5 comments about Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines (Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines).

1. I'm a graduating senior in Illustration and I bought this book to use as a guideline for prices but when I brought it in to school all of my teachers, who are working illustrators them selves told me I wasted my money. They told me that this book is only useful as a first indication to someone like me who has literally no idea of what market value for different illustrations are but that the information in this book is obtained by surveys sent out to illustrators and designers. In some cases they got 4 back, 3 of which were from retired people, meaning that for that section the information is just 1 persons opinion, though it's presented as the final word on the situation. As a result of the book being compiled this way the prices almost never change or go up and this book is a large contributing factor to the fact that prices for illustration and design are still in the same place they were 20 years ago. This book is only good for someone who has no idea at all what to charge, but it does more harm then good and at the advice of every working illustrator and designer I've talked to it's a waste of money.



2. I'm a freelance graphic/web designer who is looking for good resources on developing contracts and average pay rates. This is by far a very handy resource to have around.



3. I first saw this series of books when working in house in the late 90's. I somewhat forgot about them until seeing the book at a local Big New bookstore, where I picked up the most recent copy and checked it out a bit. I realized that I should have bought this book years ago, when I first went out on my own in the design world, so I came home and ordered it up on Amazon (for about 40% off the price it was at the bookstore.) I probably should have bought it at the bookstore, since I spend a lot of time there but times are tough, you have to save where you can.
   
   The book is broken down into just about every segment / classification you can think of. From designing stamps for third world countries to doing medical illustrations for advertisements (and literally everything in between). There are a few tiny holes (ie: catalog layout), but with so much other subjects / materials for cross referencing, it's pretty easy to figure out what the rate should be.
   
   All in all, I'd HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who does any freelance or contract work in the creative field. It would be a great gift for any recent or future college graduate in the graphic design / illustration field. There's loads of information inside it's covers.



4. Finally, a new addition that was published while the economy was overheated in 2007, the 12th edition. If all the staggering Federal deficit spending brings us hyper-inflation in the next couple of years, the Graphic Artist Guild will need to publish a new addition, soon, with updated prices that are adjusted for inflation.



5. I recently got this book and from what I have been seeing so far I know that this book will be so valuable to me. I recommend this book for artists of every medium.

5 comments about Stitches: A Memoir.

1. It's difficult to review a book which took less than an hour to read. Yet the story is so heart-wrenching and emotional that it speaks volumes in a short span of time. I have to be honest this is my first graphic novel and one that left me thinking about it long after I finished turning the pages. Highly Recommended



2. After reading this book, I guess I'm left wondering to whom one would recommend this book. The content was a little much for me. I'm not very conservative about the content but I just don't want to see graphic pictures of private medical issues, a mother being caught having a lesbian affair, and so forth. I can appreciate the artistry in which the author blends graphics with text to tell his autobiography. The writing and drawings must have taken a lot of time and it was certainly effective. Maybe it was too effective which left me feeling a little disturbed with the content and wondering for what age group this book would be appropriate. As far as "graphic novels" go (not being a big fan of them) this definitely would have received five stars from me. It certainly is a step up in the genre but I just was not comfortable with the content.



3. I read so much buzz about Stitches earlier this year that I had to check it out. Nominated for a National Book Award and one of the best books of September 2009 on Amazon, it had to be good, right?
   
   The buzz was right. It WAS good.
   
   A graphic novel, Stitches illustrates David Small's life, from six through 30. With an incredibly active imagination (and a penchant for blondes who travel through Wonderland), Small lives in Detroit and has an average life listening to his mother silently fume in anger, waiting for his father at the hospital - where the father works, and being slightly bullied by his older and musically talented brother. He deals with this intense and destructive family life as he constantly scribbles and draws in notebooks. That is, until he's 14 and goes through a rather traumatizing event. Told through images illustrated by Small, this memoir is blunt, staggering and incredibly powerful.
   
   The graphic novel/memoir genre has come alive recently, and this book adds to the list of ones to be remembered. Sometimes funny, yet always honest, the memoir shows what it was like growing up in 50s, in a time when high-power x-ray scans told everything and the mentally ill were thought to be sane. When secrets were kept from children and being an artist was a faraway dream. The images, black and white drawings, were lifelike and honest. Small has an incredible talent at showing emotion through one changed pencil stroke, one raise of an eyebrow. They were dark, yet with bouts of light to create hope. Strong, vivid and incredibly intense. And the story was something Burton could have came up with; what makes it that much more amazing is that it's true.
   
   I really enjoyed Stitches, and not just as a graphic novel, but as a book - one that should proudly be displayed among other notable memoirs. In all honesty, it's more truthful and more gripping than many.



4. Never having read a graphic novel before (or graphic memoir), I decided to pick this up on the advice of a friend. Immediately different from what I think of as the prototypical super-hero-centric books, this one is about the author, David Small, as a young boy, and adolescent having to endure a childhood at the hands of his emotionally abusive mother and cold, taciturn father.
   
   Set in Detroit in the 1950s and 60s (I assume), the book deals with tough issues of parental neglect, questionable medical practices of the era, mental illness, and most importantly, the harsh impact of family secrets. Make no mistake--the book is difficult to read, for all of young David's difficult experiences. The one solace was being able to flip back to the rear dust jacket flap to see Small's beaming photo as an apparently well-adjusted adult. In the end of the story, redemption and freedom reign--and not just in the author photograph.
   
   While the book may only take you an hour to read, you'll find that your eyes will linger on and revisit many pages in order to drink in Small's brilliantly done drawings, many of which are dreamlike and poetic in their rendering.
   
   Since Small primarily has focused on children's illustrations, I know that there isn't a huge source of his other material to read through like this. However, his book has opened my eyes to a whole "new" genre, and hopefully even more author/illustrators will follow in his path.



5. David Small's Stitches is a graphic novel memoir about his childhood. The story, illustrated in deep gray scale, is cast with the heaviness of an unsettling household. The novel form and structure work with the story line creating accurate depictions of an intolerable repression and repeatedly abusive family life. We are immediately presented with the slamming of doors, the banging of drums, and the silence of conversation and communication which punctuated Small's childhood. As the story develops we learn that Small's family structure is broken, harsh, and potentially dangerous. In the grips of the thrilling story we find ourselves caught, much like David, in family histories, secrets, and repression.
   
   His story, told in the form of various memories at various ages 6, 11, 13 and so on, are interspersed with his chilling dreams that mimic the terror of his family life. These small parts of the novel seek to give voice to the child's voice and mind that had been over looked throughout Small's life. The novel demonstrates Small's mastery in graphic story telling. His deep use of metaphor and expression in his drawing highlights the plot and compound the narrative. Small often draws himself in the shadow of others, underlining his internal and physically vulnerability. At times he uses images of his urban Detroit environment to illustrate unspoken/unrealized pain. These moments remind us that Small is extremely deliberate in his images and is interested in the way that visuals enhance his narrative. In these moments we are able to see into David Small the boy and uncover a voice that had been silenced for too long.
   
   Stitches is difficult in its clear and permeate pain. Small's story gets to the heart of the complexities of an abusive family life. His novel, as other reviewers have mentioned, leaves out many parts of his family's story and his own. These negations are, in this reviewer's opinion, intended to mimic the feeling of a child's point of view in such an overwhelming environment. Essentially, we are unable to understand the entirety of Small's family situation because as a reader we are also limited by Small's misunderstandings, perceptions, and unknown secrets. I believe this tension is an important part of interacting with a novel about child abuse and vulnerability. The family truths that have not been unearthed to us are able to haunt us, and that is precisely the feeling that Small had as a child. Eventually Small is able to work past the pain of not knowing and to heal on his own, free of the expectation that all of his family histories will be easily understood and attained. This message of potential freedom from the past, the release of the fixation of trying to figure out the why and how, is the hope that Stitches ends with.

5 comments about The Fighter's Mind: Inside the Mental Game.

1. As a fan of Sheridan's first book, I was optimistic this would be a good book. I was wrong.
   
   It was great. As each chapter works as a stand alone excerpt, they all tied together beautifully. The insight from such a varied list of fighters (in all styles) like Andre Ward, Marcelo Garcia, Renzo Gracie, and others was
   eye opening.
   
   If you consider yourself any fan of fighting or want to know what makes successful competitors tick, you absolutely need to read The Fighter's Mind.



2. I just wanted to say, that review above from Publisher's Weekly is obviously from some disgruntled pencil-neck who doesn't like fighting.



3. The Fighter's Mind is an incredible look at the mental part of competition and life. Through the lens of combat sports, Sam Sheridan goes around the world in search of answers to various questions about how top personalities think about fighting. The book is laid out in the form of short sections about each of the people that Sam talks to. People like Dan Gable, Freddie Roach, Greg Jackson, Renzo Gracie, and Randy Couture answer Sheridan's excellent questions with thoughtful and insightful responses that are presented in such a way that you get a very good look at how they think about the fight game and what in their lives have made them reach that point.
   
   Sam also covers areas outside of fighting, but areas that are thematically related. He talks to David Horton about endurance running, and he talks to Josh Waitzkin about moving from chess to tai chi to jiu-jitsu. In each section, Sheridan lets the subject be as concise or explanatory as they need to be on the page. He interjects his own experience into the responses, always at the correct time and always with an astute bit to enhance what the passage is about.
   I'd say that this isn't just the best combat sports book I've read. This is the best sports book I've read. It's the best psychology book I've read. It is as thorough a meditation on the human passion for fighting and testing oneself as has ever been written. If you are at all interested in mixed martial arts, boxing, traditional martial arts, the human mind, or competition, you owe it to yourself to check this book out. As far as Sam Sheridan's catalogue of modern combat sports goes, I can definitely say that he is the A.J. Liebling of this generation.



4. Like with his first book, which I enjoyed immensely, Sam Sheridan comes across as very genuine and sincere, and he's a decent writer to boot. My only gripe with both of his books is the odd chapter I can only read as filler -- fighter dogs in his first book; distance runners in this one. What's the point?
   
   Other than that, solid insight. The Marcelo Garcia and Randy Couture chapters alone are worth the price of the book. And Sheridan talking about his own struggles as a writer regarding the distinction between nervousness and excitement was helpful to me, personally. And contrasting Dan Gable's superhuman but ultimately seemingly joyless grind with someone like Kenny Florian: nice.
   
   Looking forward to Sheridan's next one.



5. Although I liked his first book better, this is still a very interesting look into many famous fighters and what drives their competitive spirit. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because the subject matter is difficult to really pass on to someone. You either get it or you don't. A great read for people that fight, or compete in almost any sport, but probably not as interesting for a casual reader.

5 comments about High Voltage Tattoo.

1. Kat is a cool lady.
   For anyone who likes her show,
   enjoys good artwork, or simply
   likes Kat, then I would definitely
   recommend.



2. I am often disappointed in tattoo books with little story and the same old coverage of the history of tattooing. I've also regretted purchases of books by high-profile folks with something to sell. This is neither of the above. This book is entertaining, visually stimulating, inspiring and packed full. I'm really thrilled with this book. Congrats Kat. It's a winner.



3. I have always been fascinated by tattoos, and love to look at them as beautiful examples of art. I watched Kat Von D, first on Miami Ink, and then on LA Ink, her own show. She is very beautiful and talented. I saw this book, and had to have it. It is only makes me a bigger fan. It is a delightfully written autobiography. The photos are awesome, and show every detail of the tattoos. If you are even thinking of getting this book, "BUY IT", it won't disappoint.



4. I really enjoyed the art and all of the personal stories within the pages of this book.



5. I loved this book. The pictures of all the art in are amazing. I got this because I love tattoos and LA Ink. I was not disappointed. It was a well put together collection of photos and stories. It is also nice enough looking to leave out, such as on a coffee table. Kat Von D is very open and straight forward. A quick, easy but very enjoyable read

5 comments about New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook: Guided Practice in the Five Basic Skills of Drawing.

1. I have taken many classes in drawing. I have learned that one really learns how to draw when one learns how to "see". Betty Edwards leads the reader through steps that (if followed carefully) can enable one to "see". I have used this book in a fifth grade classroom with remarkable results. If one looks at objects the way Betty Edwards suggests, one can "feel" one's mind "shift" to the right side.



2. I do have her original book and her "new" Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, and each time I picked them up I found the exercises useful but was quite turned off by her fairly incessant, and often physiologically incorrect, psychobabble. Now this exercise book provides you with her exercises largely shorn of the right brain/left brain psychobabble. The exercises are good and do help release and train your creativity and are designed to improve your "vision" of the surrounding world, and in this it succeeds. The workbook has blank pages left for you to draw in the book itself, which is useful since it leaves you with a permanent record of your progress. I do wish they had used better drawing paper for those pages, but then I can be fussy about my materials and since many art students use newsprint for their practice exercises and since the book is meant as a set of exercises rather than as finished art work, I guess I am nitpicking here.



3. The company sent the textbook, not the workbook. I would rate them as unacceptable



4. This is a wonderful book and method, along with small part on theory, for young people, young adults. Great exercises. Helped me a lot to get into art, to learn to drawn, to turn off the left side of the brain analytical chatter. I feel it is an excellent method and recommend it very much. Overcoming ADHD Without Medication: A Parent and Educator's Guidebook



5. Purchased the book as I can not draw. I did the first exercise and
   it looked like George Washington (self Portrait), the second drawing
   looked like me! The book keeps getting better. I am very impressed
   with just the workbook! However I did buy the book to go with it.

No comments about Eight Days to Live: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller.

No comments about A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home.

5 comments about The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity [10th Anniversary Edition].

1. For those already creative types who need a boost, or for those non-creative types (the group to which I belong), this is an excellent book. Cameron views creativity as a spiritual gift that we all possess - just in different degrees and different areas. Some of us are highly creative but tend to get stuck, while others, like myself, are looking for creativity, and her very practical but also highly creative ideas will help.
   
   This text has applications to personal, spiritual, business life etc - everything. Get out of the box, think in new ways, see life in new ways. Her guide is meant to be used over a 12 week period, but many groups use it for months or even years - whatever works is fine.
   
   Want to add creativity to your life - or renew your creativity - then read this book!



2. The Artist's WayThe Artist's Way Workbook
   
   This is an excellent guide for freeing your artist within. If you follow the suggested 12 week program it is astounding what will happen. It would be helpful for anyone, artist or not, who wanted to access their own potential.



3. This is really more than just a book. It is an at-home course, a sort of 12-step program. And (no matter who you are or what you want out of this) it is a life-altering experience if you trust in the exercises enough to try them. At its core, it is about getting in touch with yourself, with a greater power, with everything. And yet, you wonder how some of the most important things it suggests (i.e. the morning pages) could be anything more than a waste of time. Still, if you believe in it enough to give it a try... things happen.



4. I was reluctant to try this process, feeling a bit snobby as a mid-career artist with a BFA and MFA in painting. I was leery of sappiness of this program. But finding myself frustrated with my work, feeling too tightly wound and over analytical, it was just the anecdote I needed. In some ways this program is the counterbalance to my MFA program which I finished 15 yrs ago and left me firmly planted in my brain - thinking, thinking, thinking - over thinking. This book helped me to create again through my intuition and to trust my instincts. I'm certainly not suggesting that thought and analysis are not important integral parts of art making which is at its core problem solving. But I do agree with the premise that artistic "block" stems from living too much in your brain.
   
   The book gives you simple weekly and daily exercises that are reflective and thoughtful. There is plenty of talk of "god" or "spirit" "source" or "universe" but it also clarifies that you may simply substitute in "creative intuition" or "muse" or some such term if you are not comfortable with the religious undertones. For me this was uncomfortable at first, given that I was totally in my rational head, but this sort of leap of faith is just what I needed. Some of the exercises did not apply as well to me, but I can almost always find some benefit, even if small. Many are cathartic. The daily process of the morning pages is both a grueling task and a revelation.
   
   In conclusion, I would highly recommend this process for any creative person, no matter what "level" you have achieved thus far. There is always room to grow and learn, and this is a provocative and enriching experience.



5. Excellent book- a bit too 'American' in style, which I do find irritating, but the message is clear and it's the second copy I have bought having lost the first by lending it out.A good self-help book which does work if you follow the advice.Definately aimed at USA readers but thats fairly obvious from description so you know what you're in for before you buy.
   Lots of case histories which are hard to relate to being European-and they are the irritating bits. I just skip over them so I don't alienate myself from the book.

5 comments about The Pickup Artist: The New and Improved Art of Seduction.

1. Very fun read! Contrary to what other reviewers have said, this excellent book is not merely an updated version of the first one, but it is an entirely new book, packed with useful knowledge and entertaining stories. (About half of the book consists of stories, and in that respect it could be considered a sequel to The Game.) I found the stories quite funny and several times I laughed out loud while reading it.
   The other half of the book contains teachings and step-by-step instructions on how to do pickup for yourself. The book is pretty comprehensive and includes new material on how to approach, how to build attraction, how to escalate physically, inner game, and many other useful tidbits. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. This may actually turn out to be the best book yet written on the subject.



2. I am a big fan of PUA books. They teach us a lot about persuasion in all facets of life. But this book was a disappointment. Not as well written as his previous book, "The Mystery Method." If undecided about buying, the "Method" is a better investment. Still, there are highlights in the new one ,including a clear and useful description of how you can have someone seek your approval.(People, especially women, need to be validated.) Worthwhile to have in your library but not a must read.



3. This book has some good ideas but it is way over priced, get a copy of three seconds of game by Golden Style get your game tight and save a lot of money!



4. hey i love this book, i read it once and im reading it again. i love there new theory, the new theory is basically; no more i need your opinion openers. the big boys now teach to say something mundane but say with enthusiasm. in other words say something no impressive but with excitement. for example i got this blue charm bracelet from my dream girl when i was on venice beach. your not hitting on the girl and your not showing no interest. they also teach you kino and bait hook reel release. but its different. to explain with clarity, instead of negging immediately, dont try to vibe with the female and then try a compliance test, if she rejects you then you neg. last thing mystery teaches you so you never need routines again. i just love this stuff.



5. Mystery truly is a brilliant study of social dynamics and we certainly have his word on this issue in this book. Most of us know the benefit of confidence in attracting anyone, much less the pua buying public, and the level of confidence ladled out here is off the scale. A little over the top for my taste, as though Mystery was selling himself rather than his abilities to successfully instruct (which I believe he illustrates well in his 1st book). "Styles" contribution was ridiculous.

5 comments about The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists.

1. Its just a bunch of stories of this one guy, if you really want to attract women, be yourself. This guys crap with only end with you in a divorce or a failed date.



2. Ignore the previous review unless you hate reading about one man's transformation from a chump to one of the best pickup artists in the world. His story is meant to entertain, but along the way it's very enlightening, encouraging and educational. Lot's of E's...
   
   True, you won't get a step-by-step textbook approach on how to approach and attract women, but there are other books for that like
   
   Art of the Approach: Game Guide to 101 Unstoppable Openers.



3. "The Game" was recommended to me by a few of my closest guy friends, but it took losing my dream job and girl to finally get to the task of purchasing and reading this important book. What made this book important is it guides the reader through instruction that is not taught to men in our society. High confidence, attention to specific social cues, and working from specified plans can lead to greater success for a man. The attention to self assessment and adapting to situations and environments proved to be effective for the author as his story unfolded. Just as with everything else in life, the author breaks the complex social scene of dating into more simple to follow descriptions with evidence of visual and verbal signs from women, with confidence and mystery giving us more of an advantage. This book has helped me as a single guy again with women, giving me the confidence and motivation to succeed, which for me is finding that perfect one, but having fun in the process. For me, I read this book at the ideal time. You should read this book!



4. Being an avid reader I found and picked up this book based on the numerous reviews. Expecting humorous advice, or at best funny anecdotes, I was instead treating to an amazing tale of personal introspection and growth. This book was the most enjoyable read I have had in a long time, indeed it was hard to put down even as my eyelids drooped from exhaustion in the morning hours.
   
   "Style" as he was once known is a witty, hilarious writer who deserves credit not only for an amazing story but for surviving the ordeal with sanity in check. The Game shows you that no matter what your intention, focusing on a single aspect can become your undoing. And in the end he is redeemed by learning that we must look inward to find true happiness. Just reading his transformation from geek to alpha male as he walks you along every gut-wrenching and side-splitting moment raised my personal confidence. Here he was, just a regular nerdy guy and by applying himself he become the cream of the crop of what most men long to be, the desire of any woman he chooses. Coming away from this book left me with a wonderful feeling of "if he can do that, then I can too."
   
   If you want a good laugh, buy this book. If you think he is full of crap, buy this book. If you want to score with tons of women, buy this book and then have a long look at yourself in the mirror to figure out why that it. You may just learn something about yourself.



5. I really think the title says it all. Although he does mention some NLP techniques that you might have to learn through NLP (that he doesnt explain in the book) but other than that if you read this book and practice what it says you will enhance and perfect your game and youll be well on your way to becoming a PUA