4 comments about Measure and Construction of the Japanese House.

1. If you are an architect interested in japanese constructional systems, this is THE BOOK for you. If you aren't but find japanese culture a fountain of inspiration for living, you must read this extraordinary piece of art. Perhaps it don't shine like a jewel, but once you open it, you'll find the work of a man who decided to share his mastery. In this book, diagrams, materials, craftmanship, even detailed descriptions of the human space requirements are fully explained with precision and simplicity. Every page, and every example in them, is a world that must be carefully examined. And when doing so, you'll find that what the author is showing us, is more than a book about japanese houses: is the heart of the japanese carpenters and architects living in its pages.



2. Anyone who wishes to build a Japanese tea room either in the garden or attached to their house could do well to start with this book. You can also use this book to design accents for a single room, or to craft an entire house. It was written by a German architect who lived in Japan several decades ago and carefully measured surving older buildings as well as studying architecture there. While there are more detailed books in Japanese, this may well still be the best available book in English.



3. When I ordered this book, I was expecting to see a lot of pictures to help me design my house. But to my dismay, most of the colorless pages just feature blueprints that only an architect would understand. I kept the book for future reference.



4. Simply, with no doubt one of the best books on the subject. I've been studying Japanese architecture for some time and I always get back to it as a reference. Very technical and well illustrated. I'm looking for the complete volume by Heino Engel.

5 comments about Riot on Sunset Strip: Rock'n'Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood.

1. Priore's book on the Strip isn't bad at all. Highly entertaining in fact. As long as you're on board with his agenda of everything from L.A. in the mid '60s was brilliant and everything from San Francisco was crapola then you're in for a treat as his research was extensive. The garage rock chapter unearthed tons 'O bands I'd never heard of and even if he doesn't really tell you anything you didn't already know about The Beach Boys, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Doors, etc he still puts you right in the center of all the action in Hollywood circa '66-'67. Rock 'n' roll may not have died after that but he convinces you that his rock 'n' roll did.



2. 
   This book is a great in-depth tribute to the people,places and atmosphere
   that made the Sunset Strip the 'place to see and be seen' Great photos..and tid-bits about all the clubs..who played there and how the local Government felt and acted upon the whole scene..also provides a list of all the clubs and their addresses..Don't pass this book up!



3. In 1965 and 1966, the city of Los Angeles saw a sudden burst of rock groups playing in venues on the fabled Sunset Strip. These were bands that included such legendary outfits as The Byrds, The Doors, Love, The Seeds, The Turtles, The Mammas and the Papas, The Standells, and so many others. They appeared with the unexpected suddenness of a comet, then vanished just as swiftly. In "Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Rolls Last Stand In Hollywood" writer, television producer, music and pop culture historian Domenic Priore provides an illustrated history of that remarkable time that saw a unique musical scene come into existence and the fall apart at the Monterey Pop festival as a kind of tragic finale to the fabled Summer of Love. Profusely illustrated, "Riot On Sunset Strip" is a fascinating read that is informed and informative, making it an ideal addition to personal, academic, and community library 20th Century American Music History reference collections and supplemental reading lists..



4. I agree with the author's premise that the music from SoCal is far superior to that of San Francisco from the same era and enjoyed reading the book. I give it only 3 stars because the editing was so poor and it became paragraphs of listed facts at times that stopped the flow. Several of the photo captions are incorrect, i.e. Stephen Stills is not Richie Furay, Denny Doherty isn't John Phillips, etc. I would have preferred a
   listing of bands, like the clubs in the back of the book.
   But reading so much about The Leaves, Seeds and Standells, plus Arthur
   Lee and Love was great. The tie-in with the animated shows of that period was gold. Not living in the area at the time, I was aware of "Where The Action Is" and Lloyd Thaxtoon in the afternoons, plus Shindig and Hullabaloo at night. But I had no idea there were so many more shows like them locally. The youth today should be so lucky.
   But riot or no riot, that scene would have ended anyway, as Sgt. Pepper
   was released in 1967 and the industry was changed almost overnight. It
   makes me wonder what might happen to an area of successful youth clubs today if a bunch of boomers decided to just start hanging around, blocking traffic and not spending money. I'm sure the club owners would complain to some form of local government. Because the riots in 1966 had more to do money and not some vast right-wing conspiracy as Priore wants
   you to believe.



5. This book has everybody from The Beach Boys,Jan&Dean,Johnny Rivers,The Byrds,Love,to Frank Zappa&The Mothers of Invention. For the most part,Priore gives the reader a comprehensive history of the Los Angeles music scene. From surf to psychedelia,it's all here packed with interesting anecdotes and pictures. There are a couple of points to quibble about. First,a few of the picture captions mis-identify some important L.A. figures.There is a picture that is supposedly Johnny Rivers but clearly is not. In the section of the book that chronicles the Byrds,he states that producer Gary Usher had his Sagitarius partner Curt Boetcher singing lead vocals on the songs "Natural Harmony"&"Draft Morning" when in actual fact it was Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman. Still,it's a fun book that will be even better if they correct these aforementioned mistakes for later printings.

3 comments about Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light in Theatre, Live Performance, Broadcast, and Entertainment.

1. This book is an outstanding resource for anyone involved with Automated Lighting. It covers a wide range of lighting topics, but each with detail and accuracy. A must for anyone just starting to work with autoamtion (especially repairs), but has some great information for old pros as well. While this book has more for technicians than designers, any automation designer may find most of the content useful.



2. The book is somewhat well written, but it is more of a history and it has very limted info on how to rig or set up a lighting show, has really no info on what to buy or what to get for a light show, has more info on how the writer played a part of the development of some products, I'd say that this is a waste of money, if one is looking for info on setting up a light show



3. Richard Cadena does it again (enjoyed his first book "Focus on Lighting Technology" and still use it in my Lighting Tech '101' class) with a text that takes the dry and technical, and makes it fresh, even palatable. I've used Richard Cadena's "Automated Lighting" for the last two semesters in my moving lighting class. Students in both semesters have remarked that it is a comprehensive view of "how things work" with the movers; past, present and future. It is also on my must-read book list for graduate students in the MFA lighting program.
   
   Specifically, the chapters on "basic" electricity and datacomm are quite thorough. Whether it was DMX-512/512A, RDM or ACN, Cadena's writing covers them well.
   
   Couple this book with a good hands-on class and you have an excellent initial experience into a much bigger, sometimes complicated world.
   
   I'm grateful to the author for his book and his work in the industry.

5 comments about Studio Lighting Solutions: Expert Professional Techniques for Artistic and Commercial Success (Pdnpros).

1. There's not much to learn from this book. Maybe my expectations were different from what the book was trying to accomplish, but I was hoping for some different lighting setups for product photography, and those types of shots.
   
   A much better book would be:
   Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting



2. Sort of a quandary here...if you're advanced enough in photography to be working with studio lighting, do you really need detailed, step-by-step instructions in lighting setups? It almost seems as if readers are expecting a beginners book that at the same time provides professional techniques.
   
   That said, I will admit that the specifics are a bit lacking here, so if you do need a lot of hand-holding, you're better off with a different book. However, the illustrations are excellent, and you can learn a great deal just from Neubart's photos. If you're open to exposure to interesting lighting techniques, this book will surely add some valuable ideas to your repertoire.



3. I'm an intermediate photographer and I bought this book looking to gain insight into studio lighting. I found that this book will appeal to commercial shooters and those looking to get their foot in the door. The work is amazing and I enjoyed the commentary provided by the professionals that took the shots. I never imagined the amount of thought and planning that goes into what appears to be a straight forward shot. Though it provides a few lighting diagrams, this is not a "how to" manual. Nor is it a people photography book. That said I believe the information useful for working with a wide range of subjects. It also provides insight into the equipment, challenges and (especially) the standards required to be successful.



4. I like that book. I'm learing a lot of professional lighting solutions ... And I think it's a good book for pro photographer.



5. Good book with lots of information, if your into specialty photography. I was hoping for more info on portrait, ommitting the special effects.

2 comments about Stephen Shore: American Surfaces.

1. It's hard to tell how vital this visual diary is in the grand scheme of photography. It's a very personal travelogue. Shore is obsessed with himself and where he goes and what he sees. As a summary of early seventies pop culture it is fantastic. You can find out what people looked like and more importantly, what everything else looked like. I appreciate this aspect of the book, it's a reference guide to 1972. I think some of the photography is top notch but think that the book would be stronger edited down a bit. It's more interesting than the original but packs less of a punch. Could you live without it? Of course. Do you want to? No.



2. I loved this book, partly because I love this photographer's eye. Are the pictures documentary? Sure. Are they wry? Often, though not always. They are beautiful in the most strange, farfetched, formal aesthetic sense (shapes, colors, imaginary visual lines). That about sums it up. Stephan Shore's pictures exist on many levels simultaneously---one reason they are worth owning in book form, able to be revisited many times over a long time. Shore has a genuine gift, and he shares it with whomever takes the time to really look. This older work is relevant to contemporary production worldwide (i.e., Thomas Struth). Hopefully you will enjoy this book as much as I do.

No comments about City in Time: New York (City in Time).

5 comments about Through a Blue Lens: The Brooklyn Dodgers Photographs of Barney Stein, 1937-1957.

1. Forests have been felled with books written about the much beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. Roger Kahn, Carl Erskine, Red Barber, and numerous others have relished telling us what life was like with Brooklyn baseball, especially from the years 1947 through 1957. In addition, numerous authors have written about Jackie Robinson. However, author Dennis D'Agostino and Bonnie Crosby, daughter of Barney Stein, who was the official photographer of the Brooklyn Dodgers have put together several of Barney's photographs of his years in covering the Dodgers from 1937 through their last season of 1957 in Brooklyn. These are photos not seen before in other books, and numerous details are provided that the reader may otherwise overlook in the picture. I'm fortunate to have the book entitled "The Rhubarb Patch" published in 1954 with Barney Stein's photos and text by Red Barber, and this new effort is a treasure trove of photos from this historical era. One photo that has been often seen is of Jackie Robinson stealing home in the 1955 World Series on pages 90 and 91. The view we are given shows the entire dugout and many of the fans in the stands, several dressed in neckties and fedoras. The on-deck batter for the Dodgers, Frank Kellert, appears to have the best view of whether Robinson was safe or out. When asked for his opinion on the play Kellert drew the rath of Robinson by answering, "I thought he was out." Not mentioned in the caption, but seated in the front row of the stands is "The Big O", Dodgers' owner Walter O'Malley, nattily attired in suit and tie. I'm thankful I can remember the Dodgers of the 1950's, but whether you are old enough to do so or not, if you enjoy baseball history, I would highly recommend, yes, one more book on the Brooklyn Dodgers.



2. Having only been told of the folklore of the Brooklyn Dodgers from my father, it was a real treat to see new photos of a golden age of baseball. This book captures the essense of baseball in Brooklyn and the love affair of the fans and the players. My Dad's favorite player was Don Newcombe, and there he was putting on his uniform at Ebbet's Field with a huge smile. This book gave me a connection to Brooklyn I only heard from the stories of my father. After reading and viewing these photos I felt like I was part of Happy Feltons Knothole Gang....What a treat and I believe for Brooklyn Dodgers fans a Treasure!



3. I thought I had seen just about every shot of the "Boys of Summer" but boy was I wrong. The book had some fabulous and nostalgic photos of my childhood heroes. Well written and enjoyable reading added to the wonderful photos. A must for every Brooklyn Dodger fan



4. Thank heaven for Barney Stein, the five foot tall giant of a man whose personal rallying cry of "Uno mas! One more!" allowed for the creation of THROUGH A BLUE LENS, a "family album" of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Barney was the team's official photographer from 1937 to 1957. Indefatigable in composing the best shots (he is said to have climbed the old dirigible mooring mast on the Empire State Building for a panoramic shot, and climbed the north tower of the then-under-construction Triborough Bridge for much the same reason), each of Barney's photographs tells a complete story.
   
   Posed shots are here as well as in the old Dodger Yearbooks that Barney contributed so richly to. Action shots of crucial and not-so-crucial moments on the field pepper this book. What sets THROUGH A BLUE LENS so far apart are the informal and candid shots of the team going about the everyday business of Dodger baseball. Barney's quick eye captured the fun and the excitement and the team's Love of The Game, and captured the unique personalities of each individual Dodger. He also captured Ebbets Field at its best and in its sad death throes, the true end of an era in Brooklyn.
   
   Did I say thank heaven for Barney Stein? Well then, thank heaven for his daughter, Bonnie Crosby, who has managed to preserve so many of her father's never-before-seen creations. Doubtless many of Barney's photographs are gone forever, and THROUGH A BLUE LENS is too short at 162 pages, but this wonderful coffee table edition is a must have for the dedicated Brooklyn Dodger fan.



5. I was anticipating the publishing of this book as I have been familiar with Stein's work as the Dodgers' official team photographer. What you get in this book is a nice blend of posed shots along with never-before published shots of various game stills along with behind the scenes snaps. In addition, Crosby and D'Agostino enlist the help of the still living Brooklyn Dodgers (including Vin Sculley) to tell the reader what is really happening in the photo or why the photo was taken.
   
   This is clearly not a rehash of old Dodgers lore or the same, well-published photographs...but an intimate family album of the Brooklyn Dodgers from '37-'57.

5 comments about The Ansel Adams Guide : Basic Techniques of Photography - Book 2.

1. Schaefer has taken on a major task in reworking the material to reflect changes in equipment and materials while maintaining the thoroughness, attention to detail, and spirit of the Adams' series. I feel that he has succeeded nicely.

   While a lot has been borrowed directly from the previous work there is also much new material and the format itself has been changed substantially. The book now opens with a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit brief, history of photography before getting down to business...Although targeted at a bit different readership than its predecessor, An Ansel Adams Guide: Basic Techniques of Photography, Book I is a good read and destined to become as much a classic as the original.




2. This is a beautifully printed curiosity / collector's item.
   
   Contrary to the book's title you won't find much useful information about photography in this book. Most of its pages are devoted to arcane and obscure film print development techniques. While many of these techniques are interesting and can produce fascinating results, let's face it; do you really want a book that teaches you how to print a black and white film photo with pasta sauce and Epsom salts?! If so, this is the book for you!
   
   The rearmost 1/4 of the book is cursorily devoted to digital image processing. Note that this book dates back to 1998, absolutely ancient by digital standards. So although the basic concepts presented are good the changes to the digital scene have rendered the digital material basically useless. Which is probably fine with the author (note that that's NOT Ansel Adams), as I could almost hear him hissing as he wrote that section of the book.
   
   I bought this book at a bookstore (what's that?) and it was shrink-wrapped in plastic. So all that i could learn about it was in the blurbs on the cover...which are very misleading.



3. I like this book very much because it explains different concepts and terminology in simple terms -- good for people who are trying to learn photography but not knowing much yet (like me). There are a lot of pictures in the book, so it isn't boring at all.
   
   It also explains traditional photography very well, including cameras, darkroom etc. However, don't expect much from the technology section of the book since it is quite outdated, however it does give you a brief background with the technology though. (It's only a minor problem... anyway)
   
   Recommended to those who are interested in photography.... also get Book 1 as well.



4. I posted an in-depth review of this book previously but, for some reason, it did not show up here so I will try again. However, this time I will be more brief. This book is excellent but, like the other two books I have by Schaefer, it is riddled with technical errors. There's no excuse for that. The experienced photographer may catch most of the errors but the student probably won't and that could cause some real problems. The section on film testing, for example, has many serious errors.
   
   I find it a bit irritating that Schaefer literally plagiarizes Ansels photography series of books. By that I mean, Schaeffer lifts whole pages, text, illustrations, etc. Some pages even have the same font styles as Ansel's books. If you took away what has been taken from Ansel's books, this book would be a lot slimmer. I have no idea why Schaefer doesn't simply speak for himself. It's fine to make references to Ansel's writings and photography but to copy it is another thing. But the one good thing about that is that the parts that are copied from Adams are at least correct.
   
   This book has large sections on alternative processes. For someone really interested in those processes, the information doesn't have enough depth. However, it is a good overview of those techniques.
   
   The sections on digital imaging are downright funny. They are so out-of-date that the reader should get a good laugh from them. This book should have stuck with traditional photography because digital photography is changing so fast that it is more suited for periodicals.
   
   
   If you use this book as a reference for film testing, etc., be very careful. There are so many errors that they can lead you seriously off the path. I have made so many corrections in my book that I might as well have written it myself. I cannot understand why Schaefer didn't have someone proof-read it. And some of the errors are glaring!
   
   All that said, I still think this book is a good addition to my photographic library.



5. Well, it's a great book for basic techniques. I bought the 'Book 1' and was able to understand the second one, unless you know about photography, you don't need to read the first book.
   
   The 'Book 2' is really the continuation of the first one, and so it continues on subjects like exposure, development and printing. I am disapointed by the chapter on exposure though. I was searching for a deeper understanding on the exposure notion. Still! Great book.

5 comments about Sunsets.

1. Please take some time to look at a book that will make you buy a airline ticket. This book will also get you to see some exciting places that you might never get to go to. Perfect book for the coffee table.
   
   Great book!!!!



2. The photography is brilliant and the accompanying quotations equally choice. This is the perfect coffee table book--and gift. Forget the bottles of wine you have been bringing as a dinner guest. This book is a much more meaningful offering!
   
   Congratulations to Lora Drasner and may her next book be as powerful.



3. This is a wonderful book. The photography is first class and the quotes make it fun. An excellent addition to anyones coffee table. I especially love the kissing couple on page 74.



4. The photography is brilliant! Makes me want to go by a airplaine ticket. I also loved the quotes! They make me want to live life to its fullest and be a better person.



5. A great book of sunsets and unique pictures with inspiring quotes. A must for every coffee table.

3 comments about Andre Kertesz: The Polaroids.

1. André Kertész (1894 - 1985) captured his first photograph while working as a clerk at the Budapest stock exchange in 1912. A member of the Austro-Hungarian Army during WWI, Kertész photographed his experiences of the war until he was wounded in battle in 1915. Unfortunately, many of the images he captured during this time were lost during the Hungarian Revolution of 1918.
   
   Thereafter, this preturnatually gifted poetic soul traveled to Paris (in 1925), where he worked as a freelance photographer and published three books of his images; and on to New York (in 1936), where one of the 20th Century's most gifted photographers was effectively cold-shouldered by the photographic "establishment" and relegated to taking pictures of architecture and home interiors for House and Garden. In what must be one of the most egregious oversights in photographic history, not a single one of his images was selected for Steichen's famous The Family of Man exhibition in 1956! It was only after Kertész retired from commercial work (in 1962) that he was again able to devote his considerable powers of observation and feeling to the same "simple" everyday subjects of his "amateurish" youth. Kertész left behind a legacy of beautiful, meloncholic tonal poems for all future generations of aspiring photographers to marvel at; and to marvel at the breadth and depth of his feeling for the human condition.
   
   As the short publisher's note above describes, Kertesz was despondent after his wife's death. But his beautiful soul awakened anew after Graham Nash (member of the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) gave him a Polaroid SX-70 camera. Kertesz trained his poetic eye mostly on things in his apartment (and a special little abstract acrylic scuplture whose form reminded him of his departed wife); but, oh the wonders his delicate imagery reveals about himself and his world. And through his wondrous art, we see a little more of the world we think we know, but experience mostly at a distance, without the magic that only a poet with a camera can reveal.
   
   Where a photographer like Minor White (whom I hold in great esteem) deliberately used essentially unrecognizable abstract forms to communicate inner states, Kertész instead used immediately recognizable shapes and symbols to convey the nature - and feeling - of his connection (or, more often than not, dis-connection) to the world around him. The fragile interconnected bond between artist and humanity was the real "subject" of Kertész's poetic gaze; and we can all feel it, as we look upon the shapes and tones of his otherwise "ordinary" subjects. His work is less about the traditional subjects of photographs (people, places and things), and more - much more - about his feelings about his relationships with the traditional subjects that came within view of this gentle artistic soul.
   
   This is a beautiful little book that anyone who is interested in fine-art photopgraphy (in the truest sense of the word) would undoubtedly treasure.
   
   "The moment always dictates in my work. What I feel, I do. This is the most important thing for me. Everybody can look, but they don't necessarily see. I never calculate or consider; I see a situation and I know that it's right, even if I have to go back to "get the proper lighting." - André Kertész.



2. Published in conjunction with gallery shows across the U.S. is ANDRE KERTESZ: THE POLAROIDS, which considers the photographer's final works - some 80 colored Polaroid's capturing his unique use of light. Kertesz pioneered photojournalistic techniques: his inspirations produced a revolutionary body of work and their representation here makes this a fine pick for any library strong in photographer history.



3. Kertesz was a brilliant photographer and this book is more evidence of his abilities. The photographs are taken with a polaroid camera. And they are amazing! Who knew you could convey such emotion with a polaroid and get it to do such amazing things with light and color. Some photos are polaroids of subjects he shot with his other cameras and you can see in other works. But the study of the statues are truly beautiful. If you collect Kertesz - this is a must buy.