5 comments about Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups (Taschen 25th Anniversary Special Editions).

1. I'm still studying and reading through it, but it has an interesting magic that's missing in many of today's similar subjects - innocence.



2. This book is absolutely beautiful. Lots and lots of color - designed and bound very well. Worth every penny and then some. Impressed with Amazon's service (my first order) and the whole shopping/purchase experience here.



3. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Elvgren or pin-ups. Beautiful picture quality, comprehensive collection. For the money, you can't get much better than this!



4. Elvgren is a master of his art. This book truly is a gem at this price. If you love pinup art he is the master. Its a slice of days gone past and pretty girls to write home about. Elvgren will live on forever. Take a piece of history home.



5. If you love this era of art, this is a beauty. Great coffee table book to spark conversation.

5 comments about Human Dimension and Interior Space: A Source Book of Design Reference Standards.

1. As a new designer, I find this book very helpful and intriguing. It goes through the basic standards of human dimensions separating each chapter into antrhopometric dynamics and functions. Currently I'm in the Seating Measurement section and I had no idea about the amount of calculations involved in the act of sitting. Though this book was written in the 1970's, the information inside this book is still relevant for today. It's easy to grasp and it has many diagrams, tables, and figures to visually explain the content. Well organized book; very researched.



2. I'm currently in my second year (of three) studying interior design. This book was recommended by a teacher, and I must say...it is WAY better than any of the other textbooks we are forced to buy. If you're looking for a very pictorial book that is easy to read and understand, and that is comprehensive in the information it covers, this is for you! Great for students, I've recommended this to all my fellow classmates.



3. This book is one-of-a-kind. You can't find a better resource for human factors/ergonomic spacial measurements than this book right here. It was a required textbook for my college-level human factors class. I have used it as a reference *many times* outside of this class. Definitely buy it if this description meets your needs!



4. Its a good book for human dimensions in interior spaces. A must if you are a student or an interior designer. Its full of information.



5. The book was copyrighted in 1979, and a lot of the data was fairly old even then. People are only a little taller (about 1" over the period when most of this data was taken, around 1960), but 25 or so pounds heavier. This is pretty significant when you're working with seating. It's great for its time, far better than nothing, but the body dimensions need revisiting. Also, bariatric furniture development, and I'm sure other areas for very large people, need body dimensions of people who are well above even the 99th percentile. There's no need to stop there just because you've covered nearly everyone. There's an increasing number of people in the country that really needs design data for people up to and even over 500 lbs.

No comments about Art of Seeing, The (7th Edition).

5 comments about Designing Interactions.

1. I only read one chapter whose field I am familiar with and then judged about the book, so I might be unfair. However, this book is written not entirely right on the mark. It is a bit sketchy.
   
   When a book is a collection of writings from different authors with topics not carefully organized and crafted, it is usually disappointing. This book is one of them. Though it might just be my prejudice. (I doubt it, but don't tell anyone :-) )



2. The book provides some good insights into the world of interaction design.
   However, it's a bit boring and too much of a history lesson.
   
   While the information provided within is a nice examination of various things previously done, the book provides little about how to go about processing or coming up with the information or general practices for doing so in your own project(s). However, if you have a generally analytical mind, you can definitely pull some of that information out of it. The few gems of knowledge as applied to products already designed are very valuable and the proper descriptions were chosen for each.
   
   The "interviews" contained within the book are a bit too disparate for my tastes, though. There is a lack of general cohesion that causes the book to "feel" off-topic, even though it is all related. Focus seems to be lost on the underlying reason for the book (even based on the forward, description, etc.).
   
   There's a lot there, but you're going to have to pick it out for yourself. The book definitely lacks the ability to state what the intentions of varies arguments and examinations are but what is there is valuable.



3. This book makes you think a lot about how interactions have been designed. It has a lot of great examples and I even picked up a few tricks on storyboarding my interactions and designs. Well done.



4. En este libro se revisan una serie de autores que son relevantes en el campo del diseño de interacción. Podemos encontrar desde Brenda Laurel hablando del desarrollo de juegos para niñas, hasta los creadores de Google. No es un libro que profundice en los temas, es más bién un útil panóptico del desarrollo del diseño de interacción.
   
   Marcos Chilet
   Diseño, Pontificia Universidad catolica de chile.



5. This book is a terribly self-indulgent view of interaction design. There is no real analysis in this book or critical thinking. It's mostly a collection of simple stories from companies or efforts that Moggridge likes. There is no real theory offered here, only anecdotes. It's also a very Silicon Valley-centric view of the world. If you are looking for a partial history of interesting "interaction" design efforts, this book may be for you. Though, perhaps, not at the price it sells for.

3 comments about Approaches to Art Therapy: Theory and Technique.

1. This is an edited volume with each chapter reflecting the theories and practices of a particular art therapist. The chapters are written by major theorists and practitioners, some of whom are better writers than others. This accounts for the uneven quality of the book, but also gives it the kind of authenticity that may be lacking when a second party attempts to interpret or explain someone else's style and intent. Some chapters reflect the historical basis for art therapy while others reflect current practices. I teach art therapy and use it as a basic text for an therapy class covering methods, theories, and materials in art therapy. It's a good overview. Anyone who looks to this book as a source of ideas for art activities will be disappointed. Anyone who wants to know more about what art therapists do and why will find some good, basic information in this book.



2. This book is interesting, but is filled with jargon and some pretty dated material. As a psychotherapist I felt it did not give me much understanding of the different approaches to art therapy that the author proposes exist. The chapters were uneven in style and content, which did not help the overall content of the book. Perhaps someone will write a good book on approaches to art therapy, this just was not it.



3. Rubin touches on many points which would be necessity for art therapists to learn. However, this book is so full of terms specific to art therapy that readers need prior understanding of many terms for the book to make much sense. This is a book well worth the time to read just not by the beginner student of art therapy.

2 comments about Collections of Nothing.

1. I read this straight thru, finding examples in myself as I read along. His analyses and memories are varied and interesting. His writing style is smooth and never interrupts his topic.



2. William Davies King is an eccentric genius who bares his soul in this astute, frightfully intimate, and painfully honest exploration of the psychology of collecting. The writing is exquisite and witty (e.g. "They would become playful wrights, and I would knot" and "What I was missing was the middle ground, the female body, the something into which I could locate my nothing, the nothing into which I could stick my something.") and the insights disarming. This is a book about collecting, yes, but also about the touching commonalities of life's perplexing journeys. Collections of Nothing is a masterful work that has bearing on the searching we all engage in. King makes us complicit in his collecting, and for most of us, reading this book is the closest we will come to a kitchen table conversation with a person as brilliant as likes of Levi-Strauss, Joyce, or John (Lennon, Prine, or the Baptist).

5 comments about Palestine.

1. Palestine puts a very human face on the ongoing tragedy of the people living in their own country, specifically those areas that have not been claimed by Israel. It's not about who's right or wrong, it's about how to deal with the challenge of simply living under very difficult, often fatal, circumstances. There's a sad parallel with the situation faced by native Americans, where even self-imposed exile failed to accommodate the intrusive settlements.



2. Joe Sacco, as usual, brings an almost documentary style of storytelling to his real-life description of the hardships faced by Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. I think his efforts should be recognized as a public service, as the point of view of the Palestinians is a seldom shown and unpopular view. Nonetheless, in today's climate, it is important to remember that the vast majority of Palestinians have dreams, lives, and difficulties that aren't represented by the stereotypical suicide bomber's farewell video.
   
   I don't pretend to represent that this one perspective is the only book you should read to fully understand the complex realities, plural, of the Middle East. The tale is told with a certain point of view. However, every story has a point of view, whether explicit or implicit. Joe Sacco merely makes his explicit.
   
   In addition to being an important story, it is also well told. As mere entertainment or as education, "Palestine" is an important and fascinating work.



3. Joe Sacco lived in Palestine for 2 months, living and conversing with Palestinians about the horrors of Israeli occupation. He shows visually what Human Rights reports can only give in statistics: the shame and inhumanity of arbitrary checkpoints, the immense grief of losing a son or daughter to blatant Israelis aggression and Chauvinism, the deadening effect of a life fully controlled by a racist occupying force in one's own country, and the stoic resolve with which innocent Palestinians (women, children, men) are tortured by Israeli Shin Bet.
   
   Israeli apologists and closet bigots will ironically (and predictably) call this book "propaganda" and "lies". Unfortunately for them, truth does not conform to the subjective imaginings of a flawed and hypocritical ideology. Zionism is founded on the exploitation and suffering of the Palestinians, and no amount of prevarication, sophistry, and lies can change this fact.
   
   Sacco's artwork is unique and eye-catching, meticulous and quirky. The images are worth the price alone. A must-read.



4. This is probably the best book out there that'll make you understand what you never understood before , A true Graphic novel that captured what other artists haven't .. 10\10 You can't live without reading this, Just give it a chance .. You wont be the same .



5. I'd just like to echo what so many other reviewers have said - such as how people will gain a deeper understanding of the Palestinian's struggle, and that we should buy two copies of "Palestine" and give one away. I actually bought an additional copy that's in Spanish and sent it to a library in Mexico.
   The way Joe Sacco describes life and his own experience in the Occupied Territories is captivating, and the drawings are fantastic.
   When he came out with this graphic novel, there were very few voices who would dare to say something sympathetic toward Palestinians. Now, with books like Jimmy Carter's "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid" and the work of Noam Chomsky reaching a global audience, Sacco's compassion is more mainstream.
   
   For analysis of how the Palestinian's struggle was mischaracterized for so long, I'd suggest the DVD "Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land."
   And for people who are interested in the "graphic" novel format, I'd also highly recommend "Wobblies!: A Graphic History of the Industrial Workers of the World" edited by Paul Buhle and Nicole Schulman.

5 comments about Getting It Printed: How to Work With Printers and Graphic Imaging Services to Assure Quality, Stay on Schedule and Control Costs (Getting It Printed) 4th Edition.

1. The content of this book is excellent, but who cares? You can't read the stupid thing because the design is so bad it absorbs all your attention trying to ignore it. I would offer concrete examples of the design flaws, but there are so many it's overwhelming to even begin. Also, the organization of the book is haphazard. For example, the visuals seem to land anywhere but where you'd expect in relation to text flow. I would value this book much more if it were set in Courier and held together with a rubber band. The production team was definitely out to lunch when this monster made it through the approval process.



2. They may know printing, but the 4th ed of this book is not readable.
   
   Every single left and right page border contains CMYK registration marks. Cute idea, fine for a front page, but the stark color contrast is constantly distracting.
   
   Chapter headings are migraine-inducing 3" x 7" YELLOW hyper contrasted with blinding full-on CYAN. Other headings are set off with CMYKCMYKCMYK color chunks that are twitchiness defined.
   
   All the text is sans-serif font. Please have mercy on your readers!
   
   This is exactly how not to design a book. A kids' cereal box, maybe... a book, no. The 3rd ed is much more refined and readable, why oh why did they assign this design to the amateurs?
   
   My recommended antidotes: 1) anything by Edward Tufte. Start with "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information"; 2) Robin Williams' "The Non-Designer's Design Book".



3. book is brand new great shape, it got here so fast didn't miss a class without a book.



4. This book is a great learning tool for printing... production and prepress. This is a great book to have as a graphic designer or design student. There is a great deal to be learned about printing to get the results you want, and this book will help you along the way. There are amazing terms and definitions to aid in expanding your printing industry vocabulary.
   
   It is broken down into 10 chapters:
   Chapter 1 Overview: Planning for Results
   Chapter 2 The Parts: Type and Graphics
   Chapter 3 Assembling the Parts: Prepress
   Chapter 4 Outputting the Parts: Film and Flats
   Chapter 5 The Magic of Color
   Chapter 6 Using Paper and Ink
   Chapter 7 Exploring Offset Printing
   Chapter 8 Exploring Other Printing Methods
   Chapter 9 Techniques for Finishing and Binding
   Chapter 10 Working with Printers



5. I use this book to teach a Graphic Production class. This is a good entry level book to wet one's interest in the broad scope of each part of the printing production process. It touchs on everything from scheduling to design to prepress to actually getting it on press al the way through the bindery and shipping processes. Without this basic understanding, new design students have no understanding of what they are creating. This gives a brief snippet about each process. The early designer then at least has an idea of how their final products will possibly be used.
   
   Each area of print production can have its own book and ideally designers will learn these processes in depth. As an entry level book however this has all of the basics without overwhelming the student. It also delivers the dry information that creative folks need in simple clear form. After thirty years in this industry I welcome the simplicity this book provides.

5 comments about The Story of Art: Pocket Edition.

1. That may sound a bit strange, but this is a great book to take on the plane or train with you -- or even to the beach.
   
   It is a compact volume (though about 1 1/2 inches thick). Because of this compact format the text is in front (thin paper) with the plates in back. Phaidon provides two ribbon bookmarks. That also means that it is easiest to read using both hands.
   
   That said, Gombrich leads the reader along with a style somewhere between a conversation and a lecture -- more like what you might expect from a learned uncle or family friend. Pleasant delivery, but leaving you no doubts about the value of the information that is to be passed along.
   
   There may even be an advantage to having the plates in the back. I found myself dwelling on them perhaps a little longer than if they had been in with the text -- and the text calling for my attention.
   
   You can read this book in long sessions, or in little bits. It doesn't matter, because the information is always there, and in the case of this book, the journey itself is important.
   
   Enjoy.



2. An excellent book in an easy to read formatt. My professor used it for my art history class. Beautirul illistrations. Highly recommended. Great reference book as well.



3. For somebody interested in art, a book with many pictures is easy to read and enjoy.



4. The convenience of the pocket edition is incredible and the quality of the images and analysis is excellent.



5. The Story of Art is a classic introduction to the history of fine art. The sweeping scope is matched only by the driven narrative that will fascinate the neophyte and the well versed. This book is THE introductory text for any study of art.

2 comments about Drawing Words and Writing Pictures: Making Comics: Manga, Graphic Novels, and Beyond.

1. I am a BIG fan of both Abel and Madden's work. I go to BOTH of their websites several times a month and "La Perdida" and "99 Ways To Tell A Story" are part of my collection of graphic novels.
   
   This book is great for high school & college art teachers who want to teach sequential art to their classes. I believe the content is particularly suited for art majors that are interested in the finer points of visual narrative. And you can tailor your curriculum around the chapters if you so choose. If you want to use these for middle school kids I think simpler steps need to be added. I like the fact that people can form groups: "Nomads" OR go do it alone: "Ronins" and follow the lessons independently.
   
   This book is NOT bad.
   
   All the chapters and lessons are made to be studied in sequence and if you are an old timer to comic art you can easily skip to other chapters; which I did alot. A seasoned pro will probably go to the chapters that interest him/ her the most. One chapter that I REALLY like was called "Black Gold" the chapter on using and inking with a brush.
   
   The other chapters on page layout, panel construction, character design,
   facial features/ figure anatomy were VERY good.
   
   My ONLY complaint was the layout of the book. My [web]comic artist collegues & I felt there was TOO much white space waisted on each page, the typeface was too small and that neon orange color used throughout the book distracting. It was hard to read and strained the eyes.
   
   Plus being a webcomic artist myself I wanted to see MORE about using the computer for making comics. It covered scanning, re-sizing, adjusting your line art in PhotoShop, etc. The chapter on lettering was good; but they tended to downplay the use of COMPUTER LETTERING. They make a STRONG point in favor of HAND LETTERED comics; but it would have been nice if they address lettering on the computer as well.
   
   My Suggestions:
   A. Read the book cover to cover.
   B. Do the Exercises. I am in a NOMAD group; plus I'm doing the RONIN thing as well.
   C. Do the Homework.
   D. Go back to your favorite chapters again and again.
   E. Cross reference this with OTHER books on how to make comics.
   
   This book is a welcome addition to any comic artist's arsenal of graphic narrative/ sequential art references. Use it along with books by Will Eisner & Scott McCloud and you'll be fully versed in the Language of Comic Art.



2. I brought an advance copy of this book into a college illustration class I teach. The class was quite impressed. In fact, two students went onto Amazon online and bought it instantly. Usually I discourage shopping during class, but Drawing Words and Writing Pictures is an answered prayer for the aspiring comics artist.
   
   This is an ideal text for a 15-week class in comics. It also has guidance for starting an informal collective class. It includes suggestions for the stereotypical solitary artist, who the authors are gracious enough to refer to as ronin. There is a wealth of info on the narrative process, page design, lettering, pens, and even Photoshop scanning advice.
   
   The authors' individual web pages present a lot this DIY info, so search out their sites, see if their philosophies appeal to you. The book contains multiple perspectives from two remarkable artists. Matt Madden is into "formalist" styles, working within Houdini-like constraints. Jessica Abel's La Perdida is one of the great masterpieces of the long-form graphic novel.
   
   From George Herriman to Robert Crumb, Charles Burns, to Kaz and John Porcillino, the book is crammed with a diversity of styles. Wide-ranging and inclusive, no matter what one's preferred comics style, from manga to superhero to alternative, you will find something to like here.
   
   Instructors will find the bibliography alone is worth the price of admission, I teach a seven-week college comics course each fall. My plan is to email the students over the summer, tell them to get this book and get started on the exercises. The ronins will get a head start and their classmates will lose face.
   
   Scott McCloud's Making Comics is also a valuable college course text for serious students, who have some background in reading comics and thinking critically about the artform. Drawing Words and Writing Pictures, however, has practical exercises for students at any level. Highly recommended.