2 comments about Lighthouses of New England (East Coast).

1. This book is not only very informative, but full of wonderful photographs. It is an interesting read and lovely to look at.



2. When I received this book as a gift I expected that it would be another lovely book of New England photos to keep on the guest room bookshelf. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself caught up instead in the beautifully-written text. Who knew there were so many intriguing myths, legends, historical facts, and entertaining anecdotes about the people who built, populated, and even haunt New England lighthouses? This book turned out to be a terrific history lesson and an all-around great read.

No comments about Art across Time, Volume 2, w/ Art CD-ROM.

5 comments about Taking Great Pictures for eBay Auctions and Online Selling.

1. I recieved the book today and could'nt put it down. I went out and bought supplies for my own little picture taking studio! I thoughrt i knew how to take a great picture of my item's but was i wrong. I learned so much from this informative and easy to read book.The detail is execellent and he breaks everything down for even a beginner.The best investment you'll make if you plan on selling ANYTHING online.This IS THE BOOK!



2. Love this book! I have been listing on eBay for a couple of years and am always looking to improve my photos. This book is written in simple language with clear instructions, I can reccommend it to anyone who wishes to begin taking digital photos or improve their photos.



3. This is a user-friendly book. Written for amateurs who know the importance of placing effective photos of their products on eBay, but who don't have the time or equipment to borrow into commercial photography. Mr. March's book makes it easy to learn several techniques that are essential to putting high impact, crisp photos on eBay. For example how to focus on your product with a consumer auto-focus camera, which can be frustrating without a manual focusing ring. By my estimate 50% of all eBay auction photos are either out of focus or soft focused. Too bad they haven't heard about Rod March's book.



4. As a some time seller on eBay I've come to realize that my photos are as important, if not more impotant than my auction description. I guess the reason I'm not as enamoured with this book than the other reviewers of this book is that right off the top you are told not to read through this book, but to look for specific topics that will help solve your problems. How am I to learn a new trick/tip if I skip it because I don't think it applies to me? It has good info info, I just wish it was a better read and more substantial. I have several books on photography for eBay, and this is far from the worst, but it could have been outstanding. Personally I think "eBay Photos That Sell" by Dan Gookin is a better book for the non-professional.



5. I thought that this book had many great ideas for great pictures. Many made very good sense.

1 comments about Little Black Dress: Vintage Treasure.

1. Pefect little compendium. Wonderful illustrations and photographs. If love history and fashion this is a must.

1 comments about Dog Days Bogota.

1. I am so clearly biased, as my wife and i adopted a baby girl from Bogota, Colombia in February of 2007. These images were part of our journey, adn speak to us on a very personal level. But, having shared the book with many non-adoptive friends and aquaintences, I know they speak to them as as well.
   
   An amazing project I highly recommend!

5 comments about Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings (Tuttle Classics).

1. I purchased this book simply to get a quick overview of Japanese domestic architecture. The price is always right with Dover books so I just ordered it without any research. What a pleasant surprise to find myself reading a definitive work on the subject a few days later. The text is thoughtfully written and the illustrations skillfully done. As with any well written and illustrated book, color pictures are not overly missed. As a result of this book I find myself much more interested in Japanese architecture than I ever intended to be and heartily recommend it to anyone with an interest in home or interior design.



2. I picked up the Dover paperback edition at a library book sale and was charmed by the author's detailed drawings as much as the description of domestic life in 19th century Japan. Morse originally published this in 1885, barely 30 years after Perry's expedition, and traveled around Japan documenting as many houses and styles as possible (including those of the Aino culture). There are no photographs, but the intricate line drawings and intimate descriptions of functional households -- kitchens and cooking utensils, washing areas, sleeping quarters -- are minutely detailed and thoroughly described in the text. Not just a book for those interested in architecture but history as well.



3. "Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings" is a great book. If you've any interest in traditional Japanese architecture, get this book. Edward Morse was an American who went to Japan in 1877 to study brachiopods. He ended up recording a vanishing way of life instead. He tells you how Japanese homes were built and why they were built that way. Not much escapes his eye. In serviceable prose and clear drawings, he tells us about carpenters and their tools, houses, furnishings, privies, fences and gateways, water supplies and gardens. Most of it he compares favorably to American and European counterparts.
   
   Best of all, it's a Dover book and cheap.



4. I bought this book about 3 years ago from Amazon. So you'd think that it would be old hat by now. Yet I find myself picking it up at least once every few months to either refer to it for a construction detail or just to look for something new. What a wonderful resource for traditional Japanese design this book is.
   
   Trained as a Zoologist, Morse put his scientific powers of observation and systematic description to work during the 1880's in producing the sketches and text that describes a world of everyday Japanese design right before it was swamped with Western influence and largely disappeared. There are plenty of books that can show you pictures of ancient Japanese temples and teahouses, but what about the method of constructing the roof of an ordinary 19th century Tokyo home? This was stuff that few people thought was worth recording for posterity. Which is why Morse's book is so unique and valuable to us.
   
   Anyone with more than a passing interest in the way that things are built or designed would do well to put this book on their shelf. Interior decorators, architects, DIY types (such as myself), finish carpenters, contractors and furniture makers should all have a tattered, dog-eared copy of 'Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings' within easy reach. It is a constant source of inspiration.



5. Several years ago I bought a reprint of Dr. Morse book and it has become not only a treasured Clasic but a Bible of information. Although there are no pictures, none are needed with Dr. Morse drawings and detail descriptions.
   E L Smith

3 comments about French Country Hideaways: Vacationing At Private Chateaus & Manors in Rural France.

1. Do you like to dream of travel? Or do you really go to France, leaving the beaten track to experience the very best countryside, cuisine, elegance and hospitality? Either way, this stunning book is perfect for you!
   
   Casey O'Brien Blondes has found, meticulously researched, and visited 36 authentic chateaux and manor houses that welcome travelers. More than that, she describes the spirit and character of each place so vividly that you can practically smell the pungent rosemary in the kitchen or the antique roses you might find on your bedside table. While soaking up the history of the place or meeting the family, you will revel in the beauty of Stephanie Cardon's incandescent photographs. This is also an unusual and glorious resource for interior designers, filled with color and charm from austere to cozy.



2. I can only comment on the pictures in this book because I haven't had time to read the text lately. The pictures of the exteriors of the chateaus and manors are very well done. There are some nice photos of the interiors - what one would typically expect in a book of this title. Nothing was surprising and I wouldn't exactly call the interiors fabulous. For truly fabulous interiors I would suggest: The French Chateau by Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery & The French Country House, also by Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery.



3. This is a great book for someone who is thinking of staying at a private French chateau or at a country manor. The book is divided into different regions of France, beautifully illustrating both the exteriors with their stunning views as well as the interiors of these places. One learns some information about the current owners of these charming dwellings. For each residence, there is a list of places to visit recommended by the owners. At the back of the book there is useful information on each chateau or manor such as the address, phone number, fax number, and often email address and website. This is a great travel aid for someone who planning a special vacation in rural France. Great decorating ideas too!

2 comments about Making Latex Clothes.

1. If you have ever done any basic sewing at all, this book will most likely disappoint you. While it does contain some very helpful resources for materials, and a few pointers on VERY basic construction, the majority of the book is a series of photos of the same few steps over and over again, with a few finished garments thrown in for kicks. The book has several very basic patterns which (unless by some stroke of luck you're proportioned exactly like the model) would only be useful to someone who's made or altered patterns before, but the book contains NO information on fitting techniques or altering patterns for use in latex. My opinion is that it's worth about half of the list price, and mostly for the list of materials suppliers.



2. It could definatly use more info on making patterns - especially the tight and slinky ones like a basic catsuit. However you will learn the basics of working with latex and construction details.
   
   as for fitting - well make a snug sloper from muslin. pants should be snug and comfy when standing and too tight for sitting. shirt should be tight as practical, just keep in mind the sleeves will have to be taken in.
   
   when you have your sloper subtract about 5% from the horizontal measurements
   and maybe 2% from the vertical ones. that will get you a decent snug fit.
   
   take notes and be prepared to make fine adjustments.
   don;t make latex garments too tight. they will fail at stress points. avoid long vertical zippers if possible. there is a huge stress point at the end of a zipper.
   
   when preparing a zipper apply glue to it 2 or three times, letting it dry.
   
   that covers most of the holes in the book :)
   
   have fun

1 comments about She.

1. His own love, and it's carnal love. Gentle reader, decide now whether there lies your interest. This is Karsten's book about Sarah, like another was about Stephanie, but much more so. Compared to a fashionable figure, her waist is kind of straight and bust on the slim side. Not a lot of either. If you want a lot - I wish you happy hunting.
   
   Sarah is beautiful, to Karsten. Even the little white hairs on her haunch are pretty, when you see then through Karsten's eyes or lens. She poses happily, and more than happily, with other models (some of whom Karsten has shown before). Although she poses only with other female models, Sarah appeals to every reader. If you're a female reader, you can see yourself inside her and with her. If you're male, you can see yourself inside her and with her.
   
   I've enjoyed Karsten's work before, and I see a shift in this collection. It's lush, affectionate, and precise, as always. It includes more than the model this time: more lingerie, more environment, more company. I guess Karsten's earlier work spoiled me. I value the model, as she is, and I can let all that other stuff go by. I mean no criticism; rather, I'm nostalgic for the intense personal focus of some earlier books.
   
   It's still beautiful. It celebrates the Woman in each woman, through this woman. And, if the book ends in a kind of failure, it's an important failure and it doesn't negate all the closeness that went before.
   
   //wiredweird

No comments about Film Editing: The Art of the Expressive (Short Cuts).