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COLLECTING BOOKS

Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by Teruhisa Kitahara. By Taschen. The regular list price is $14.99. Sells new for $7.23. There are some available for $6.24.
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2 comments about Robots: Spaceships and Other Tin Toys.
  1. Kitahara's world famous tin toy collection has been photographed many times, and featured in very small paperbacks and large coffee table spreads. This is probably the happy medium; a very inexpensive, large (nearly 350 pages) and visually inviting photoessay that lets the toys speak for themselves.

    As many books as there are on tin toy robots, they nearly all feature the same collections, and so the photography and presentation become paramount. Taschen has often featured Kitahara's museum(s) but never to better effect than in this inexpensive volume. Kitahara's collection also includes non-space themed tin toys, but this book concentrates on the robots and space toys from the '50s and '60s when Japan brought unbridled creativity and unparalleled design to tin toys.


  2. These are toys, the subject matter of a brilliant collection of the artifacts of Japanese ingenuity. Tin toys, produced by tin printing and punching machines, permit a peek into the Japan of the 1950's. Tin toys are mass produced but seem hand-crafted.

    There are robots and space ships. A robot tractor and bull dozer have particular charm. There is a robot seesaw. Also there are moon scouts, astronauts, capsules, space stations, and rockets. There are gear robots.

    Figures and scenarios are elaborate. Ball escalators are amusing. Skiers are pulled by a dog or turn on a sort of wheel. There is a ball kicker. A highly-wrought horse-race is presented, complete with painted spectators, seating, airplane, clubhouse, greenery. There is a Coney Island rocket ride.

    Popeye figures roller-skate, ride a bike, a plane. The pipe is always present, (signifier). There is a girl with a hula hoop, and one with a sewing machine. A remarkable piece is a boy with a camera--highly realistic. Other characters created by comics artists are present, such as Mickey Mouse, Batman, and fantasy figures.

    Finally, there are the cars. There is a TV crew bus and car. There is more than one Cadillac, Mercedes Benz, Lincoln, and Packard in the collection. This is magnificent.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by Joanne Schwartz. By Schiffer Publishing. The regular list price is $39.95. Sells new for $23.00. There are some available for $19.90.
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5 comments about Charms And Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide.
  1. A thorough reference book on charms as art, momentoes and talismans around the world and through the ages. Beautifully photographed, this book shows you that charms are not just decorative bits of silver and gold but also cultural tokens which remind us of people, places, things and significant events. It is clear that the number of charms that you can collect is limited only by your imagination!


  2. Charms and Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide is a price guide to charm bracelets from the 19th century to the present, illustrated with over 300 color photographs and featuring jewelry ranging in composition from gold to plastic. Written by an enthusiastic collector of antique jewelry, Charms and Charm Bracelets discusses techniques in making charms, trends in charm and jewelry making throughout the decades, factors to consider when evaluating and appraising specific pieces of charm jewelry, and much more. A "must-have" resource for serious collectors, and a treasury to page through for art lovers interested in this unique form of adornment.


  3. Charms & Charm Bracelets: the Complete Guide is well researched and entertaining. This book gets it right! I read plenty of jewelry books and Charms & Charm Bracelets avoids most of my pet peeves. It is well organized and includes an accurate glossary, bibliography, and index. The photos are clear and well composed. Missing are photos that show more background than jewelry. You know the pictures I'm talking about. "Gee, is that an earring, bracelet, or waste processing plant?" Helpful information including measurements, prices, and circa dates is included in the captions. This is a fun and useful book.


  4. I have every book there is on collecting charms and charm bracelets. This book is the best written, contains the best history, best advertisements, etc. The book has over 300 color pictures of charms, bracelets and advertisements. Unlike other books, this one gives equal time to both gold and silver charms and bracelets. You get a wonderful history of charms, charm bracelets and how they are made - decade by decade.

    What really sold me on this lovely book is the fact that it has lots of additional information. There is an appendix explaining metal markings and one showing pictures of actual metal markings with explanations. You also get a nice glossary of frequently used terms, a bibliography, and a wonderful index.

    If you want to know the history of charms and charm bracelets, their metal markings, and you can only get one book - get this one. This is great for collectors and for people who actually sell charms and bracelets. The author has done an outstanding job of compiling a lot of useful information and photographs in a wonderful, easy to read guide to the world of charms and charm bracelets.


  5. This is an extremely useful resource for any one who collects charms. The coverage of the subject is comprehensive and the illustrations are exquisite.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by Norma Shephard. By Schiffer Publishing. The regular list price is $39.95. Sells new for $26.37. There are some available for $36.64.
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5 comments about 1,000 Hats.
  1. This book made me want to wear hats and play dress-up. It is an engaging look at millinery history and trends that will tempt any hat lover or fashion enthusiast.
    Shephard's books are quickly becoming essential additions to the fashion historian's library.


  2. I guess I hoped this book would be as good as "Vintage Hats and Bonnets 1770-1970" but alas, it isn't. Not much history, just lots and lots of pictures. Over half the book is hats from the 1940'-1960's, which is great if you like those years. Also, I think some of the early hats stated from the 1870's are really 1950's, they certainly look modern for the 19th century. Sorry, but I was disappointed.


  3. I can't speak to values of hats or text....but if tons of wonderful images of hats are what you are looking for this book is it. Fashion is definately my love, but if I had to pick one accessory I love the most it would be hats.
    Cheers


  4. This was a gift...My sister loves hats...This IS the perfect present for someone who adores them too!


  5. This is an amazing collection of hat photographs. Inspiring if you just love hats or are looking for ideas for hats to make. The photos are well taken and clear and accompanied by what they are made of and their approximate value.

    There is a little history of hats but I would not classify it as a history book. This book is a book of photos, very well taken photos. I would guess that this book is aimed at the vintage collector but is also a good resource for the milliner.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by John H. Bryant and Harold N. Cones. By Schiffer Publishing Ltd. The regular list price is $34.99. Sells new for $23.09. There are some available for $23.08.
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1 comments about Zenith Trans-Oceanic: The Royalty of Radios.
  1. Zenith TRANS-OCEANIC: The Royalty of Radios(Second Edition)and The Zenith Trans-Oceanic, the Royalty of Radios: The Royalty of Radios (Schiffer Book for Collectors)(First Edtion)
    If you own a Zenith Trans-Oceanic, you probably own the first edition of this book. If so, you'll love the second edition: not a word has been changed. You won't have any problem finding the new materials: it's all in a new section at the end of the book. As the authors point out, cost considerations precluded revising the text of the first edition.
    What's in the new material? A page or so of updated historical information, a discusssion of the second military model unknown when the first edition went to press, nice photos of Trans-Oceanic wannabe's from RCA, Hallicrafters, and others; photos of some of the Zenith companion radios, and some other items of interest.
    What's missing? Much has happened in the collector world since the publication of the first edition, and an expanded list of parts and suppliers would have been welcome. There's an ever-growing network of resources for Zenith collectors that should be included in the book. Additionally, these radios aren't getting any younger, and an expanded section on maintenance, repair, and restoration would be helpful. More detailed information on electrical restoration would be especially useful along with discussion on building and using battery packs as many collectors want to run their Trans-Oceanics on battery power.
    Should you buy the second edition? Should you buy another Zenith Trans-Oceanic? Of course! If your first edition is getting a little dog-eared, you'll get the same book plus some new material. As a Zenith collector, you'll want to add this book to your Zenith resources. Hopefully, when it's time for a third edition, the authors can do a true cover-to-cover revision.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by Thomas Graham. By Schiffer Publishing Ltd. The regular list price is $29.99. Sells new for $19.79. There are some available for $21.42.
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2 comments about Remembering Revell Model Kits.
  1. This book takes a look at the history of Revell in its heyday of the 1950s to the 1970s. The book looks at the development of everything from the kit itself to the artists who drew the box tops which drove me nuts because I could never even come close to making the model like what was on the box top.

    I was born in the 70s when Revell was starting to go through the turmoil that consolidated the plastic model industry so all this history is new to me. This book makes me want to go back in time and build most of these kits with only my trusty tube of glue as and a powerful exhaust fan as my companions.

    Although I generally build the Tamigawa kits when I get the chance, I still have many happy memories of building assembled models from Revell even though they were poorly painted and badly built (fault of the builder, not the company.)

    My only quibble is I wished the author would have spent more detail in describing how a kit goes from idea to market.

    If you are a modeller who enjoyed building the planes, vehicles and ships of Revell, you will find this an enjoyable history into the company that helped millions (including me) find things to do on a rainy day.



  2. On coffee table books such as this I usually borrow a copy from my local library before I lay down 30-plus dollars at my high street stockist (hobby shop, Yank). It's a good thing that I followed my usual pattern with "Remembering Revell..." since the book covers only US-based operations during the period 1952-1979. Revell's sizeable, more profitable and argueably more interesting UK, West German, Mexican (Lodela) and Japanese design and manufaturing operations are virtually ignored. The UK shop does get some ink but it is primarily spent criticizing the British tool and die makers. To be accurate the book should have been titled something like "US Revell Models 1952-1979".
    The author has given the reader a well organized, smoothly written and beautifully illustrated book, albeit, one of limited scope. The text's limitation goes beyond the time and geography. The end of Revell as an independent, closely-held firm is dismissively summarized in less than half a page. All that the reader is told is that "costs rose" and "Profit margins had always been slim",...oh. What does that mean? If margins had always been minimal how had Revell survived, no, prospered as the world's largest model manufacturer? The author does tell the reader about changing liesure time options for US children and teenage boys, Revell's traditional market, that cut into US sales but nothing else. The effects of Revell's always more proftable foreign operations and the emergence of fine scale modeling as an adult hobby in the US go undicussed as do the oil shocks of 1973-74 and 1979 as they effected the cost of Revell's raw materials. Similiarly, the place of Revell in the stagnant N. American and W. European econonies of the late 1970's is ignored. This is not a tome aimed at MBA's but I'd like the full story about why my favorite boyhood model company folded. I suspect it is rapped up in the early death of the founder and the presence of a fuzzy undefined corporated hierarchy with ill-defined authority, responsiblity and accountablity.
    Additionally, be advised that the introduction and much of the first chapter are lifted from this same author's earlier book about Aurora models.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by Jesse J. Holland. By Globe Pequot. The regular list price is $14.95. Sells new for $4.98. There are some available for $4.39.
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5 comments about Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C..
  1. As a resident of Washington, DC, and one who has visited many of the attractions highlighted in Black Men Built the Capitol, I was amazed by all the new information I gleaned from this book. I learned something new on every page! I am a children's book author who loves history and a former journalist. I found it nothing but pure joy to read this book and discover so much more about black contributions to American and world history. Jesse Holland did his homework, and he did it well. Every American home and every American classroom, from elementary school to college, ought to have this book.


  2. Bravo for excellent Black History data! I enjoyed reading information that has been kept out of mainstream history books. I had the opportunity to attend his book signing in Holly Springs, MS that was well attended. Again, BRAVO!


  3. Jesse Holland has done a fabulous job researching this material on African American history around the Nation's capitol. The compilation of this material reaffirms the importance of African Americans in the building of the Nation. I thank him for finding and sharing these facts in a way that is both educational and easy to read. I hope to see more books by this great author.


  4. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Washington, DC that I had never known before. Mr. Holland writes with a light, easy-to-read style but his content is anything but light. Holland moved to DC only to discover that histories made little mention of the African-American contributions to our nation's capital. So he set out to change that, and this book is the result.
    Each page uncovers new facts about how 'black men built the capitol', as well as the 'capital'. What makes this an indispensable guidebook is that Holland starts each section with the standard history of an area or landmark and then gives the reader the 'rest of the story', adding the African-American perspective. If you are looking for a book to teach you about DC, a fascinating city by any standard, this is a good one. If you are looking for a book to learn about DC from an African-American perspective, this is a great one.

    I lived in DC for nine years, and thought I knew it well. Jesse Holland showed me, a white American who has a degree in history, just how little I actually knew.

    Valuable, entertaining, and should be in every history classroom in the DC area.

    Illustrated with maps and photos, including a section of color photos.

    Rob Morris, author of Untold Valor: Forgotten Stories of American Bomber Crewmen Over Europe in World War Two.


  5. This book is more than a book of research findings arranged by topic. What you find within these pages is an encouraging letter from an insightful author about the joy of discovery and the fruits of knowing. Wording that not only highlights accomplishment, but longevity of accomplishment by a people for which much time and effort was spent on trying to make them believe they didn't have what it takes to deliver. The author has used a relaxed tone and casual, descriptive wording that is neither boastful or redemptive. Yet, the work offers hope by way of a fact-filled tour of a city that we never knew held so much of each of us. It is a sweet and sensitive wake up call for present and future generations without accusation or condemnation.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by Adrian Forty. By Thames & Hudson. The regular list price is $24.95. Sells new for $14.88. There are some available for $10.00.
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4 comments about Objects of Desire: Design and Society Since 1750.
  1. Design, according to Adrian Forty, encompasses not just how things look, but how they are made and marketed as well. In a very readable and well-illustrated book, Forty shows how design reflects and changes culture. His fascinating historical accounts show how modern consumer society developed. Victorian pocket knives, for instance, mirrored and reinforced that era's strict social structure. In another example, Forty reaches back to the 1750s to show how Wedgewood china introduced revolutionary changes in industrial manufacturing, design, and marketing that made the industrial revolution possible. Objects of Desire should appear on the reading lists of every design department and business school


  2. This is more for the reader who wants to read an economic and cultural treatise on the development of design and how it has affected culture.

    If it wasn't so long-winded I would have actually enjoyed it a lot more. Forty has looked at some of the assumptions we have made about design and culture and realised that they are not quite as they seem. A classic example he uses is that the invention and high use of sewing machines coincided with the impossibly ruffled gowns and dresses of the 1860's - the assumption has always been that the sewing machine made this type of style possible. Forty points out that these dresses did indeed use up to 100yds of fabric, and the use of the sewing machine only made them possible by making them more affordable. Sweatshops paid machine sewers far less than they paid hand sewers - therefore more complex dresses made by machine could be made for cheaper cost. My only problem with Forty is that he takes nearly 2 pages to say this.

    I have some other problems with this work, I don't think it is well illustrated - all illustrations are small and in black and white - a bit hard to take in things that he calls 'richly glazed' and so on when you can't even see the colours. It also means he has catalogues and so on in here printed in impossibly small form so you can barely make out the designs.

    On another petty note, I was surprised to see the picture of a cauliflower tea pot - fully functional from Wedgewood on one page, and then several pages later a picture of the mould was shown - both from 1760. What suprised me was that there was no reference in the text or near either illustration alluding to the fact that these were both in here. I thought something like this would at least have a small footnote directing to the other page.

    I realise that with printing you have to make compromises but I didn't feel that these essentially editing and printing details did the book and its subject full justice. This really is a great book - divided into 11 chapters from the first industrial designers, to design in the home, labour-saving in the home and design and corporate identity. It just doesn't really quite make it.


  3. What is design? Is it what we make it to be, how we want it to be, or is it just designed and accepted by society? Adrian Forty writes the book in an unusual way by setting up each chapter as its own entity, yet the concepts in all the chapters somehow relate. The author enjoys jumping from topic to topic at high speed which makes the read interesting with the overwhelming examples there are in products- in one chapter it went from pocketknives to watches to childhood furniture to textiles to soap to architecture within a span of a couple pages. Ridiculous as it may be, it somehow kept my attention. Filled with pictures of antique and modern design, Forty proves that design has progressed though time according to the needs or perceived needs of society. It makes you see things more as designs than products, and inspires you to wonder why something was designed the way it was. This book was assigned to be read in one of my college classes, and I decided to keep it instead of selling it back after the semester ended.


  4. I rediscovered this book after college since I was probably too young to truly appreciate it the first time around. I use it now as the textbook for my Culture of Design seminar because it is one of the rare design history books that can ground design in its social context with real depth or clarity. (And boy, have I looked!)

    While it can seem long winded to some, the ideas contained within are so novel and well explained that it can make someone allergic to 18th and 19th Century Design (like myself) truly appreciate the radical innovations of that period. For example, the Industrial Revolution was not just due to the steam engine's invention but more specifically to division of labor such as implemented in Wedgewood's factory in the mid 18th century.

    The chapter on "Differentiation by Design" is a gem, showing how design reinforces class, age and gender roles. In the chapter on labor saving devices, women didn't really save any labor since cleanliness standards simply rose to meet product opportunities...

    It's true that the book's layout, infographics and quality of the images do not do it justice... Hopefully the next reprint will address that.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by LaRee Johnson Bruton. By Collector Books. The regular list price is $24.95. Sells new for $6.00. There are some available for $5.76.
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5 comments about Ladies' Vintage Accessories.
  1. LaRee Johnson Bruton's Ladies' Vintage Accessories ...covers hats, purses, shoes, aprons, shawls and all kinds of vintage accessories, with full-color photos alongside the latest prices. The history is as involving as the color photos of spoons paired with their values.


  2. LaRee Johnson-Burton's book, Ladies Vintage Accessories, is outstanding. The photographs were stunning, and the information imparted about the value and description of the collection was exceedingly valuable. Quite frankly, I feel this book is a must-have, not only for the serious collector of vintage accessories and garments, but for writers of historical fiction, who can use this guide to bring them back in time and make certain that their characters are properly adorned. From cobalt blue Victorian parasols to 1920 gold mesh bags, this is a valuable and beautiful crafted book, packaged impeccably by Collector Books, and written by an author/collector who is clearly knowledgeable and passionate about her field. --Karen Plunkett-Powell, author, Remembering Woolworth's


  3. This book follows the current trend in vintage clothing books, in that it consists of photos of items belonging to one collector, presented as an identification and price guide. There are brief captions and a little explanatory text. The author has photographed her items flat or on stands, thus avoiding the jarring effect created in some other books by the use of very modern-looking live models. Most of the items represent everyday, easily purchasable vintage accessories rather than spectacular or rare collectibles. There are also many black-and-white period advertising pictures, possibly to atone for the relatively small number of pre-1900 items photographed from the collection. The prices (unfortunately!) seem low for the current market, and I found no indication of how they were derived. Unlike some other books, most of the time the author avoids gushing about her collection. However, she does follow the current trend of giving comparatively little practical information on how to restore and use vintage accessories (which many collectors want to do), on the grounds that they are "too precious." In fact, most of the items pictured in her book could be worn and enjoyed without much risk of damage.


  4. This book is the generous sharing of Ms.Johnson's passion of 25 years - the collecting of vintage clothing and accessories. With overviews of all of a woman's favorite accessories, the book can easily serve as a basic primer for those with a new-found interest in vintage pieces. The information on documentation, age determination, and worth accessment is both helpful and inspirational. The numerous close-up photos of a wide variety of accessories, along with drawings, illustrations, and ads from old periodicals will delight both new and experienced collectors, as well as those simply interested in the past - for fashion, as always, tells us much about culture. Ladies' Vintage Accessories is written in a personable style and is full of both information and food for thought. Highly Recommended.


  5. This book was put together very well, there is so much to see and the pictures are all nice and clear.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by Tom Stevenson. By DK ADULT. The regular list price is $50.00. Sells new for $30.00. There are some available for $4.15.
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5 comments about The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, Third Edition.
  1. Great for studying for Sommelier exam and also great for wine buyers to learn about vineyards...and much more.


  2. Warning: despite the title, this book is NOT an encyclopedia. It is not a general compendium of wine related knowledge. Do not expect to find articles on topics like "shiraz," "brettanomyces," or "tannins." It is in no way comparable to The Oxford Companion to Wine.

    This book is essentially a wine atlas; it is directly comparable to Johnson & Robinson World Atlas of Wine. The first 50 pages of both books are devoted to general articles on topics such as "Terroir," but the bulk of the book (550 pages) is arranged geographically by region. The regional headings correspond almost exactly to those in the Atlas. (As with the Atlas, the focus is on the old world. France alone gets over 200 pages of the 550, while the Americas (North and South), Australia and New Zealand combined get just under 160 pages. These are roughly the same proportions as the Atlas.) One major difference between Stevenson's book (which I refuse to call an "encyclopedia") and the Atlas is that Stevenson's book has few maps, and the maps that it does have are very general. No doubt this is why the book is not called an "atlas" despite its geographic organization.

    As an example, consider the treatment of Barbaresco (which I happened to be drinking when I first opened this book). There are 39 pages on Italy, which begins with a 4 page overview of the country as a whole, focusing on the DOG system. The general content seems to be very well done (I am not enough of expert to say whether it is accurate). It is then divided into subregions. Northwest Italy gets 9 pages, of which 2 are general, with a paragraph each of the main regions, such as Piedmont. The bulk of the section are capsule descriptions of all of the various appellations. Because of the number, these descriptions are individually very short. The longest description, that of Barolo, is one-third of a page. Barbaresco gets three sentences. The capsule descriptions themselves seem to be very well done, with a considerable amount of information packed into a few sentences (though again I am not enough of an expert to say whether the information is accurate). The descriptions are followed by a list of preferred producers which, in the case of Barbaresco, is almost as long as the description itself. Essentially every entry has such a list of producers. While most are proportionately shorter than in the case of Barbaresco, they nonetheless form a substantial part of the total text. With that said, the Atlas uses pictures of wine labels for much the same purpose; these are more attractive, but they take up more space for the amount of information content.

    Compare this with the Johnson & Robinson Atlas. Northwest Italy gets 8 pages, with 2 pages of that discusses the minor regions, followed by 2 pages for Piemonte generally, 2 pages for Barbaresco and 2 pages for Barolo. About half of the coverage consists of maps. This is a major difference between the Stevenson work and the Wine Atlas; as the name suggests the Wine Atlas has excellent detailed maps, while the Stevenson book has fewer and less detailed maps. Another difference is the major regions get more coverage in the Wine Atlas; Barbaresco gets a full page of text in the Atlas, as opposed to three sentences in Stevenson's book. You might think that the minor regions would get correspondingly less coverage in the Atlas, but this is only partially true. The difference is that Stevenson's book treats each DOC or distinctive vini da tavola as with a separate section, while the Atlas treats them as part of a sub-region. So, the region above the town of Novara has six different DOCs - Gattinara, Lessona, Bramatera, Boca, Colline Novaresi, Ghemme and Sizzano - each of which gets a separate brief description from Stevenson, while they are treated together in a couple of paragraphs by the Wine Atlas. The Atlas approach is more efficient as it generalizes about the region, with a phrase or two about most of the sub-regions. But there is some extra information in Stevenson's work; we learn, for example, that Colline Novaresi requires at least 40% Uva Rara, while there is no mention of this in the Atlas, whose authors (according to Robinson's preface) made a conscious decision to omit discussion of regions which they felt would not be of no practical interest to most wine drinkers.

    So, the Wine Atlas has far better maps, and better treatment of the major regions, but doesn't provide quite as much detail on the minor regions as does Stevenson. What about total information content? Stevenson's book has 550 pages devoted to regional description, while the Atlas has significantly less - around 325 (as noted each also has about 50 pages of general text). Since the Atlas also has far more space devoted to maps, and substantially more photos as well, one might suppose that there is just more text in Stevenson's book. But on the other hand, Stevenson's book has a lot of blank space because of the layout, with the distinct heading for each region.

    Finally, an important difference is that the Atlas is much easier to read. It is possible and indeed enjoyable to read through the Atlas' page on the minor regions of Northwest Italy and gain some appreciation of these regions and their relationship to one another and the major regions. Much of the same information is found in the Stevenson book, but it is much more difficult to piece together. The information about the area near Novara is found in two contiguous paragraphs in the Atlas, while it is found in seven separate paragraphs spread over six pages in the Stevenson book. Furthermore, because of the lack of a map, it would not be apparent to the non-expert that these are in fact closely related regions (unless you are looking at the Wine Atlas at the same time). So, the information is there in the Stevenson book, but you won't get a picture of region in the same way that you would from the Atlas.

    In summary, Stevenson's content is good; as compared to the Atlas he provides some extra information on minor regions and even when he covers the same region he provides a different perspective from the Atlas. Nonetheless, I strongly prefer the Wine Atlas, partly because of the maps, but primarily because of the superior readability. When I'm lingering over a glass of wine in the evening I often pick the Wine Atlas to read about the region the wine came from, or even about a random region that I might want to sample. I cannot imagine doing the same with Stevenson's book. I might turn to Stevenson's book as a reference, particularly if I wanted grape variety information about a minor region, but it is not a book that lends itself to idle curiosity. On the whole, Stevenson's book might be a useful secondary reference for wine enthusiasts, but the Wine Atlas is a clear first choice.


  3. I am a gigantic nerd, so this book is great, but for normal people that just want the information...it might have too much minutia.


  4. This is the third edition of this book I have purchased. It only gets better and better.

    For information regarding appellations, grapes, and wine in general, I prefer this as my number one book.


  5. Great book, with a wealth of usefull information. This is my go to, when I nead precise info.


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Posted in Collecting (Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

Written by Margaret Nickelson Wright. By University of New Mexico Press. The regular list price is $16.95. Sells new for $12.97. There are some available for $14.23.
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3 comments about Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing.
  1. For anyone who admires or collects Hopi jewelry, this guide will only serve to deepen your appreciation of this beautiful artwork. After setting the stage geographically, Wright starts at the beginning with a history of Hopi crafts and culture, and early silversmiths. Of particular interest was the role played by Mary-Russell Colter of the Museum of Northern Arizona in encouraging the Hopi artists to create a design style that was uniquely Hopi, distinguishable from other Native American jewelry, and therefore profitable. The color plates of traditional and modern Hopi jewelry designs are stunning. The book closes with an index of the hallmarks of more than 300 Hopi silversmiths-- arranged chronologically and by type of symbol, with brief information about each artist. An invaluable reference for serious or casual collectors!


  2. Back in print is Hopi Silver: The History And Hallmarks Of Hopi Silversmithing, a revised classic covering the history and hallmarks of Hopi silversmithing. This classic appeared over twenty years ago and was updated in 1998 to include 80 new artisans: it not only reveals the history of past and contemporary Hopi silversmithers, but it provides an important reference of unique hallmarks used by other 300 Hopi silversmiths, including designs, silversmith name and clan, and years he or she began their work. Add color photos and you have a memorable coverage.


  3. This is the same 1998 book with a different cover. No new information since the 1998 edition.


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Robots: Spaceships and Other Tin Toys
Charms And Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide
1,000 Hats
Zenith Trans-Oceanic: The Royalty of Radios
Remembering Revell Model Kits
Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C.
Objects of Desire: Design and Society Since 1750
Ladies' Vintage Accessories
The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia, Third Edition
Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing

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