5 comments about You Can Write a Mystery (You Can Write).

1. This book is very well written. I really enjoyed reading this, and the information in the end of this book is priceless!!! Gillian Roberts did an excellent job, and she keeps it simple. I would highly recommend this book for any aspiring writer. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Robert's work. Thanks so Much. Take Care Mikey.



2. You Can Write a Mystery is not as valuable to me as a writer as, say, Funk and White's Elements of Style. It does however, have it's place in a writer's toolbox. It is a valuable piece of equipment.
   
   The magic of this short but powerful book, is that it has many rules and points of interst that you did know, but also many that you may have forgotten. The points you did know are reminders ringing like little bells as each of them are reinserted into your writing thought process.
   
   Buy it. Read it. Live it.



3. This book is a wonderful collection of mystery writing dos and don'ts. If you're even considering authoring a mystery book, then this book will give you great tips and hints at perfecting your craft.



4. I purchased this book for a seminar. It pleased me to find this slender work contains so much information. It's not wordy, repetitive or crammed with filler like many of these kinds of books. And best yet, it helped me work through some of the kinks in my novel TRUE/FALSE. Thank you Gillian Roberts. I highly recommend this book to anyone writing a mystery novel or story.



5. I did not know Gillian Roberts as an author but had the fortunate encounter with her few months back. I bought this book after her talk in the Philadelphia Writers' Conference. This book proved my belief she is a very good teacher of fiction.
   To begin with, the book is only 124 pages (including an index).
   As I open the book now to write this review, I find lines highlighted on practically every page.
   The first chapter gives us fifteen commandments. Since I finished the book every day I open it and briefly go through them. I loved the three like 'thou shalt begin and keep going till you're through. Thou shalt write for yourself, not the market and thou shalt not wait for visits from the muse.'
   In the second chapter you've 7 Cs: Character, Conflict, Causality, Complications, Change, Crisis, Closure. She writes all the ingredients that we need.
   How to get ideas is another eye opening chapter. I knew it is important to develop characters in any genre but the way G Roberts guides us through character development is not only thorough but entertaining.
   The rest of the book has the usual ingredients like setting (physical as well as emotional), points of view, using five senses, back story, flashbacks. I particularly liked the page on building the plot with false leads.
   Then we hear: Tell yourself your story often.
   Interaction with others is dramatic and provides tension.
   It can be useful to think in terms of stage and screen.
   Another important chapter is "What you don't know." This is about developing credibility to your setting and characters. I also learnt about the structure when you have all the material like opening and closing scenes, length of the chapters, pacing and important: not to cheat the readers to build the suspense.
   G Roberts doesn't leave dialogue out of the guide and finally, not also the marketing aspects.
   I found this book very useful and I feel it is indespensable for anyone who is planning to write a mystery.

1 comments about Art Education and Human Development (Occasional Papers, Series 3).

1. Being an artist and teaching art, I found that Gardner's paper put into words so much of what an artist does naturally. Incorporating reflection about one's own artwork, about a classmate's, and about the "masters" is so very important in teaching art and in bringing children to think critically and creatively. By interweaving reflection with expression, Gardner has identified the cognitive science that can take place so naturally in the art classroom. Another book which also expounds on the importance of thinking skills and how naturally that can be achieved in art education is Perkin's Intelligent Eye. I highly recommend Gardner's book, especially to art educators in the field.

5 comments about John Singer Sargent: Portraits of the 1890s.

1. I think we cannot be deceived by a book on Sargent. This is a so so good painter! This book is packed with beautiful big well chosen pictures and great text on Sargent's work. I was really happy to have this one!



2. complete and lots of colour pics. good price: at the sargent exhibition in paris more than twice as expensive! very happy with my purchase.



3. I own the entire series, and I wouldn't part with any one of them. For Sargent fans, this series is a dream come true. I hope they would publish some "poster books" with large reproductions eventually, as that would really complete the series.



4. This is the second in a series of three and it is just as quality as the other two. I read the review of the reader who was disappointed in this book and thus did not order the other two with shear amazement. I really recommend that she look at another copy, all I can figure is that she got a poor copy, which unfortunitely does happen even at the best publishing houses. I am highly discriminatory about poor quality pictures and overall book quality and I can assure you this book is top shelf. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for great portrature.



5. I have purchased "Portraits of the 1890s" primarily for the images and I have to say that I am dissapointed. Sargent definitely deserves a monograph with better reproductions. I lost my initial desire to order remaining two books in this series (fortunately, I haven't ordered all three as I intended).
   
   The reproductions never do justice to the originals, but this is too much. The lighter colors are washed out (for instance, one of Sargent's most famous works - portrait of Lady Agnew) and many reproductions have yellowish or reddish cast. There are even images (as in case of portrait of Helen Sears) who are washed out and, in addition, have a yellowish cast.
   
   The values on some other reproductions (portrait of W. Graham Robertson, for instance) are compressed to the point of absurd.
   There are lot of preparatory sketches and drawings in this book, but they are very small - barely larger than a postage stamps. If you're interested in that part of Sargent's oeuvre, I can recommend Dover's book "Sargent Portrait Drawings".
   For truth's sake, I have to say that not all reproductions in this book are bad - half of them are tolerable (I didn't see any who is superb, though).
   Being both - a painter and art history professor my standards on this particular issue may be a bit higher than those of the non artists but, generally speaking, I just don't see the point of printing poor quality reproductions in an artbook or monograph.

5 comments about Instant Expert: Collecting Watches (Instant Expert).

1. Beaucarmen shows noon on his watch. I'm getting groceries. Sure, I want to wait, but not until we marry. Can show the date not being interested in fakes of anything, Beaucarmen might sing Allentown only in the shower. Doing this risks the ruin of his tan line. Difficult to catch the bus without boasting a timepiece, the bearded time traveling only disciple capable of a Class-D license sees the display, spits out. These contenders. Tricky slider windows of pull-in, push down. The last day with graded papers into it goes shrubs. But those final drafts.



2. I bought this with a few other books on the same subject. The material is presented well, but I'm still deciding my interest level, so I'll use it for reference more than for current information.



3. This book is more or less a repeat of the introduction to the Complete Price Guide to Watches, by the same author. Save yourself time and money by buying the latter work, which is much more informative on watch pricing and contains all the information in this one.



4. The book is well written, and is primarely about watches produced in the USA, and pocket watches at that. There are a lot of illustrations, and describtions of most of the principles of the art of watchmaking.



5. This book is primarily written for collectors of pocket watches and only gives cursory information regarding wristwatches. Should be titled: Collecting Pocket Watches

5 comments about Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Third Edition.

1. This is where to go for anyone seeking an in-depth appreciation of film noir. There are lots of good books on the subject, but start here, if for no other reason than the exhaustive list of films from the classic cycle.
   
   And to the guy below who gave this book a one star rating, Sweet Smell of Success IS included in the alphabetical list of films. The Third Man is not, for one simple reason: it's a British-produced film. A strong argument could also be made for the inclusion of French films like Rififi and Diabolique, but the authors clearly made a conscious choice to only include films produced by American studios.



2. I have been exchanging noir themed dvds with a Canadian friend for the past two and a half years or so. Unfortunately, none of the production details for the intriguing films that I received recently are provided in this book.
   
   That underscores the difficulty with books of this type. Completists are going to be displeased to find their latest discoveries and long time favorites are omitted. The approach to the material by the contributors and editors is pedantic to the point of being boring. Many of the summaries contain mistakes and occasional plot spoilers. As a reference resource, the book is somewhat worthwhile, but do not fool yourself into thinking that you are going to read it from cover to cover or that it is going to be a page turner. It is more of a thick catalogue or a ponderous textbook. I would not recommend this book as a gift to a casual film noir enthusiast.
   
   The book has been revised and updated, but the newest entries do not always contain full descriptions. Some of the films are simply listed with cast and crew credits. One would have wished that the revision process would have included editorial corrections of prior mistakes, but the changes seem to consist wholly of new appendices of film titles that were omitted in earlier editions of the book. The latest version also contains listings of neo-noir films to. My personal preferences run to obscure titles and "B" films, so the book is something of a disappointment as Silver and Ward seem to have a bias in favor of big budget productions. Very few of my favorites from Poverty Row made the grade by being included here.
   
   On the positive side, the essentials are included in the book and it contains sufficient information to direct you to other more specific resources or to find films that are new to you. One such book is "The Noir Style" by the same author (with James Ursini). I found that collection of photo essays to be far more entertaining.



3. This book is a reference book and not the type of book you just sit down
   and read for fun. It is a very comprehensive work on the film noir culture. Just about any information that you will want to know about the film noir classics will be found in this work. Fun to flip through and make a mental note of the format and where to look for your future inquiries.



4. If I could give this book ZERO stars, I would. I ordered this book, looked inside for about 2 minutes and promptly returned it. It excluded my 2 favorite film noir movies, The Sweet Smell of Success and ...what I deem, next to the Maltese Falcon and Sunset Blvd., as the absolute epitome of film noir....The Third Man. Not even a mention, even though it is #2 on the all time favorite film noir movie list at the IMDB website.
   
   I thumbed through the book for a sec or two and noticed MANY full technicolor movies, some of which, because of the content of the movie, I thought had absolutely no place in a film noir book, technicolor or not. The genre is not as wide open as this author believes it is. C'mon....Dirty Harry? Sorry, but that is NOT a film noir. I did not read the book, but whatever definition of film noir he is using, it CERTAINLY comes nowhere near MY definition of film noir. And according to Wikepedia.org, my definition is correct...color films have no place whatsoever according to the "purist" view. But I'm openminded, you know, it can be in color and it can be made after 1970....I don't have a huge list of criteria. I only asked that it include a few of my favorites, but when it didn't even meet my needs with the very first glance at the index, I pretty much discounted it as hogwash. Yeah, it has loads of obscure gumshoe B movies and if that's what you're interested it, go for it. But if you think all film noir movies should be in black & white and contain the Third Man, et al, pass it by.



5. This book is the bible of film noir, and the 1992 revisions of the 3rd edition make it even more useful than before. Want to know who plays every bit part in one of your favorite films noirs? The info is here. Want to know when shooting started? When it was released into theaters? Ditto. Want a chronological list of the great noirs? Or more "inside" film lists, organized by directors, stars, even cinematographers? They're here. One of the old criticisms of the previous editions of the book is that its plot summaries were sometimes incorrect in the details. The authors cleaned up some of those problems in this edition, although they decided not to add or change text that would disrupt the original page layout. This means that the new language is a compromise for space, and it doesn't quite live up to the original. And some developments of the past decade, like the discovery of a print of the silent noir "The Racket," are too recent for corrections - the bible still says, "This film is lost today." This not-so-new edition includes a great essay on neo-noir and a fine list of neo-noir films (although I miss the obsessive detail of the original listings). Also, it's paperbound instead of hardbound. But it's still a superb reference work for the film noir fanatic - so treat it well until Silver and Ward get a 4th edition on the stands.

5 comments about Michelangelo and The Pope's Ceiling.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Many of the stories are things I have heard before, but woven seemlessly into an insightful narrative. King's assessment of Michelangelo's ceiling and its radical importance in pictorial history is correct in its context and amplitude; my knowledge thereby enhanced. However, I found the author's unflappable and professional approach a bit disturbing; as though he personally missed out on an epiphany. I am also not a fan of the restoration, to say the least. However, I enjoyed both receiving and giving this book as a gift.



2. More than the story of the tumultuous relationship between Michelangelo and Pope Julius II, this well documented offering from Ross King breathes life into a period in history that was populated by the great artists, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Raphael, etc. and some of the most bizarre characters in church history. Mystery, intrigue, sex, betrayal, deceit..... all the makings of a great page turning novel. But, this is fact not fiction. Art history buffs, I think, will love the stories "behind the canvas" and "outside the frame". History buffs will appreciate the way the threads of the church, the politics, the art and the artists come together in a fascinating tapestry. If you enjoy it, try the Judgment of Paris or Bruneleschi's Dome by the same author.



3. We saw the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and I wanted to know more about the person and the era that it was created. This book helped fill in the gaps of my knowledge.



4. This is one of the finest historical books I have read. It is well researched and insightful, as well as occasionally funny. King has an amazing way of bringing historical figures to life and placing them in context. I read it as I travelled Italy and finished as we visited the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. Perhaps that brought it to life more for me. I recommend this book to anyone who is even mildly interested in Michelangelo or art. It is a great read.



5. If you have come this far, you really should go ahead and get this book and read it. Make sure you have some time set aside, because once you start you will not want to put this book down. This is the third Ross King art history book I have read. It meets my two criteria for an Amazon review: Is it worth the time? Is it worth the money? Yes and yes. It is highly readable, factual and entertaining. It provides insight into the works of Michaelangelo, which constitute some of the great cultural artifacts of civilization. At the same time, King sticks to his subject - The Chapel Vault- thus he has little discussion of early Medici years, many of the great sculptures, the Last Judgement and even the architecture of St Peter's. This is focused on this special period and task. The events of Julius II's reign and his military campaign are the core of discussion - one is tempted to wonder what aesthetic motives drove this man. We are made aware of Raphael working across the way and Bramante and his group fishing for influence. The point of view is decidedly in favor of Michaelango's side in controversies, but evidence is somewhat balanced. Whatever happens in your reading program, do not miss this one.

5 comments about Illustrators 49 (Illustrators).

1. I just received my copy yesterday and spent most of the evening looking at the amazing illustrations of highly talented artists. The cover piece is one of the best one ever and I recently started collecting back issues of of this series. Also, I was thrilled to find Gary Keley and Edward Windsor Kemble side by side in the Hall of Fame section.
   
   The scholarship section also provided a sneak preview of the next batch talents that will soon grace the futue issues.



2. The last five editions of this superbly produced book have become a highly valued resource and an inspiration. It is heartening to see that the homogenous end products of digital illustration have not yet denied the hand of the artist. If illustrator was once a second-class term, the superb artwork of these professionals completely nullifies such high-art bigotry. This is a contemporary art that speaks in visual metaphors that are both accessible and valuable. I for one cannot wait for no.'50'. The printing itself is absolutely superb and only serves to enhance the publication.



3. This is a great book to know who floats at the top of the commercial side of illustration. There are lots of artist to look up and many different styles and that is why I chose to buy this book. Also there is an image of James Jean and for so long, there have been blurry or profile shots of his face but now a full dead-on frontal shot of his face. But this is a very good resource book and it also has the artist contact in the back if you are further interested in their work and such.



4. I purchased this book with the idea of studying the current state of the art in illustration, being a beginning illustrator/artist. This book was everything I had hoped.
   
   Initially, I was disappointed when looking through the images because only rarely was the medium of each image listed. As I progressed through the book though, I found the index in the back, which lists each image alphabetically by author, and includes the medium used.
   
   The color reproductions are excellent, and the book uses high quality paper, although some of the images are a bit small. Of course, considering that the image used for the cover required both front and back fold-outs which still didn't show the entire image, it's understandable that when that same image was reproduced inside the book that it would be really small.
   
   Amazon's discount from the cover price of the book was a big help in my decision to purchase the book. Not being a full-fledged illustrator, $45 is a bit steep to satisfy my curiosity. The book arrived well in advance of its scheduled delivery time and in perfect shape.



5. The annual is always a pleasure to slowly page through every year. The same goes for this year's issue, for the most part. But, I feel that some less than stellar artwork made it into this book. There is 'bad drawing' galore and there are a few pieces that seem to have made it into the show more because of the fame of the artists who created them. Still, overall, it's a good book. I'm looking forward to number 50.

4 comments about Print, Pattern & Colour.

1. Excellent overview of various print methods as well as visual stimulus
   to create your own designs.



2. Ruth's enthusiasism for color and textiles comes through on every page. Her specific advice and instructions make one get into the workroom right away and start experimenting.



3. Print, Pattern & Colour
   
   I have quite a few books on surface design, dyeing and so on, but found this book well worth buying, unlike the previous reviewer. After all, how many NEW techniques are there? The photos are sumptuous and eyecatching, techniques are well-summarised, and there were ideas in there that I haven't tried before. A good buy as far as I'm concerned.



4. Disappointing - no real eye candy or new approaches. Processes have been around for a while and their application, as demonstrated by the images in the book, are pretty ordinary. I liked previous books by this author but think this one is a waste of my funds.

5 comments about Bloom County "Loose Tails".

1. If you remember the eighties, this book, the first collection from the "Bloom County" syndicated comic strip will be hysterically funny. If you do not remember the eighties, then it will just be funny. I remember the eighties and I laughed when I read these cartoons the first time and I laughed when I read them again. No one captured the moods, social movements and absurdity of their combination as well as Breathed did. His exaggerated characters and references to the anxieties of the moment were a dose of reality encased in the fiction of a cartoon strip. I never missed it and neither should you.



2. It is very hard not to a like a cute talking penguin, and Breathed presumably realised this when coming up with Opus. The human characters that surround the odd animal are supposed to come off somewhat loopier. This is a fun look at the period and the politics, and highly entertaining. Aack!



3. Here you will find the beginning of one of the most inspired comic strips ever put to paper. No other strip made me laugh as hard, or as often, as "Bloom County". In fact, pretty much nothing else in the whole wide world made me laugh as hard as this divine creation of Mr. Berke Breathed. Here we are introduced to the Milo Bloom, Steve Dallas, Cutter John and by far the best-known comic Penguin ever - Opus.

   Here we can see that Bloom County was just crackling with creativity and a real desire to "cut loose" from the beginning. Some of the strips covered "current events" and were topical, meaning circa 1980, but if you were around for any of that time it's a nostalgic trip back to the days of Boy George and when Ozzy Osbourne was best known as a singer. But the vast majority of the strips ring very true today as they deal with the absurdities of the human animal.

   A word about the format: Bloom County in it's original form included both the standard "3 panel" strips that appear in your every day newspaper in black and white, plus a larger full page color version for the Sunday paper. The other Bloom County volumes (as well as Bloom's sequel "Outland") were in a larger physical book form. (Similar to what you may have seen if you're a collector of, say, Calvin and Hobbes, or Dilbert). This first volume is a smaller book (similar in format to the endless volumes of Garfield which became available). But this is where it all began, and it includes much of the "best stuff".

   If you want to know what America was laughing at in 1980, this is it. But you know what? I reread these strips every so often, and they STILL make me laugh that loud, roll on the floor, tears streaming down my face, people coming into the room to see WHAT are you laughing at kind of laugh. We don't get that kind of laugh often enough. Thank you, Mr. Breathed.




4. This is the first collection of Bloom County cartoons and a great place to start enjoying the fun. Bloom County is a fictional place populated with as eclectic a group of characters as you will find anywhere. Eccentric humans, a talking penguin, and Bill the Cat take on the societal follies of the early eighties with a humorous point of view.
   See the Rolling Stones perform for an elementary school dance. Go back to a time when Three Mile Island was in the news and Princess Diana was expecting her first child. Even if the events are distant memories, the humor is timeless.



5. Bloom County had something special, more than just the jokes. As you read the strip, you cannot help but get involved with the characters.

   Bloom County fans don't just laugh at the jokes, they care about Opus and the rest. Even Steve Dallas, the ruthless but inept lawyer, wins sympathy.

   The humour tends to the wit and satire end of the cartoon spectrum with only occasional bursts of slapstick. The satire is aimed mainly at lifestyles and steroetypes rather than current events which makes it still sharp as it ages.

   It is a very male-centric book. Female characters are introduced in order to give the main players a romantic interlude or to prop up some situation.

   Bloom County was one of the best cartoons of its time and Loose Tails is a real gem.

5 comments about Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell.

1. The first of two books and an eye opener as well. I had always love seeing these as I traveled around, but until I open the book I did not know we had so many and how they came to be. Well done to Jane Golden for collecting these for us.



2. And I do mean incredible!!! I am so happy I live in Philadelphia - just because it is the home to the spectacular murals featured in this beautiful book!!!
   
   The best part about this book is that it brings the murals right into your home - so you can enjoy each one (and its story) at your leisure!!!
   
   Just look at the cover - that mural alone is worth the price of the book - what a statement - talk about 'brotherly love'!!!



3. Love Philadelphia and Love the idea of murals, DEFINATELY pick up this book. From whimsical murals to political murals to very modular murals, this book is filled with a bit of the cultural flavor that can be found in the City of Brotherly Love.



4. This beautiful book tells the story of the wonderful murals that you see all over Philadelphia. It is more than just a pretty book,however, because it is also the story of Jane Golden and how the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network started and how it has grown over the years. The pictures are photographed with amazing accuracy, and the authors have maintained a professional attitude while making the reader feel compelled to continue reading. The book makes you want to see in person all the wondrous walls that Jane Golden and her muralists have created. A great gift and an even greater find.



5. What a surprise I had in learning that Philadelphia, a city I've lived in for over ten years, has over 2,000 murals. And,in this book, they are beautifully displayed (well, not all 2000) and discussed. I learned about the artists who created the murals, the communities where the murals are, and just lots of interesting details about the mural arts program in Philadelphia--the most prolific in the country. And, I can't say enough about how spectacularly beautiful the photographs are. If you're ever in Philadelphia, you must buy this book and take a stroll through some of the neighborhoods that house the murals. There's even a map.