Pillaged artifacts become part of the landscape in their adopted country, and not always in a good way. She offers an engrossing history of the removal of ancient Egyptian obelisks to cities all over Europe, where they were erected as imperial trophies in traffic circles and plazas, including St. Peter's Square in Rome. Waxman's argument that "Western museums remain essential custodians of the past" wears thin when she conflates imperial looting of the Elgin variety with the modern phenomenon of commercial grave-robbing. They both involve antiquities, but, I found myself asking, what do they have in common? The former usually followed conquest and was seen as a matter of national aggrandizement for European powers (think of Napoleon stuffing the Louvre with Italian booty), while the latter has a straightforward profit motive and occurs in violation of well-established national and international laws that did not exist before the modern era. One can be excused, or at least explained in its historical context; the other is obliterating ancient sites right now and implicates all of us. Some big collecting museums still keep the door open to acquiring pillaged goods. The Met, as Waxman points out, "remains one of the few major museums that continues to collect antiquities that lack a clear provenance." Other institutions, including the British Museum and even the Getty, whose journey from chop shop of looted artifacts to chastised good citizen is well-told by Waxman, have stopped acquiring antiquities that lack a documented chain of ownership because that usually means they are plundered from ancient sites. Waxman also neglects to point out that the wanton trade in undocumented antiquities encourages forgery. Since there is no record of where and when looted artifacts are found, museums and the public can be duped by fakes. This is the subject of Unholy Business, Nina Burleigh's bracing account of the case of the James Ossuary, an ancient limestone box that turned up in Jerusalem in 2002 with an inscription reading "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." It caused a global sensation and was exhibited in the Royal Ontario Museum before Israeli authorities revealed that it was a hoax. The box was real -- prominent Jews in the time of Jesus often preserved family bones in such containers -- but the inscription was a modern forgery, probably created in the same rooftop workshop in Tel Aviv that produced another momentarily famous relic now almost universally believed to be a fake: the Jehoash Tablet, which supposedly attested to the existence of the First Temple of Jerusalem. The ossuary shook the world because it would have offered the first material evidence of Jesus Christ. It posed a theological quandary for Catholics, who believe Mary was a lifelong virgin and that she could not, therefore, have borne Jesus any siblings. Some evangelicals were almost poignantly willing to believe in any artifact, no matter how suspect, that seemed to offer literal corroboration of the Bible. Burleigh skillfully navigates the theological dilemmas that attended the "discovery" of the ossuary and the forensic evidence that finally sank it. She leads readers through the murky world of Holy Land relic-looting, forgery and smuggling and delves deep into the mix of vanity and delusion that leads people to buy fakes. One collector, upon learning he had bought an expensive forgery, insisted to her that "I do have what they call a nose, a feel, whatever it is. . . . An object actually vibrates to me sometimes." As the Met found out with its krater, a beautiful object can betray even the most sensitive nose.
Copyright 2008, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

From Booklist
The Elgin Marbles in London. The Euphronios krater in New York. Aphrodite in Malibu. These ancient objects are not only art-world treasures but also poster icons of a long-running cultural quandary: Do antiquities belong in the great museums of the West or back in their native lands? And how did they get to their pampering resting places anyway? Waxman’s comprehensive and revealing overview of cultural imperialism, art, and history stretches from Napoleon’s plunder of Egypt (circa 1800) to the recent show-trial in Italy of a Getty Museum curator. At issue mostly is how the yearning for urns feeds an epidemic of tomb raiding and a global bazaar of shady traders, wealthy collectors, and museums that look the other way. Waxman is a congenial, globe-hopping tour guide through cramped offices, dank tomb sites, and sleek, art-filled palaces. There are no simple solutions but many competing attitudes and positions. Waxman argues strongly for transparency. Museums rarely disclose where their objects came from, or how they traveled through time and landed on display. They should. Without that the cultural history remains incomplete. --Steve Paul

Customer Reviews

Scholarship ?
A number of reviewers have applauded the detailed "scholarship" of this book. I happen to disagree. Today a writer's sources can easily be checked using the internet. I have done this and found the author's "scholarship" wanting.

There are "Notes" related to page numbers at the end of the book. The note for page 32 - Chapter 2 "FINDING ROSETTA" - tells us that: "Biographical information on Napoleon Bonaparte is drawn from Flora E. S. Kaplan, `Napoleon on the Nile: Soldiers, Artists and the Rediscovery of Egypt' (New York: Dahesh Museum of Art, 2006)..." This reference is to a 48 page catalogue of an exhibition of nineteenth-century paintings presented at the illusive Dahesh Museum of Art with an essay by its former curator Lisa Small, the exhibition's organizer. (Flora Edouwaye S. Kaplan was/is the museum's director.) Is such a catalogue a reliable source for information about Napoleon in Egypt?

On page 48 we are told that Giovanni Belzoni "traveled down the Nile" to Luxor from Cairo. But, as the Nile flows from south to north, he went "up" the Nile.

On page 55 we are told that Akhenaten "moved his capital from Thebes, today's Luxor, to a city he founded 150 miles to the south, a capital he called Akhetaten, known now as el Amarna." El-Amarna is actually north of Luxor. Furthermore, Wikipedia gives the distance from Luxor to el-Amarna as 250 miles.

On page 56 the author gives an inaccurate copy of a quote from page 139 of "Imperialism, Art and Restitution" claiming that it is from Ludwig Borchardt's 1912 diary. It is actually a translation of Borchardt's 1923 account "Porträts der Königin Nofret-ete" in "Ausgrabungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft im Tell el-Amarna". (This is clearly indicated in a footnote on page 139 of "Imperialism, Art and Restitution" which can be read online using Amazon.com's LOOK INSIDE for ISBN 978-0521859295.)

The author's account of Emile Prisse d'Avennes on pages 72 and 73 is taken from a magazine article "Prisse: A Portrait" by Mary Norton published in `Saudi Aramco World', November-December 1990 which is available online at: http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199006/prisse-a.portrait.htm. According to Norton, "Prisse settled down among the ruins of Karnak at ancient Thebes, and began to sketch and take papier-mache impressions from the thousands of inscriptions and bas-reliefs adorning some half-million square meters (140 acres) of temples, palaces and tombs." With Waxman this becomes: "He was a gifted artist who made hundreds of sketches, papier-mâché impressions, and plaster casts of thousands of inscriptions and reliefs that covered the tombs and temples in Egypt". Waxman gratuitously adds the "plaster casts", omits the "palaces" and extends Prisse's area of study from Karnak to Egypt. Is this a fair use of the source material?

The zodiac ceiling from the Temple of Dendera is described on pages 74 and 75. According to the author: "One inscription actually records a solar eclipse that occurred on March 7 in the year of 51 BC at 11:10 a.m. Other carvings show the position of the constellations from June 15 to August 15, in 50 BC." There are no notes for pages 74 and 75. So how did the author come by this information? (According to NASA http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov there was indeed an annular solar eclipse on March 7 in 51 BC [-0050 astronomical numbering system] but is this really recorded at Dendera?)

Brian Fagan's "The Rape of the Nile" (1975/2004), Peter Watson and Cecilia Todeschini's "The Medici Conspiracy" (2006), and William St. Clair's "Lord Elgin and the Marbles" (1967/1998) were all noted as sources by the author.

The death of Christo Michaelides and the consequences for Robin Symes are related on pages 352-354 of "Loot". According to a note by the author: "Information about the battle between Symes and the Papadimitriou family is from interviews, contemporaneous British press accounts, and Apostolidis, `Network'." Apparently Peter Watson and Cecilia Todeschini used the same sources for their almost identical account given on pages 248-263 of "The Medici Conspiracy" published in 2006.

The author describes her pilgrimage to the Acropolis on pages 233 to 237. "I mount from the southeast side" (i.e. from the new "Acropoli" metro station) ... "It is hot, too hot. Sweat trickles down my back. ... I think of the pilgrims filing on this path for the festival of Athena, the virgins and the young men leading garlanded cattle, and I remember the sculptures of the Parthenon that depict the pageantry of the ancient festival, occurring once every four years and culminating in a ceremony to place a new woolen robe, or peplos, on the gold and ivory statue of Athena in her temple." This is absolute rubbish. The ancient Greeks approached the Acropolis from the the northwest via the Agora. The peplos was placed on a life-sized wooden statue of Athena Polias in the Erechtheion not on Phidias' hugh chryselephantine statue in the Parthenon.

So much for the "scholarship". As a journalist, the author collected (by tape recorder?) an array of opinions from archaeologists, museum curators and fellow journalists. Surprisingly, the author's anecdotal evidence suggests that most of the inhabitants of the archaeological source countries didn't - and don't - care much about their own "cultural patrimony". For example, the local museum at Usak which now houses the repatriated "Lydian Hoard" had only 769 visitors over a five-year period.

According to judge Omer Erdogmus (quoted on page 158) the Lydian Hoard "treasures were brought back, and Turkey could not protect them." ... "We Turks didn't make these treasures," he finally said. "They were made by other civilizations and found in Turkey. It's the heritage of all humanity, the heritage of the whole world. This land belongs to us, but what we find under the soil, if we can't look after it, maybe other people should."

Özgen Acar, the foreign affairs columnist at "Cumhuriyet" (quoted on page 138) opposes, for now, the return of the Pergamon Altar to Turkey and the return of the Parthenon marbles to Greece. "I'm very happy these were carried away in the nineteenth or eighteenth centuries, because they were protected," he says. "If not, piece by piece those marbles would have been used to build mosques or churches. Luckily they were taken away and protected on behalf of mankind. ...."

I didn't buy the book. I borrowed a copy from my local library.

Loot
This is an enjoyable read and I admit I learned/remembered some things about ancient art, but it is flawed in the way that a lot of current nonfiction is: it seizes on one argument and makes it over and over again while supplying some generic historical information that could be found in textbooks along with gossip about elites. In this case, the argument has to do with whether or not cultural artifacts residing in museums should be returned to their countries of origin. Some say yes, some say no, but that is about as far as the analysis goes. There is little in the way of discussion about what forms cultural identity and why objects are important (or not) and not much supplied about the history of the objects themselves beyond a few good stories. There are brief and unenlightening excerpts from interviews with museum directors and curators; none of these go very deep or say much beyond what the author is saying over and over again.

A Problem That Is Not Going To Go Away
Sharon Waxman's new book is a winner in more ways than one. As several reviewers have commented, she has brought us new insights on the key personalities involved in the antiquities trade, done her homework in regard to the history and paper trails and best of all she makes the case for why the museum world and responsible governments will have to pay attention. The problem of restitution and return of artifacts is here to stay and it's not going to disappear into the woodwork.

Is it possible to hold a grudge for 120 years? Apparently yes, according to Kwame Opoku and Zahi Hawass, two men who have taken every opportunity to call for the return of African antiquities, regardless of whether they were looted, stolen, bought or given away under permit. They look at all of these objects as part of any nation's patrimony, and like two terriers in a rat field they intend to stand their ground till the bitter end.

They purposely seek out confrontations with heads of major museums either in person or in print, of whom Opoku has singled out James Cuno as a target. Director of the Art Institute of Chicago and author of the controversial Who Owns Antiquity? Cuno argues that "antiquities are the cultural property of all humankind, evidence of the world's ancient past and not that of a particular modern nation. They comprise antiquity, and antiquity knows no borders." He argues that retention of new finds and reclamation of old ones will lead to a dangerous politicization, thus he believes that there is such a thing as too much protection. His attitude is that now is the time to broaden, not restrict, access to antiquities, a stand that seems typical of the other large museums.

Opoku, a retired legal adviser in Vienna, takes an unrelenting opposite view that challenges Cuno and calls for the return of all antiquities. This power struggle created by Hawass and Opoku has if anything exposed a fatal weakness in the monolithic institutions of the West. That is a central and timely point made by Waxman. As she says, there is in the larger museums, "an unwillingness to adapt to the changing mores of a shifting global culture. The politics of `us versus them' has to give way to a reaffirmation of the value of cultural exchange, and its real embrace by both sides."

She also shows how in defense of their position the large museums of the West have distanced themselves from the concept of the National museum, the institution that is often used to tell the story of a nation's past and confirm its present importance. They now prefer to be known as encyclopedic museums, products of Enlightenment idealism, and institutions whose collections represent the world's artistic legacy.
Irene Rowland a professor at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, based in Rome, in a recent review explained how the great encyclopedic museums of the West found themselves on their high horses, since they "were predicated, perhaps to a one, on the idea that their local public constituted the world's best people, and hence the most deserving to stand in the presence of high culture, with a smattering of primitives to drive that sense of superiority home."

Rowland has kindly provided a stepladder on the off chance that they now find it difficult to get down from their lofty positions. She says, "the only plausible arrangement for museums today is to work as a peer among peers in schemes of international cooperation, already increasingly the norm for archaeological expeditions. The day is long gone when English, German, and American scholars could move in to tell the locals what was what and take their findings back to their encyclopedic museums to enlighten those who are deemed most capable of enlightenment."

Rowland and Opoku provide a way of the future in the development of a system that we can all believe in, the International Museum to which all nations and cultures would make their own contributions.

Waxman also helps by calling for "changing attitudes and shifting paradigms," but above all she points the finger at one of the central obstacles, provenance, the history of every object in every museum, collection and art salon. A more open attitude toward provenance may be just the thing to start everyone on the right road toward a meaningful and peaceful solution before too much blood is spilled, as it surely will be.

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Hubble: Imaging Space and Time

2009-04-15T13:00:00.001-07:00

Hubble: Imaging Space and Time

In the spirit of National Geographic’s top-selling Orbit, this large-format, full-color volume stands alone in revealing more than 200 of the most spectacular images from the Hubble Space Telescope during its lifetime, to the very eve of the 2008 final shuttle mission to the telescope. Written by two of the world’s foremost authorities on space history, Hubble: Imaging Space and Time illuminates the solar system’s workings, the expansion of the universe, the birth and death of stars, the formation of planetary nebulae, the dynamics of galaxies, and the mysterious force known as "dark energy."

The potential impact of this book cannot be overstressed: The 2008 servicing mission to install new high-powered scientific instruments is especially high profile because the cancellation of the previous mission, in 2004, caused widespread controversy. The authors reveal the inside story of Hubble’s beginnings, its controversial early days, the drama of its first servicing missions, and the creation of the dynamic images that reach into the deepest regions of visible space, close to the time when the universe began.

A wealth of astonishing images leads us to the very edge of known space, setting the stage for the new James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in 2013. Find the stunning panoramic of Carina Nebula, detailing star birth as never before; a jet from a black hole in one galaxy striking a neighboring galaxy; a jewel-like collection of galaxies from the early years of the universe; and a giant galaxy cannibalizing a smaller galaxy.

Timed for the 2008 shuttle launch and coinciding with the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first telescope, Hubble: Imaging Space and Time accompanies a high-profile exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum and will be featured on the popular NASM website.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #24089 in Books

Published on: 2008-09-30

Released on: 2008-09-30

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

224 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
The Hubble Space Telescope began taking spectacular photographs of the cosmos just as the Internet spread its web on Earth, granting public access to these astonishing, beautiful, and unprecedented images. So cherished were these glimpses into the universe, when NASA announced in 2004 that it would end the shuttle missions necessary to service the telescope, the protest was vehement enough to rescind the decision. This handsome volume celebrates the technological and scientific breakthroughs that have made the Hubble such a resounding success. The full, up-to-date story is told in glorious photographs and the equally sparkling commentary of Hubble experts DeVorkin and Smith. From a profile of the brilliant astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889–1953) to detailed explanations of how the spectacular photographs of such phenomena as the Orion Nebula (its portrait required 150 orbits) were taken, the authors cover the people, science, and aesthetics of the stellar Hubble era. Not only are the telescope’s contributions to science beyond quantification, DeVorkin and Smith aver, the images the Hubble has gathered have also had profound effects on our imagination and spiritual growth. --Donna Seaman

About the Author
David Devorkin is curator for history and astronomy and the space sciences at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In his more than 30-year career, he has written over 90 articles and seven books. He lives in Maryland.

Robert Smith is professor of history and past chair of the Department of History and Classics at the University of Alberta, and formerly a staff member at the National Air and Space Museum. His books include the award-winning The Space Telescope: A Study of NASA, Science, Technology and Politics. He has closely followed Hubble’s history for 20 years.

Customer Reviews

Illustrated Cosmos
This is a large, hardback, heavy book. It is a reference book with tons of illustrations and pictures of distant astronomic objects. It especially covers the origin of the study of astronomy and its transformation by orbiting astronomy. It concentrates on the Hubble Space Telescope, its design and the images it produces.

Great gift
I bought this lovely book as a gift for my engineer husband -- he was thrilled with it. The images are both stunning and eerie. Who knew that just outside our local astral neighborhood there were such amazing sights? In this day of high tech instant gratification it's hard to keep in mind that mysteries and miracles do exist - and it's too easy to take for granted such stellar achievements in the sciences. Pick up this book and leaf through it and that just falls away - you'll be amazed. And humbled.

All Things Hubble
This is really a great book regarding all things about The Hubble Space Telescope. Has great pictures about some of the celestial imaging captured by Hubble, in great color and detail. The cover of this book alone makes this one a winner. Another great price offered through Amazon versus what can be had from brick and mortar retailers.

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The History of the Snowman

2009-04-14T23:20:00.001-07:00

The History of the Snowman

Who made the first snowman? Who first came up with the idea of placing snowballs on top of each other, and who decided they would use a carrot for a nose? Most puzzling of all: How can this mystery ever be solved, with all the evidence long since melted? The snowman appears everywhere on practically everything -- from knickknacks to greeting cards to seasonal sweaters we plan to return. Whenever we see big snowballs our first impulse is to deck them out with a top hat. Humorist and writer Bob Eckstein has long been fascinated by this ubiquitous symbol of wintertime fun -- and finally, for the first time, one of the world's most popular icons gets his due. A thoroughly entertaining exploration, The History of the Snowman travels back in time to shed light on the snowman's enigmatic past -- from the present day, in which the snowman reigns as the King of Kitsch, to the Dark Ages, with the creation of the very first snowman. Eckstein's curiosity began playfully enough, but soon snowballed into a (mostly) earnest quest of chasing Frosty around the world, into museums and libraries, and seeking out the advice of leading historians and scholars. The result is a riveting history that reaches back through centuries and across cultures -- sweeping from fifteenth-century Italian snowballs to eighteenth-century Russian ice sculptures to the regrettable "white-trash years" (1975-2000). The snowman is not just part of our childhood memories, but is an integral part of our world culture, appearing -- much like a frozen Forrest Gump -- alongside dignitaries and celebrities during momentous events. Again and again, the snowman pops up in rare prints, paintings, early movies, advertising and, over the past century, in every art form imaginable. And the jolly snowman -- ostensibly as pure as the driven snow -- also harbors a dark past full of political intrigue, sex, and violence. With more than two hundred illustrations and a special section of the best snowman cartoons, The History of the Snowman is a truly original winter classic -- smart, surprisingly enlightening, and quite simply the coolest book ever.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #61265 in Books

Published on: 2007-10-30

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

177 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Bob Eckstein has been a humor writer for more than twenty years, and is most recognized for his popular weekly columns in Newsday, the Village Voice, and now, TimeOut. His cartoons and artwork have also appeared in publications like The New Yorker, the New York Times, Spy magazine, and Details. He splits his time between his studios in Manhattan and Pennsylvania.

The Age of Expansion:The Twenty-first Century

snowman: A figure of a person made from packed snow, usually formed by piling large snowballs on top of each other.
-- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

The era we currently live in is The Age of Expansion, a time of grandeur when the snowman was never bigger. Our society's stance on size is that it still matters. From SUVs to plasma-screen TVs to McMansions to six-foot heroes, living large is being in charge. Putting deli meats aside, today we all want to make an entrance with class, and right now that means the largest diamond, the biggest pecs, the largest breasts, and the most headroom of any sedan on the market. This preoccupation carries over to Christmas decorations, which have gone to another level -- it's not enough to keep up with the Joneses; it's necessary to squash them like a bug. So it's no surprise that our snowmen now need to be either a world-record holders or rubbernecking freaks of nature. Snowman contests, snowman festivals, marathons, lollapaloozas...like much else today, if it's not a spectacle, don't bother.

Today if you want a snowman for your lawn, you drive to the store. In an attempt to find another angle to cash in on the holidays, price clubs and better stores everywhere are well stocked with inflatable snowmen and snowman "kits." In this get-it-done-before-it-snows, fast-paced world of ours, there are different brands of snowman kits to choose from, all with prefabricated hats, buttons, pseudo coal and carrots conveniently packaged in a box so you or your kids don't have to get up and look for them yourself. Yes, everyone's snowman is going to look the same, but think of the time we're all saving. We're all too busy to go out and make snowmen, and, besides, what's the point of making one less than twelve feet tall? The buying of the largest possible snowman comes on the heels of The White Trash Years (1975-2000) as a backlash against all those cutesy gift-shop snowmen we all got sick of up to here. But that's the cynical side of the story. The positive spin on this is that "Mr. Huge" and other inflatable rubber substitutes of the real McCoy finally give those who live in temperate regions the joy of having a snowman in their front yard. Think of the children. Think of the money.

Speaking of which, what about snowman making as sport and its gambling opportunities? It's all part of The Age of Expansion, when the snowman continues to blaze trails for tourism. Hundreds of snowman festivals and contests take place around the world every year and continue to grow. In Pennsylvania, there's an annual charity ice golf tournament on Lake Wallenpaupack after it freezes that includes a contest where golfers tee it up and aim for the vulnerable "Wally, the Snowman" down the fairway.

There are hundreds of similar events throughout the world. The biggest is the Ice Lantern Festival (Ice and Snow World) in Harbin. This bitterly cold, northern Chinese city, once known mainly for its expensive exotica cuisine of bear paws, deer nostrils, and white Siberian tiger testicles, is now recognized as the ice sculpture capital, attracting artists from around the world. Each year millions travel to the "Ice City," where the temperature stays below freezing nearly half the year. Held from the beginning of January to the end of February, thousands of enormous sculptures and buildings are exhibited and paraded on floats through the city. Although these snow shows date back to 1963, snow sculpture there dates back to the Qing dynasty about 350 years ago. During the Manchu days, "ice lanterns" were carved and then lit by placing candles in them.

A similar tradition is also enjoyed today throughout Japan, where snowmen have candles placed in their stomachs during the many snowman festivals that take place every winter. Each year snowmen outnumber, at least for a while, the populations of northern Japanese towns. But are they big snowmen? Well, no, but rumor has it that the Japanese are eyeing that big prize, the world's largest snowman, an honor they enjoyed for almost four years thanks to a ninety-six-foot-tall snowman. Then, in February of 1999, Bethel, a town in Maine, placed itself on the map by breaking the coveted record, spending fourteen days piling snow skyward into what would become Angus, the King of the Mountain, named after the Maine governor, Angus King.

Extreme snowman making has come a long way since the day a bunch of frat boys from Dartmouth made the thirty-eight-foot-high Eleazer Wheelock, the headline act for the 1939 Winter Carnival. Today, making a huge snowman involves cranes, teamsters, and insurance. Don't even think about making a snowball the size of an igloo without a working permit. In Bethel, their record-breaking snowman required sixty volunteers, ranging from kindergartners to senior citizens and the cooperation of the whole town. Angus's arms were made with two ten-foot evergreens. Volunteers created a mouth with six automobile tires and eyes with four-foot wreaths. The local elementary school made a six-foot carrot out of chicken wire and muslin and then painted it orange by having each student place his or her handprint on it. When finished, Angus reached 113 feet and entered the The Guinness Book of Records, attracting thousands of visitors and appearing on Good Morning America. Afterward, the town held a contest to guess when Angus would melt, and by mid-March, Angus had become "The Leaning Tower of Bethel."

Not every large snowman dies a quiet, slow death. Each year in Zurich, the Swiss celebrate Sechseläuten by using large amounts of explosives to blow up an innocent snowman. Always on the third Monday in April, bakers, butchers, blacksmiths, and other tradesmen parade on horses and throw bread and sausages to the crowds. In return for free meat, girls decorate the riders with garlands made of spring flowers. Sechseläuten (which means "six bells ringing") comes from the tradition that, at six o'clock, the guild members put down their tools and call it a day. Meanwhile, the Boogg is schlepped through town. The Boogg is a large, cotton-wool snowman with a corncob pipe, button nose, and two eyes made out of coal -- he looks the same every year because the same guy has been making the Boogg for over thirty-five years. Unfortunately for Mr. Boogg, he's filled with firecrackers and plopped onto a forty-foot pile of very flammable scrap wood. For him, things will only get worse. After the bells of the Church of St. Peter have chimed six times, representing the passing of winter, the townspeople light the pile and watch the carnage. It is believed the shorter the combustion, the hotter and longer the summer will be. When the head of the snowman explodes to smithereens, winter is considered officially over.

Customer Reviews

Very interesting
Excellent. Funny and informative, this book is a great history of the snowman. Unusual histories are frequently interesting, but only if they are well-written, and this one is.

Back to the future
One can imagine a number of histories written over the years, but Bob Eckstein, the author of the highly enjoyable "The History of the Snowman", has added one more. His story, told from modern-day backwards, looks at the snowman in lore, advertising, art and society. Richly illustrated, the author has compiled a narrative that's unusually informative, given the subject.

We all know "Frosty" but I'll bet most people don't know there's not much written or illustrated about snowmen in Eskimo culture. (Eckstein tells us why) There's much more, too, and some of the most fascinating parts of the book unfold in later chapters. "The History of the Snowman" is warmly presented and lots of fun to read.

Great Fun
The History of the Snowman is great fun and makes a terrific present. It's smart, surprising, youthful and totally hip all at the same time. There's lots of great anecdotes and history backed-up with wonderful illustrations, cartoons, and historic and cool photographs. It might not make you cry -- but it'll make you laugh and think differently about this familiar snowy icon.

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Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks

2009-04-08T19:00:00.001-07:00

Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks

A do-it-yourself guide to designing, building, and maintaining water tanks, cisterns and ponds, and sustainably managing groundwater storage. It will help you with your independent water system, fire protection, and disaster preparedness, at low cost and using principles of ecological design. Includes building instructions for several styles of ferro cement water tanks.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #2167 in Books

Published on: 2005-05-30

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

125 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
A guide to water systems that explores every facet of designing water resources wisely, efficiently, and in concert with nature. -- Richard Freudenberger, Executive Editor, Back Home Magazine

All sorts of alternatives to your standard plastic water tank, accessible by anyone from homeowner to builder to civil engineer. -- Amy Wynn, Builders Booksource

If you run a water system, for a weekend shack or a whole community, you need this book! -- Doug Pratt, Real Goods Technical Editor

On average water systems, this book will pay for itself a hundred times over in errors avoided and maintenance savings. -- Zane Satterfield, P.E., National Drinking Water Clearinghouse

Practical design solutions, comprehensive illustrations, and plenty of photos—a thorough treatment of a topic that’s vital to our survival. -- Claire Anderson, Home Power Magazine, Mother Earth News

From the Publisher
Water Storage describes how to store water for home, farm, and small communities. It will help you design storage for just about any use, including fire safety and emergency, in just about any context—urban, rural, or village.

This book includes:

•General principles to help you design, construct, and use any water system

•A look at common mistakes and how to avoid them

•How the different kinds of storage can serve you—tanks, groundwater, and ponds

•How to determine the optimum amount of storage for your needs

•How to determine the best shape and material for your storage

•How to manage aquifers sustainably for inexpensive storage of water in the ground

•Plumbing details for inlets, outlets, drains, overflows, access, etc. storage accessories and gadgets such as automatic shut-off valves, remote •Level indicators, ozonators, and filters

•How to build your own high-quality tank from ferrocement

•Original design innovations—published here for the first time—to improve the quality of stored water, increase water security, make maintenance easier, and reduce environmental impacts

•Real-life examples of storage designs for a wide range of contexts

This book offers underlying design principles as well as design specifics. If you run into a situation not specifically covered, there's a good chance you'll be able to use these general principles to figure it out yourself.

Installed water storage typically costs fifty cents to three dollars or more a gallon ($60-200/m3). If you've got this book in your hands, you're probably on the verge of making decisions about hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of storage. On an average water system, this book could pay for itself a hundred times over in savings on construction and maintenance.

Most of the information otherwise available on water storage comes from vendors. Oasis Design doesn't sell water storage hardware, so you don't have to worry about being steered towards stuff you don't need. Rather, we make our living by providing information to help people have a higher quality of life with lower impact.

From the Back Cover
What you need to know ot design and build water storage of any kind.

Water Storage shows how to make your storage--and your entire water system--perform better. It will help make your access to clean water more secure.

You'll learn what kind of storage will serve you best--tanks, ponds, groundwater; how much storage you need, where to install it, how to properly plumb it, which accessories would benefit your home, farm, or community, and how to sustainably manage your aquifer.

Water Storage includes original design innovations, real-life examples, and complete instructions for constructing tanks from ferrocement.

Customer Reviews

Great Book
I purchased this book mainly due to the picture of the water urn on the cover. The plans for it are included. This book has a lot of information regarding water sources and water collection and containment. Recommend for anyone interested in water collection/conservation. I do wish the pictures inside the book were in color (the are all black and white).

another great book from oasis design
I love all those oasis manuals. Once again Art Ludwig surprises us with a manual full of info reagarding water catchment and storage. Although I'm working in this field for more than 10 years, I always find something new and interesting in Oasis manuals and ther are a fundamental part of my permaculture-libary

Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocemen
This book can help you for how to planning the different water systems in rural and urban areas, the best is how to make ferrocement water tanks.

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The PreHistory of The Far Side ®:: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit (Far Side Series)

2009-04-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

The PreHistory of The Far Side ®:: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit (Far Side Series)

Welcome to the exhibit: a spectacular retrospective of more than 300 Far Side cartooons - in both black and white and color. The exhibit is not Larson's most popular cartoons; it is his own personal favorites. And indeed, this is the first glimpse Larson's millions of fans worldwide have ever had of the personal side of Gary Larson. As Larson says in his Foreword, "This may or may not be of particular interest to anyone, but my therapist says it should do ME a lot of good." As with all great exhibits, it begins by putting The Far Side, and Gary Larson, in context. In the first section, "The Origin of the Species," we see Gary's childhood drawings, such as the one done in black crayon, of little Gary sitting on top of a tire, his earliest memory of riding in the car on vacation. The next documented section, "Evolutioon of the Species," gives the view the first insights into the creative process of Gary Larson. (He admits, for example, that "off days" are a part of life, whether you're a cartoonist, a neurosurgeon, or an air-traffic controller.) In this section we see cartoons that worked - and often, surprisingly, how he made them work better. Then there is the section called "Mutations," the ones that didn't work because somebody (no names heres) goofed up. And finally, leading up to the exhibit itself, the section "Stimulus/Response," in which Gary shares some of his fan mail: "You should be severely reprimanded by animal protection authorities, in newspaper publication, and, if possible... you should be fined at least $1,000 for each such cruel cartoon." And Larson's defense: Complaints are "usually from people who misinterpreted the cartoon and were angered by a cartoon they didn't 'get.' Well, hell - I don't understand all my cartoons." We also see never-before-published cartoons that landed on the editorial cutting-room floor. So here's the whole history of The Far Side, some ten odd years - from Mesozoic to Modern, from Early Weird to Late Weird. Only Larson thinks it may not be very interesting, but as he says, once "you've got it in your brain cells you're stuck with it."

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #108513 in Books

Published on: 1989-09-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

288 pages

Customer Reviews

This shaped my mind when i was young
The Far Side series shaped my mind. I'm whatever I am today because of the insight this humour brought into my life when I was a kid. And the PreHistory of the Far Side is a must have!

The Essential Far Side
This is a fantastic book and a must for any Far Side afficianado. Not only does it have the usual great material, but includes stuff never published and commentary by Gary Larson as he takes you through his creative process during various stages of his career.

A must for every Larson fan (excuse the cliche)
I first saw this in my school library, and after reading a bit I decided to buy my own copy as it was so good. It is kind of like a short biography of Larson combined with special features like his earliest cartoons that weren't published and others he decided not to publish for various reasons. He includes annotated versions of some of his best cartoons, which make you think "Oh, so THAT'S what he meant..."

It's like a Larson bible. You need it.

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Shop Your Closet: The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Closet with Style

2009-04-07T15:40:00.001-07:00

Shop Your Closet: The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Closet with Style

Just when you feared your overstuffed, eyesore of a closet was a lost cause, here's the antidote to all your closet woes. Closet expert and style maven Melanie Charlton Fascitelli is here to help you whip your closet into shape, refreshing your wardrobe and saving you time along the way.

With this accessible, stylish guide, you'll find out how to redo your closet and organize your clothes so that you can, yes, go shopping there—sort through shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, scarves, and shoes, all in perfect condition and ready to go.

From the first closet face-off to long-term maintenance, Charlton Fascitelli takes you step by step through the entire process of turning your closet into a "safe haven" for your clothes.

Learn how to:

Face your inner packrat and clean out your closet

Shop for and pick items that flatter your body

Craft the best wardrobe for your lifestyle

Create space in your closet by reworking it logistically

Store your clothes and shoes so they last longer

Charlton Fascitelli also covers consigning or donating all your old stuff; keeping your closet clean and tidy; packing smartly and efficiently; storing your linens; and organizing other areas of your home, including your medicine cabinet, pantry, or CD collection.

Clearing clutter, organizing clothes, and remaking your wardrobe has never been so easy or attainable. Shop Your Closet is your go-to source for closet nirvana.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #31290 in Books

Published on: 2008-04-01

Released on: 2008-04-08

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

176 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A former Style.com editor and fashion PR consultant, Melanie Charlton Fascitelli founded the closet design company, Closette, in 2002. The company has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Real Simple, and Marie Claire. She lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Do it yourself closet
Shop Your Closet is great for those who want to do it yourselves. It's not as detailed though (eg. only 2 body shapes mentioned Apple and Banana. Where's my Pear shape???) and quite-American focused. It does have a very useful section about constructing your own closet though with useful measurement guides and tips. This part is her business forte I think and it shows through.

AWESOME!
This book exceeded my expectations. It was very clear and tons of fun! Get organized today.

It was ok, nothing great.
This book was overrated! I looked at the title-shop your closet- and thought 'oh, that sounds nice. I'll request it from my library!' I did so and read it. I was disappointed. This had pretty much knowledge that I already knew, and had little to nothing to do with "shopping your closet" as the title proclaimed.

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Peanuts 2000: The 50th Year Of The World's Favorite Comic Strip

2009-04-07T01:40:00.001-07:00

Peanuts 2000: The 50th Year Of The World's Favorite Comic Strip

"Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy . . . how can I ever forget them. . . ." -- CHARLES SCHULZ

How could any of us ever forget them? For fifty years, Charles Schulz and the whole Peanuts gang have delighted millions of readers around the world. Now, in celebration of the artist who quickly became a national treasure, this special anniversary volume brings together for the first time in book form the last year of the Peanuts comic strip. With Peanuts 2000, there's no need to say goodbye to old friends.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #267456 in Books

Published on: 2000-09-05

Released on: 2000-09-05

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

176 pages

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
To all you Snoopy fans out there. Peanuts 2000 is a presentation of the last year of strips by Mr. Schulz in chronological order. As many of you have noticed, the Sunday "farewell" strip is missing from the first printing of this book. The problems have been corrected and all current and future printings of this book will contain the strip. The final strip is also available for viewing at the official Peanuts website.

From the Inside Flap
"Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy . . .
how can I ever forget them. . . ."
--CHARLES SCHULZ

How could any of us ever forget them? For fifty years, Charles Schulz and the whole Peanuts gang have delighted millions of readers around the world. Now, in celebration of the artist who quickly became a national treasure, this special anniversary volume brings together for the first time in book form, the last year of the Peanuts comic strip. With Peanuts 2000, there's no need to say goodbye to old friends.

Customer Reviews

Peanuts 2000
This book is a funny compilation of the wacky comic strip gang, a dog with some feathered friends and what else. The hilarious side of children.

Still love Peanuts
I find that after all this time I still love the Peanuts gang. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and others still bring a smile to my face as the wonderful insight of the creator comes through. I wish that I was young again and still had the old paperbacks that I once read so I could go back to some and re-read them. I wish that Shultz could still create those drawings and tears just swelled up from inside reading the ending passage. Charles Shultz will be missed by me and I have read this and other books by him to my kids so they might gain an interest in these type of books. I wish they had more specials of the Peanuts ang for TV rather than some of the stuff on now. Anyone who wants great cartoons with very funny happenings for their children will definitely love this book and others by Shultz.

Schroeder Rocks the House
Peanuts are totally classic! Dude! Schroeder is like the coolest person on the face of the earth! He is so reserved and that make Peanuts worth the while to read. He also looks so cute at his little piano, playing Bethoven. This book clearly shows that and becuase I love little Schroeder, I love this book too! Beethoven forever! Rock on! (JK)

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Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual

2009-04-06T11:40:00.001-07:00

Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual

Producing electricity from the sun using photovoltaic (PV) systems has become a major industry worldwide. But designing, installing and maintaining such systems requires knowledge and training, and there have been few easily accessible, comprehensive guides to the subject.

Now, with Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual, a world-class solar energy training and education provider-Solar Energy International (SEI)-has made available the critical information to successfully design, install and maintain PV systems. The book contains an overview of photovoltaic electricity and a detailed description of PV system components, including PV modules, batteries, controllers and inverters. It also includes chapters on sizing photovoltaic systems, analyzing sites and installing PV systems, as well as detailed appendices on PV system maintenance, troubleshooting and solar insolation data for over 300 sites around the world. Used worldwide as the textbook in SEI's PV Design & Installation workshops, topics covered include:

The basics of solar electricity
PV applications and system components
Solar site analysis and mounting
Stand-alone and PV/generator hybrid system sizing
Utility-interactive PV systems
Component specification, system costs and economics
Case studies and safety issues

Photovoltaics guarantees that those wanting to learn the skills of tapping the sun's energy can do so with confidence.

Solar Energy International (SEI) has the nonprofit mission to respond to the need for renewable energy education. Based in Carbondale, Colorado, and active around the world, SEI is a link between people and renewable energy resources, providing information, education and training to people who want to shape a sustainable future. SEI is recognized by the National Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) as dedicated independent provider of PV training programs that may be used toward attaining PV certification. Also, SEI is recognized as an Accredited Institution to offer PV training by the Institute for Sustainable Power (ISP).

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #3021 in Books

Published on: 2004-09-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

336 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Solar Energy International (SEI), from Carbondale, CO, is a non-profit that trains adults and youth in renewable energy and environmental building technologies. Since 1991, SEI has taught thousands of individuals from 12 US states and around the world, pioneering a hands-on approach acknowledged as the benchmark for renewable energy education and training. SEI staff are avid solar enthusiasts with decades of experience in passive solar design & construction, solar hot water, wind and micro-hydro power, solar cooking, and natural house building.

Customer Reviews

Solar Book
Have interest in the solar industry and happy for this book that details installation of the various PV systems

Not for engineers
Well, I did not read the whole book yet but so far there's nothing new there for me. I do recommend the book for people with no technical background. Those of us that have good background in physics and electricity will not benefit much.

The most comprehensive resource book for information on Solar
This is the complete guide to solar, written by the people who train the professionals. Great resource.

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The Painted Quilt: Paint and Print Techniques for Color on Quilts

2009-04-05T22:20:00.001-07:00

The Painted Quilt: Paint and Print Techniques for Color on Quilts

The only book on the market that deals with the application of color to the quilted surface--a technique that creates completely unique effects.

Dyeing, fabric painting and print techniques are an important part of the increasingly popular City & Guilds textile courses.

Painted Quilt demystifies the process of coloring cloth using a variety of techniques including fabric paints, pastels, dyes, bleaches and transfers. The book combines simple techniques to produce complex textile surfaces, and describes exactly how these effects are achieved with easy-to-understand step-by-step photographs and instructions. Many people have competent sewing skills but lack the confidence to create their own designs--this book will help them to explore their own creative potential to achieve effective and original designs.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #11810 in Books

Published on: 2007-07-20

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

128 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Linda and Laura Kemshall are a mother and daughter team, renowned for their innovative approach to textiles and their online teaching courses. They have exhibited both together and individually all over the world to huge critical acclaim.

Customer Reviews

One of the best books on the subject!
I read a good review on this book and took a chance. It was worth it! Lots of great ideas, photos and step-by-step instructions. You won't be sorry if you buy it.

Top of the Line
This is an outstanding book: comprehensive, very good instructions on technique, and best of all - it's written by a mother and daughter team who are serious artists. If you want to stretch your art, get this book.

Love this book
This book has such beautiful samples and clear instructions. It's a treasure to have in your library.

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Creature

2009-04-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Creature

Photographer Andrew Zuckerman's strikingly detailed images of animals from around the world are as delightful as they are inspiring. This collection of astonishing studio portraits of 175 wild creatures from baby leopards to parrots, bears, mandrills, and many more are stunningly foregrounded against white backgrounds, depicting their subjects with rare sensitivity, insight, humor, and wonder. Zuckerman also an up-and-coming filmmaker, whose first short film, High Falls, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007 has created a volume perfect for animal lovers, photography fans, and anyone fascinated by the world around us. Creature is a beautiful and thought-provoking look at the fragile wonders of the natural world.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #32467 in Books

Published on: 2007-11-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

300 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, December 2007: December seems to be the classic month to celebrate the coffee-table book--those oversized tomes that sit out on display, easily enticing anyone within arm's reach to flip through the pages. One of my favorites of the season--and one you'll want to keep out all year long--is Andrew Zuckerman's Creature, a photographic safari of astounding studio shots of an ark's worth of animals, ready for their close-ups against a stark white backdrop. Mesmerizing, inspiring, and ultimately very, very cool. Badgers, fruit bats, and bald eagles never looked so good. --Brad Thomas Parsons

About the Author
Andrew Zuckerman is a New York-based photographer and film director. His work has been featured in Communication Arts, Photo District News, American Photo, and ADC's "Young Gun" show. In 2006 Andrew was a recipient of D&AD's Yellow Pencil award for excellence in photography. He co-founded Late Night & Weekends, which develops advertising, books, television, and narrative films. His first short film, High Falls, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

Customer Reviews

A whole lot more than just a coffee table book
This is a book to be savored, spending a full minute or two studying each photo before turning the page. The sequence of photos is no accident. It's obvious that the photographer arranged these with a purpose.There is definitely a sense of humor displayed hee. For instance, there's the chimpanzee posing as if for a Burt Reynolds type centerfold. Others may make one think of political campaign posters. Then there's the lion head goldfish photo followed immediately by the head shot of an African lion.But there's much more than humor in the arrangement of photos. There are sequences that bring out various moods of the same animal.There are two instances in which I'm puzzled by the photographer's intent. One is of a full length snake photo cut off before you see its head. And then there's the armadillo all curled up without any shots of its natural appearance. I'm not criticizing the photos, but am merely puzzled at the purpose of them.The bottom line is that the photos speak for themselves with only a preface at the start of the book and an epilog at the end. One does need to refer to the last pages for identification of the species featured in each photo or sequence of photos, and I think that's to the book;s credit. Far better to see just the animal without any printing to mar one's pure enjoyment.

a lovely creature
Amazing book, love the way he captures the details of some animals and the way he puts them on the book, a diferent animal photography book...

Incredible book
Simple, striking, this book has to be seen in person to be appreciated. A perfect gift for a someone who is hard to buy for. But be sure they have room... this is a big heavy book.

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Scrapbooks: An American History

2009-04-04T12:00:00.001-07:00

Scrapbooks: An American History

Combining pictures, words, and a wealth of personal ephemera, scrapbook makers preserve on the pages of their books a moment, a day, or a lifetime. Highly subjective and rich in emotional content, the scrapbook is a unique and often quirky form of expression in which a person gathers and arranges meaningful materials to create a personal narrative. This lavishly illustrated book is the first to focus attention on the history of American scrapbooks—their origins, their makers, their diverse forms, the reasons for their popularity, and their place in American culture.

Jessica Helfand, a graphic designer and scrapbook collector, examines the evolution of scrapbooks from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present, concentrating on the first half of the twentieth century. She includes color photographs from more than two hundred scrapbooks, some made by private individuals and others by the famous, including Zelda Fitzgerald, Lillian Hellman, Anne Sexton, Hilda Doolittle, and Carl Van Vechten. Scrapbooks, while generally made by amateurs, represent a striking and authoritative form of visual autobiography, Helfand finds, and when viewed collectively they offer a unique perspective on the changing pulses of American cultural life.

Published with assistance from Furthermore: a program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #54055 in Books

Published on: 2008-11-03

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

224 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, November 2008: The scrapbook has long been a popular and vital form of self-expression embraced by a cross-section of American society. "To read another person's scrapbook" observes Jessica Helfand in Scrapbooks: An American History, "is to acquire a body of knowledge about an entirely different time and place." Helfand--a prominent graphic designer, art critic, and author--has combined her considerable talents to create one of the most interesting and category-defying books on American culture this year. Through some 200 albums dating from the Victorian era through the present day--albums that Helfand personally curated and researched--Scrapbooks tells the story of ordinary and extraordinary lives, innovative visual ideas, and social change within the larger context of American history. The perfectly presented color photographs of album pages and schematic renderings draw readers right in. And, Helfand's detailed, yet evocative interpretations will keep them glued to the page. Scrapbooks is a special book that engages readers with a palpable sense of the material qualities of historic scrapbooks, and provides a stimulating presentation of the complex social and cultural worlds out of which they emerged. Like any first-rate scrapbook, Scrapbooks is a treasure-trove worth poring over for hours and hours. --Lauren Nemroff

The first book on the history of the American scrapbook. Discover untold stories in America's cultural history through nearly 200 fascinating scrapbooks.

Author Jessica Helfand Describes the Scrapbooks Project

Rich or poor, celebrity or civilian, men, women, and children of all ages kept scrapbooks. Some were ornate, with gilded covers and carefully composed pages of decoupage. Others were retrofitted from secondhand books, with chromolithographs glued sloppily on top of existing texts. Many consisted entirely of clippings, rigorously aligned and chronologically arranged, often around a central theme—pigeons, for instance, or movie stars or, not infrequently, obituaries. There were scrapbooks filled with babies, birds, and baseball statistics; scrapbooks about ice skating, dog breeding, and the intricacies of boy watching. Fragments of cloth from wedding gowns were included in bridal books, while new mothers included gentle locks from their baby’s first haircut. Debutantes saved news clippings, farmers saved weather reports, high school girls saved gum wrappers, and everyone, it seemed, saved greeting cards. Even soldiers kept scrapbooks, pasting in furlough requests, ration cards, and the tattered, beloved photos of their faraway sweethearts. Clumsily folded, haphazardly pasted, randomly annotated with fascinating afterthoughts, the material presence of these personal repositories offers a long-overlooked glimpse into the American spirit. Why did people feel compelled to save the things they did? What did they value, and question, and believe about themselves and the world around them? And how did the things they saved express what they themselves, for whatever reason, could not say in words?

Over time, the scrapbook came to mirror the changing pulse of American cultural life—a life of episodic moments, randomly reflected in a news clipping or a silhouetted photograph, a lock of baby hair or a Western Union telegram. As a genre unto themselves, scrapbooks represent a fascinating, yet virtually unexplored visual vernacular, a world of makeshift means and primitive methods, of gestural madness and unruly visions, of piety and poetry and a million private plagiarisms. As author, editor, photographer, curator, and inevitable protagonist, the scrapbook maker engaged in what seems today, in retrospect, a comparatively crude exercise in graphic design. Combining pictures, words, and a wealth of personal ephemera, the resulting works represent amateur yet stunningly authoritative examples of a particular strain of visual autobiography, a genre rich in emotional, pictorial, and sensory detail. --Jessica Helfand

Get a Closer Look at Scrapbooks
(click on images to enlarge)

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Scrapbooks were the original open-source technology, says graphic designer Helfand, who teaches at Yale, in this appreciative and analytical tour through a century's worth of visual historical record books. This eclectic, yet inclusive genre provide[s] a cross section of the range and pluralism of more than a century of modern American experience. The scrapbook compiles artifacts that illustrate their times, ranging from photographs of Rita Hayworth to ration cards, yet also render psychological portraits of their makers, whether young Victorian school girls, the mother of F. Scott Fitzgerald or WWII soldiers. A scrapbook's historical lessons can be gleaned by studying its content, form, commentary and even the wear of included items, and its intended viewers. Tracing the evolution of the scrapbook from a documentary record through manifestation of fantasy to nostalgic rendering or compendium of loved things, Helfand roughly sketches American history through creating her own scrapbook of scrapbooks. This book is colored at times by her privileging of older forms, which she sees as more personal and authentic expressions than the products of today's craft-oriented scrapbookers. But like any good scrapbook, this is a personal collage of a collective experience. (Nov.)
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From The Washington Post
From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com Reviewed by Caroline Preston Afew months ago, I wandered into Michael's craft superstore in search of a poster board for my son's school project and found myself lost in the jumbo "Scrapbooking" section. Four aisles were devoted to colored albums, patterned pages, glues, stickers and letter stencils to document every holiday and human activity from baby's first step to enlistment in the Marines. There was a section of Martha Stewart supplies in uber-tasteful shades like bisque and sage green. It turns out that "scrapbooking" is not only a verb but also a multi-billion dollar industry. "Scrappers" are a clannish group with their own social rituals: weekend workshops, "scrap-and-spa" retreats and "cropping cruises." But America's love affair with the scrapbook is hardly new. In Scrapbooks, Jessica Helfand, a graphic designer and critic at Yale University School of Art, explores the 200-year history of the scrapbook, which she describes as an idiosyncratic form of visual biography. One of the earliest scrappers was Thomas Jefferson, who assembled volumes of poems and songs. Frustrated with dried-out glue pots, Mark Twain patented a self-pasting scrapbook that earned him $50,000, more than most of his novels. During the golden age of scrapbooks in the early 20th century, there were scrapbooks tailored for debutantes, brides, soldiers, movie-star fans, high school girls and automobile enthusiasts. Heavy and oblong, with over 400 color illustrations that range in size from full-page to postage-stamp, Scrapbooks has the heft and eye appeal of an ornate scrapbook. Helfand found a wacky assortment of stuff glued in scrapbooks that goes well beyond the usual clippings and photographs: locks of hair, twigs, cigarette butts, dance cards, candy wrappers, ration cards, a coonskin tail, a smashed watch and even the top of someone's blister. Helfand explains that she chose scrapbooks that, above all, "tell a story worth telling." Take, for example, the one kept by a 19-year-old girl who eloped from her Boston home. On one page is a faded color photograph of the achingly young couple lounging on beach chairs with the caption "us," along with the taped-in key to their Virginia Beach hotel room. Two pages later comes a telegram from her forgiving parents: "Two such sweet young people should make a fine combination." The young bride pastes in laundry lists, gin rummy tallies, her husband's apology note after their first fight. She also starts to write poetry: romantic rhyming couplets and letters, ripped from a magazine, that spell "Bleat, Bleat." The sunny scrapbook belonged to Anne Sexton, years before she found fame as a poet, her marriage imploded in abuse and infidelity, and she committed suicide. The prime example of the Jazz Age scrapbook is Zelda Fitzgerald's, which mirrored "the volatile rhythm of life between 1917 and 1926." Her pages, with drawings and photos of boys and high-jinx pasted in -- and in some case violently torn out -- have an "almost Dada-esque quality," says Helfand. The "incomplete, fragmented nature of scraps" seemed the perfect medium to capture the turmoil of the quintessential new woman, who was "essentially dwarfed by her husband's career." But most of the scrapbook authors in this book are not celebrities; in fact, we know little more about many of them than the chock-a-block scrapbook they left behind, which recorded the heyday of an otherwise ordinary life. Christine Dobbs from Marietta, Ga., pasted down every flower, love letter and dress-fabric swatch from her wedding. Francis Johnson of Waterbury, Conn., kept an elegant scrapbook of his service with the Second Air Force in China and Burma. When he died divorced and childless 40 years later, this precious keepsake was discarded; it turned up on eBay. Helfand's inclusive attitude towards a populist art form falls short in her last chapter. She finds today's prepackaged scrapbook supplies "homogenized and culturally neutral" and the final products "primitive by objective standards." "Veiled by embellishments, drenched in die cuts and ribbons, won't scrapbooks all look alike?" she asks. Probably not. Scrapbook keepers, as we have learned in this sumptuous book, tend to ignore prescribed formulas and create their own stories, original and true.
Copyright 2009, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

Customer Reviews

Pasting our American history to the page
The rise of scrapbooking as a hobby has its roots deep in American history. Men and women of all walks of life have engaged in the practice, though the original intent and focus has changed over the last century and a half. Helfand is a designer, writer and cultural critic. She also is a collector of vintage scrapbooks. Here she combines both interests, using the many scrapbooks from her collection to explore American history and culture through the lens of what was considered interesting enough or important enough to collect within them.

This is a beautiful collection of over 200 scrapbooks, and hundreds of photographs, with contents ranging from the mundane (pictures and mementos of family) to news articles of the day, ticket stubs, money and greeting cards. These books come from the time before ready-made pages, laser printers and cropping parties - some made on the pages of books on hand, with the articles glued or taped over the published pages. Some of the names involved in scrapbooking are interesting in and of themselves - Mark Twain was a scrap-booker and Zelda Fitzgerald kept a scrapbook which Helfand includes. Here, scrapbooks are shown to be as much a part of American culture as quilting, and just as unique in design.

For those of us too lazy to do it ourselves
This is marvelous: An entire book of other people's scrapbooks. It's like having one's own scrapbook, but with the excitement of discovering exactly what it is one has done.

I deducted a star for not enough pictures of cute animals. Needs more kitties.

bits
A gorgeous quirky entertaining book, rich in strange and wonderful human narratives with vivid pictures and a captivating layout. A perfect gift.

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The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art

2009-03-28T17:20:00.001-07:00

The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art

Why would a smart New York investment banker pay $12 million for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock’s drip painting No. 5, 1948 sell for $140 million?

Intriguing and entertaining, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark is a Freakonomics approach to the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world. Why were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131 contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights reached in 2007? Don Thompson explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art world in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work valuable while others are ignored.

This book is the first to look at the economics and the marketing strategies that enable the modern art market to generate such astronomical prices. Drawing on interviews with both past and present executives of auction houses and art dealerships, artists, and the buyers who move the market, Thompson launches the reader on a journey of discovery through the peculiar world of modern art. Surprising, passionate, gossipy, revelatory, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark reveals a great deal that even experienced auction purchasers do not know.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #8315 in Books

Published on: 2008-09-16

Released on: 2008-09-16

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

272 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Don Thompson has written, by far, the best book on the economics of the contemporary art market yet written."--Felix Salmon, Portfolio.com "Don Thompson provides the single best guide to both the anthropology and the economics of contemporary art markets. This book is fun and fascinating on just about every page.” --Tyler Cowen, New York Sun

"If you read no other book about art in your life, read the one that’s gripped me like a thriller for the past two days…it’s called the $12 Million Stuffed Shark.” --Richard Morrison, The Times (London)

"…it’s lucid, well researched and, while carefully balanced, manages to retain a sharp edge ." --Telegraph UK

"A new book by an economist named Don Thompson entitled $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art ought to be required reading for collectors intending to wade into well publicized contemporary art auctions…" --The Economist.com

"[An] informative an occasionally hilarious look at the surreal contemporary art market... A clear-headed approach to a frequently high-pitched issue." --Kirkus

About the Author

Don Thompson teaches marketing and economics in the MBA program at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. He has taught at the London School of Economics and at Harvard Business School. He lives in London and Toronto.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
January 13, 2005, New York

One problem for the agent trying to sell the stuffed shark was the $12 million asking price for this work of contemporary art.* Another was that it weighed just over two tons, and was not going to be easy to carry home. The taxidermy fifteen-foot tiger shark “sculpture” was mounted in a giant glass vitrine and creatively named The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. It is illustrated in the center portion of the book. The shark had been caught in 1991 in Australia, and prepared and mounted in England by technicians working under the direction of British artist Damien Hirst.

Another concern was that while the shark was certainly a novel artistic concept, many in the art world were uncertain whether it qualified as art. The question was important because $12 million represented more money than had ever been paid for a work by a living artist, other than Jasper Johns – more than for a Gerhard Richter, a Robert Rauschenberg, or a Lucian Freud.

Why would anyone even consider paying this much money for the shark? Part of the answer is that in the world of contemporary art, branding can substitute for critical judgment, and lots of branding was involved here. The seller was Charles Saatchi, an advertising magnate and famous art collector, who fourteen years earlier had commissioned Hirst to produce the work for £50,000. At the time that sum was considered so ridiculous that The Sun heralded the transaction with the headline “50,000 For Fish Without Chips.” Hirst intended the figure to be an “outrageous” price, set as much for the publicity it would attract as for the monetary return.

The agent selling the shark was New York-based Larry Gagosian, the world’s most famous art dealer. One buyer known to be actively pursuing the shark was Sir Nicholas Serota, director of London’s Tate Modern museum, who had a very constrained budget to work with. Four collectors with much greater financial means had shown moderate interest. The most promising was American Steve Cohen, a very rich Connecticut hedge fund executive. Hirst, Saatchi, Gagosian, Tate, Serota, and Cohen represented more art world branding than is almost ever found in one place. Saatchi’s ownership and display of the shark had become a symbol for newspaper writers of the shock art being produced by the group known as the Young British Artists, the yBas. Put the branding and the publicity together and the shark must be art, and the price must not be unreasonable.

There was another concern, serious enough that with any other purchase it might have deterred buyers. The shark had deteriorated dramatically since it was first unveiled at Saatchi’s private gallery in London in 1992. Because the techniques used to preserve it had been inadequate, the original had decomposed until its skin became heavily wrinkled and turned a pale green, a fin had fallen off, and the formaldehyde solution in the tank had turned murky. The intended illusion had been of a tiger shark swimming toward the viewer through the white space of the gallery, hunting for dinner. The illusion now was described as entering Norman Bates’ fruit cellar and finding Mother embalmed in her chair. Curators at the Saatchi Gallery tried adding bleach to the formaldehyde, but this only hastened the decay. In 1993 the curators gave up and had the shark skinned. The skin was then stretched over a weighted fiberglass mold. The shark was still greenish, still wrinkled.

Damien Hirst had not actually caught the now-decaying shark. Instead he made “Shark Wanted” telephone calls to post offices on the Australian coast, which put up posters giving his London number. He paid £6,000 for the shark: £4,000 to catch it and £2,000 to pack it in ice and ship it to London. There was the question of whether Hirst could replace this rotting shark simply by purchasing and stuffing a new one. Many art historians would argue that if refurbished or replaced, the shark became a different artwork. If you overpainted a Renoir, it would not be the same work. But if the shark was a conceptual piece, would catching an equally fierce shark and replacing the original using the same name be acceptable? Dealer Larry Gagosian drew a weak analogy to American installation artist Dan Flavin, who works with fluorescent light tubes. If a tube on a Flavin sculpture burns out, you replace it. Charles Saatchi, when asked if refurbishing the shark would rob it of its meaning as art, responded “Completely.” So what is more important–the original artwork or the artist’s intention?

Nicolas Serota offered Gagosian $2 million on behalf of Tate Modern, but it was turned down. Gagosian continued his sales calls. When alerted that Saatchi intended to sell soon, Cohen agreed to buy.

Hirst, Saatchi, and Gagosian are profiled later in the book. But who is Steve Cohen? Who pays $12 million for a decaying shark? Cohen is an example of the financial-sector buyer who drives the market in high-end contemporary art. He is the owner of SAC. Capital Advisors, LLC in Greenwich, Connecticut, and is considered a genius. He manages $11 billion in assets and is said to earn $500 million a year. He displays his trophy art in a 32,000 square foot mansion in Greenwich, a 6,000 square foot pied-à-terre in Manhattan, and a 19,000 square foot bungalow in Delray Beach, Florida. In 2007 he purchased a ten bedroom, two acre estate in East Hampton, New York.

To put the $12 million price tag in context it is necessary to understand how rich really rich is. Assume Mr Cohen has a net worth of $4 billion to go with an annual income of $500 million before tax. At a 10 percent rate of return – far less than he actually earns on the assets he manages – his total income is just over $16 million a week, or $90,000 an hour. The shark cost him five days’ income.

Some journalists later expressed doubt whether the selling price for Physical Impossibility actually was $12 million. Several New York media reported that the only other firm offer aside from that made by Tate Modern came from Cohen, and the actual selling price was $8 million. New York Magazine reported $13 million. But the $12 million figure was the most widely cited, it produced extensive publicity, and the parties agreed not to discuss the amount. At any of these numbers, the sale greatly increased the value of the other Hirst work in the Saatchi collection.

Cohen was not sure what to do with the shark; it remained stored in England. He said he might donate it to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York – which might have led to his being offered a position on the MoMA board. The art world heralded the purchase as a victory for MoMA over London’s Tate Modern. London’s Guardian newspaper bemoaned the sale to an American, saying: “The acquisition will confirm MoMA’s dominance as the leading gallery of modern art in the world.”

* * *

I began the journey of discovery that became this book at the Royal Academy of Arts in London where on October 5, 2006, along with six hundred others, I attended a private preview of USA Today, an exhibition curated by the same Charles Saatchi. This was billed as an exhibition of art by thirty-seven talented young American artists. Many were not in fact American-born, though they were working in New York – an illustration of how hard it is to label an artist.

The Royal Academy is a major British public gallery. Founded in 1768, it promotes its exhibitions as comparable to those at the National Gallery, the two Tate galleries, and leading museums outside the United Kingdom. The USA Today show was not a commercial art fair, because nothing was listed as for sale. Nor was it a traditional museum show, because one man, Charles Saatchi, owned all the work. He chose what was shown. The work would appreciate in value from being shown in such a prestigious public space, and all profit from future sales would accrue to Saatchi.

Saatchi is neither a professional curator nor museum official. Over a four-decade career he has been both the most talked-about advertising executive of his generation, and later the most talked-about art collector. He is wildly successful in reselling art he has collected at a profit, Damien Hirst’s shark being but one example.

There was criticism of Saatchi both for using the Royal Academy to advance the value of his own art, and because some considered the work decadent or pornographic. The artists present at the opening had no illusions about the nature of the event. One called the Royal Academy the “temporary home of the Saatchi Gallery.” Another said it was good to see his art on the wall because it might not be displayed again until it was offered at auction.

Extensive promotion of the show produced huge press coverage. It was hyped pre-opening by every major newspaper in London, by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and a dozen other major U.S. papers. Billed as an exhibition of shocking work, the show included a battle scene involving rats, and an image of a girl performing a sex act on a man.

The theme of USA Today was billed as disillusionment with contemporary America. Critics and curators at the private opening had diverging opinions of the theme and the work. Some questioned whether the artists could properly be described as disillusioned, or even talented. Norman Rosenthal, the Royal Academy’s exhibitions secretary, said the work “introduces a sense of political edge and anger mixed with nostalgia; this is an exhibition for our times.” Critic Brian Sewell said: “At least Sensation [Saatchi’s previous exhibition] made me feel nauseous. This made me feel nothing.” Ivor Abrahams, a sculptor who sits on the RA exhibitions committee, added: “It’s schoolboy smut and a cynical ploy to get Saatchi even mo...

Customer Reviews

The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
If you want to learn about the behind the scenes operations of the art market this is one of the better books to read. It was recommended to me by an art gallery director who knows first-hand about the business of buying and selling art. Entertaining and eye-opening.

Amazing read
If you're interested in the workings contemporary art market, this is the book to get. The economics behind the market is well explained yet simple and easy to read.

A very fascinating and intelligent engagement
Aesthetics as a set of principles and branch of philosophy, deals with questions concerning beauty and artistic experiences. As far as our general understanding of it is concerned it is a highly nebulous field, subjected to tremendous degree of misinterpretation; particularly in the field of abstract, modern or conceptual art. In any field of humanities where the field is less accurately known, and its principles have not been precisely formulated, the more authoritarian the field becomes, where its rules are easily manipulated by those who can. In the field of visual arts, with no exact fundamentals precisely developed, the techniques and approaches are wide open for the artists to imagine, explore in creating their art.

What I was trained to do as an artist when I was in art school myself and what I learned through experience and independent studies in polishing my skills and artistic expressions by which to communicate my aesthetic concepts in producing my art, were two entirely different fields. Art being the highest form of communication, its goal is to create effects along the spectrum of beauty and ugliness of life for the greater good, and in every instance, it communicates a message; a message emanating through the power of the artist's imagination appealing to our intellect and emotions.

As the true nature of an artist continually inspires him to operate in the future and seek changes and improvements in the current state of existence, his art is to soothe our mind and transcend us from our agonies into a culture where it gives Man a splendor of peace and joy to rise to. This is in total contradiction to the "Shock and Awe" concept demonstrated in some of the conceptual arts we observe in the world at the expense of good and effective visual communication.

Thus, treating art as a commodity, artificially branding it and manipulating its market with high level of speculation for nothing other than personal gains and social status - as Don Thompson presents in his "$12 Million Stuffed Shark" is a "kidnaping" of art from its true field into a manipulated commodity territory where its true purpose is badly corrupted at the expense of the aesthetics field and the culture, which it is intrinsically designed to improve by raising its consciousness.

"The $12 Million Dollar Stuffed Shark" is unlike any other book about the art market. It is in essence a well researched, unbiased and documented text book. I was attracted to read it mainly due to the credentials of the author, Don Thompson, believing that it will be a very refreshingly worthwhile book to read and I was not disappointed, but rather quite impressed by its boldness and the candor by which it reveals the "insiders" trading rules of the art market that are openly veiled from the "outsiders." It is quite revealing, insightful, entertaining and richly filled with fascinating true incidents that arms the reader, the artist, the art student or the art admirer to make any discussion about art an awe-inspiring and engaging event.

This is a book that should be read and understood by every artist - young and old - as a main curriculum, to richly complement his understanding of himself, his art and his career as an artist to discover some of the unknown and existing rules of the "Game" that he is playing and its effect upon himself without knowing it. The book should - when correctly understood and evaluated, bring about a realization of true self-worth and acknowledgment for the artist and renewal of faith and hope, that "good art" can still reign supreme - a postulate, a self-determined and self-created truth that one IS empowered, by the magic of his own awareness and imagination, create for himself and within his sphere of influence.

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Data Flow: Visualising Information in Graphic Design

2009-03-28T03:20:00.001-07:00

Data Flow: Visualising Information in Graphic Design

More and more information is being visualised. Diagrams, data and information
graphics are utilised wherever increasingly complex elements are present,
whether it is in magazines, non-fiction books or business reports, packages or
exhibition designs.
Data Flow presents an abundant range of possibilities in visualising data and
information. Today, diagrams are being applied beyond their classical fields
of use. In addition to archetypical diagrams such as pie charts and histograms,
there are manifold types of diagrams developed for use in distinct cases and
categories. These range from chart-like diagrams such as bar, plot, line diagrams
and spider charts, graph-based diagrams including line, matrix, process flow,
and molecular diagrams to extremely complex three-dimensional diagrams.
The more concrete the variables, the more aesthetically elaborate the graphics
sometimes reaching the point of art the more abstract, the simpler the readability.
The abundant examples in Data Flow showcase the various methodologies
behind information design with solutions concerning complexity, simplification,
readability and the (over)production of information. In addition to the examples
shown, the book features explanatory text.
On 256 pages, Data Flow introduces a comprehensive selection of innovatively
designed diagrams. This up-to-date survey provides inspiration and concrete
solutions for designers, and at the same time unlocks a new field of visual codes.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #4915 in Books

Published on: 2008-09-30

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

256 pages

Customer Reviews

Great Content, Compromised Design
This book had such promise and I think that there must be a story in why it is so compromised. The text and choice of images are excellent. The design of the book and execution are a failure. It's as if the author lost control of the book and the manuscript was taken through a process that degraded the very purpose of the book. It is still worth reading but there is a baffling irony in the fact that a book about information design has such mediocre information design.

Beautiful book but little Data
This is a wonderful book that shows numerous examples of Information Aesthetics. My problem with the book is I was hoping for something that showed good examples of how to visualize data and make it aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately for me the book mostly focused on Aesthetics and some of the examples where actually very poor at communicating the content of the data which would have been great if they were listed as anti patterns.
Regardless of my criticism I am happy I purchased the book and have found some interesting and useful examples. If Amazon allowed half ratings I would have rated it 3.5.

Absolutely fantastic
I tend to check the review of any book before I purchase, but rarely do I feel strong enough about a book to write a review of my own. Data Flow is completely worth a raving review. This book is full of beautiful images derived from data. Its broken up into 5 overall categories of information design, making it easy to find a more specific type of design if desired. Each project has a small explanation blurb that accompanies it. If anything could be better, a little bit more information about each piece would be nice, however, this is not one of those books with a thousand pretty pictures and no information to back it up.

If you are interested in information design, communication design, or graphic design, this book is a must!

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Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Faces (REPACKAGED) (Ed Emberley Drawing Books)

2009-03-27T13:40:00.001-07:00

Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Faces (REPACKAGED) (Ed Emberley Drawing Books)

Using simple shapes, Ed Emberley shows would-be artists how to draw a variety of fun and wacky faces. This classic book is packed with fun things that kids - and adults too - really want to draw. Easy and fun, the book provides hours of art-full entertainment

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #11857 in Books

Published on: 2006-08-02

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

32 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Ed Emberley is the Caldecott Award-winning author of the popular Drawing Book series, as well as the best-selling Go Away, Big Green Monster! He lives in Ipswich, MA.

Customer Reviews

Ed Emberley inspires my daughter in all her drawings and doodles
My daughter brought home two of Ed Emberley's drawing books from the school library.

She immediately began to draw little cartoons and towns and people using the books as guides to her work.

When she showed me her work I was amazed and quite tickled to see how well she had done.

She was totally into these books for the time period that she had them. When I looked on Amazon to see if they were something stocked (the books from the library were quite old and well worn) I was pleasantly suprised to see that they are still sold and in paperback form no less.

For the price that Amazon had them at, the 4 for 3 promotion that was applied, and the sheer joy of my 10 year old daughter, I had to order four of them.

As far as drawing books go, she has never been so pleased.

They are well worth the investment as your child will be provided with hours of entertainment if drawing is one of their favorite activities.

Highly recommended!

Ed Emberley's Drawing Books

These books are a wonderful tool and for my grandchildren, who love to draw. I know they will spend hours using these drawing books. I have always brought them with me to their house and then take them home. Now they will have there own books to refer too. Thank you

grandson's faces book
This was one of three books as a gift to my 8 year old grandson. He loves them all.

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The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort

2009-03-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort

Vintage aprons and modern designs are turning up in movies, magazine spreads, upscale shops, and hip retail venues like Anthropologie, whose trendy line of aprons is selling as fast as they can stock them. The Apron Book is an infectiously enthusiastic guide to aprons, old and new, that are suddenly everywhere.

Aprons take us back to our favorite place¿hearth and home. Vintage aprons help us remember home and family the way they used to be, while bright and sassy contemporary aprons confirm that nesting is all the rage. Actress and trendsetter Julia Roberts has a closetful of vintage aprons. Celebrity custom-made apron auctions have become an annual event for several popular charities in the past few years.

The Apron Book provides full-color photos of new and vintage aprons from the author's collection, patterns for four basic apron styles and myriad variations, recipes, tips on collecting and preserving vintage aprons, and heart-tugging stories from the author's traveling apron exhibit. The book also explores the heyday of aprons and looks at the various roles aprons still play when worn in the kitchen, around the house, by the backyard grill, on the job, and for special occasions.

Warm and inviting¿but like an apron quite practical!¿this book is a celebration of a great American icon and reminds us of what we loved about the people who wore them.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #9344 in Books

Published on: 2006-09-05

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

152 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Easy-to-follow instructions, quirky facts, personal stories, and vintage illustrations make this book as charming as each pretty cover-up featured inside." -- Homemakers magazine

"EllynAnne Geisel has restored dignity to a symbol of domesticity long gone from many kitchens‹the apron." -- Denver Post

"Part how-to, part history, this book is like grandma's pudding—comforting and a great treat." -- Create & Decorate

"The Apron Book unfolds like a bolt of fabricŠthe pattern of a life remembered through a homely object." -- NPR¹s Weekend All Things Considered

About the Author
EllynAnne Geisel, an essayist and apron aficionado, celebrates the spirit of the men and women who wore aprons through her traveling exhibit, Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American Recollections, now managed by The Women's Museum (Dallas, TX), a Smithsonian affiliate. Her passion for aprons can also be seen through her inventive vintage designs for her company, Apron Memories®. Her aprons have been featured in the Wall Street Journal and worn by Bree Van De Kamp of the Desperate Housewives television show. EllynAnne lives in Pueblo, Colorado, with her prince charming, Hank. Her sons Noah and Gideon have flown the coop.

Customer Reviews

Couldn't Put it Down
I received the book yesterday and couldn't put it down. After dinner I curled up on the couch with it and read it cover to cover. If you are expecting this book to be a book full of apron patterns, you will be disapointed. However, if you love vintage textiles you will surely enjoy the pictures and apron stories. And for those with the creativity gene, who needs a pattern anyway? If I had to describe the book in two words, I would say it's nostalgic inspiration. Enjoy!

the apron book
this book is great. there are photos of vintage aprons and patterns for a few of them. the stories about the aprons are heartwarming. you will love it!!!

Great History and Memorabilia, but short on actual patterns
I was on the verge of purchasing this book, but at the last minute headed off to the library to take a look at it. What I found was a book filled with memories and anecdotes shared by various people involving aprons (mom's, grandma's or otherwise). There are beautiful pictures of many vintage aprons with lots of history. Also included are 3 simple patterns and directions for a "Waist Apron", a "Basic Bib Apron," and a "Smock Apron," with ideas for varying the pockets. Don't misunderstand, plenty of ideas can be gleaned from the pictures of aprons on display, but the book is limited in pattern styles - and that's what I was after. I've got plenty of cookbooks, so for me the recipes were wasted space. If you are looking for a book of reminisces and vintage images, this book will serve you well. However, if you are after a large variety of patterns to begin with, the Apron Book falls short.

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Ships of the Line (Star Trek)

2009-03-26T10:00:00.001-07:00

Ships of the Line (Star Trek)

They dared to risk it all in a skiff of reeds or leather, on a ship of wood or steel, knowing the only thing between them and certain death was their ship. To explore, to seek out what lay beyond the close and comfortable, every explorer had to embrace danger. And as they did so, what arose was a mystical bond, a passion for the ships that carried them. From the very first time humans dared to warp the fabric of space, escaping from the ashes of the third World War, they also created ships. These vessels have become the icons of mankind's desire to rise above the everyday, to seek out and make the unknown known. And these ships that travel the stellar seas have stirred the same passions as the ones that floated in the oceans.

While every captain has wished that their starship could be outfitted in the same manner as the sailing ship H.M.S. Beagle -- without weapons -- that proved

untenable. From the start, Starfleet realized that each vessel, due to the limited range of the early warp engines, must be able to stand alone against any

attack. Thus arose the idea, taken from the days of wooden sailing ships, that every Starfleet vessel must stand as a ship of the line. Through the actions of their captains and crews, countless starships have taken on that role. Here we remember some of those ships and their heroic crews.

In celebration of the fortieth anniversary of Star Trek, here for the very first time collected together are the spectacular images from the highly successful and acclaimed Star Trek: Ships of the Line calendars. Gloriously rendered, each of these illustrations was created exclusively for Pocket Books. With text by Michael Okuda (The Star Trek Encyclopedia), the story of each of these valiant starships comes to life.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #36983 in Books

Published on: 2007-02-14

Format: Illustrated

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

184 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
DOUG DREXLER is currently an effects supervisor on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. A long time Star Trek fan, this native New Yorker left the movie make-up field where he had won an Oscar for his work on DICK TRACY to pursue his life-long passion to work on Star Trek. Drexler taught himself computers and became one of the most valued members of the design staff for STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE and the effects designer for STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE. He currently lives in Hollywood.

Customer Reviews

Ships Galore and More!
This is a must have for the Trek fan or collector! Great detail in graphics and workmanship. The details come alive right off the page. You'll love this as a keepsake!

Nice collection of pics from the calendars...
No new material, just a collection of pictures from previous calendars of the same name.

Ships of the Line (Star Trek
I was disappointed with it. Yes, the photos and artwork is great but I inspected more than what I got.

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30,000 Years of Art

2009-03-25T08:20:00.001-07:00

30,000 Years of Art

30,000 YEARS OF ART: THE STORY OF HUMAN CREATIVITY ACROSS TIME AND SPACE is the follow-up to Phaidon's phenomenally successful THE ART BOOK. This is an accessible, fun and informative compendium of world art that offers a fresh perspective on the whole of art history, from 28,000 BC to the present day. It debunks art historical classifications and hierarchies by presenting 1,000 masterworks of art in simple chronological order, demonstrating what was being created all over the globe at the same time. Only here can you find the Venus de Milo next to a mural from the Mayan civilization, or Velazquez' Las Meninas next to a painting from the Chinese Ming Dynasty, an Indian jade wine cup, a ritual Nepalese plaque, a Korean portrait, and Vermeer's Milkmaid. Each work has been chosen for its unique place in the history of art, and as a representative example of the art of its culture. By juxtaposing works of art from different cultures throughout time, this is the first book to offer a balanced appraisal of world art history, revealing the huge diversity of and similarity between man's artistic achievements.

Each entry includes a full-page color image of the work and a concise descriptive text that sets the work in context, explaining its contribution to the development of art and the medium in which it was created. A comprehensive index, illustrated timelines, and a glossary of terms and movements make this book an invaluable reference tool and teaching resource.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #21799 in Books

Published on: 2007-10-22

Original language: German

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

1072 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This enormous, extraordinary collection brings together 1000 high-quality color illustrations, showcasing the evolution of creative arts over diverse cultures from prehistoric to modern times. Arranged chronologically, each piece is given its own page and a condensed summary of its provenance, key features and cultural context. Book-ended by a ritual "lion man" figurine from 28,000 B.C. found in a cave in southern Germany, and an as-yet-unfinished environmental sculpture by American artist James Turrell (materials: "Extinct volcano and light"), it also contains two time-lines, one covering major movements in the 13 cultures represented (Mesopotamia, Iran and the Arabian Peninsula; Anatolia and the Eastern Mediterranean; Egypt and Africa; Europe; North America; Central America and the Caribbean; South America; Oceania; Japan; Korea; China; Southeast Asia; and Central Asia) and another comprised of a 28 page horizontal index that sets each piece against major world events. A 10-page glossary and comprehensive index completes this invaluable resource. Ably capturing the ancient and insuppressible creative drive of the human spirit and the sweep of history, this is a book art-lovers and cultural anthropologists-scholars and laypeople alike-are guaranteed to cherish.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
''The folks at Phaidon have come up with a subversive approach to art history: Rather than examining a particular country or era, they've decided to explore what was happening around the world at various points in time -- 30,000 years' worth of time, in fact.'' --BookPage

''This enormous, extraordinary collection brings together 1000 high-quality color illustrations, showcasing the evolution of creative arts over diverse cultures from prehistoric to modern times. Arranged chronologically, each piece is given its own page and a condensed summary of its provenance, key features and cultural context. Book-ended by a ritual ''lion man'' figurine from 28,000 B.C. found in a cave in southern Germany, and an as-yet-unfinished environmental sculpture by American artist James Turrell (materials: ''Extinct volcano and light''), it also contains two time-lines, one covering major movements in the 13 cultures represented (Mesopotamia, Iran and the Arabian Peninsula; Anatolia and the Eastern Mediterranean; Egypt and Africa; Europe; North America; Central America and the Caribbean; South America; Oceania; Japan; Korea; China; Southeast Asia; and Central Asia) and another comprised of a 28 page horizontal index that sets each piece against major world events. A 10-page glossary and comprehensive index completes this invaluable resource. Ably capturing the ancient and insuppressible creative drive of the human spirit and the sweep of history, this is a book art-lovers and cultural anthropologists scholars and laypeople alike are guaranteed to cherish.'' STARRED REVIEW. --Publishers Weekly

''This is the kind of book that can hook a 10-year-old for life or steer adults toward new territory.'' --The New York Times

Customer Reviews

Best Art Text Ever
Text gives historical overview of art from 25000BC to 2000AD. Text offers beautiful pictures of the art along with succinct descriptions of each object. What is most significant is the text's identification of each object with its historical affiliation and genre. Loved it.

Living with great art
My wife and I are both enjoying this book daily. We've decided to open the book to a new pair of pages each day. Yes, it's a huge book - but it takes many pages to cover 30,000 years! Presently the book resides, open, on the end of our partners desk. But to read the entries requires bending; so I'm underway in the building of a lectern so we can read it while standing erect. As we both went to art school, we have some of our own work on the walls; but having masterworks in the home to speak to us daily is truly inspiring.

I refute the observation that the binding is less than adequate. (I've published two books myself.) This binding is sturdy, being sewn into signatures and properly glued, including headbands. Crackling sounds are characteristic of any large new book.

The Monster of All Cocktail Table Art Books

The Amazon editorial review of this impressive book is excellent.

This monstosity is the definitive 'reference' of art through the millennia. Represented here are works in all mediums as well as a comprehensive sculpture timeline. It is a wonderful art book to page through at any level of ones art knowledge. The descriptions accompaying each artist's work are short (2-3 paragraphs) but thoughtfully written and enlightening. Albight its abbreviated text it does do each artist justice. And en total is an impressive book.

Kudos to PHAIDON for taking on such a challenge.

Price: $32.97
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A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series)

2009-03-24T18:20:00.001-07:00

A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series)

"Brilliant....Here's how to design or redesign any space you're living or working in--from metropolis to room. Consider what you want to happen in the space, and then page through this book. Its radically conservative observations will spark, enhance, organize your best ideas, and a wondrous home, workplace, town will result"--San Francisco Chronicle. A handbook designed for the layman which aims to present a language which people can use to express themselves in their own communities or homes, and to better communicate with each other.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #2717 in Books

Published on: 1977

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

1171 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The second of three books published by the Center for Environmental Structure to provide a "working alternative to our present ideas about architecture, building, and planning," A Pattern Language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations. The reader is given an overview of some 250 patterns that are the units of this language, each consisting of a design problem, discussion, illustration, and solution. By understanding recurrent design problems in our environment, readers can identify extant patterns in their own design projects and use these patterns to create a language of their own. Extraordinarily thorough, coherent, and accessible, this book has become a bible for homebuilders, contractors, and developers who care about creating healthy, high-level design.

Review
"A wise old owl of a book, one to curl up with in an inglenook on a rainy day.... Alexander may be the closest thing home design has to a Zen master."--The New York Times

"A classic. A must read!"--T. Colbert, University of Houston

"The design student's bible for relativistic environmental design."--Melinda La Garce, Southern Illinois University

"Brilliant....Here's how to design or redesign any space you're living or working in--from metropolis to room. Consider what you want to happen in the space, and then page through this book. Its radically conservative observations will spark, enhance, organize your best ideas, and a wondrous home, workplace, town will result."--San Francisco Chronicle

"The most important book in architecture and planning for many decades, a landmark whose clarity and humanity give hope that our private and public spaces can yet be made gracefully habitable."--The Next Whole Earth Catalog

About the Author
Christopher Alexander, winner of the first medal for research ever awarded by the American Institute of Architects, is an architect and builder who has built in many countries. He is also Professor of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and Director of the Center for Environmental Structure.

Customer Reviews

This is not an end all to architectural problems.
If you think this book will make you a designer well you are wrong. It is a great piece in the myriad of books on architectural theory and certainly a good read. However, this book is intended for architects and urban planners to read and to use as a reference. If you are not one of these people or even if you are, do not think that this is the only valid book by which to base your designs. Also this is not the greatest book on architecture ever written. If you think so then you have not read very many books. It is just the most popular because uneducated people think that they can pick it up and know how to design houses, buildings, and cities by looking at all they pretty pictures. Believe me when I say that it was not Mr. Alexander's intention to make the average person with no experience what so ever be able to design things.

no problems
my purchase arrived when it was supposed to, and was exactly what i ordered (quality and edition). No problems.

surprisingly religious..... interesting, but not believable
I bought this book after reading the glowing reviews on amazon. It was also an inspiration for Will Wright to make SimCity and the SIMS..... so I had high expectations.

I was shocked to find how opinionated and philosophical the book is. I expected the book to look at the history of cities, towns, etc. and describe patterns that already exist (much like the GoF's software design patterns book talks about patterns that people actually use). Instead the book presents a series of ideals about how the world should be structured.

If these ideals came from concerns I could identify with, I would take it more seriously. But instead they attack "problems" which I do not perceive to exist. For example, on p. 43 "The homogeneous and undifferentiated character of modern cities kills all variety of life styles and arrest the growth of individual character." This statement is contrary to my experience. I have met many great characters from cities, and seen profound cultural differentiation emerge from cities (e.g. jazz, abstract painting, hippie culture, punk, you name it). But the authors proceed as if cities killing character is axiomatic. I agree that there is a rural character that is not present in cities. But citydwellers have another type of character which is equally valid.

I have only made it through the first 100 pages. In these pages are so many naive ideas about mixing cityspace and vacant space. I live in Los Angeles so I know about sprawl & I also know a lot about cars -- while they are aiming for less sprawl then LA, they also neglect traffic congestion. They claim that making small roads in places make people reluctant to drive there.... the experience worldwide (worst in Malaysia, I hear) is that people use whatever roads are present, and if the roads are small, they then just end up sitting in traffic. The author's are naive in their structuring of space, nowhere do they cite any hard evidence of how these structures function.

I might make it the rest of the way through.... at least it's an easy read, with so many repetitions in how the models work you can kinda skim through it. I like the spirit of the book, it is reminiscent of P.M.'s bolo'bolo.... but where bolo'bolo comes from a purely emotional position, these authors take themselves seriously and believe what they are saying is objectively true. I give the book 3 stars because it is nice to see someone work through the ideas of bolo'bolo (which was actually written ~6yrs after alexander's book). I would give 5 stars to a book that did so by looking more at actual data of how spaces are utilized, and presented designs that didn't have obvious flaws in them.

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Lost Balls: Great Holes, Tough Shots, and Bad Lies

2009-03-24T04:00:00.001-07:00

Lost Balls: Great Holes, Tough Shots, and Bad Lies

Charles Lindsay's photographs offer a humorous and inquisitive foray into the hazards where golf balls are lost--rough, woods, bunkers, and wetlands--as well as unexpected encounters with wildlife on and off the green. An avid golfer with plenty of experience losing balls, Lindsay photographs his way to the heart of the game with a light touch and an eye for telling details. In the process, he discovers balls ravaged by golfers, gators, and foxes--and lost for over a century.

Lindsay even encounters what is believed to be the world's oldest golf ball--unearthed in a cellar in the Netherlands alongside a primitive club.

The photographs were taken at celebrated courses in North America, England, Scotland, and Ireland: Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, Bethpage, Fossil Trace, Troon, St. Andrews, Royal St. Georges, Ballybunion, Old Head, and many others.

The foreword by John Updike is a celebration of golf and nature and where the two meet. A humorous story by golf giant Greg Norman rounds out the book.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #47445 in Books

Published on: 2005-05-04

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

128 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
John Updike is a prolific novelist, essayist, poet, critic, and two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. An avid golfer, he lives in Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Awesome Book!
Pictures say more than any words can in this book. If you love golf, you can definately relate to the pictures. I love it!

Great coffee table book for golfers
I bought this book for a friend who loves to golf and he enjoyed it. It's got great photos for great conversation.

Lost Balls:
I bought this for a golf finatic friend of mine from Houston. He LOVED it. Great photos of both UK and US courses.

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Can You Find It?: Search and Discover More Than 150 Details in 19 Works of Art

2009-03-15T01:00:00.001-07:00

Can You Find It?: Search and Discover More Than 150 Details in 19 Works of Art

I spy great art! Here's a seek-and-find book that invites youngsters to look at art in a special way: very closely! For each of the 19 paintings reproduced in full color here, a list of intriguing hard-to-find details sets readers off on a journey of art discovery.

With major works from the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, this book offers a close, closer, closest look at works from early Egyptian to 20th-century American. Included are paintings by Bruegel, Canaletto, Tiepolo, and many other artists. Whether children are hunting for four pink shoes, seven blue parasols, a chair in the air, or a man who looks like a rock, they are sure to find a wonderful new way to look at art. Published in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #65621 in Books

Published on: 2002-11-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

40 pages

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-Nineteen paintings from New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art were chosen for careful scrutiny in this book. Next to each striking, full-color reproduction is a list of items to search for: e.g., "2 cats, 6 lotus blossoms, 3 eye amulets," etc., for a painting from ancient Egypt. The works of art are from around the globe and range from illuminated manuscripts to 20th-century canvases. Designed to encourage discovery, the tiny, sometimes indistinct details will keep children engrossed for hours. Fortunately, an answer key is appended. Every part of the book is utilized, including the title page and back cover. For an older audience than Lucy Micklethwait's "I Spy" series (Greenwillow), this lovely volume will be a popular and entertaining addition.
Robin L. Gibson, Perry County District Library, New Lexington, OH
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-5. The author of What Can You Do with a Paper Bag? (2001) invites graduates of Lucy Micklethwait's simpler "I spy" art series to play seek-and-find with works of art from the Metropolitan Museum's collections. The selections include landscapes, crowd scenes, and portraits from a wide range of eras and artistic traditions; each comes with a list of eight details or items to pick out. A closing key both pinpoints the items and supplies brief additional information about the works and their artists. Viewers will have to be very sharp to spot some of the tinier figures in a folk artist's view of an entire town, or in Pannini's depiction of a riotously overstocked eighteenth-century art gallery; and Tiepolo's Dance in the Country needs a better reproduction before anyone is going to spot "5 blue bows" on its figures. Still, along with deriving pleasure from solving the puzzles, children who pore over the pictures may be willing to give art encountered later more than cursory glances. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Judith Cressy is a Project Editor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the world's leading cultural institutions and home to more than three million works of art.

Customer Reviews

encourages new interest in art!
this book is very interesting to my son and is encouraging a new interest in art. this is the first time he has sat poring over works of art!

pretty good replacement for "I Spy" books
There are 19 paintings from the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that list things to look for in the painting. This is a neat way to incorporate art with your child while playing. My kids love the "I Spy" books and this is no different. There is a wide range of artwork from ancient Egyptian up to modern day. I only wish the book were longer with more paintings included.

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Masters: Beadweaving: Major Works by Leading Artists (Masters (Lark Books))

2009-03-14T11:00:00.001-07:00

Masters: Beadweaving: Major Works by Leading Artists (Masters (Lark Books))

Versatility, innovation, inspiration—that’s what The Masters series offers crafters, with an engaging and up-to-date survey of the finest contemporary work by approximately 40 leading artists in specific media. Beadweaving takes the spotlight here, and readers will find the showcased pieces eye-opening in their originality.
Each highlighted master takes center stage in an informative eight-page feature that includes nearly a dozen gorgeous, high-quality photos and a short essay by the curator placing the impressive work and its creator in context. These outstandingly talented and imaginative artists include Valerie Hector, whose beaded designs are a statement in bold modernity; Jeanette Ahlgren, who fashions intricate loom-woven vessels with subtle gradations in color and graphic, geometric patterns; and Marcia DeCoster, who uses her right angle weave techniques to create shimmering jewelry in rich jewel tones.
Beadweaver and author Carol Wilcox Wells served as the juror of this remarkable collection.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #6270 in Books

Published on: 2008-10-07

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

300 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Bead art is alive and well, as this new title in the "Masters" series from Lark Books attests. The best of the best is included in this coffee-table volume of museum and gallery-worthy jewelry, sculpture, wearable art, vessels and containers, and more. The work of "Bead & Button" award winners, magazine contributors, and international artists of all stripes is showcased in full. This book is bound to be dog-eared, it will be perused so much." -- "Bead & Button"

Review
“Bead art is alive and well, as this new title in the Masters series from Lark Books attests. The best of the best is included in this coffee-table volume of museum and gallery-worthy jewelry, sculpture, wearable art, vessels and containers, and more. The work of Bead & Button award winners, magazine contributors, and international artists of all stripes is showcased in full. This book is bound to be dog-eared, it will be perused so much.” — Bead & Button

Customer Reviews

Inspiring!
This book is fabulous; it is so inspiring! I pick the book up over and over again and each time I find something new. The work is truely from masters in their field and the photography is fantastic also! This book is well worth the price.

Masters Beadweaving
The designs in this book are from dsigners that I admire and the photographs are lovely, but there are no instructions in the book. I ordered the book to learn how to make the beautiful pieces shown, not to look at pretty pictures. I am very disappointed!

Good but lacking...
I liked the book. Only, it was a lot of images that I have already seen and comentary that I had already read. I subscribe or buy most all the beading magazines and there were just no suprises. But for someone who is new it will be inspirational.

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Inside Inside

2009-03-13T21:20:00.001-07:00

Inside Inside

“An unqualified hit” (Library Journal) that offers behind-the-scenes close-ups of hundreds of celebrated artists— from the founder and host of Inside the Actors Studio.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #58472 in Books

Published on: 2008-10-07

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

512 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
When the Actors Studio faced possible extinction in 1994, Lipton (An Exaltation of Larks) engineered a partnership between the Studio and the New School for Social Research to create a degree-granting program. Thus was born the Actors Studio Drama School, with Lipton as both founder and dean. The school's craft seminars, in which Lipton interviewed leading actors and directors, became the basis for Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio, and since 1994, he has been that series' executive producer, writer and host. Looking back over the show's parade of personalities, he intercuts autobiographical flashbacks with quotes from the TV interview transcripts. These brief selections, excerpted from his sessions with Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Jack Lemmon, Mike Nichols, Sean Penn, Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep and many more, may leave some readers wishing Lipton had published the transcripts in full. Raising the curtain on his own memories, he traces the path of his multifaceted career as radio actor (The Lone Ranger), TV actor (The Guiding Light), Broadway lyricist (Sherry!) and novelist (Mirrors). Along the way, theatrical truths emerge and amusing anecdotes abound since Lipton is a witty and engaging writer. The free-associative transitions from interviews to autobiography occasionally read like two different books shuffled together, but that only makes this exaltation of Lipton doubly enjoyable. The 48 illustrations include Al Hirschfeld's caricature of Lipton. (Oct. 18)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
“If you have watched the show, you’ll love this book... If you haven’t seen the show, you’ll love this book.”
—Billy Crystal

Inside the Actors Studio has brought more than 200 of the world’s most celebrated actors, directors, writers, and performing artists into 84 million homes in America and 125 countries around the world. Now host and creator James Lipton is offering readers a backstage pass to the award-winning series—and to his own amazing journey to its stage. “Great, colorful stories about every side of show business. James Lipton lets it all go; his openness about himself, and artists of all stripes, is refreshing.”
—Paul Newman

“Once in a blue moon a person comes along whose genuine interest in craft excites an artist, and rekindles his own interest in his craft. In these pages you’ll find out how James Lipton does it.”
—John Travolta

“Theatrical truths emerge and amusing anecdotes abound...A witty and engaging writer.”
—Publishers Weekly

About the Author
James Lipton is the creator, executive producer, writer, and host of Inside the Actors Studio. He is also the author of the novel Mirrors, which was adapted to film, and the book and lyrics for two Broadway musicals.

Customer Reviews

Loved it!!
This is a great read! James Lipton has had the most interesting life - with a whole lot of talent thrown in as well. I completely enjoyed this book.

great
I want to know always, if the films I buy have or not subtitles,
and in what languaje.

Thanks.

Great book, Great Man
Reading this book gives you an insight to the world famous TV show, the man that is James Lipton, and the world of theater as a whole. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

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Mixed Mania: Recipes for Delicious Mixed Media Creations

2009-03-13T07:20:00.001-07:00

Mixed Mania: Recipes for Delicious Mixed Media Creations

Featuring a wide range of mixed media projects, this outrageously fun craft primer takes a decidedly unstuffy approach to an immense range of art methods. Projects—including art quilts, painting, collage, bookbinding, assemblage, doll making, decoupage, and image transfers—are divided into three main sections: Artistic Appetizers, Creative Main Courses, and Sweet Treats and Special Occasions, with each addressing a different level of time invested and difficulty. Whimsically laid out like recipes, each project includes detailed ingredients (materials), instructions (what to mix and add), and tasting tips (how it should look).

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #49622 in Books

Published on: 2008-12-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

128 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This book is a great intro to mixed media, and perfect for anyone you know who's interested in exploring this mode of creating, but doesn't know where to begin." --Craftypod.com

Review
"Crane and Prater dream up every which way to do collage and scrapbooking. . . . Showcases what incredible results mixed media can produce." —Booklist

"This book is the mixed media version of Mason Dixon Knitting. It's all about going nuts, losing yourself, and creating!" —CraftLit: A Podcast for Crafters Who Love Books

"This book is a great intro to mixed media, and perfect for anyone you know who's interested in exploring this mode of creating, but doesn’t know where to begin." —Craftypod.com

About the Author

Debbi Crane is an elementary school teacher and an artist. She teaches fabric art workshops and has had works published in several magazines, including Cloth Paper Scissors and Somerset Studio. She lives in Bedford, Indiana. Cheryl Prater is a scrapbooker whose works have been featured in Cloth Paper Scissors and Creating Keepsakes. She lives in Atlanta.

Customer Reviews

mixed mania
A very entertaining and useful book. The basics to creating mixed-media things are clear and include imaginative substitutions made with things people would likely have on hand. Even if the reader doesn't chose to make similar things to the authors', this book has an inspiring feel to it and makes it obvious that we can do whatever we want with our creativity.

Cookin' Up Some Creative Projects!
Set up loosely like a cookbook (just for fun), the book begins with easy projects that get a little more sophisticated with each "course". Not to worry though because the instructions are clearly written, have lots of pictures, and use easy to pretty common supplies for artists at least a little familiar with mixed media. Even if you have been doing mixed media for years, I highly recommend reading the instructions to the projects, for neat tricks and advice, and lots of humor. We can always learn something new and if not, we can laugh along knowingly. (Impatient artists know that heat guns are your best friends! Isn't that true?!)

Some of the best things I like about this book is that a variety of mixed media projects are given included paper, fabric and assemblage. Personally, I work only with assemblage and paper, but the beautiful fabric projects seem too tempting not to try! --- I also like that the book is written by two very talented, very funny women with different personalities and art styles and the projects reflect this. There is something for everyone!

Great book for these times
Great book, beautiful pictures and conversation and ideas. What I like best is that so many of the projects draw on what things we save, like old calendars, bits from tag sales, etc. Very inspiring.

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House Beautiful Colors for Your Home: 300 Designer Favorites (House Beautiful Series)

2009-03-12T18:00:00.001-07:00

House Beautiful Colors for Your Home: 300 Designer Favorites (House Beautiful Series)

What transforms a room from monotone to magical? Color! So, if you’re nervous about splashing that white with bright, this conveniently portable primer based on House Beautiful’s most popular column will help. With special insider advice from top designers, plus a directory of actual paint swatches, this book is the most comprehensive and appealing color resource available today. All the colors are searchable by shade and by room, and every paint is accompanied by its manufacturer, name, and number, so you can match what you want right from the book. The guide’s unique format makes everything easy.
Noted designers with long and distinguished careers offer suggestions for every room and mood. They provide advice on which shades to start with and which to experiment with, the classic palettes they keep coming back to, and how the right colors can simply make us feel good. Gorgeous room shots—such as Paula Perlini’s delphinium blue bedroom and Amanda Keyser’s merlot red walls—are accompanied by the exact brands of paint and their swatches, so you can examine the colors closely.An invaluable guide to color, this book will help you pick the right paints that will add beauty and style to your home.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #3750 in Books

Published on: 2008-09-02

Format: Illustrated

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

288 pages

Customer Reviews

Great Resource!
This book is an invaluable resource for choosing paint colors. I utilized this book extensively while having my house painted. The size makes it easy to carry to the paint store. Highly recommend this if you are needing help choosing paint colors.

loved this book
loved this book, found the colors I wanted without having to go to various stores. Was able to see which colors matched each other and what matched my colors at home. large selection of Benjamin Moore colors.

House Beautiful Colorsw for Your Home: 300 Designer Favorites
Great book with beautiful colors and suggestion on how to use. Well worth the money.

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All the Art That's Fit to Print (And Some That Wasn't): Inside The New York Times Op-Ed Page

2009-03-12T04:20:00.001-07:00

All the Art That's Fit to Print (And Some That Wasn't): Inside The New York Times Op-Ed Page

All the Art That's Fit to Print reveals the true story of the world's first Op-Ed page, a public platform that& mdash;in 1970& mdash;prefigured the Internet blogosphere. Not only did the New York Times's nonstaff bylines shatter tradition, but the pictures were revolutionary. Unlike anything ever seen in a newspaper, Op-Ed art became a globally influential idiom that reached beyond narrative for metaphor and changed illustration's very purpose and potential. Art director Jerelle Kraus, whose thirteen-year Op-Ed tenure far exceeds that of any other art director or editor, unveils a riveting account of working at the Times. Her insider anecdotes include the reasons why artist Saul Steinberg hated the Times, why editor Howell Raines stopped the presses to kill a feature by Doonesbury's Garry Trudeau, and why reporter Syd Schanburg& mdash;whose story was told in the movie The Killing Fields& mdash;stated that he would travel anywhere to see Kissinger hanged, as well as Kraus's tale of surviving two and a half hours alone with the dethroned peerless outlaw, Richard Nixon. All the Art features a satiric portrayal of John McCain, a classic cartoon of Barack Obama by Jules Feiffer, and a drawing of Hillary Clinton and Obama by Barry Blitt. But when Frank Rich wrote a column discussing Hillary Clinton exclusively, the Times refused to allow Blitt to portray her. Nearly any notion is palatable in prose, yet editors perceive pictures as a far greater threat. Confucius underestimated the number of words an image is worth; the thousand-fold power of a picture is also its curse.Op-Ed's subject is the world, and its illustrations are created by the world's finest graphic artists. The 142 artists whose work appears in this book hail from thirty nations and five continents, and their 324 pictures-gleaned from a total of 30,000-reflect artists' common drive to communicate their creative visions and to stir our vibrant cultural-political pot.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #8771 in Books

Published on: 2008-10-16

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

280 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The enduring relevance of the New York Times op-ed illustrations are explicated with literary flair by Kraus, a former art director of the page, who contends that the groundbreaking pictures changed the very purpose and potential of illustrations... to stir the political and cultural pot. Episodic essays accompanied by illustrations re-create the battles between art directors and editors that have raged since the Times created the world's first op-ed page in 1970. The works of famous Times illustrators like Brad Holland and Roland Topor, are enriched by Kraus's presentation of the controversies associated with their publication or rejection. The book serves as a chronicle of late 20th-century history, replete with sardonic images of tyrants and visual commentaries on the fall of communism; the works of Eastern Europeans who fled totalitarian regimes are some of the most challenging and resonant. In this overflowing treasure chest of ideas, politics and cultural critiques, Kraus proves that art is dangerous and sometimes necessarily so. 306 illus. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"A chronicle of late twentieth-century history, replete with sardonic images of tyrants and visual commentaries on the fall of communism; the works of Eastern Europeans who fled totalitarian regimes are some of the most challenging and resonant. In this overflowing treasure chest of ideas, politics and cultural critiques, Kraus proves that 'art is dangerous' and sometimes necessarily so. " -- Publishers Weekly "Readers will be entertained and come away with a deeper appreciation of the power of illustration." -- Library Journal "Worth the price of the book is Kraus's 2 1/2-hour encounter with former President Richard Nixon." -- History Wire "An intensely personal history of the [op-ed] page as it weathered tempests and tinpot tyrannies at the Times." -- Columbia Journalism Review

About the Author
Jerelle Kraus is the award-winning art director whose thirty-year tenure at the New York Times includes a record thirteen years at Op-Ed. She also worked as an art director at Time and as the art director of Ramparts magazine and of Francis Ford Coppola's City magazine. The New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine have published Kraus's writing, including an "On Language" column that subbed for William Safire. Fluent in four languages, she was educated at Swarthmore and Pomona colleges and at l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She received an MA from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Fulbright scholarship to Munich. Her Web site is jerellekraus.com.

Customer Reviews

A True Masterpiece of Political Humor and Graphic Absurdity
Jerelle Kraus's unveiling of forbidden New York Times illustrations is powerful, delightful, and gut rippingly funny! A tour de force of insightful commentary and hysterical viewing, it's also an amazing reference for artists and lay people alike. To tickle your intellectual funny bone with the perfect feel-good cocktail of sneers, jeers, cheers, and endorphins, grab this book!

--Robert Rendo, PoliticalCartoonsOnline.com

All The Art That's Fit To Print
Excellent book with many great illustrations. A must for all editorial illustrators and the people who love them.

A Feast for the Eyes and Mind
A provocative and revealing window into some of the most influential art of the 20th century, filled with wickedly subversive art, much of it never seen before.

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Dream Horses Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars)

2009-03-11T14:40:00.001-07:00

Dream Horses Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars)

Celebrate the romance, the mystique, the untamed spirit of the horse. Blending beautiful horse photographs with fantastic and dreamlike landscapes, these portraits from premier equestrian photographer Bob Langrish seem touched by magic. A pair of powerful black stallions race beneath a waterfall. A white horse thunders across an ice-covered landscape. A feisty Arabian prances in the surf. Luxurious flowing manes, eyes filled with fire, heads held high, extraordinary power combined with singular grace. This calendar is an enchanting tribute to the dynamic, ever-alluring horse.

Product Details

Brand: 2009 Calendars

Published on: 2008-06-15

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Calendar

28 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Bob Langrish's work has appeared in more than 100 books, including the Dream Horses Poster Book, also designed by Elsebeth Christensen. He lives in Bisley, in the heart of the Cotswolds, England. You can visit his website, www.boblangrish.com.

Customer Reviews

A horse lovers dream!
The photos in this calendar are spectacular and are a great addition to any horse lover's office. I would recommend this calendar to horse lovers and animal lovers everywhere.

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From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)

2009-03-11T00:40:00.001-07:00

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)

A gorgeous gift and a landmark work that is an essential addition to everyone's personal library.

Never before have the four great works of Charles Darwin—Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle (1845), The Origin of Species (1859), The Descent of Man (1871), and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)—been collected under one cover. Undertaking this challenging endeavor 123 years after Darwin's death, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson has written an introductory essay for the occasion, while providing new, insightful introductions to each of the four volumes and an afterword that examines the fate of evolutionary theory in an era of religious resistance. In addition, Wilson has crafted a creative new index to accompany these four texts, which links the nineteenth-century, Darwinian evolutionary concepts to contemporary biological thought. Beautifully slipcased, and including restored versions of the original illustrations, From So Simple a Beginning turns our attention to the astounding power of the natural creative process and the magnificence of its products. Slipcased hardcover; 101 illustrations, map.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #7584 in Books

Published on: 2005-11-07

Original language: English

Number of items: 4

Binding: Hardcover

1706 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
A Harvard professor for four decades, Edward O. Wilson has written twenty books and received numerous awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes and the 1976 National Medal of Science. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts, with his wife, Irene.

Customer Reviews

Great collection, giant volume.
This is a collection of Darwin's four best known books, and it's a great read for any natural science enthusiast. My only complaint is that the volume is so large in size that it makes it rather inconvenient to carry with you. The price is very reasonable, if you were interested in only two of Darwin's works you may as well buy this and get his four major publications.

Fabolous
This book is excellent! It has all of the four greatest works by Darwin, all facsimile editions (exact original) and written by Wilson, a great evolutionary biologist. If you are looking to read some of Darwin's books, here is the place to do it. It also features introductions by the editor to put the book in its scientific, cultural and historical context.

great book
this is a great book, it is really neat that all 4 volumes are in one book. it was a great price for these volumes

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Horses

2009-03-10T11:00:00.001-07:00

Horses

The most visually stunning book ever produced about horses, in a portable new format.

This sumptuous tribute to the earth's most beautiful animal has been redesigned in a new mini format that is 100 pages longer than the original. Renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand—master of light and shadow, angle and exposure—etches these magnificent creatures and their human partners in photographs shot on location and around the globe, from Montana to Russia, central Asia to Argentina, Mongolia and Cameroon, and points in between. Each moment captured offers a glimpse of the breath of humanity, and man's powerful and moving relationship with the horse. Full of tribal costume, local color, and panoramic scenery—accompanied by the text of equine expert Jean-Louis Gouraud—Horses is a project of unparalleled ambition and scope.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #53558 in Books

Published on: 2008-03-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

336 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Over the course of 15 years, Arthus-Bertrand (Earth from Above) traveled the world—from Argentina and Iceland to Senegal and the United States—taking photographs of horses proud and humble, purebred and wild. In this visually stunning ode to Equus caballus, he gathers over 200 photos of stocky Scottish Clydesdales, lithe English Thoroughbreds, speedy American Quarterhorses and many other breeds, each reproduced in glossy, vivid color. While standard equine portraiture calls for a horse to be photographed in profile, its clean lines clearly visible against a plain canvas background, Arthus-Bertrand favors portraits that depict the horse in motion—tail flicking, mane flying—and often paired with its owner or trainer. In one particularly arresting series, he captures French saddle horses mid-leap, as if suspended over jumps in an indoor ring. He often retains the canvas background to excellent but slightly ironic effect, as when he pulls back to reveal what’s often cropped out: while one page shows a horse and his owner in sub-Saharan Africa standing on a rug in front of a plain canvas backdrop, for instance, the following page displays them in the larger context, complete with spectators, spotlights, and the rope that’s supporting the canvas strung up between two trees. There’s plenty of informative text about the different breeds, but most people will be too entranced by the gorgeous photographs to notice.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Yann Arthus-Bertrand, traveler, photographer, and former hot-air balloon pilot, is world renowned for his astonishing photography books. His seminal work, Earth from Above, has been published in numerous languages and was the basis for a worldwide photo exhibition. Arthus-Bertrand's work regularly appears in Geo, Life, National Geographic, and Paris-Match.

Jean-Louis Gouraud is widely respected as one of Europe's preeminent experts on horses, with the distinction of having traveled from Paris to Moscow on horseback.

Customer Reviews

A Horse Lover Must Have
The photographs in this book are fascinating as well as remarkable. The commentary is also very informative concerning breeds not necessarily known by horse enthusiasts in the U. S.

Horses Book
I was not overly impressed with this book. Many of the pictures were very dark, or poorly lite. I am an equine artist, and bought it solely for the pictures. I ended up reselling it on Amazon as I didn't find it of much use. There are some neat pictures, and some very interesting breeds though. The writing was good, and I did learn some interesting things about different breeds.

beautiful beyond compare!!!
Do you like Munnings? Do you like Stubbs paintings? Then you will adore this book. The photos, taken around the world, are taken against a broad long well lit canvas. Some of the photos show the horses and riders or owners standing against the canvas behind which are snow-capped mountains or long low plains. It is an uplifting book. It will make you happy.

The lighting is varied giving rise to different moods, feelings, emotions. The horses are splendid.

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Snowflakes in Photographs

2009-02-28T03:55:00.000-08:00

Snowflakes in Photographs

Remarkable revelations of nature’s diversity, revealed in hundreds of snowflake images taken by American photographer W .A. Bentley during a 50-year period. Over 850 illustrations of snow crystals, with no two designs exactly alike, will inspire artists, designers, and craftspeople in search of extraordinary patterns for textiles, wallpaper, and other creative projects.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #151288 in Books

Published on: 2000-09-18

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

80 pages

Customer Reviews

Beautiful book
I bought this book hoping the kids (8&5) would be intrigued by all the patterns of the snowflakes. They weren't, but the adults loved it!

The photography and the story of the how these snowflakes were captured on film is very interesting.

Candy-colored, Snowflake Biome
Bentley photographed the ephemeral and hidden: snowflakes. He did this on his own with limited education and equipment. His glass plates remind us of the awe, beauty and wonder of frozen water. The book reveals Bentley's efforts on his Vermont farm over his lifetime. His dedication and creativity help us grasp the complexity, simplicity and three-dimensional images of snow. Snow is the most unstable substance on earth - always changing, even while it is forming in the atmosphere, falling through the atmosphere, depositing on a ground surface (water, soil, fence, glass, trees), sublimating (going directly from a solid to a vapor), hoar frost depositing out of a saturated clear atmosphere at night to produce a fairly land in at sunrise, going through continuous metamorphism (melt-freeze, temperature gradient, equitemperature gradient) and finally melting to return to the liquid form of the hydrologic cycle.

Bentley's photographs enable us all to grasp snow from nursery to graduate school - the images all make sense - physically and mentally. Many images have been transformed into ornaments, framed photographs and other high end works of art.

Great book!
Snowflakes in Photographs

You can't imagine the variety of design in each individual snowflake until you these photographs. From simple to complex, these photos show how absolutely symmetrical and stunning these fragile crystals are.

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The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live (Susanka)

2009-02-19T23:20:00.001-08:00

The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live (Susanka)

Ten years ago, Sarah Susanka started a revolution in home design with a deceptively simple message: quality should always come before quantity. Now, the book that celebrated that bold declaration is back in a special anniversary edition. In this landmark home design book, America's superstar residential architect provides homeowners the guidance and language to get what they want: a house that is better not bigger and one that emphasizes comfort, beauty, and a high level of detail no matter how small it is. Featuring a new package and introduction by Susanka as well as 16 additional pages that explore three new Not So Big Houses, this 10th anniversary edition is very big news.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #21825 in Books

Published on: 2008-09-23

Released on: 2008-09-23

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

240 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
When describing a favorite room in the house, do you find yourself using terms such as "expansive," "formal," and "spacious"--a marble foyer or a formal dining room perhaps? Or do the words "cozy," "intimate," and "warm" come to mind--a cheery little breakfast nook or a window seat complete with plenty of pillows and a breathtaking view? More than likely, you--like thousands of other homeowners--are drawn to the more personal spaces in your home, where comfort, beauty, and efficiency meet. In The Not So Big House, respected architect Sarah Susanka and coauthor Kira Obolensky address our affinity for the "smaller, more personal spaces" and propose "clear, workable guidelines for creating homes that serve both our spiritual needs and our material requirements." The heart of the not-so-big house--which is not "just a small house ... [but] a smaller house," that uses "less space to give greater quality of life," and is designed to not only "accommodate the lifestyles of its occupants" but also to express "our values and our personalities," is discussed in chapter 1, entitled "Bigger Isn't Better." Susanka's urging for homeowners to get creative with their space as well as loads of ideas to encourage that creativity are covered in "Rethinking the House" and "Making Not So Big Work." Discussions of specific needs, such as a home for one and designing for kids, can be found in "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous," while "Dreams, Details, and Dollars" gets down to the nuts and bolts of the operation, looking at quality versus quantity, budgeting, and what "low end," "middle ground," and "high end" really mean in home design and construction. Lastly, the authors look at the home of the future, which involves simplifying, recycling, reducing waste, and using energy-efficient construction. With more than 200 color photographs, as well as floor plans and Susanka and Obolensky's intelligent and lively dialogue, The Not So Big House is perfect for homeowners ready to rethink their space. --Stefanie Hargreaves

From Library Journal
Architect Susanka believes that the large homes being built today place too much emphasis on square footage rather than on current lifestyles. Here she shows how homes can be designed to feature "adaptable spaces open to one another, designed for everyday use." She describes how to examine occupants' lifestyles, how to incorporate the kitchen as the focal point of the home, how to give the illusion of space, and how, with storage, lighting, and furniture arrangement, a smaller home can be comfortably livable. Photographs of contemporary homes as well as those by Frank Lloyd Wright and other modern architects illustrate Susanka's ideas and show the timelessness of the style she advocates. This thought-provoking book will be a good addition to architectural and interior design collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Fifty years after Life magazine commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build a dream house, a similar event is taking place--this time under the tutelage of a Twin Cities' architect. Having examined our homes and found most of them wanting, she argues for a not so big house, one that is comfortable, promotes quality over quantity, and expresses the owners' whims and preferences. That goal is not an easy one to achieve, considering that many Americans have succumbed to the Versailles complex--that is, bigger is better. Nonetheless, through a combination of eloquent thought and visual examples, Susanka succeeds. Her tips include building an "away" room, a retreat from a home's hubbub. Readers will find her chapter on building from scratch particularly enlightening, as are her unfortunately too abbreviated musings on future homes. Barbara Jacobs

Customer Reviews

Not So Big House
I did learn a lot by reading the book but would have liked more diversified styles. My traditional, European style wasn't at all portrayed and too much modern for my tastes. She has a lot of good ideas but illustrations, pics, etc to show different tastes, would have helped a lot.

A Homeowner Classic
This book changed the way I look into houses. We live in our second townhouse and we cannot figure out what is missing or what is wrong with it . Somehow we just felt not as comfortable and attached as compared to the smaller and older house that we have sold. At first we were excited to have everything bigger - higher ceiling, more space, walk-in closets, etc., but we forgot something very important. A house needs to be homey and cozy. It should be something that you will feel relaxed when you come home from work, just short of cuddling you.

The book stresses that it is not the quantity that is important but quality. A house should be practical and useful and not just something to show. This is why a formal dining room is really not necessary. In time you will realize that it is one the most unused parts of the house; so true. It also says that the things that you want to have in your house should be useful or beautiful to you; if not, discard it. These are just a few of the many great ideas for a homeowner or future homeowner.

This is another book that I want to keep on my shelf - a real keeper.

Worth a Look for the Inspirational Possibilities
"The paradox we confront is that our productivity has given us the wealth to acquire whatever we desire materially, but we are finding that material alone is an insufficient vision. The qualities we long for have everything to do with taking time, building for the long term, crafting, and paying attention to who we are, what we care about, and how we affect the world." (page 192, @1998, Taunton Press)

Where most interior/home design books display lackluster writing, Susanka's text is engaging and informative. She asserts that home building rests upon three bases: quality, quantity, and cost. An increase in one, for example square footage (quantity), may mean a decrease in design details (quality). She also shows the reader how the cost of a home has much to do with the sizes of the roof and sides of the building, not just simple square footage as we are prone to assume.

Susanka clearly possesses an abundant passion for homes and home life. The homes pictured are inspirational, (if not inexpensive), in their artful fusion of contemporary space and light. Traditional design details constructed of wood, stone and glass evoke a sense of continuity and comfort. The work of Susanka and her fellow architects strikes a resonant chord with modern man and woman's material and spiritual desires. Even if you are not planning to build a home in the near future, this book is worth a look for the inspirational possibilities alone.

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The Dawn of the Color Photograph: Albert Kahn's Archives of the Planet

2009-02-19T09:20:00.001-08:00

The Dawn of the Color Photograph: Albert Kahn's Archives of the Planet

In 1909 the French banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn launched a monumentally ambitious project: to produce a color photographic record of human life on Earth. An internationalist and pacifist, Kahn believed that he could use the new autochrome--the world's first portable, true-color photographic process--to create a global photographic archive that would promote cross-cultural understanding and peace. Over the next twenty years, he sent a group of photographers to more than fifty countries around the world, amassing more than 72,000 images. Until recently his collection was all but forgotten. Now, a century after he began his "Archives of the Planet" project, this book--richly illustrated in color throughout--and the BBC series it follows are bringing Kahn's dazzling early twentieth-century pictures to a wide audience for the first time, and putting color into what we usually think of as a monochrome world.

Kahn's photographers captured times, places, and people we simply do not expect to see in color photographs. They documented age-old cultures on the brink of being changed forever by war, modernization, and Westernization, recording the last years of Ireland's traditional Celtic villages and the late days of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires. They photographed First World War soldiers in their trenches as well as the postwar celebrations in London. In the course of their travels, they also took the earliest color photographs in countries as varied as Vietnam and Brazil, Mongolia and Norway, Benin and the United States.

After being financially ruined in the Great Depression, Kahn was forced to bring his project to a premature end, but today his collection of early color photographs is recognized as one of the world's most important. The Dawn of the Color Photograph makes it easy to see why.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #35186 in Books

Published on: 2008-10-13

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

336 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
You'll see priceless photographs of a world in transition, including haunting shots from the poverty-stricken farms of Ireland and the battlefield trenches of the First World War. The images are fascinating, both from a historical and an artistic perspective. And one of the great things about this book is that author David Okuefuna provides enough information to help you understand how the images were taken and also their historical context. . . . The pictures featured in this book are stunning and offer a unique view of world history and also the beginnings of color photography.
(Nicole Warburton Deseret Morning News )

The collection boasts what may be the earliest color photographs of the Taj Mahal and the Egyptian pyramids, as well as striking portraits of Kurdish women in northern Iraq, dancers from the Khmer ballet in Angkor, and itinerant Mongolian hunters on the steppes near the Russian border. But does the past change when we see it in color? In many instances, the vivid palette brings the images closer to our present moment, making the world--and the distance of history--frighteningly small.
(Nicole Rudick Bookforum )

The pictures [are] full of the fascination of all old photodocumentation, heightened by color more sensual than later color processes deliver without tweaking. Accompanied by a direct, nontechnical text and complementing a BBC-TV series, this is a world-history buff's delight.
(Ray Olson Booklist )

Autochrome technology was taken up by French philanthropist Albert Kahn, who sent photographers all over the world to record in color the panoply of human cultures, all in the interest of mutual understanding and peace. The results of Kahn's generosity are on display in The Dawn of the Color Photograph, and they amount to a massive collage of the early decades of the 20th century, a time.
(Dennis Drabelle Washington Post Book World )

This fascinating book includes mostly posed groups of farmers, workers and artisans from Western Europe, the Americas, the Far East, Africa and Indochina.
(Regan McMahon San Francisco Chronicle )

When the Lumière brothers invented colour photography in 1907, one of their countrymen immediately saw in it the possibility of promoting cross-cultural understanding. Albert Kahn, a banker and pacifist from Paris, dispatched photographers around the globe to document the people they found. For the next 20 years, they immortalized Germans, Montenegrins, Egyptians, Mongolians and every other manner of global citizen. This isn't a book about photography; it's a pictorial history of the colour-saturated world that existed before we all started wearing blue jeans and Nike T-shirts.
(The Globe and Mail )

Most of us would think that photos of a trip around the world made in 1908 couldn't possibly have been taken in colour, but they were. This book gives a fascinating look at some of the beautiful 72,000 colour images, which are accompanied in the archives by 4,000 black and white photographs and 120 hours of rare documentary film footage, all housed in the Musee Albert-Kahn in a Parisian suburbs.
(Nancy Tousley Calgary Herald )

Amazing, filled with color photographs shot from about 1909 to 1929. French banker Albert Kahn sent a team of photographers to shoot pictures in autochrome, the first portable color photographic process around the globe. Blue sails, red cloaks, yellow flowers: The hues are astonishing, and so are the glimpses of a vanished world.
(Sarah Bryan Miller St. Louis Post-Dispatch )

A beautifully illustrated book. . . . The Dawn of the Color Photograph is a handsome document full of lush and memorable images. Most of us still picture 1909 exclusively in black and white, so it's a revelation to peer back 100 years and see such eerily bright hues.
(Dushko Petrovich The Boston Globe )

The photographs, hundreds of which are compiled in the new book, are breathtaking. . . . [An] extraordinary volume. . . . Countless beautiful images of now-lost worlds to enthrall us and remind us where we came from.
(uel Laneri, Forbes.com )

To celebrate a century of the little-known collection, Princeton University Press has issued an impressive new monograph, The Dawn of the Color Photograph: Albert Kahn's Archives of the Planet. . . . The new book is the first widely available collection to reproduce Kahn's photographs from every region of the world.
(k Cohen, Nextbook.org )

Review
An astonishing, captivating, and extraordinary collection of early color photographs.
(Anthony W. Lee, Mount Holyoke College )

From the Inside Flap

"An astonishing, captivating, and extraordinary collection of early color photographs."--Anthony W. Lee, Mount Holyoke College

Praise for the television series: "Astonishing images."--Time Out

Praise for the television series: "A fascinating and vivid celebration of the earliest examples of colour photography."--Gareth McLean, Guardian

Praise for the television series: "A legacy of inestimable richness."--Benjamin Secher, Daily Telegraph

Customer Reviews

A Color World Before Globalization
When color photography was created in 1907 by the Lumière brothers in France, philanthropist Albert Khan assigned photographers to travel the world documenting the many peoples they found, using the new technology. More than 72,000 pictures resulted, and "The Dawn of the Color Photograph" is a sampling of them. These don't just focus on the exotic cultures from the reaches of civilization, but Europeans, Americans, and the battlefields of WWI. Those exotic cultures are also well represented, when native dress was day to day wear, and not something worn for tourists. This is also well before globalization, so there are no modern distractions in the background, no Micky Mouse T-shirts, McDonalds, or Starbucks. This book is a supplement to a BBC TV program of the same name, but is extremely stand-alone. A prefect book for photography or history buffs and being a nice sweet spot for those that are both.

good overview
This book draws on the same material and uses many of the images contained in the BBC documentary on Kahn. It is well laid out, contains useful - but not exhaustive - commentary on the images selected. It is very well produced in terms of quality of paper, reproduction and binding

Valuble contribution to the photographic history
I have some books illustrated by old Autochrome color photographs, but this book ist well printed (not too brillant in the colors) and contains a lot of rare pictures throughout the world including World War I.

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Fabric Art Workshop: Exploring Techniques & Materials for Fabric Artists and Quilters

2009-02-18T19:40:00.001-08:00

Fabric Art Workshop: Exploring Techniques & Materials for Fabric Artists and Quilters

A comprehensive source of all the newest and most popular fiber art techniques!

This technique-driven book explores a wide range of new possibilities and materials available to fabric and journal artists. Each unique technique is presented with an inspirational, full-page photo of a fabric journal page. How-to steps with photos explore all the possible results from applying the technique. The reader can create journal pages and/or quilt blocks, which can be sewn together to make one large journal quilt, matted and framed individually, displayed on a meditation screen, or used as book pages sewn into a traditional journal format.

Full-page fabric journal block to introduce each technique
Step-by-step photos for exploring and executing the technique
Gallery showing ways to display and use the fabric journal blocks
Great value. Like two years of classes rolled into one book.
Beautiful "journal page" opens each of 28 technique chapters
All techniques are easily mastered by anyone. No complex dying involved. All products are readily available at craft, fabric, and quilt shops.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #8877 in Books

Published on: 2007-10-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

128 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Susan Stein owns a successful quilt and fiber arts shop in St. Paul, Minnesota called Colorful Quilts and Textiles. She stocks all the cutting edge products for quilters and fabric artists who love to go beyond basics into fabric painting, dyeing, fabric manipulation, and other fiber arts. Susan frequently focuses on contemporary quilts in collage style. She teaches monthly classes on the techniques that will be taught in this new book. In 2003, Susan was voted Minnesota Quilter of the Year. She has written two other quilting books and has researched and contributed to numerous CPi titles, including Baby Quilts, When Quilt Designers Think Small, and SINGER The New Quilting by Machine.

Customer Reviews

Medium
The book was great in fine condition, almost new. The thing is I ordered two books in one day and got one in 3 days and the other in 2 weeks plus - don't understand. Of course I will keep the name of the one I got shortly.

I would have to say too long of time to ship.

Fabric arts gives ideas for many types of miixed media art
There are so many techniques included in this book, and although promoted as a fabric art book for fabric artists and quilters, it could also be used for many mixed media arts including paper arts and journaling etc.. I loved getting so many techniques and ideas in one book.

Worth getting
Just like the title said...Fabric art workshop. (Exploring techniques & materials) For anyone not able to actually go and take seminars/workshops this is a great book to have. The materials and tools list for each is fantastic. No guessing. Instructions are easy to understand. No over your head stuff. Susan Stein did a wonderful job on this book. So much so, I'd still like to take a class from her in person!

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What Matters: The World's Preeminent Photojournalists and Thinkers Depict Essential Issues of Our Time

2009-02-18T05:00:00.001-08:00

What Matters: The World's Preeminent Photojournalists and Thinkers Depict Essential Issues of Our Time

For more than a century, photography has revealed truths, exposed lies, advanced the public discourse, and inspired people to demand change. Socially conscious pioneers with cameras transformed the world—and that legacy lives on in this eye-opening, thought-provoking, and (we hope) action-inducing book. Like Jacob Riis’s How the Other Half Lives, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, and Jonathan Schell’s The Fate of the Earth before it, we believe that What Matters will fundamentally alter the way we see and understand the human race and our planet.
What Matters asks: What are the essential issues of our time? What are the pictures that will spark public outrage and spur reform? The answer appears in 18 powerful, page-turning stories by the foremost photojournalists of our age, edited by The New York Times best-selling author/editor David Elliot Cohen (A Day in the Life and America 24/7 series), and featuring trenchant commentary from well-recognized experts and thinkers in appropriate fields. Photographer Gary Braasch and climate-change guru Bill McKibben provide “A Global Warming Travelogue” that takes us from ice caves in Antarctica to smoke-spewing coal plants in Beijing. Brent Stirton and Peter A. Glick examine a “Thirsty World,” chronicling the daily search for clean water in non-developed countries. James Nachtwey and bestselling poverty expert Jeffrey D. Sachs look at the causes of, and cures for, global poverty in “The Bottom Billion.” Stephanie Sinclair and Judith Bruce present the preteen brides of Afghanistan, Nepal, and Ethiopia.
Sometimes the juxtaposition of photographs can be startling: “Shop ‘til We Drop,” Lauren Greenfield’s images of upscale consumer culture, starkly contrast with Shehzad Noorani’s “Children of the Black Dust”—child laborers in Bangladesh, their faces blackened with carbon dust from recycled batteries.
The combination of compelling photographs and insightful writing make this a highly relevant, widely discussed book bound to appeal to anyone concerned about the crucial issues shaping our world. What Matters is, in effect, a 336-page illustrated letter to the next American president about the issues that count. It will inspire readers to do their part—however small—to make a difference: to help, the volume includes extensive “What You Can Do” sections with a menu of web links and effective actions readers can take now. This year give What Matters.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #35077 in Books

Published on: 2008-09-02

Format: Illustrated

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

336 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Cohen, creator of the photojournalism book America 24/7, edits this socially conscious collection of haunting photographs and disappointing essays that focus on the unchecked ravages of genocide, global warming, AIDS, child labor, extreme poverty and compulsive consumerism. While the pictures—especially the chilling Images of Genocide and Stephanie Seymour's portraits of child brides—disquiet with their beauty and horror, the accompanying text from such luminaries as Jeffrey Sachs and Bill McKibben is unfortunately hollow and anodyne, particularly Cohen's introduction (do something... even something small... to help repair the world), but Omer Bartov's statement that Iconic photographs both record the deeds and potentially anesthetize us to them provides a powerful caveat for this collection. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Hard to see, impossible to turn away - Issues and images combine in 'What Matters,' a powerful and passionate new book
"Great documentary photojournalism, squeezed out of mainstream newspapers and magazines in an age of shrinking column inches, has had a hard time gaining traction in other venues... But nobody has told the 18 photographers in What Matters: The World's Preeminent Photojournalists and Thinkers Depict Essential Issues of Our Time. These are photo essays by some of today's best photojournalists following the great tradition begun over a hundred years ago with the exposés of New York tenement life by Jacob Riis. Through the doggedness of these photographers—who are clearly committed to stirring us out of complacency—all the power and passion of the medium is evident in this book... Some of the pieces will break your heart, some will anger you. All will make you think. To channel your thoughts and feelings into action, the book ends with an appendix "What You Can Do," offering hundreds of ways to be a part of the solution to these problems." - Chicago Tribune Book Review, http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/booksmags/chi-david-elliot-cohen-06sep06,0,5288041.story
"Must viewing."- San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/17/DDGB12K49R.DTL

Photographs that Can Change the World
"David Elliot Cohen’s new book, What Matters, which hits bookshelves today, is a collection of photo essays that explore 18 distinct social issues that define our time. Shot by the world’s most renowned photojournalists, including James Nachtwey, who has contributed to V.F., the photographs explore topics ranging from genocide and global warming to oil addiction and consumerism, offering a raw view into the problems that plague our world. Each photo essay is accompanied by written commentary from an expert on the issue. Cohen hopes the book will inspire people to work toward resolving these problems. “Great photojournalism changed the world in the past, and it can do it again,” Cohen says. “I want people to see these images, get angry, and act on that anger. Compelling images by the world’s best photojournalists is the most persuasive language I have to achieve this.”
- vanityfair.com, http://www.vanityfair.com/online/politics/2008/09/what-matters.html "Changing the world might sound like a lofty goal for a photo book, but that’s what the new book, What Matters, The World’s Preeminent Photojournalists and Thinkers Depict Essential Issues of our Time edited by David Elliot Cohen (Sterling Publishing, $28, 2008), hopes to do. Citing the power of socially conscious photographers over the last 150 years, the beautiful collection of 18 photo-essays by some of today’s prominent photojournalists hopes to “inform pre-election debate and inspire direct action." Regardless of what side of the political fence you sit on, this collection of heartbreaking and powerful stories and images is guaranteed to get you thinking."
- Popular Photography, http://flash.popphoto.com/blog/2008/08/book-review-wha.html

Those doubting the power of photojournalism to sway opinion and encourage action would do well to spend some time with this book. In 18 stories, each made up of photos by leading photojournalists and elucidated by short essays by public intellectuals and journalists, this book explores environmental devastation, war, disease, and the ravages of both poverty and great wealth. The photos are specific and personal in their subject matter and demonstrate how great photography can illuminate the universal by depicting the specific. Cohen has a goal beyond simply showcasing terrific photography. In his thoughtful introduction, he makes explicit his aim to connect the work compiled here with the great tradition of muckraking photography that helped to change conditions in New York tenements and to end child labor at the turn of the last century. A terrific concluding chapter directs readers to specific actions they can take if they are moved to do so by the book's images, and it's hard to imagine the reader who would not be moved. Highly recommended for public libraries and academic libraries supporting journalism and/or photography curricula. (a starred review in Library Journal generally means the book will be acquired by many libraries.)
- Library Journal, http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6598644.html Powerful photos, insightful commentary fill the compelling 'What Matters.'
What Matters is about big questions and big problems that beg for big solutions.
- Florida Times Union (Jacksonville), http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/092808/lif_337282446.shtml

About the Author

DAVID ELLIOT COHEN is co-creator of the renowned Day in the Life and America 24/7 series of photojournalism books. Four of these volumes were New York Times bestsellers. Several others were national and international bestsellers. A graduate of Yale University, Cohen has appeared on most major US news programs. His award-winning books have been featured on the covers of Time and Newsweek, in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today among many other periodicals worldwide. His pro bono books have benefited victims of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, AIDs education programs in Africa and most recently, AIDS orphans in Uganda.

Customer Reviews

Brilliantly done. Highly recommended.
When I saw this book on the shelves at the library, I was first intrigued by its bright blue spine. When I took it down, the cover photograph really took my breath away and I knew I HAD to see what this gorgeous book had to offer me. I can't tell you how happy I am that I took it home because, WOW, was this book phenomenal.

The book's description above really captures the essence of What Matters so definitely go back and read it if you haven't already. The book is a compilation of some of the most fantastic photojournalism I've ever seen, done by people who are genuinely concerned about these issues, and have put together a book that they hope will make a difference in some of these issues and inspire people to think about said issues, and even better, do something about them. The book flows excellently from pictures to text and back - it's put together similarly to Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth (which I also loved). The photographs are, of course, magnificent, but the writing itself is also pretty fantastic. The way the authors (of both the written pieces and the photographs) made these issues come to life, made them so clearly EVERYONE'S problems and not "their" problems, the way they made them so personal with stories and pictures, it was just amazing. I am doing an awful job of describing what I loved about this book because I found it to be so important and really just a necessary read. It is hard sometimes for me to articulate my thoughts when I feel so strongly about something like I do this book - it has made me somewhat speechless.

But really, I'm shocked that I hadn't heard of What Matters before; I think it can easily be considered one of the best nonfiction of 2008, and I'd really, STRONGLY encourage everyone to go pick it up. I will totally be buying this one when it comes out in paperback (hopefully, it does), because it's definitely something I'd like to have in my collection to read again and share with others.

Please read What Matters. You will not be sorry that you did.

Too Much Death, Dying and Destruction
After reading a review of the book I was excited to order it. I thought it would be a thought-provoking photo-journalistic depiction of human nature, that would illustrate, or at least start people thinking about, what is truly important in our lives. I expected photos depicting wars, death and hardship. However, I didn't expect such an emphasis on the atrocities of humankind. Proportionately, there was far too much of the dark and dismal. And many, many of the photos, simply put, were of poor quality. The idea is great, but the book needs severe editing. And it needs more examples of what lifts us up, less of what tears us down.

A new text book
After reviewing this book, and giving it as a gift. It will now be used as a supplement reading for a college course.

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The Complete Oil Painter: The Essential Reference for Beginners to Professionals

2009-02-17T15:00:00.001-08:00

The Complete Oil Painter: The Essential Reference for Beginners to Professionals

Oils are perhaps the most versatile of all paint mediums. Yet for many artists oil painting is either shrouded in mystique or considered very difficult. Filled with clear, step-by-step instructions and surefire strategies, The Complete Oil Painter is an essential, one-stop guide to becoming an expert in every aspect of this medium. Artists will discover everything they need to know about materials (pigments, supports, canvases); tools and equipment (palettes, brushes); paint application (wet-into-wet, alla-prima, glazing, impasto); form and color (light and dark, expression, color mixing); exploring themes (still life, portraiture, figure painting); and much more.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #18473 in Books

Published on: 2004-01-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

128 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Brian Gorst studied at the Cheltenham School of Art in the UK and at the New York Academy of Art in New York City. He has published many articles on painting and painting techniques. He lives in Gloucestershire, England.

Customer Reviews

Excellent for both the beginner & experienced painter
I'm a self-thought artist and began oil painting at age 6 until I reached my early teens. I never gave up drawing though. I work as a graphic artist and also have work experience in the field of cartoon animation. Now in my early 30's, I decided to give a go at oil again but there were a few things in my art that bothered me. I thought of taking painting lessons, I looked around at the various schools in my area and gave up on that idea since it appeared obvious to me that all that these schools were offering me was to teach me "how to draw" from scratch, regardless of my advanced drawing skills - Instead I bought this book; "The Complete Oil Painter" by Brian Gorst and ".Problem Solving for Oil Painters: Recognizing What's Gone Wrong and How to Make It Right" (also a good book) which was recommended to me. Honestly, I thought that the later (Problem solving) would prove to be most useful but to my big surprise it was The Complete Oil Painter by Gorst - As a self-thought artist, I was simply lacking technique and knowledge of the medium. I didn't know what a ground colour was or how to varnish a painting! This book solved a lot of problems and answered a lot of questions instantly and it saved me hundreds of dollars in un-necessary painting lessons

Very nice, not for professionals
As the first book I ever bought on painting with oil colours, I didn't know what to expect. Well, this book is really a great reference, covers everything - charecteristics of specific pigments, how to prime canvas and panels, which mediums do what.. and it has some very helpful demonstrations. What I was missing, is any word about glazing, which medium to use with oils (actuall ratio of distilled turpentine to linseed oil and so on), anything that someone that wants to be more of a pro would look for. But still, a great book.
Also, since the author uses water-soluble oils, it is a very good book for people that use those. He explains everything for those too.

Novice Painter
My instructor talked about this book in class and said it was a very helpful book to have. Being a novice, I took her advice and ordered one. It has been very helpful, with clear explanations concering color mixing and opaque and translucent color techniques. I can only recommend this book as a beginning oil painter, but have gotten great tips and my use of color combinations have greatly improved.

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Designing the High Line: Gansevoort Street to 30th Street

2009-02-17T00:40:00.001-08:00

Designing the High Line: Gansevoort Street to 30th Street

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #384227 in Books

Published on: 2008

Binding: Paperback

160 pages

Customer Reviews

Very interesting way to describe a poject of landscaping
Very interesting way to describe a poject of landscaping from the very beginning to the detailed plans. Nice design and short precise texts.

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A Book of Artrageous Projects

2009-02-16T10:40:00.001-08:00

A Book of Artrageous Projects

This amazing collaboration with the venerable Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, comes with all the supplies needed for a hands-on artistic experience, like copper-colored foil, light sensitive paper, color pigments and a paint brush. It's guaranteed to put you in an art-doing mood.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #47258 in Books

Brand: Klutz

Published on: 2000-09-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Dimensions: 1.13 pounds

Binding: Spiral-bound

66 pages

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
Winner of Canadian Toy Testing Council Children's Choice Award, DiscoverySchool.com Award of Excellence, Lion & Lamb Project Top 20 Toy of the Year, National Parenting Publications Honors Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, Parents' Choice Gold Award, Parent's Guide Children's Media Award

Customer Reviews

Klutz books are the best!
These books are creative, educational, high quality, and fun! My children have several versions of Klutz books, and they are all wonderful. They provide a cure for boredom that both kids and adults can appreciate. This one goes beyond basic art!

Tons of Educational Information, World History and Art and Craft Instruction and Materials, Makes a Great Gift
Klutz publishes high quality art, craft and activities bound into a book that is actually a full kit, as they come with all the materials necessary to do what the book instructs. I have never been disappointed with a Klutz book/kit.

This book is a bit different than the typical craft books published by Klutz. It was developed in conjunction with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and has a lot of educational, world history and art history information in the book.

The book starts back in Ancient History with Ancient Egypt. The book teaches about art and writing (hieroglyphics) done by the Ancient Egyptians. Then the kit encourages the child-reader to make their own art, Egyptian style. The book progresses through various art methods and across thousands of years, introducing educational information then telling how to replicate that art or craft.

Another way this Klutz publication is different is that it has some pretty sophisticated art methods. There is a copper page to make a copper cover with metal embossing decoration using texture plates that is then made into a little handmade book. The book covers collage and includes some interesting images to cut out and collage with. The book tackles basic drawing principles and sketching in pencil, watercolor painting, and how to use one paintbrush to make different painted effects. Sun prints are here too, a more crafty leaning project. Boys especially might like the section on medieval history and knights with an activity to design their own coat of armor. Illumination is here with powdered paint that is to be mixed with egg whites to paint with. There is also a section for making a replica of stained glass (coloring in a paper) and a paper weaving project.

The book has MANY examples of real art going back thousands of years. The reference in the back of the book explains what each image is with a historical reference.

This is an ambitious book that teaches art and crafts linked to real world history events and showing examples of fine artworks. The book is inspirational. There are enough projects here to keep a child and a preteen occupied for many hours. It would be of interest to boys as well as girls. I can imagine that if a child does one of these projects for the first time they may be inspired to continue on learning more about some of the techniques(drawing, sketching, and watercolor painting).

The book is a low cost for the smattering of craft and art materials that come with it and for all the educational content that goes along with the instructions on how to do each art or craft.

If your child already owns many art and craft supplies, especially if they own some professional grade materials, makes a lot of art at home or is already taking professional art instruction, and if they already had lots of history educational instruction, this book may be too shallow or repetitive for them. However if the child has not yet tried all these arts and crafts or been exposed to all this world history information, the book is fantastic.

This makes a wonderful gift! The publisher states it is for ages 8 and up.

great art book for boys- and girls!
This book had a lot of really fun art ideas that my boys loved. It is very hands on, and you can mix in science with your art. My history buff loved the art history, and this book inspired much online investigation and a planned trip to our local art museum. It is a great way to introduce your child to real art- but is also fun and "crafty." My high-energy boys loved this book, and I can not recommend it enough.

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Charles Harper's Birds and Words

2009-02-15T20:20:00.001-08:00

Charles Harper's Birds and Words

Reissue of the collectible Charley Harper classic, which pairs his beautiful paintings with poetic commentary.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #33420 in Books

Published on: 2008-05-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

151 pages

Customer Reviews

Charles Harper's Birds and Words
This is a delightful little book. Don't be misled by the wit and whimsey, (which is highly enjoyable) this book is full of excellent illustrations by an inventive artist.

A Treasure!
If you love Art, Birds, and Wit, this is something you should add to your collection! Charles Harper's minimalist technique gives you a whole new perspective on the beauty of birds in their natural surroundings. His ability to capture the Essence of a bird with just a few lines is truly amazing, and if that's not enough, he has accompanied each illustration with a few lines of clever prose that will leave you with a smile. Get one for yourself, and buy another to give.

Excellent in Word and Picture
After seeing a retrospective show of both Charlie and Edie Harper at the Cincinnati Museum of Art, I had to purchase this book. Charlie's bird silkscreens are illustrations, designs and fantastic artpieces all in one. His minimalist approach can teach any artist what to leave out in order to improve a painting. I can only imagine what it might have been like to have been a student of his. The works are rich and clean and the reproductions in this book are excellent quality. Also, make sure and notice the clever side-characters he puts in to help represent the environment that each bird lives in: snails, frogs, butterflies and flora... each exquisitely designed and can stand on their own as amazing.

A side note: I wish there were a similar volume of Edie's works, she is every bit as clever and talented an artist as Charlie and one can easily see the influence of each on the other.

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Cave Art

2009-02-15T06:40:00.001-08:00

Cave Art

This new title presents an unparalleled selection of over 300 works made between 35,000 and 11,000 years ago, featuring the earliest known evidence of human creativity. The artworks range from spectacular cave paintings to small, delicate sculptures. CAVE ART explores the origins of human artistic endeavour from key sites such as Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain, as well as less-known locations. The works featured in the book have been selected, sequenced, and described by one of the world's most respected experts on prehistoric art, Jean Clottes. The book includes examples of open-air rock art made after the last ice age at sites around the world, and includes a chronology, maps, a glossary, and a list of sites open to the public.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #58558 in Books

Published on: 2008-06-10

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

352 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Jean Clottes (b. 1933) is the pre-eminent expert on prehistoric art. A respected scholar, he has taught in many universities around the world, including Toulouse (France), Berkeley (United States), Gerona (Spain), and NeuchÃ¢tel (Switzerland). Clottes is currently involved in many international organizations. He is an expert at ICOMOS-UNESCO (International Committee on Monuments and Sites), a member of the High Council for Historical Monuments, and the president of IFRAO (International Federation of Rock Art Organizations).

Customer Reviews

A Gorgeous Review of the Most Ancient Art
If you are interested in art history or just love looking at art, you'd certainly want to look at the earliest examples of art made by humans. You might conceivably buy enough air miles to see all the important works of western art, but many of the artworks shown in _Cave Art_ (Phaidon) by Jean Clottes you are never going to see, and the book's expansive and generous photographs are as close as you are going to get. You'd have to be an expert caver to get to some of the paintings shown here, and even so, many of them are in caves that are now closed to all but the most-degreed researchers. There are so many images here that one might think that there is a large store to draw from, but given that they range from 11,000 to 35,000 years old, it is amazing that the caves, always vulnerable to damage by water, time, and human activity, have preserved the treasures. Indeed, we may be getting a skewed, pinhole view of a larger artistic endeavor; if these artists were working during all those millennia on the outside, creating works on wood, sand, or hides, those works are long gone. The cave art was simply the best preserved, and sealed deep in the earth, it didn't start coming to light again until the nineteenth century.

Clottes is an authority to trust in displaying the most important examples of this art. An archaeologist with plenty of books and papers to his credit, he had a leading role in the study of the underwater Cosquer cave discovered in 1985 and the Chauvet Cave discovered in 1991. He summarizes the interpretations that have been put forward to explain these pictures, but it is safe to say that none of them clears the mysteries away. Why are there so few plants here, for instance? What do the abstract paintings here mean? There are dots at random, dots in groups, dots in designs that don't look like anything else, and there are stripes and wavy lines. This book is full mostly of photographs of cave paintings, but there are also some decorated objects; why should this portable art be far more varied, showing birds, snakes, or fawns that don't show up often on the walls, and also showing humans who seldom appear on the walls in comparison with the numbers of beasts? Where are all the people? Many of the paintings here are breathtaking in the way they use minimal lines to bring out a thoroughly realistic beast; many of them are simply primitive (and no less powerful for that). Clottes is not blind to defects in his appreciation of the artwork: ten simple, skillful lines show an animal that is obviously a weasel, but he calls the head "somewhat botched." Among the most easily recognizable forms here are hand stencils. The artist would place his hand on the wall and blow or spit a solution of pigment (hematite for red, charcoal for black) onto the hand and wall, leaving a fully familiar five finger imprint. Strangely, many of the fingers in such stencils are not complete, leading some to speculate that there were medical conditions, accidents, or even religious mutilations affecting the artists; a more likely guess seems to be that the hands were making some sort of hunting signal.

Having these handsome photographs displayed together makes it easy to admire the skill of the artists and the range of their interests. It also has to be a substitute for ever seeing some of the paintings first hand. Only a few of the caves are open to the public; there is a list here of caves you can visit. Some of the photographs here show the art intact where it is intact no longer; an aurochs drawn in the clay of the La Clotilde Cave in Spain was drawn over by some visitor after 1971. Well-meaning cleaners have cleaned off parts of the paintings. And sometimes just visiting them defaces them. The famous Lascaux Cave discovered in 1940 was open to visitors afterwards, but had to be closed in 1963 simply because the carbon dioxide breathed out by visitors was degrading the pigments. Even with the cave closed, the artwork which did just fine for so many millennia risks being attacked by mold. It is a treat to have a spectacular big book of photographs of the pristine artwork, the unity of themes illustrating what Clottes calls "the longest artistic tradition humankind has ever known." One page after another stimulates wonder at the ancientness of one of our specie's admirable traits, the artistic impulse.

Cave Art by by Jean Clottes
Excellent book, plenty of magnificent photograps, many of which have never been published before. The brief review of European prehistory is given for those interested in the subject. Highly recommended, I've read this book non-stop.

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Thom Filicia Style: Inspired Ideas for Creating Rooms You'll Love

2009-02-12T19:20:00.001-08:00

Thom Filicia Style: Inspired Ideas for Creating Rooms You'll Love

"I'm a democratic design snob. I see it as my mission to help stamp out boring, unimaginative interiors. But I also love people, having fun, and what I do for a living. I think a fabulously styled place is achievable by everyone. Think of me as your decorating wingman."

Thom Filicia, whose one-of-a-kind makeover genius gained national attention through his starring roles on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Dress My Nest, offers the ultimate handbook for creating gorgeous interiors that showcase your unique personal style. Those who have witnessed Thom's remarkable makeovers on television already know about the much-anticipated reveal moment when the emotionally overwhelmed homeowners are struck speechless by the miracle he has created. The same miracle is now possible for your home, with the secrets and tips contained in Thom Filicia Style.

With his trademark wit and friendly voice, Thom deconstructs how he works his magic and provides pages of invaluable advice, inspiration, before-and-after photos, case studies, floor plans, and product information. His approach will help you elevate your personal aesthetic by strategizing the best ways to make the most out of every space. From his work on a Manhattan loft to a suburban family home, Thom brings a fresh and invigorating vision to the way we live -- a vision that can apply to homes and decorating budgets of any size.

Demystifying the decorating process one step at a time, Thom has filled this guide with everything you need to create the perfect interior. Thom Filicia Style is like having the designer himself on hand to take care of all the details.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #5825 in Books

Published on: 2008-10-14

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

224 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
"I can't imagine anyone who has more fun at work than the dashing, devil-may-care decorator Thom Filicia -- and he brings that passion to the pages of Thom Filicia Style, the go-to guide to navigating the world of design. With indispensable information, expert tips, lush photos, and a wicked wit, he takes you on a no-nonsense journey whose destination is a confident new look for your home."-- Margaret Russell, editor in chief, Elle Decor

"Thom Filicia is a genius, effortlessly mixing materials and eras to create spaces that are both hypersophisticated and extremely livable. Somehow, he never loses sight of the human being amid all that fabulous furniture and fabric. So yeah, this book is drop-dead gorgeous, but it's also warm, friendly, and down-to-earth -- just like its author. Finally, a designer book that truly demystifies the process for us mere mortals."-- Sara Gray Miller, editor in chief, O at Home

"From apprenticing with legendary designer Albert Hadley to finding television celebrity, Thom has mastered his own brand of eclectic, organic, American-chic -- and is generously willing to help a broader audience experience, live with, and love design, too. His first book is not only a visual treat but also a friendly, easy-to-navigate guide crammed with useful tips, from 'every room needs a surprise' to 'lose the matchy matchy-ness.'"-- Cindy Allen, editor in chief, Interior Design

"Thom Filicia is like a superhero of style. He crusades against the scourge of bad taste by empowering regular citizens to look within themselves and embrace their inner decorator. His delicious new book spreads the gospel according to Thom: Don't Worry, Be Fabulous!"-- Mayer Rus, design editor, Los Angeles Times Magazine

"An insider who's invited everyone to the party, Thom has created a book that's part luscious page-turner, part hilarious autobiography, and crazily useful. I don't know if I want to keep it on the coffee table, bedside table, or in the design library, but I do know I want to keep it."-- Sara Ruffin Costello, creative director, Domino

"Thom is a total inspiration to me! The fact that he could think on his feet with such brilliance and accessible practicality on the groundbreaking Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was a revelation to me. To be able to see a diamond in the rough the way Thom does with forlorn rooms is sheer magic. Beyond that, Thom is about the nicest guy you will ever meet. He is brimming with enthusiasm and talent, with a fresh, elegant eye, and this book illustrates how far that goes. This book will be invaluable for anyone who cares about design and how it can actually empower your life."-- Wendy Goodman, design editor, New York

"In this spirited, droll, and informative romp through his career, work, and design philosophy, Thom Filicia shares with readers his inspirations and his pragmatic solutions for creating environments as suave and engaging as himself."-- Hamish Bowles, editor at large, Vogue Living

About the Author
Thom Filicia, since gaining fame as the quick-witted and charming interior designer on the Emmy-winning television hit Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, has emerged as one of today's most influential and respected interior designers. Host of the Style Network's top-rated show, Dress My Nest, Thom's projects and ideas have been featured everywhere -- from The Oprah Winfrey Show to The New York Times, from Elle Decor to W, and from House Beautiful to InStyle.

Before being catapulted into the national spotlight, Thom established himself as a major player in the design industry through his day-to-day work. After earning his B.A. in design from the prestigious School of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University, he joined Parish-Hadley, one of the country's most distinguished interior design firms. He then worked for renowned designer Jeffrey Bilhuber before founding Thom Filicia, Inc., in 1998. He was named one of House & Garden's Top 50 Tastemakers, one of House Beautiful's Top 100 American Designers, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for his work on Queer Eye. Thom's far-ranging commissions have included everything from designing the tents for the Olympus Fashion Week, to the W Hotels in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Atlanta, and to the United States VIP Suite at the World's Fair in Aichi, Japan.

Customer Reviews

A Good D-I-Y Guide
Packed with lots of achievable ideas, this is best when used as a Do-It-Yourself guide. After just a few words of introduction by Albert Hadley, a bio complete with time line is given. Mr Filicia worked as an intern at the legendary interior design firm Parish-Hadley before going on to the office of Robert Metzger and then Jeffrey Bilhuber. He gained critical acclaim from the design magazines when opening his own office, but celebrity status came when he was one of the stars of the cable TV series "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy".

The projects, often accompanied with a floor plan to show the layout, tend to feature furniture of the hand-me-down variety combined with accessories that often appear more like props to make an interesting photo than to really contribute to the design of the room. Not a bad approach in decorating one's own home, to be sure. This is a good book for young marrieds looking to achieve some style on a budget. But for those wanting to learn the finer points of interior design, there are better books for study.

Different
I really liked this book. It has some fresh ideas and Thom Filicia is always rockin' the interiors he creates. The only thing I would change is to have even more photos.

Totally Thom
If you enjoy Thom Filicia's creative designs on "Queer" and "Dress My Nest", you will absolutely love this book. It's a book that you can look at over and over and it is filled with great ideas, fab pictures and great insight into Thom's life and design philosophy. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

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David Busch's Nikon D60 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

2009-02-12T05:20:00.001-08:00

David Busch's Nikon D60 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

Have you unpacked your new Nikon D60 digital SLR camera and want to get started right away taking great pictures? "David Busch’s Nikon D60 Guide to Digital SLR Photography" will show you how, when, and, most importantly, why to use all the cool features and functions of your camera to take eye-popping photographs. Introductory chapters will help you get comfortable with the basics of your camera before you dive right into exploring creative ways to apply the D60’s exposure modes, focus controls, and electronic flash options. More comprehensive than any of the pocket-sized camera guides, this book is chock full of hands-on tips for choosing lenses, flash units, and software products. Beautiful, full-color images illustrate where the essential buttons and dials are, so you’ll quickly learn how to use your Nikon D60, and use it well.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #6624 in Books

Published on: 2008-06-10

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

321 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
With more than a million books in print, David D. Busch is a best-selling author of books on digital photography and imaging technology, and the originator of popular series like "David Busch's Pro Secrets" and "David Busch's Quick Snap Guides." He has written eight hugely successful guidebooks for Nikon digital SLR models, and the most comprehensive manuals for dSLRs from Canon, Sony, and other vendors. His many other books devoted to digital photography include "David Busch's Digital Infrared Pro Secrets" and "Mastering Digital SLR Photography." As a roving photojournalist for more than 20 years, he has illustrated his books, magazine articles, and newspaper reports with award-winning images. Busch has operated his own commercial studio, suffocated in formal dress while shooting weddings-for-hire, and shot sports for a daily newspaper and upstate New York college. His photographs and articles have been published in magazines as diverse as "PhotoGraphic," "Popular Photography & Imaging," "The Rangefinder," "The Professional Photographer," and hundreds of other publications. He’s also reviewed digital cameras for CNet Networks and "Computer Shopper."

Customer Reviews

users guide
i got this as a gift for my daughter. it's easier to read, use, and more informative, than the users manual. well worth it.

What a Relief!
I received a Nikon d60 as a gift a year ago. This is my first experience with a dSLR camera. I can shoot in the automatic mode with it quite easily, but if that was all i wanted to do with it, my little point and shoot camera was fine. I tried and tried to read the manual that came with the d60 but it was a frustrating, tear-my-hair-out kind of experience. I don't have a long attention span (apparently) and that manual was so dry and boring that it was hard to stay focused on it. I felt guilty that i had such a nice camera that was capable of doing so many things but I wasn't really learning to do any of it. Then i discovered David Busch. I really enjoyed his somewhat chatty, relaxed style of writing and the fact that he didn't expect me to know much about this type of camera already--but if one does have some knowledge, or is a natural techie (that would not be me), he does go pretty deep. I also like the real color photographs of the camera, rather than the simple black and white illustrations of it like the ones in the manual that comes with the camera. I haven't finished the book yet, but am amazed that i even have the desire to keep reading and even re-reading. Definitely worth the money. Thank you David!

This is the one!
As mentioned elsewhere, I am in the process of converting from film to digital photography and there are certain aspects which I have found quite daunting. Over the past few months I have studied several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject as that process of conversion continues. I have also attended courses run by Nikon (UK) and it was on the first of those I was introduced to this book. My fellow student insisted this was the best available on the subject and I have come to the conclusion he was right.

Of course, there are those whose expertise is already at a well advanced level who seem to delight in purchasing products such as this just to write a less than praiseworthy review. It's called showing off! Take it from someone who has studied the field, whatever you want or need to know about this camera, the answer really is found in this product.

Laid out in an easy-to-follow format with plenty of excellent illustrations this book begins at the BEGINNING by helping you set up your camera. Slowly, the author builds upon each item shown as we work our way through the book to learn all, there is to learn about the Nikon D300.

I always find it better to read a number of books on the same subject - if only because a different approach often helps to explain a difficult point in an alternative way. If, however, you can only afford one book on this subject, then "This" is the one to buy.

NM

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The Death of Superman

2009-02-10T05:40:00.001-08:00

The Death of Superman

The bestselling edition that tells the staggering story of Superman's demise has been one of DC's best sellers since its release in January, 1992. THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN, the opening volume of the saga of Superman's death and rebirth, introduced the unstoppable death dealer known as Doomsday. Graphic novel format.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #27888 in Books

Published on: 1993-04-14

Released on: 1993-04-14

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Paperback

168 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The Death of Superman was a 1992 stunt that turned out to be DC's bestselling Superman comic ever. The massive 11-issue crossover among four different series (Superman, Superman: The Man of Steel, Action Comics, and Justice League of America) introduces an unstoppable alien named Doomsday who creates a path of destruction on his way to the heart of Metropolis and whom Superman must stop at any cost. It's of interest as a milestone of the Superman mythos (though of course the outcome didn't last), but casual fans might be underwhelmed by the unfamiliar villain and the unfamiliar Justice League (with Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and other minor heroes rather than the traditional lineup), the drawn-out story (by Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern), and the ordinary art (by Jurgens, Jon Bogadanove, Tom Grummett, and Jackson Guice). --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

A Hero Says Goodbye
"Doom!"

A controversial best-seller when it appeared in 1992, the ultimate sacrifice by the Man of Steel to save the world from an evil war machine, Doomsday, instantly became an iconic chapter in the history of DC Comics.

Developed by editor Mike Carlin, with the writing by a number of A-listers - including Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern and Louise Simonson - the emotional roller-coaster is tremendous and the final battle scene tears at the emotions, with Lois Lane, Jimmy Olson, Ice and Bloodwynd witnessing the final moments.

The trade paperback is the first of three volumes that collect all the material chronicling the death and return of Superman. The story line redefined the landscape for superheroes and will continue to have incredible importance into the future for editors/writers and fans.

Great Action
There are comics that make have revolutionary writing and make you think (this is not it) and then there are really exciting, thrilling, non-stop action comics (this is it!) so if you enjoy the latter you will enjoy this book. There are some people who complain about the politics that concern the making of this book and to that, who cares, it's just a fictious story. True, it is controversial to kill of the Man of Steel but the actual fight between Superman and Doomsday literally spans several issues so Superman's death did not result from a small battle. Contrary to what people say, I think the writers are wise not to give Doomsday any history or have him talk. Doing any of these two things will result in your opponent getting the upperhand. It is very exciting and emotional at the end and the artwork is pretty decent especially in the last or two issues.

Essential, but room for improvement
Superman fans are basically required to pick this up, as this story arc set the DC universe on its head. To cut it short, a mysterious creature named Doomsday appears, creates a path of destruction across the country (taking out several Justice League members along the way) before fighting Superman in a climactic battle at the steps of the Daily Planet, where both kill each other.

The art is pretty good overall, but that's an average - the final installment is masterfully done, but some of the middle chapters look rushed, as if they were scrambling to meet the deadline.

The plot is a point of contention for many comic fans - there's one camp that likes that a totally new, mysterious character was the one that did Superman in, and another camp that believes an established character, such as Brainiac or Lex Luthor, should have been the one to fell the Man of Steel. While I am okay with the concept of a new character getting the honor, the almost total absence of all the other villains throughout Death of Superman, World Without a Superman and Return of Superman left me wondering. Lex Luthor II makes a few token appearances, mostly in Return of Superman, but even then he doesn't do much other than argue a TV contract. Shouldn't he have been, I don't know, moving forward with his plan of world domination now that his only roadblock (Superman) is dead?

In short, this essential pickup is a good read, but it could have been better. It's entertaining for the first few reads, but it leaves us wanting more substance amidst the mindless destruction of Doomsday.

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The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America

2009-02-09T15:40:00.001-08:00

The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America

In the years between World War II and the emergence of television as a mass medium, American popular culture as we know it was first created—in the pulpy, boldly illustrated pages of comic books. No sooner had this new culture emerged than it was beaten down by church groups, community bluestockings, and a McCarthyish Congress—only to resurface with a crooked smile on its face in Mad magazine.

The story of the rise and fall of those comic books has never been fully told—until The Ten-Cent Plague. David Hajdu’s remarkable new book vividly opens up the lost world of comic books, its creativity, irreverence, and suspicion of authority.

When we picture the 1950s, we hear the sound of early rock and roll. The Ten-Cent Plague shows how—years before music—comics brought on a clash between children and their parents, between prewar and postwar standards. Created by outsiders from the tenements, garish, shameless, and often shocking, comics spoke to young people and provided the guardians of mainstream culture with a big target. Parents, teachers, and complicit kids burned comics in public bonfires. Cities passed laws to outlaw comics. Congress took action with televised hearings that nearly destroyed the careers of hundreds of artists and writers.
The Ten-Cent Plague radically revises common notions of popular culture, the generation gap, and the divide between “high” and “low” art. As he did with the lives of Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington (in Lush Life) and Bob Dylan and his circle (in Positively 4th Street), Hajdu brings a place, a time, and a milieu unforgettably back to life.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #14909 in Books

Published on: 2008-03-18

Released on: 2008-03-18

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

448 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Amazon Significant Seven, March 2008: I may be alone here, but when I read Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, a whole strata of American artists came to life for me. Ever since then I've been waiting for a book like David Hajdu's The Ten-Cent Plague to come along and show me the contours of this world. Anyone who remembers Positively 4th Street will recognize in this new book Hajdu's peerless ability to weave first-person recollections with an acute perspective of America at a pivotal moment in its cultural timeline. The rise of comics as a mode of expression, an outlet for entertainment, and, rather tragi-comically, as a target for censorship, couldn't be more compelling in anyone else's hands. In deft narrative strokes Hajdu creates a colorful, character-driven story of our first real--and lasting--counterculture (if the burgeoning popularity of graphic novels is any indication) and shows why we embrace it still.--Anne Bartholomew

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. After writing about the folk scene of the early 1960s in Positively 4th Street, Hajdu goes back a decade to examine the censorship debate over comic books, casting the controversy as a prelude to the cultural battle over rock music. Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent, the centerpiece of the movement, has been reduced in public memory to a joke—particularly the attack on Batman for its homoeroticism—but Hajdu brings a more nuanced telling of Wertham's background and shows how his arguments were preceded by others. Yet he comes down hard on the unsound research techniques and sweeping generalizations that led Wertham to conclude that nearly all comic books would inspire antisocial behavior in young readers. There are no real heroes here, only villains and victims; Hajdu turns to the writers and artists whose careers were ruined when censorship and other legal restrictions gutted the comics industry, and young kids who were coerced into participating in book burnings by overzealous parents and teachers. With such a meticulous setup, the history builds slowly but the main attraction—EC Comics publisher Bill Gaines's attempt to explain in a Senate committee hearing how an illustration of a man holding a severed head could be in good taste—holds all the dramatic power it has acquired as it's been told among fans over the past half-century. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"This book tells an amazing story, with thrills and chills more extreme than the workings of a comic book's imagination." -- Janet Maslin, The New York Times, March 10, 2008

Customer Reviews

Covers the bases on this particular subject
The author does a good job in explaining the message behind the title of the book. The "ten-cent plague" was a time between World War II and the mid-1950s where there was concern by those in authority that comic books with particular themes were filling the minds of teenage adolsecents with thoughts of violence and sex. Various steps were taken to put down the publication of these comics which died out around 1955.

This type of comic book changed America by putting into colorful pictures thoughts and actions that heretofore were relegated to the written book. Today, events such as Comic-Con are evidence that while these ancestors of the graphic novel were banned, their influences are felt today. With that said, we must ask ourselves the question not addressed in this book of whether we should just drop the age restrictions on reading material and let children read all things to their enjoyment. We would find that if we ask the author, he would desire some restictions on such activity. A good read nevertheless and I would recommend it to one who wants to delve into the crazy world of early 1950s comics.

The Rise and Fall of Comic Books
David Hajdu is a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City. The research for this book began when he was at the University of Chicago, and he finished writing this book while teaching at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. The `Acknowledgments' thank the many who helped in various ways. In the mid-1940s the comic book was the most popular form of entertainment in America (p.5). Over 640 titles were produced each month, written primarily for kids. [My recollections is that young adults or highschool graduates also read them (p.70).] In the late 1940s they began to feature stories of "crime, vice, lust, and horror". [What, no crime for Superman and other heroes (p.6)?] Some comic books were a simplified form of the true crime stories found on TV today. There was no Official Censorship of these small businesses.

Were comic books "a leading cause of juvenile delinquency"? No, the economic system caused JD. In earlier times most kids went to work at age 14 (after grammar school) and had more parental supervision. The loss of small businesses led to more idleness and there was less parental supervision when both parents had to work (p.276). Chapter 1 notes the low esteem for comincs since the 1890s, and their popularity. Hans and Fritz, the Katzenjammer Kids, were popular for decades in spite of their pranks. Newspapers carried stories of crime and lust (p.15), just like today's tabloids. Around 1930 comic strips copied the styles of pulp magazines (p.17). Funny books were first given away with merchandise (p.21). Comic books were produced by an assembly line (pp.26-27). "Superman", the Champion of the Oppressed, was the first highly successful comic book (p.30). Commercial rivalry was one reason to slam comic books (pp.40-41).

Chapter 4 tells of the first reactions against comic books. Laws censoring publications go back to the 1880s. In 1948 the US Supreme Court ruled these laws unconstitutional because of their vagueness (p.90). This would not prevent future laws that were specific (p.97). Fredric Wertham said comic books corrupted the youth of America (p.100); his statistics proved it (p.101). Crimes were committed by children who read comic books (p.109). [The sole influence in their lives? No mention of the radio programs of that era.] Students began to collect and burn comic books like Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, The Spirit, Captain Marvel, Archie (p.119). [What about TV programs?] That treatment for Gaines on page 273 overlooks the topic of who owns the company that distributes magazines. The censorship of comics resulted in a loss of sales (p.314). The small businesses were destroyed (p.315). Bill Gaines stayed in business by publishing `Mad' magazine which parodied society (p.324), [Hajdu doesn't mention the legal trouble for this magazine in 1965 which ended its independent publication.]

The other person looking at that piano concerto looks like Harry Truman (p.325). That "snarling and sweating" person looks like Joe McCarthy with Roy Cohn behind him. Marlon Brando as "Terry Malloy" from "On the Waterfront". The Smith Brothers use cough drops. Jackie Gleason as "The Poor Soul". Julius LaRosa with the detonator. Jack Webb as "Joe Friday", left hand at his shoulder holster. Groucho Marx with the duck holding the secret word. Did Jack Cole die because he owed a lot to the people who financed `Playboy' (p.328)? [There was no mention of "Sad Sack" or "Wonder Warthog" comics.] This book tells how the small business of comic book publishing was destroyed to benefit Big Corporations like television and their increased audiences. Hajdu didn't relate horror comics to the cycle of horror films in the 1930s-1940s. If you want horror, just read some of the original uncensored Grimm's Fairy Tales. The `Bibliography' lists about 100 books. Are any comic books on microfilm? They seem to be lost publications (p.296). The cartoon cover of this book is a turn-off to this serious subject.

An object lesson in fear-mongering, politics and censorship.
This book centers around comic books, but it doesn't have to. It could just as easily be about witchcraft, or Huckleberry Finn, or Communism, or any other group or topic that has found itself in the crosshairs of American politics at one time or another. Ultimately, this is a book about small groups in American society deciding what others should read, how they should behave, and what ideas they should have, and cunning politicians using the cause for their own advancement.

Here, Hadju does a wonderful job laying out the history and development of the comic book industry in early 20th century America. He then shows how, in the right (wrong) climate, it takes only a small spark to start a popular wave of fear and animosity towards a nearly random target. In this case, the cultural and political planets align against comic books in the 1950s. Hadju really brings to life the depth and vitriol of the anti-comics movement and how flimsy a foundation upon which it rested.

Anyone who values intellectual freedom should read this book. The distance in time and culture afforded by the passing of 50 years allows the reader to stand away from the hysteria of the day and see the campaign against comic books solely for the irrational, politically-driven censorship which they were. Having that experience as a reader may allow us to recognize similar hysteria when it strikes in our own lifetime. That's invaluable.

One theme central to all calls for American censorship is the rallying cry of censors, made clear by Hadju, that, "The framers of our Constitution, when they created freedom of speech, could not have intended to protect...(insert target here)." In this case, comic book creators were presented as unprotected by the First Amendment because of their status as corruptors of youth. But we must always remember that the only speech in need of legal protection is that speech which will be found objectionable or hateful to the majority of the population. No other speech will need the protection of law.

A well-written history and a great lesson in how easily our freedoms can be eroded. Highly recommended.

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More Fabric Savvy: A Quick Resource Guide to Selecting and Sewing Fabric Completely Revised and Updated

2009-02-09T02:20:00.001-08:00

More Fabric Savvy: A Quick Resource Guide to Selecting and Sewing Fabric Completely Revised and Updated

America's best-selling quick guide to selecting and sewing fabrics is now completely revised and updated. More Fabric Savvy brings over 100 new tips, over 400 new color photos and drawings, the latest new fabrics, and entirely new and useful features, including a handy guide to stain removal. From Sandra Betzina, the dynamic host of HGTV's Sew Perfect, this easy-to-use reference belongs on every sewer's bookshelf.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #12499 in Books

Published on: 2004-09-01

Released on: 2004-09-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Spiral-bound

240 pages

Customer Reviews

Great Must-Have read for any sewer
Sandra Betzina provides a excellent reference tool for seeking out info on fabric characteristics and recommended sewing techniques/options for each fabric type. An essential reference for the newbie and experienced sewer!!

Great book to use if knowledge of fabric is minimal
This is a great reference book. I wish my university would use it for their textile 101 class.

Everything you ever wanted to know...
This contains everything you would ever want to find out before purchasing fabric. It tells you what the fabric should be used for, if it should be washed and how before sewing, the thread, needle and stitch size that would work best. It will save you both time and money in the end.

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Watercolor in Motion: How to Create Powerful Paintings, Step by Step (Book & DVD)

2009-02-08T12:00:00.001-08:00

Watercolor in Motion: How to Create Powerful Paintings, Step by Step (Book & DVD)

Painting wet-into-wet is one of the most popular yet challenging ways to paint with watercolor.

There is no other book that contains this type and quality of instruction in print and DVD/video.

Features a 50-minute DVD that allows readers to actually see how to manipulate paint and water.

Watercolor in Motion not only provides dynamic step-by-step photos of watercolor painting, it also points readers to specific tracks on the accompanying 50-minute DVD that will show them the techniques they need to successfully paint wet-into-wet. The book covers color and design, value, shapes and shadows. Readers will find step-by-step demonstrations of many different flowers and still life subjects as well as 18 mini-demos teaching the techniques needed to be a successful painter. Throughout the mini-demos readers will find cross-references to the DVD showing how to correctly hold the brush and apply paint using the popular wet-into-wet technique.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #13659 in Books

Published on: 2008-04-11

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Spiral-bound

128 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Birgit O’Connor teaches watercolor workshops and has written for several magazines, including Watercolor Magic, The Artist’s Magazine and Artist’s Sketchbook. She has produced 12 of her own watercolor instruction videos. Her award-winning work has been seen in four galleries, numerous private and corporate collections, and dozens of one-woman and group shows. Her website, www.birgitoconnor.com, features her videos and other materials for watercolorists.

Customer Reviews

Water Color Book was Excellent.
This was my first time in ordering an item from Amazon.com. How easy to place an order with very good directions.
The book I ordered was very helpful with my water color paintings. It arrived quickly and was in excellent condition.

Since then, I have ordered three more books and can't wait for them to arrive.
Thank you.

water color in motion
The color alone is inspiring with a wonderful format- good exercises as well. This book is motivation in a big way. Clear, informative, great ideas and techniques. Would give it as a gift for sure.

Water Color in Motion by Birgit O'Connor
As a relatively new watercolor artist who has purchased a number of watercolor books in the past couple years, I find Watercolor in Motion by Birgit O'Connor is quite possibly the best instructional books I've read. It comes with a DVD which is high quality (which is more than I can say for others by different artists), which goes hand-in-hand with the book. The book and DVD cover a number of important areas which include color and color mixing, movement of water and color, washes, texture techniques, and, especially helpful to me--a demonstration of what can go wrong when you go back into a watercolor to try to "fix" it. The DVD demonstrates how to create, step-by-step, the techniques which are covered in the book. Ms. O'Connor is one of those rare individuals who has the ability to explain things in simple, concise terms, which a new artist will find refreshing. I only wish this book had been available when I was first introduced to watercolors. It would have saved me a lot of frustration as well as watercolor paper. I would highly recommend this book.

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Beneath The Roses

2009-02-07T22:20:00.001-08:00

Beneath The Roses

Best known for his elaborately choreographed, large-scale photographs, Gregory Crewdson is one of the most exciting and important artists working today. The images that comprise Crewdson’s new series, “Beneath the Roses,” take place in the homes, streets, and forests of unnamed small towns. The photographs portray emotionally charged moments of seemingly ordinary individuals caught in ambiguous and often disquieting circumstances. Both epic in scale and intimate in scope, these visually breathtaking photographs blur the distinctions between cinema and photography, reality and fantasy, what has happened and what is to come.

Beneath the Roses features an essay by acclaimed fiction writer Russell Banks, as well as many never-before-seen photographs, including production stills, lighting charts, sketches, and architectural plans, that serve as a window into Crewdson’s working process. The book is published to coincide with exhibitions in New York, London, and Los Angeles.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #25263 in Books

Published on: 2008-03-01

Format: Illustrated

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

140 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In these 49 elaborately staged photographs, Crewdson (Twilight) reveals his vision of America in lush and brooding images of dusk, each one bristling with atmosphere: a young boy stares at a naked woman standing in the open door of her trailer; a woman, observed through a motel window, looks at a baby sleeping on the bed; a man stands in a deserted intersection in the rain, his car door open behind him. Although Crewdson's work is frequently interpreted cinematically, and stylistic comparisons are drawn between him and David Lynch and Wes Anderson, in the book's preface, writer Banks argues that analogies to the movies do the photographer a disservice. According to Banks, looking at Crewdson's photographs resembles reading fiction more than anything else; it is not a passive experience (such as watching a movie) but an invitation to actively imagine alongside the artist. Crewdson's sets do boast the budgets and crew normally associated with movies, however, and this collection includes 23 extra pages of set drawings, location shots and images of the actors and props used to create the photographs—perfectly in keeping with a body of work that, as Banks states, tests the limits of realism while making no effort to disguise its artificiality. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Gregory Crewdson is an internationally exhibited artist whose photographs are also the subject of Abrams’ Twilight. He teaches at the Yale University School of Art and lives in New York city.

Russell Banks is an award-winning writer whose works of fiction include Affliction, The Sweet Hereafter, and The Darling. He has contributed essays to Vanity Fair, Harper’s, and many other publications. He lives in upstate New York.

Customer Reviews

Photography or Politics?
It's a fine Crewdson book, but I have a real problem with the essay by Russell Banks. Call me nuts, but I like to read my own "meaning" into photographs, or, more often, just enjoy them without reading in any generalized social or political comment. With Crewdson, you will naturally read in a lot, but it doesn't have to be social, political, or generalized. It can and, for me, should be, individual. Not a commentary on America, Reagan's America, American society, not a general commentary at all. Banks uses the book as an occasion for an attack on America. I get the distinct feeling that if it were a book of photos of side show freaks or dumps he would generalize that as an apt comment on the USA. Very offensive, almost like finding something smelly stuck between the pages. Example: "We Americans are permanently fallen creatures" And our unrealized fantasies have "turn[ed] us violent." Sick, I say, and out of place, even if it reflect's Crewdson's own views. "Shut up and sing," I guess you could say.

I like 'em big and beautiful...
...and this book IS both big and beautiful. The big-budget photographs are as thought-provoking as they are complex. An added bonus is being able to see how they were created and all the work that went on behind the scenes.

If you want a photography book that you can return to time and time again, this is the one. Each time I revisit a photo, I see something different and more is added to the "story" that is being told.

Fascinating
I had seen the french edition of that book, but couldn't afford it at $100,00. The good surprise was to find it cheaper, even with postage to Europe included. The landscape format allows the reader to see all the tiny details in Crewdson's pictures.
One small problem: 2 of the pages were missing and replaced by another (preceeding page). That may not be the case with other copies...

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Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid

2009-02-07T08:00:00.001-08:00

Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid

Even as oversized McMansions continue to elbow their way into tiny lots nationwide, a much different trend has taken shape. This return to traditional architectural principles venerates qualities that once were taken for granted in home design: structural common sense, aesthetics of form, appropriateness to a neighborhood, and even sustainability. Marianne Cusato, creator of the award-winning Katrina Cottages, has authored and illustrated this definitive guide to what makes houses look and feel right—to the eye and to the soul. She teaches us the language and grammar of classical architecture, revealing how balance, harmony, and detail all contribute to creating a home that will be loved rather than tolerated. And she takes us through the do’s and don’ts of every element of home design, from dormers to doorways to columns. Integral to the book are its hundreds of elegant line drawings—clearly rendering the varieties of lintels and cornices, arches and eaves, and displaying “avoid” and “use” versions of the same elements side by side.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #10442 in Books

Published on: 2008-01-01

Original language: English

Number of items: 1

Binding: Hardcover

272 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Acclaimed designer Marianne Cusato has received international media attention for her work on the Katrina Cottages. Leading in 2006 to being named by Builder Magazine as No.4 on their list of the 50 most influential people in the home building industry. Her first cottage, Katrina Cottage 1, was the recipient of the first annual People's Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, the National Design Museum of the Smithsonian Institute.

Customer Reviews

A great guide to correct design
This is another great addition to anyone who is directly involved with the designing of homes. I would strongly recommend that builders who think they know it all, read this before they slap together another mistake on our horizon. This book is clear and direct in it's purpose of making us all aware of why buildings look "right"; and why so many buildings look "wrong."

The good the bad and the ugly
What a great book. This is the kind of thing that I wish I had found years ago. I and a scenic designer but I think that it could be a permanent part of a library for a interior designer, architect or home owner. This book gets right down to work with hundreds of drawings. How helpful to have errors of proportion beside correct interpretations of classic elements. I love beautiful pictures of traditional homes, but having precise drawings of the good the bad and the ugly is a unique approach to a design book.

Love this book!
Love this author and her designs. This book has taught me so much about simple things I see everyday. I now see all buildings differently. Great illustrations and easy to understand explanations.

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