No comments about Milling Operations in the Lathe (Workshop Practice Series, No 5) (Workshop Practice Series, No 5).

4 comments about Mangaka America: Manga by America's Hottest Artists.

1. Please keep in mind my perspective upon reviewing this book: I've been around the industry over 10 years now watching fanartists renaming themselves and branching out using the internet and other sources to realize their dream of becoming mangaka/comic book artists.
   
   The book uses quality paper in presenting a number of artists that use the Japanese influence commonly referred to as manga in this book. I did enjoy the introduction by Adam Warren, and I did find some useful information with some of the artists. I actually went to find this book because some of the artists I've known online and one such artist mentioned being featured in this book on her Deviant Art account.
   
   There is some dispute if the book is covering manga influenced artists, because some don't seem like their style is inspired by it, however, manga is a VERY broad term since I've seen many Japanese artists use different styles than the BESM (Big Eyes Small Mouth) formula many people attribute to manga.
   
   What bothers me most about this book is the format. The interview questions are actually more fitting for a monthly webzine. Allow me to explain. In a book featuring artists, it's imperative to keep the interviews unique and fresh, and to make sure you ask questions relative to the artist you're interviewing. By having a stale format of the same questions you ask every artist you actually end up losing your readers. You take away a perspective that could make each artist shine and be unique. You may as well be reading a person's application. At a certain point I don't care if they like an Eva over a Gundam. You lost me. Formatted questions are best kept in monthly serials, that way the reader doesn't feel like they're being spoon fed redundancy.
   
   The other problem with this book is that I felt it was more of a push for Tokyopop. Granted, TP is one of the few areas where artists were able to self publish with a larger distribution, however, Adam Warren mentioned there were other forms, such as web comics. A real benefit would have been adding some of those artists and asking how things changed with them.
   
   Duc Tran/Locke should have been in this book in my opinion
   
   Mal: Impromanga was an essential stepping stone for artists to learn how to storyboard.
   
   Joshua Lesnick should have also been in this book. He helped change a lot of how webcomics were viewed including helping host a server for artists to use the internet to be a mangaka.
   
   Having said this, there were still quite a few artists I found interesting to read about and some of the tutorials were interesting especially in their presentation. None of these tutorials aren't something you'll find online by the way, but as I said some of them are nicely presented.
   
   Overall the book isn't horrible, and actually exceeded expectations in quality in printing and paper choice.
   
   
   Also, it's kind of silly to note but people should be rating reviews on their helpfulness on whether or not to buy the book, not if they agree with the review due to their personal tastes. It seems lately people just vote negative to disagree. Even if you disagree does the review help a customer with a buying decision?



2. I love Anime and Manga, and I have for a long time. When I found this book in a book store I thought that it was fascinating. Definitely a great source of inspiration, but not worth 25 bucks. Then I saw one of the tutorials. That book was mine before it knew what happened to it. As an aspiring Graphic Designer and someone who has be trying to teach herself how to draw Manga for years now, this book is indispensable. The artists in this book showed me how to do things I just didn't know how to do before, gave me new ideas and a sense of perspective. Make no mistake, this isn't a "how to draw manga" book, it's more of a "get to know the artists and learn all the tricks you wish was in all those how to draw manga books" kind of book. I couldn't stop reading it and I just can't stop looking at it! Highly recommended for lovers of Anime and Manga, as well as aspiring artists.



3. The book's idea was to showcase the work of a dozen North American manga artists, including "how to" interviews, which many of these artists turned into original pieces of manga (see especially the great outrageous chapter by Felipe Smith). The book is exceptionally well printed and has sewn signatures, so it opens flat and is durable (you will go back to it often). The book is edited by two strong young graphic designers and editors, Tania del Rio, a widely published manga artist herself (one chapter is devoted to her work), and Will Staehle, who has, among other things, designed the covers for three books by Michael Crichton, including Next, the current bestseller. Mangaka America is already in the collection of a major art museum. It's museum quality. And it's fun.



4. I have been anticipating this book since the start of the year - and pre-ordered it months ago. It was everything I expected/wanted, and more.
   I expected a few tutorials, much like how I see online, for colouring bit by bit. The techniques, etc.
   
   This book, much like those, takes you into the artist's perspective. And then some. They give you so many hints along the way, and explain things simply, so someone who knows only the very basics of painting programs [like me], could understand. And then comes the fun part:
   Not all the tutorials were the expected 'Then you do this, and that...' screen-shot steps. Christy Lijewski takes an interesting approach to character design. Then you get Felipe Smith's hilarious 'comic-tut' on facial expression. Most artists got a tutorial in, which I was very pleased with.
   
   There's interesting quiz-style biographies, with questions/points varying between artists, and it was very interesting reading responses.
   I particularly liked two tutorials. Not because I already admired the artists, but because of the insights they gave me.
   
   I doubt I saw two artists who had the same approach/style to art, whether it was more anime-like, or manga, and it was great seeing their works in print.
   
   I recommend this book to both those who want to look at some beautiful artwork, and those who want an insight into how these achieve their means.

No comments about What is a Designer: Things, Places, Messages.

No comments about Fashion Icon: The Power and Influence of Graphic Design.

1 comments about Charcoal Drawing (Artist's Library series #25).

1. I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I have a LOT of art books, but this one is one of the best I own now. The drawings are beautiful and the instruction is very clear and easy to follow. I bought this as a gift for a friend but ended up ordering another copy for myself.

No comments about 200% Cotton: New T-Shirt Graphics.

5 comments about Everyday Life During the Civil War (Writer's Guide to Everyday Life Series).

1. Timely delivery. Copy of book had been borrowed from public library. Knew value of information, so purchased own copy. Very helpful material.



2. This book would be amazing if the information was correct. A lot of statistics are wrong. Perhaps this book had been written with a very strict deadline or they did not have fact checkers. The book isn't really about 'Everyday Life', the fashion section shows a dress that no average woman could have worn or could have afforded. They show a dress that was really only meant for teenagers and children. I would suggest " An Introduction to Civil War Civilians" by Juniata Leisch. It is cheaper and gives a better insight.



3. This book is a valuable source of information on the life of people during the civil war that reads more like a novel than a textbook.



4. I enjoyed reading this book but right from the start some things just didn't fit very well. Perhaps better proofreading and editing would have helped.
   
   An example quoted from the section about Michigan, "Michigan sent nearly one in four of its military age men to fight for the Union during the Civil War - more than 90,000 total from a population of 150,000 - and about 14,000 of them were killed during the conflict." Try to make sense of those numbers!
   
   Again, an enjoyable book but research or editing or proofreading keep it from being better than just enjoyable.



5. My reaction to this book was extremely mixed. I ordered it by mistake, after confusing it with another book that had "Everyday Life" in the title. The section about the involvement of the various states in the war was generally excellent--and provided a good reminder that the Civil War didn't affect only the eastern seaboard states that tend to get the most attention. Details about country and city life, military organization and insignia, the war's timeline, shortages in the south, and events leading up to the war were extremely helpful. This information is concise, well organized, and well illustrated.

   What concerns me in books that are supposed to serve as a factual resource for others is when I find obvious errors. The women's fashion section perpetuates Hollywood myths about Civil War-era fashions. Mr. Varhola would have done well to consult Juanita Leitch's well-researched "Who Wore What," considered the Bible for those involved in living history depicting the 1850s and 1860s. Instead, he leaves the reader with the impression that most women dressed like Scarlett O'Hara. The two pictures he selected to portray women's fashions are a ruffled ballgown, reminiscent of Scarlett's white dress in GWTW, and a Zoave jacket/Garibaldi shirt combination favored by less-authentic Civil War reenactors. Experts on 1860s fashion consider the latter a high-fashion item that most average women would not have worn. Terminology and descriptions about underpinnings also do not ring true.

   I would give the overall book four stars, but the fashion section and some disappointing information about my home state two stars, thus my rating is an average. Someone just learning about the period would find the book quite useful--as long as they ignored the fashion section. Those more familiar with the period likely would regard it as a less useful rehash of information they have already read.

2 comments about Corsets - Historical Patterns & Techniques.

1. There are so few corset books out there dedicated solely to historical pieces, let alone with pattern diagrams-- I was really excited and couldn't order this one fast enough. But I'm disappointed-- here's why.
   
   -Only a couple of the corsets have measurements listed [bust, waist, hip]. If you're including a scaled pattern, logic follows that you'd put the measurements down for someone interested in re-creating the garment. Why put measurements for only a few, and not for the others? Dumb.
   
   -The patterns-- the author included "balance marks" which are squidgy little dashes unmarked by either numbers or letters to match up. The pieces themselves sometimes have letters, but it's somewhat confusing in a couple of instances-- mostly because I noticed that corresponding balance marks are absent on one of the pieces for at least one of the patterns. Very sloppy.
   
   -More about the patterns-- they are clearly hand-drawn, which is fine, but many of the lines are pretty crooked and wobbly. Uh.. you couldn't have smoothed that out in Photoshop? Or spent ten minutes with white-out and a pen? The pieces are outlined with felt tip marker over pencil or ballpoint pen, so there were 2 opportunities to fix that. And she didn't. In at least 2 of the 18th century patterns, she purposely OMITTED the front button and tab closure pattern pieces because they were later adds to the original corset. Uh, what? That doesn't make any sense. And there was clearly room on your graphed sheet to put two small tab pieces. So if you want to re-create the corset, you'll have to make up your own pattern pieces for that. Really annoying.
   
   -Photos of the corsets-- There are some great, big, color pics, but only of the fronts. She resorts to her crap half & half black and white line drawings to depict the rest of the corsets. Again, dumb. Most of the patterns don't come with assembly instructions, so it would only follow that the picture would provide most of the info for that. Without a back photo and a close-up shot, you're left to your own devices.
   
   -Accompanying text-- really annoying. All over the map, provides layperson info that someone who bought this book [i.e. a seamstress or costumer] would find insipid and pointless, then is incredibly and irrelevantly one-sided and specific in others. And the author is apparently a huge fan of cording, as she takes every opportunity to gush about it and its wonderful effects. Almost nothing about actual whalebone or the types of steels used. Talks a lot about the interior construction and seam types, but again fails to provide any photos of the corsets' "guts", just chatters about it in the most non-informative way possible. Not sure if the lack of photos issue was due to the museums/companies who granted her permission to use/analyze the corsets, maybe it's a licensing issue, who knows.
   
   -the corsets themselves-- there are a lot of them, which is nice, and a few things I haven't seen before. Also nice, and a great find. The 1880s/90s ones I really dug. The doll corsets are cute. But there are quite a few stodgy, shapeless and ugly ones. One or two of these would be sufficient. Not sure if this is because of what she was given access to.. but if you're bothering museums to make patterns, why not include some really spectacular ones? There are only a couple of "wows" in here. Nice to also have everyday wear corsets from the average person, but.. not much of a spectrum.
   
   -"Instructions"-- she gives dumb, confusing, terse instructions for constructing a corset without any accompanying photos. She might be British, because a few of the terms she used were kind of odd for the American reader. I'm familiar with making corsets, and they just annoyed me. The illustrations there were [putting in the busk] weren't complete enough to be useful. You're better off just googling some corset/dress diaries online or on [...] for a better how-to. There is a basic tutorial for flossing which deserves an honorable mention-- it's the first time I've seen it in a book, and does a clear description of how to replicate one style. That, at least, was well done.
   
   -The bibliography-- this is what really caps it off. Her list of suppliers is COMPLETELY ripped off from The Tudor Tailor-- and she says so! "US supplier list courtesy of [...]" Talk about not doing your research-- how lazy is that!
   
   Overall--
   
   I'm glad I have this book, solely for the patterns. I would buy it again-- but solely for the patterns. I found her choices and written sections to be irritating and irrelevant. If you're a costumer or researcher of historical costume, I recommend it-- just disregard the text. Be prepared to do several muslin mockups, as most don't have measurements listed and the sloppiness of some of the patterns makes me question how accurate they are.
   
   Waisted Efforts is much more fun-- although the "directions" in that book are nonexistent and crap for a guide that claims to be about corset-making, the text is REALLY informative, in-depth, and I learned a lot I didn't know before. Like what copper maidens and cording needles were. The photos are pretty grainy and bad, and some are mistakes, but he really tries and there are pics of corset guts. Some of the pattern diagrams are incomplete, but there are enough that you don't feel cheated [most are copied/close to 'Corsets and Crinolines' anyhow].
   
   This book by Linda Salen is worth buying for the patterns and some of the photos-- but don't get too excited about it or spend a lot of money on a copy someone's holding for ransom. She makes corsets dry, sterile and not a lot of fun.



2. This is a wonderful book for those interested in Historical Stays and Corsets.
   You will not find modern overbusts or underbusts in this book!
   
   Things I love about this book:
   clear patterns on graph scale. they are only 1/2 scale so easy to enlarge.
   2 doll corset patterns which are full scale.
   an 1880-5 child's stay band
   18th century stays with side lacing which could have been used for pregnancy.
   At least one color photo of each corset
   small section on construction
   
   Things that would have made this book totally awesome:
   Not switching between the terms "stays" and "corset" for the 18th century. (I hope this was an editors change, not the author's error)
   more photos of the back, insides, details!
   giving the museum accession numbers for the garments so we could contact the museums for more photos.
   Info on adjusting the patterns to fit individual bodies
   marking the bust, waist, hip position and measurements on the pattern somewhere for ease of alteration.
   More construction information.
   a nursing corset or a later maternity corset (but that would be just me)
   
   You will need Linda Spark's book for more on construction and fitting of corsets. Fore more information on the construction and fitting of 18th century stays, see "Fitting and Proper" and "Costume Close Up"

5 comments about Keeping a Journal You Love.

1. I stumbled onto this book. Because I'm not into "journaling" I probably would never have picked it up in a bookstore. But recently, while looking for ways to sharpen my descriptive writing for my fiction, I came across a mention of Bender's mentioned in another book. I borrowed it through inter-library loan and before I was halfway through the borrowed copy, I'd ordered a used one through Amazon. This is a priceless guide for taking the world (the real one, or the one you've imagined) and recreating it on the page. Every starting fiction (or creative nonfiction) writer should read this!



2. This author likes extravagant phrasing and wants to coach you in how to write "writerly" writing. She loves the extended metaphor and gives lots of suggestions for writing fancy. Tom Robbins can take metaphors to ridiculous heights (or depths), so read one of his novels and you'll get an idea of how to do it, and maybe why not to.

   This emphasis on learning style over content made me as frustrated as a two-year-old playing with his big brother's Tonka truck fire engine but not being able to figure out how to raise the ladder because there's a little catch he needed to release, but if his mom hears him crying and brings over two soft chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk in his favorite little Winnie the Pooh cup, he feels better -- hey, people this kind of exercise isn't why I write a journal.

   However, there are redeeming elements. The author has excerpted several interesting journals from successful writers, and their passages provide a peek into the creative mind, though the "exercises" following each one tend to reduce them to formulas. She'll take Pam Houston's letters -- which pop out as long, fully formed essays, rather intimidating if one doesn't write that way oneself -- and asks you to copy the format, then "when you feel finished, try for an ending like Houston's where she lists details and images from her Texas trip, saying in each moment that she sees her love for her correspondee. What images and details will you list? How do you see your love in them?" She doesn't say at the end, "Now compare your writing to Houston's, which you read before you wrote your own entries, and feel like an utter failure."

   As writing instruction, this book falls in the river and drowns. As a collection of themed essays by good writers in journal format, it's slim but worthy.




3. The most interesting part of this book is the exerpts from other writers' journals. There's not a whole lot of content otherwise, though. Each excerpt is followed by some suggested exercises (most of which I found boring) and some examples (written by the author) of how you might do the exercise...which are surprisingly uninspiring.
   Still searching for a straight-forward and practical book on this subject....



4. I was particularly intrigued by this book because it addresses so many areas of benefit to writers. Its suggestions can help new writers, (and experienced ones), become more aware of the world around them and more attuned to desriptive images.
   Anne Jones



5. This book contains solid material for the person who has some experience in keeping a journal. For reasons set forth below, however, to the absolute beginner I would recommend _Journal to the Self_ or _The New Diary_ as a first book on the subject, not this one.

   The book has three sections:

   1. The short opening section offers seven exercises (involving five senses and two literary devices) to limber up the journaling muscles, so to speak. They are well-presented.

   2. The main body of the book offers extended excerpts from the journals of published writers demonstrating both techniques within the journals that the author recommends to us, the readers, and those published writers' use of journal materials to generate published works.

   Depending on one's temperament, the quoted excerpts can be either discouraging or downright intimidating. This book for this reason is not a suitable first book about journaling. In addition, in some cases the length of the journal excerpts in proportion to the amount of commentary and guidance that Ms. Bender was providing was somewhat excessive.

   On the other hand, the excerpts can also be inspiring, make no mistake about that. I found Robert Hellenga's journal entries describing the thoughts and experiences that eventually formed _The Fall of a Sparrow_ to be particularly strong.

   3. The book concludes with its best section, a short one modestly entitled "add-ons." It contains a number of additional strategies for journal entries, most of which I had not seen elsewhere, and a chapter on creating journal-keeping groups and communities.

   Verdict: worth buying if you're a serious journaler; not the best single reference if you only have one book on the subject.

3 comments about Calligraphic Lettering with Wide Pen and Brush: Third Edition.

1. Ralph Douglass's Calligraphic Lettering provides a good resource for beginning or more advanced calligraphers. This is one of the first calligraphy books I used as a child some 20 years ago and was so glad to see it republished again recently.
   The author offers several different calligraphic hands with a brief history for each. He also includes sections on design, proportion and a couple of pages on teaching children to write - a section I am now using to teach my children. The thing I like most about this book is that it emphasises the need to practise.



2. The lovely, hand-lettered text of this book distinguishes it even before you get to the wonderful, clear alphabet studies. Its spiral binding makes it very easy to refer to pages while working; and for some reason, other calligraphy texts haven't figured that out.
   I do calligraphy as an amateur (literally, for the love of it) as well as for pay. I am not a teacher by profession; but whenever I teach a calligraphy class, this is my prime reference book.
   Recently I thought I had lost my copy, and that is when I realized how much I depend on this book. It is The Best.
   If you are going to own only one calligraphy guide, this is the one!



3. This hard-back, spiral-bound work has a plethora of alphabets for the beginning adult scribe to learn. Many classic examples from art history, and adequate detail from the author are available to guide the willing penman. One who will devote time and self-discipline for serious practice will find this work an able guide to learning classic letter formations.