5 comments about I Am Plastic: The Designer Toy Explosion.

1. This is a very very good book for any vinyl lover or collector, It's got so many examples shown. Only thing I would have liked better is more detail on many of the vinyls listed. This book is mostly pictures with only just a lil info on each. It would have been nice to have more info on many of them but still overall a wonderful book.



2. I was hoping this book would give me a little insight into the world of the designer toy. Instead, I got a pictorial, not a book...not a word of explanation, just pictures of the various toys. Too bad - it would have been more enlightening if the author included even bullet descriptions of the provenance of such toys: why are they called designer toys, when did this phenomenon start, where is it a craze, will it continue to be a craze and what makes one toy a hit and one not. This short review has more words than you'll ever read in the book.



3. one of the best toy art books around, lots of designs, this book is a must have



4. This is one of those books that simply has to be seen to be believed - who would have thought that toys (yes, toys) could become a new artistic medium? Within "I Am Plastic" you'll find a wild and wonderful selection of toys from creators from across the globe, everything from evil cartoon characters and superdeformed abstractions to fantastically detailed and realized robots, gorillas, and others. Browsing through this volume I was reminded of the art in the book "The Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion" - the artists and their art in each of these books seem to have the same feel, the same vibe and life to them: definitely non-conformist, and definitely imaginative, as though pop culture was put in a blender and the results painted on canvas or molded into plastic toys. Anyone interested in modern art would do well to give this book a look.



5. This book has great images of toys from around the world. I bought it for a friend who is a graphic designer and she plans to use it as a visual reference for a childrens book she is illustrating.

5 comments about The Art of Doubles: Winning Tennis Strategies.

1. Definitely a book to get at whatever level you are at. Lots of good strategies and explanations of shots, placements and tactics.



2. I love this book for the advanced player. Well written, thoughtful and informative. I tried to get my partner (wife) to read it, but she's not the "thinker" type so I had to introduce her to the principles via drills and playing.



3. I've only had this book a few days and have only made it through half so far, but I can already see how this will help improve my doubles game. Growing up, I never really received much instruction on the strategies needed for playing doubles, but this book definitely helps to close that gap. Not only does the author explain how to play smarter doubles tennis, they also explain different strategies that can be used by a doubles tandom. There are also helpful illustrations to show what the author is talking about. I can't wait to get back out on the court and put the information to good use.
   
   For potential buyers, I would like to add that I feel this book has great information even if you are just looking for ways to improve your own doubles play, but to really get the full benefit of this book, I think it's best to share with a doubles partner. Some of the tactics are complicated and wouldn't be successful unless both members of the team were familiar with how to execute them.
   
   One negative review that I saw complained that this book wasn't written for beginners and I totally agree. If you aren't already somewhat familiar with the lingo and tactics of the doubles game, this book isn't for you.



4. Where in the world has this book been all my tennis life? A must-read book for the doubles player seeking to improve his/her game. Every chapter is valuable, every tip should be committed to memory and practiced on the court. Our whole team has ordered and is reading this book to improve our court positioning and strategy skills. And, it is not boring. Instead it is actually riveting. Some parts I had to read 2 or 3 times, just to make sure I fully understood the concept. Not because the writing was poor, but rather because the strategy was so eye opening and new to me that I wanted to make sure "I got it." I highlighted this book like a textbook and plan on rereading it many, many times.
   
   Not for the beginning player, though. Must be at least at the intermediate level.



5. You get a feeling right away that this book isn't going to waste your time. There is real content on every page. I play on a mixed doubles USTA league but I found much of this to be things I didn't know, hadn't figured out and didn't hear from my partners. I particularly liked the way the author mixed psychological tips with court positioning and shot selection. The one reservation I have is that there is a lot here to remember. Still, there are good chapter summaries so once you get the gist of what she's saying you can go to the bullet points to refresh your memory.

4 comments about Conservation Treatment Methodology.

1. Thoughtful and clearly written, Appelbaum's book is an essential read for both students and practitioners of conservation. Her work is particularly useful during the planning stages of treatments.



2. If you don't want to have troubles with Brandi, Jukileto or Muñoz Viñas, and just want to identify the practical utility of conservation decisión and judgement process including all related with means and symbolism, this will be a totally usefull and delighful book. Highly recommended for teachers and students of conservation.



3. Truly, enjoyable reading if you're interested in the field of conservation. If you can see a cartoon pop-up of conservator's head, well, Barbara Appelbaum explained all. Many good stories, and some technical stuff actually add real flavors. Good stuff, indeed!!



4. I am delighted to have this book. Barbara Appelbaum has thought through and presented many ideas I have met over the last 30 years as a conservator, but that no one before has put into this kind of focus. She demonstrates the kind of thinking that is critical to responsible care and treatment planning. Thanks you, Barbara, for giving us the benefits of what you have been doing and teaching all these years. This is an enormous contribution to the conservation field. The content is insightful and practical. The book should be read, owned and used as reference by everyone who owns or takes care of art objects.

2 comments about Bottle Pricing Guide.

1. I just bought 4 different books on collecting bottles and the one thing this book has that the others do not, is lots of pictures. This REALLY helps especially when you are a beginning collector like myself. The descriptions are a bit short (for example, in other books they tell you size and color of the specific bottle) while this one usually does not go into that amount of detail. But for [price], this book really surprised me. I have to say that even though it does have its downfalls in lack of detail, it makes up for it by its pictures. And trust me, I have 3 other books and they probably contain an average of 20 pictures per book. This one has about 3-4 pictures every other page. I do not recommend this book if you are looking for just ONE reference to go by but if you are buying it as a companion reference, I highly recommmend it.



2. I was impressed with the almost 4,000 bottles listed in this book. I was disappointed, however, in the limited number of pictures the author used. Several were very difficult to see and the descriptions were rather vague. The book is small enough in size to be taken along when shopping for old bottles and I find this to be very helpful. In the front of the book there are very brief tips on identifying, buying and selling bottles. I found these tips to be short but informative. I am only a novice to bottle collecting but I think this book would be good for a beginner or a veteran collector. My favorite feature of this book is its compact size. I like the fact that I can easily take it with me when I go shopping for bottles.

5 comments about Everyday Fashions of the Fifties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Books on Fashion).

1. Whenever I take this book out, people fight over a peek into its glossy pages. It covers everything in fashion from the fifties, though mostly focusing on women. The pictures depict fashions, from dresses to shoes, hats and gloves to maternity wear; the women's hairstyles, makeup, and overall looks give the reader the most authentic possible view of fashion and the aesthetic ideals of the time. The catalogue also shows the prices and features descriptions that include fabric, color, and price. There are some pictures of teenage, male, and children's fashions. This book is thorough and unbelievably beautiful.



2. I was born in early 1953 so many of the fashions still mean something to me. I have to admit that I'm still drawn to the femininity of the period but I have my dreams and you have yours and we'll leave it at that. This is a good book for the money. Not too detailed, the reproductions can get a little bit fuzzy and there is no color; but this what you get for $15 these days. If you like what you see here, there are other resources to persue. It's a pretty good starting point.



3. I truly enjoyed reading the old advertising copy while looking at the old ads. Some of the fashions I remember my grandmother and mother wearing. Lots of fun reading.



4. This is a primary source book that tells the prices and materials, which are very helpful to a costume designer. I also enjoy the book Fifties Forever, which is similar except it's color photos of actual vintage stuff (the color does help, but the Sears catalogue is still great without it).



5. I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was packed from start to finish with pictures. The book gives an excellent overview of what the average woman was wearing in the 1950's, unlike many similar books which focus on important designers.
   While it is very light on text I still feel that it is a must for anyone interested in this period.

5 comments about Organizing Your Family History Search: Efficient & Effective Ways to Gather and Protect Your Genealogical Research.

1. If you are just starting out and only can afford ONE book like this one -- buy it. You won't be sorry. Not only full of good information but just enjoyable reading as well. I felt like the author was "talking" to me. Now if I can just MAKE myself do what she taught!



2. As a professional genealogist who also teaches, I tell my students that the topic of genealogical organization is one that must be addressed by all genealogists, amateur or professional alike. For publishing on this topic in 1999, I applaud Carmack.
   
   However, for encouraging "paper only" research and organization, I fault Carmack. She says, "I cannot recommend one computer genealogical software program over another because, frankly, I don't even use one . . . the reason I don't use one is that I don't want to spend time entering years of research into a computer program. I'd rather spend my time doing more research. I began the days when people were still using those things called typewriters. However, I do use a computer and its word processing program, which allows for greater flexibility in manipulating and formatting data."
   
   Organizing genealogical information in an ancestral database software program with accompanying electronic research log is critical to success! Carmack does not address this issue and encourages readers to stick with the good old paper. Wrong in 2006!
   
   I recommend instead a recent book that addresses both paper and electronic organization by Ann Carter Fleming, "The Organized Family Historian."



3. This book is EXACTLY what you should get before you really get "into" doing your genealogy research. Wish I had! Instead I found myself being overwhelmed with what I had found and my various tries at organizing it just wasn't working! I did my research and this books looked like it had the most of what I wanted. That was an understatement. I have a LOT of work to do to organize my 1+ years of research ... but this book is really helping me get my act together.

   One of the things I like best is she does not offer "THIS IS THE WAY TO DO xyz" ... instead she offers several ways to accomplish the specific task. States why you might want to use one over another and why she uses a specific one now.

   Well written, easy to understand. Written as if she was sitting at your kitchen table just talking to you. Highly recommend!




4. This is not a bad book. Parts of this book are extremely helpful to help you organize your genealogical papers. The probem with this book is that the author lets her own dated opinion keep her from seeing the bigger picture in the state of genealogical research. In essence, she spites herself out of writing an excellent resource.

   She has a rather misplaced rant about using genealogy software instead of handwritten and handtyped family resource sheets and pedigree charts. She uses a case study to back it up, which only shows she wears blinders. (The case study involves a woman who clearly would have been disorganized whether she would have used a computer or not to keep track of her research.)

   Computer genealogy software such as Family Tree Maker, Legacy, Generations and Clooz, only helps genealogist and amateurs keep track of what they have. A person can look at their information presented so many ways (reports, charts, lists) just by a mouseclick. It is a completely different topic than organization and simply did not belong in the book, especially being ravaged as it was. It would be like someone saying at the turn of the century, that typewriters were not desirable for an organized genealogy file, because you would have to retype everything you'd already handwritten. (Another part of her logic.)

   She also only extensively covers storage via file folder. Now, I don't know about you, but considering I live in an apartment I really don't have room for a file cabinet. For hard copies and photocopied documents, I keep 16 one inch, color-coded binders I store spine out in a storage bin in one of my closets. I have no problems desiring more space or any feelings that my organization should be more efficient.

   You might say, but you're not a professional. No, of course not. But this book is not a trade publication and is targeted at beginners or at least people who have gotten over that first hump and realize they have to do something with their notebooks.

   In this day and age, the author's kind of thinking hampers the reader from taking the rest of the information seriously. Do yourself a favor and read one of the many beginner's books on genealogy (Managing a Genealogical Project, or Unpuzzling Your Past, for example) that gives the same core information with a lot less attitude.




5. I have been caught up in this addictive hobby of genealogy for fifteen years now and have over the years tried many different ways of dealing with my ever-increasing pile of info and documents. I had tried folders and various types of filing systems; I had even tried my own numbering and coding systems with disasterous consequences; they just didn't work.

   In desperation I ordered this book and upon reading it I was truly enlightened. Wow, why hadn't I thought of doing it this way before. The ideas in this book are simple now that I've read it, but they are truly effective. I can now put my finger on any piece of info I require within seconds, which in the past may have taken me anywhere up to two days to find.

   This book is a 'must have' for any genealogist, but especially any new genealogist. Become enlightened and organised at the beginning of your venture into family history, don't have to stop in full-flight like I did to tidy up the mess you've left behind you.

   Highly recommended. :-)

5 comments about Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms.

1. I bought this book because of my interest in Colt firearms, and particularly my interest in Colt automatic pistols, of which I am a collecter. The book is excellent. It begins with a history of Samuel Colt and the Colt Firearms Company. Then it progresses through the earliest inventions and products of Colt firearms from the earliest days to the present. It includes both short guns and long guns. The photographs and illustrations are excellent, and the suggested values (indexed by grade and condition) are reasonably accurate and reliable. The book itself is printed on a very nice grade of heavy slick paper and is well-bound in a durable, illustrated, hard-cover. The price makes this compendium on Colt Firearms a real value. My hat is off to the author and contributors.



2. Finally a Standard catalog of Colt Firearms. The last good resource for Colt Firearms was the BOCFA by Wilson. A lot has happened since in Hartford, Connecticut. It was about time somebody would try to capture that timespan. But oh boy, did the author made a mess out of things. It's a feast for Colt collector's indeed, trying to find all the errors, it's almost laughable and at the same time sad. This standard catalog cannot in any way compete with the issues about S & W or Winchester. Errors in pictures, discribtions, etc. The Colt pricing is a complete joke: Colt prices are rising almost as fast as a barrel of oil. Sorry to say: if you want a picturebook on Colt's buy it. If you want a good and correct Standard catalog, wait for the revised edition!



3. It is difficult for me to believe that this waste of time and money is in the same list with the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. That book is thorough and detailed; this thing is just a rush job and a crude one at that.
   While there may be a room in any gun library for a comprehensive and MODERN Colt catalog (the old Sutherland & Wilson/Wilson is too flawed and dated) this thing isn't it!



4. this hardback is now one of my favorite books. the photography is the best of any colt work i have ever owned.this is the most complete source for information on the colt single action army i have read.



5. In my opinion, this book is a major let-down. To be fair, with a book of this kind the author is more apt to be blamed for omissions and errors than credited for what he includes. But whether or not Mr. Sapp put time, work, and enthusiasm into the book, the result of his work simply falls short. Compare the Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms with, say, even the first edition of the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. The authors of the S&W book clearly exerted due diligence in their research and made every effort to be thorough. In contrast, the author of the Colt book needed to do another two years of research and, as it seems, set a higher standard for what he would accomplish. For example, a "standard catalog" ought to round up and impose order on special production runs about which little is generally known. The S&W book essays this very thing. However, in the Colt book, although commemoratives are represented, what about non-commemorative, limited production items like the Super Lite Commander, Super Commander, Custom Carry Commander, 1911 Recon, etc.? They are not here. What about the run of 9mm Government Models produced in the 1991A1 series? I'd like to know how many 9mm 1991A1 GM's were made and why they were produced, and I look to a book like this to do the research and tell me. But the information is absent. In what calibers has Colt produced the 1991A1 series? Not here. What is the difference between the old and new 1991A1 rollmarks? Every Colt newbie wants to know, and this book should have included an illustrated comparison, but did not. And so it goes: omissions, mixed-up captions, confusing organization (like putting ordinary MK IV Series 80 GMs and Commanders under the Gunsite heading). Too bad! It's a pity to write, edit, and publish a book of this kind without a greater effort to be thorough. I suggest that anyone considering the purchase of this book save his or her money. And--with respect--I suggest the author study the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson as an example to aspire to for the next and hopefully better edition.

2 comments about The Intrepid Art Collector: The Beginner's Guide to Finding, Buying, and Appreciating Art on a Budget.

1. This is a great starter reference for the novice. The guidance is sound, and Lisa Hunter's enthusiasm is contagious. A few color photographs would have been nice, but wisely this book focuses on cultivating the reader's own intelligence and knowledge rather than dictating taste. If you have ever been interested in starting an art collection of your own, or buying that Kashmiri silk rug, a little research is a good thing. This is a grand place to start.



2. I love art but I've always felt nervous buying art. How do you know if you're getting the real thing? How do you know if you're overpaying? What's that rug really worth? Why is a photograph worth so much? What's the difference between a valuable vintage photograph and a copy of it that looks exactly the same? No one can tell you what a piece of art will be worth in ten years, but Ms. Hunter explains how to go about buying the real thing (and avoid buying fakes) -- and why you should buy the real thing. I feel much more confident about buying a few pretty things for the house now.

2 comments about University of Notre Dame Football Vault (College Vault).

1. Product arrived on time and was exactly as described. My ND fan absolutely loved it!!!



2. I purchased this collection for my Father In-Law, a devout ND fan, for Christmas. It was highly recommended by the Notre Dame Alumni site and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who might be interested!

3 comments about A Guide Book of United States Paper Money 2nd Ed. (Official Red Books).

1. First let me say THANK YOU to the author/publishers!!! As with the last one, it is a wealth of information necessary to becoming an informed investor/collector of paper money and their books have been instrumental in learning/studying the hobby. The color photos is a definate PLUS along with publishing most (not all of course) of the population totals. This is a MUST HAVE book for the library...and frankly any library. It is truly some of the U.S.A.'s most interesting history. Thanks again!
   
   As for what it could use. First: It mentions nothing about the area of paper currency related to serial # collecting. Their is a large and growing market for Radars, Repeaters, Ladders, Binary's and of course low serial #'s. The kings in these areas like SN # 000000001 or SN # 10000001 are examples that can be found (I know as I found a the latter in a $5 recently) and bring big premiumes over face. Adding this area, discussions, ideas, examples and a rough idea of premium over face would be a great addition.
   Second: While I am glad that they added the population totals to most of the bills (small size only), they are not broken down into the serial # runs which can and do have big breaks in the 8 digit serial #. For Example, the 2003 $10 St. Louis STAR note may have had 780,000 printed, but what isn't broken down is that the first run of 128,000 is the key to the entire series. Their are other books that publish this in great detail and this book would benefit greatly to do the same.
   
   All in all, a great book. I recommend it! especially for kids, teens and young adults. Why? Because the hobby is still in sleep mode and although the Fed prints an incalculable amount of money, their are still key notes out there, that you can find with a little knowledge and patience in sifting through curreny that passes through the hands of you, your friends, the bank teller and any other place where currency is passed.
   
   Truly a great hobby and one I'll be teaching my son.
   
   Best of luck fellow notaphilies!!!!
   
   Update 10/01/2008: I wrote the above comment and would now upgarde my review to 5 STARS!!!! Last night I was sorting though a strap of $2 bill and found the 1976 $2 New York Prefix ERROR (H/A, B/A). Yes, I found it at the BofA Branch in Tempe, AZ and took it off their hands for $2. I am upgrading my earlier comment, because it was especially nice to see this bill listed as the pictured example under MisMatched Serial #'s listed in this book on page 384, VF for $400! No kidding found it last night and as such, I love this book and this hobby. Truly amazing that this bill had been sitting in circulation for all these years and noone found it...until last night. AWESOME!



2. this is a handy book that covers all U.S. paper money. it's quick and easy to use and is in full color.



3. The book is loaded with high-quality color pictures of US currency. Half-tones use a fine screen, and (at least in my copy) the colors are printed in register on good paper. The only manufacturing drawback is that the pages are glued in, not sewn.
   
   A nice touch is the inclusion of pictures of uncut sheets printed large enough that you can see the pattern of serial numbers.
   
   The book contains about nine pages of numismatic advertisements.
   
   If you like to look at money, you'll enjoy this book.