1 comments about Traditional Hunting Decoys (Wildfowl Carving Magazine Workbench Projects).

1. I very much like the artwork and the plans in this book. I have not built from this book yet but I will.

5 comments about Teach Yourself Origami.

1. The illustrations are clear and easy to understand; hand this product (and a pack of origami paper) to a bright, interested 7-year-old and watch origami sprout all over your house.



2. Sometimes, I didn't understand the diagrams in other books.
   So, It was frustrating, and I said "this is not for me".
   I start with this book "Teach Yourself Origami".
   And... Every project is a success. It's an excellent book. Very nice diagrams. Because Montroll teachs step by step. If you have this book you will learn origami.
   You will learn something funny, and you will relax.
   Start to fold!



3. I learned a lot from this book. Montroll follows a very logical sequence, with a very gradual increase in difficulty. Along the way, he not only explains how the folds are done, but why. My progress using this book was faster than I would have believed possible (I have succeeded in folding the elephant, and am about to attempt the bee with reasonable confidence.)
   Highly recommended



4. I couldn't pass up a book on origami with "teach yourself" in the title. I was expecting an organized presentation of the basics, and that's just what I got. The author introduces the basic folds one at a tim, using simple models for practice, and then expects you to be able to use them by just referring to their names. That can make for some paging back and forth, but I have no problem with that. But I did wish that he included more verbal instructions for some of the steps. Studying the diagram alone just fdid do it for me, though I eventually figured out what I was supposed to do. I think this criticism could be applied to very origami book I've seen.
   
   I'm am still at what the author calls the beginner level. The book contains 27 models at the beginner's level, 12 intermediate, and 5 advance,. Most of these are animals, with lots of birds.



5. Not only a carefully sorted collection of origami models, this is a book explicitly written for the aspiring paperfolder. Nice features include:

   - very clear diagrams and instructions using standard notation

   - can be used either as a self-study guide or as a teacher's aid

   - nearly 27 simple models, 12 intermediate, 5 complex (the latter include 2 models by classic creater Fred Rohm, the "impossible" vase and waterwheel)

   - each model introduces more advanced techniques and new folding maneuvers explained in detail, so just by following the book the reader learns not only _how_ each fold is done but also _why_ it is employed

   Excepting a few models like the Elephant, this is not a book for fans of Montroll's "complex" work (like "Origami for the Enthusiast", "Origami Sea Life" and "Origami Sculptures"); on the other hand, it is longer and more didactic than "Easy Origami" and also has more original models. Beware: there's a classic book by R. Harbin reprinted with the same title.

5 comments about Carving the Nose & Mouth: Step-by-Step Instructions for Creating Realistic Features and Expressions (Carving Expressions in Wood).

1. photos are washed out, too much light, hard to see. Jeff Phares is a world class carver, but this book isn't alot of hep due to photos. Tim



2. If you want to learn carving the human face you must have all of Jeff Phares books. This is another awesome one out of his series.



3. I would agree with previous reviews that the picture quality and overall presentation are not nearly as good as the Carving the Human Face book of Jeff's. I do think, however, there is worth in this book, in that it makes a decent companion to to the Carving the Human Face book. It goes into more detail in its specific area than the Face book and illustrates the differences between Native American and Caucasian faces, which the Face book does not. This made it well worth the price of admission for me.
   
   If you only want one book. This isn't it, in my opinion. If you want a companion to Carving the Human Face, I recommend it despite the above limitations.



4. The pictures are so poor, there is a glare off of the wood so you can't see where he carved. You have to read the captions under each photo and try to follow along.



5. This book is not on a par with Phares first book. Those who enjoyed and gained carving knowledge from "carving the Human Face" will be trully disappointed. The gallery pics are ok but the how-to photos are not the best. They lack clarity and depth.

4 comments about Twisted Yoga.

1. Hum...... Not really yoga and not really interesting. SMALL book, so not even cool for the living room table. Just sort of.. strange to look at. Giving this one away soon....



2. This book is kinda cute. The poses are creative and interesting, the costumes colorful and whimsical.

   But this is not yoga. The introduction of this book states it plainly, contradicting the title -- but it bears repeating.




3. This book is great. It is clever and most of the puns hit their mark. At only 10 dollars this book is a deal.



4. This is a marvelous book for kids and adults, the poses, costumes, and photography are all absolutely stunning.

2 comments about Lives of the Painters, Sculptors and Architects (Everyman's Library).

1. all at once alien and familiar. Other, cheaper, heavily abridged, versions of this book are available, but if you want the complete rainbow of "famous Renaissance artist" biographies (and some not so famous), written by a fellow artist who actually knew many of the most important figures about whom he wrote (and not just artists: Vasari worked for popes and secular princes who also sponsored the greatest artists of the time), this is it, and really good value for the price. There is one omission in De Vere's early 20th-century rendering of Vasari's huge book: the fascinating Technical Preface with which Vasari introduced the actual historical narratives of the Lives. Fortunately, this is available in an affordable Dover edition (Vasari On Technique). Like his opinions on individual masters, Vasari's historical "facts" will always require current scholarly verification, especially with reference to the artists from the earlier phases of what Vasari called the era of "modern artistic style." But he's the closest we have to an articulate eyewitness account of that amazing time, and even his prejudices and misconceptions are full of interest.



2. This is possibly one of the best reads for anyone studying or interested in Renaissance art and architecture. Vasari lived in the times of the people he describes and knew many of them personally. He watched them working on their masterpieces.
   For example he was a dear friend of Michelangelo's. What better source than someone who worked and dined with the master?
   His writing style is very casual and conversational rather that scholarly or academic, which together with plenty of anecdotes and personal remarks makes for an exciting read. And I mean EXCITING. Unlike any history book ever.
   His historical accuracy is sometimes questionable, but current editions of the books are properly footnoted with all of Vasari's mistakes corrected.

2 comments about Unearthing the Past: Archaeology and Aesthetics in the Making of Renaissance Culture.

1. The book promises a really focused study of the effect of Roman art on the development of the Renaissance artist, but I failed to find this. Although there is a lot of really interesting information about Roman art and Renaissance art, there is an emphasis on information as opposed to knowledge or understanding.

   The book tends to be focused, but not always on the topic at hand. For example, the section titled "Artists" is almost exclusively about Bandinelli, with an occasional aside to Michelangelo, and Botticelli appears to be non existent. This tends to be typical of the book where the focus on detailed knowledge tends to destroy any attempt to impart understanding.

   The style is dry and the use of Latin ( and on one occasion French ) terms throughout the text does not add to readability. This reflects the assumption that the reader has a thorough understanding of both Renaissance and Roman art. As such it is really a book aimed exclusively at an academic audience, which is a pity because the information presented is significant.

   There is one really beautifully written passage where the author describes the joy of living in Rome, and how new works of art were being discovered near his hotel. Unfortunately, he never really imparts this sense of wonder anywhere in the book, and that is a pity of the book. The joy and wonder of Michelangelo being present at the discovery of the Laocoon sadly is lost in an inventory of historical facts.




2. For those of us who first view the Forum in Rome, the crumbling structures of the Palatine Hill, and the many other rich fragments of a (then-known) world-spanning empire, the discontinuity is perhaps the greatest shock of first encounter. Gibbon,unlike us, who observed the barefoot friars of Christianity moving through its remains, had a synoptic and often mordant view of what those fragments of imperial glory represented, one that is difficult for us to comprehend because we do not bring his sensibility and contemporary understanding to the task. Imagine, then, what puzzles and wonders the remains of the Roman world, not to mention the Hellenic, presented to those earlier on in the Renaissance who unearthed those monuments, sculptures, and glories which had been razed and plundered in ages past-- and used, literally, as convient building materials. Attempts to understand what those remains signified, the culture of which they were emblematic, have been part of a continuous, fascinating effort from the 15th century up to the present day. How those concrete "clues" were to be read and used to reconstruct the life, realities and values of the classical, ancient world of the West is a question that has faced Popes and artists, scholars and speculators right up to the present day. Like the German and British scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries, we continue to employ such unearthed evidence to justify our imagining of what "Rome" was. Our imaginings tell us as much about ourselves as they do about that cruel and enlightened, economically foredoomed and incredibly ambitious accretion of post-Etruscan civilization. I can't do justice to Barkan's subtle exploration of how a particular "present" uses the past for its own ends. This is truly the work of a scholar adventurer, a trip to the Greco-Roman (inextricably intertwined) past that can be taken on the wings of his scholarship and vision. By the way, if you go there, take Barkan and avoid Alitalia. The food is terrible and the seats worthy of the Inquisition.

No comments about Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture, 1500-1900.

No comments about The Tinsmith's Helper and Pattern Book: With Useful Rules, Diagrams and Tables.

3 comments about The Carving of Mount Rushmore.

1. Mr. Smith's book gives the total picture of the dynamics that went into the creating of Mount Rushmore. Beyond just the unbelievable effort of the artist, Mr. Smith supplies us with the many other factors that make an effort such as this possible; support, funding, political, environmental, geography and most important, why the monument was created at this location. Then there are the lives of everyone associated with the project; from the artist to the lowest member of the many teams that are brought into the story to make the reader feel that they were there from the beginning to the completion. The author's inclusion of personal interviews with some of these people provides glimpses into rapidly fading history. The book was so compelling that I want to return to the Black Hills to see first hand all that I missed from lack of knowledge on by previous 3 visits. This is a must reading before visiting Mount Rushmore.



2. The Carving of Mount Rushmore is, quite obviously, about the carving of Mount Rushmore. However, it is much more than this, because Smith discusses the creation of this national monument in the context of its time and through the eyes of the creators. Central to this story is the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who was a man possessed by ambition and perfection. His is the name that is generally associated with the monument. However, there were many others who were central in the creation, including those in government, business and the actual men who worked on the carving. Each of these is placed very much in the context of the time and place.
   
   If you have an interest in Mount Rushmore, this is a very worthwhile read.



3. Smith writes an engrossing tale about how Doane Robinson decided it would be a good idea to have sculptures created in the Needles of the Black Hills to bring in tourists, and how eccentric carver Gutzon Borglum took his idea over. It is amazing that Mount Rushmore ever was carved, with everyone being most concerned about getting it done their way, and no one paying enough attention to whether or not there was enough money to get it done.

1 comments about The Craft of Old-Master Drawings.

1. This book was a very useful and resourceful book for me. Any body interested in the historical perspective of materials will want this book in there library. The Author provides valuable information about caulks, pastels, crayons, inks, pens, quills, metal points, and intaglio. The most interesting information the book provided me was recipes for each tool and medium. The author quoted many recipes from old text and sources and then presented more general recipes. One can expect to find the time and region in which these materials and recipes would have been most frequently used.

   The information is of great value for a historic perspective on materials and reproducing them. The book is well worth its price. My only complaint is that the book "The craft of old master drawings" doesn't detail information about supports and papers. Despite finding this an intriguing yet disappointing exclusion in a discussion about traditional drawing materials I still give the book five stars for every thing else.