5 comments about The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren.

1. "The Man Who Made Vermeers" examines the forgery career of Han van Meegeren who amassed a fortune by littering the world with fake Old Masters paintings from the 1920s through the end of World War II. It is an amazing tale that has also been chronicled recently in Edward Dolnick's "The Forger's Spell."
   
   The Man Who Painted Vermeers focuses on the forger, his lifestyle, his counterfeiting associates, his pro-fascist activities, and his lengthy career in forgery. This book is an interesting look at a turbulent time in history that allowed strange things to happen in the art world.



2. I could not put it down. The strength of this book is Van Meegeren himself.
   
   The book races by trying to cover as much of the whirlwind as possible; the art, the forgery, the lies, the lifestyle, the marriages, the Nazis and the aftermath. The story of a consummate con artist in every sense. The book does a wonderful job covering certain details of art forgery for that time period (though I should state I am neither an art expert nor an art historian).
   
   I wish the book went greater into depth regarding the wheeling of all the dealing, but perhaps it is lost in history. Names of friends and rivals fly by and money and fake masterpieces change hands and countries eventually lose their governments. You want to know more about these people, but the author feels the need to get it all in.
   
   Even the aftermath is quite a spectacle. The book makes you want to know more about Lt. Joseph Piller and (if records could be found) what the experts really thought when they discovered their own hoodwinking. It is remarkable to see a man like Van Meegeren snake through every danger, coming out some sort of cultural hero, while he left behind him so many ruined reputations.
   
   As the author appropriately recites (from "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"): When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. The author wrote down the facts too.



3. I thought this book would tell the story of an amiable rogue who fooled the art establishment and even top Nazi Hermann Goering by faking Vermeers. It turned out to be much more than that. It's the tale of a creepy fascist with a specific political agenda who used his fakes to advance a form of art that glorified the Nazi view of the world.
   
   Han van Meegeren seems to have been a puffed up creep from the start. He had some talent, as shown by the illustrations of some of his portraits reproduced in this book, but his conservative bent and limited imagination meant he was never destined for greatness.
   
   Instead, he began painting fake Vermeers. His early efforts were genre interior scenes similar to those of the master himself. But then he hit another vein entirely, manufacturing a new and entirelu false chapter of the artist's career during which Vermeer allegedly devoted himself to painting somber Biblical scenes.
   
   You look at the reproductions of these pictures and you wonder how they fooled anyone at all. They are dull, lifeless, full of lugurious piety of the worst kind, the very antithesis of the glowing work of Vermeer. Yet these crude daubings took in most of the Dutch art establishment of the time. Once he had established the first fake of this kind, it became progressively easier to continue fooling everyone -- since each subsequent painting was clearly the work of the same artist.
   
   The author explains how some of the coded and subliminal messages in these images appealed to something in the air during the 1930s when Nazi ideology loomed larger and larger in Europe. For the first time, he unveils the depth of van Meegeren's Nazi sympathies and decodes his evil messages. The amount of research that went into this book is prodigious -- but the writing is always clear.
   
   Van Meegeren fooled the art experts of his time, he fooled Goering and he fooled his interrogators after the war. He fooled the world press, he fooled the judge and jury during his trial and he fooled the Dutch public. He died unexpectedly without ever paying for his actions. But thanks to this great book, he will not fool posterity.



4. "The Man Who Made Vermeers" is both a brilliant scholarly work and fascinating read. Insightful writing, yet completely accessible. Get this book, you won't be disappointed.



5. This is a fascinating story, and Lopez does a great job in presenting his materials. Plus, the book is clearly informed by a lot of serious research. Definitely worth reading!

3 comments about Fine Art and High Finance: Expert Advice on the Economics of Ownership.

1. What a great read! The chapter outlines and content provide the "need to know" material in a digestible format.
   
   This is a book that you will be a "go to" over and over again. And, each of the subject matter experts are accessible.
   
   Dr. McAndrew's 1st chapter "An Introduction to Art and Finance" brings it all together.....what a great lead-in for Chapters 2 - 12.



2. Fine Art and High Finance is an authoritative source on a variety of subjects centered around finance and investment in fine art. This book is for the serious art investor and/or their investment advisor. If you are a serious investor in fine art or an advisor to serious investors in fine art, you will want to keep a copy of this book handy. This book is not for the reader who has a casual interest in art.
   
   The book covers the following topics: Art appraisals, prices and valuations. Art price indices, Art risk, Financing of art, Art Funds, The government and the art trade, Insurance and the art market, Art and taxation in the US, Art and taxation in the UK, Art conservation and restoration, and Illegal art trade.
   
   In addition to her contributions, the book is edited by Dr, Clare McAndrew. There are nineteen other expert contributors for the book.
   
   Each subject is covered in great detail. This is a very scholarly work with footnotes and reference sources.
   
   I believe the proper use of this book is as a reference book. That is, when you want in-depth information about a particular topic related to investing in fine art, look up that topic. In my opinion it is not intended to be read through from cover to cover unless perhaps you are a studying investment in fine art.
   
   I was impressed with the quality of information contained in this book. It is largely a reflection of the quality of the contributing authors. However, I believe the potential audience is limited to those who are actively seeking an authoritative reference source.



3. While many will readily agree that art is a thing of beauty, not too many people will readily consider it as an investment. However, art is more than just beauty. It is money--big money. In 2008 alone, the international art market is estimated to have turned over more than $65 billion in total sales, the highest-ever annual recorded total.
   
   With that kind of figure, art is no longer something that we can readily dismiss as "just art." Art trade is big business--a lucrative market that continues to develop despite global economic downturns. As other assets dip, art has become the attractive alternative. To make sense of art as money, the book to read is Dr. Clare McAndrew's //Fine Art And High Finance: Expert Advice on the Economics of Ownership//. It provides the novice and sophisticated art investor, as well as artists and collectors, a comprehensive guide into the art economy today.
   
   Bringing together contributors such as Jill Arnold, Anthony Browne, Dr. Rachel Campbell, Charles T. Danziger and Thomas C. Danziger, Jeremy Eckstein, Christiane Fischer, Rachel Goodman, Suzanne Gyorgy, Elizabeth von Habsburg, John K. Jacobs, Dr. Roman Kräussl, Ralph E. Lerner, Rena Neville, Barbara A. Ramsay, Pierre Valentin with Philip Munro and Samantha Morgan, and Randall Wilette, Dr. Clare McAndrew's //Fine Art And High Finance: Expert advise on the Economics of Ownership// is an outstanding and fascinating resource about where the money is the world of art.
   
   Reviewed by Dominique James

5 comments about The Woodcut Artist's Handbook: Techniques and Tools for Relief Printmaking.

1. i bought this book for 1 reason: to learn the terminology and the names of the tools used in woodcut/engraving so that i would be able to shop for said items without finding myself at the mercy of an art store clerk. to that end this book served its purpose. the rest of the information contained here is obvious to the point of being self-explanatory. if you have ever had an art course in elementary school or beyond you are probably familiar with the basic concepts behind relief printmaking and you are not likely to find anything new here. to be fair, the author states that the best way to learn these techniques is to practice and to observe the work of other artists. there are some really nice examples of the work of some remarkable wood-/linocut artists and engravers peppered throughout as well as toward the back of the book, but i cant help but to point out that the title is a little bit misleading. handbook? exactly how one would use this as some sort of ongoing reference escapes me. it is, at best, a competent - if not exhaustively thorough - introduction.



2. Thank you Mr. Walker.
   I'd have given 4-1/2 stars if possible. This book is exactly as advertised by it's title. Very readable and concise with clear illustrations. Understanding that this book is not a pretentious compendium of the entire history of woodcuts will increase your appreciation of what is presented. I have 30-years experience in printmaking, and found this book well worth the read.



3. George Walker's Handbook is an excellent, enthusiastic introduction to relief printmaking. Although he favors engraving over woodcut he presents the basics of both and then takes the reader on through chapters on materials, tools, the creation of both woodcuts and engravings, papers and ink, printing, and an interesting section on editions. The art is placed in the historical context but he does point out those who are really interested in woodcuts should look at Rebecca Salter's Japanese Woodblock Printing. (I enthusiastically concur. They make a fine pair of books on the subject.)
   
   The book is well illustrated for a small, introductory work. Seek larger format works if you want more breadth for woodcuts. However, he is very even handed and does have a good deal on contemporary work (and writes about it, too). There is a nice glossary, a good basic bibliography (although as Walker says many of the works are out of print), a brief biography of some of the major artists, a list of resoruces and organizations (with some email addresses), and an index.
   
   All in all, for the aspiring woodcut artist this is an excellent introduction. The illustrations alone make it worth having. If you are interested in ukiyo-e, get Salter's book, too.
   
   Sandy



4. This is in response to the Jeffery C. Chase review in which he incorrectly states that the work of Antonio Frasconi and Leonard Baskin were not mentioned in the Woodcut Artist's Handbook. They were mentioned and their work would have been reproduced in the book as well if the publisher had been granted reproduction rights. Frasconi's work is referred to on page 20 and The Complete Prints of Leonard Baskin by Alan Fern and Judith O'Sullivan (1984) is suggested reading on page 150. We tried to include as many artists as possible but because of copyright restrictions and limited resources we could not include everyone. Thank you for your comments.



5. How any book claiming to cover woodcut prints could fail to mention the works of Antonio Frasconi and Leonard Baskin, yet show half-baked attempts at wood engraving, or champion Barry Moser's soul-less technique as "mastery" is fundamentally lacking. While I thought the love of the medium did show through, and the coverage of the tools and techniques was sound, I think many lesser artists were mentioned, and without these two, it yields an anemic visual source for the interested artist.

5 comments about Gardner's Art through the Ages (with ArtStudy Student CD-ROM and InfoTrac ).

1. I received the wrong book, and therefore had to return the item. Return shipping was much more expensive from my country, but I was not paid back the total costs of what the return shipping cost me. Overall it took a lot of my time and money.



2. This is a great art history textbook or supplement for a class. I have been using this book for three art history classes and it has been quite useful as a supplement to the course content. The book is well written and organized. Not only does this book cover Western art, but also Asian, African, and Native American art. Each chapter begins with a summary of the cultural history for the period and location as well as a map showing the locations discussed. Sidenotes are included in the chapters to enhance understanding of the content such as a diagram and description of the architecture for a Gothic Cathedral or how barkcloth is produced. At the end of each chapter is a brief conclusion summarizing the chapter and a full page chronological overview. There are lots of images with descriptions of the art. The detailed index allows for many ways to search for a topic. A brief glossary at the back of the book also helps explain some art terms. I have not been disappointed in my purchase of this book. In some ways, it has helped me want to learn more. I also use Janson's History of Art, The Western Tradition, which gives me additional insights on the art presented.
   
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone studying art or wanting to learn more about it.



3. not in as great of shape on the outside as i would have liked, but pages inside all in tact, which is what really counts. very speedy delivery, which is most important to me.
   thank you, would definitely order thru you guys again.



4. this book turned out to be more different than what I intended it to be because everyone else had the BIG textbook version that looked as if it weighed about 50 lbs. or something; yet, this order came with the textbook information, but in a two volume image! To me, this is more convenient by taking the exact book you need (which would weight about nothing to 5 lbs) instead of carrying that bench press weight of a textbook around. I thank Amazon.com for supplying me with this version and the things (CD) that came with it.



5. I bought this for myself. My friend requested it for christmas last year. That's how much this book is loved after taking AP Art History last year. I want to Major in Art History, and this is the ideal place to start. I'd reccommend it to anyone who is interested in art.

4 comments about Axel Vervoordt: The Story of a Style.

1. This book is a true classic and a MUST for anyone interested in antiques or interior design. We were very fortunate to first be introduced to Vervoordt at the 1984 Paris Biennale des Antiquaires where his booth, displaying Ming porcelain lost in 1645 in the South China Sea and recently recovered, was the sensation of the Salon. All of that massed blue-and-white in a large booth at the center of the Grand Palais drew lots of attention to the 37-year old Vervoordt and his subsequent success allowed him to restore a magnificent Belgian chateau over the next four years for use as both home and gallery. Much of this book is photographed in his home/gallery chateau.
   
   This book provides a superb overview of his aesthetic, one which can incorporate a huge Anish Kapoor sculpture (perhaps circa 1995) with ancient stone Thai carvings, gorgeous Renaissance bronzes and wonderful European furniture. Think Rose Tarlow on steroids. The photography is excellent, almost all color, many full-page, and the scale of the book is appropriately large.
   
   If the eclecticism of a Cy Twombly (a contemporary abstract painter) displayed in a warm wood interior appropriate for 17th C. Amsterdam sounds intriguing, he may be on your wave length. The array of tasteful objects beautifully presented is a key feature of the book. His collection (all of which is always for sale) will no doubt include some superb items which you have really never looked at before; when you read about the object, you may reconsider. His enthusiasm is contagious.
   
   Those primarily interested in interior design may find his new book "Axel Vervoordt: Timeless Interiors" more interesting because it shows some twenty homes he has done for clients. But if you only want one book on Vervoordt and if you can afford this out-of-print text, I'd go with the Meredith Etherington-Smith volume.



2. Axel Vervoordt is an artist in his own right. A designer and collector of art from all periods of history, he presents here the work of his life's vision - creating spaces where all of the arts from all cultures and timeframes meld into subtle, elegant, harmonious and extraordinarily beautiful spaces.
   
   Vervoordt's keen eye for excellence demonstrates how architectural features of a building/living space are enhanced by a combination of art objects, drawings, paintings, murals, artifacts and bits of nature. The results are page after stunning page of thoughtful, quiet splendor. Mixed with commentary from Vervoordt (with written statements by Meredith Etherington-Smith) and exceptional photography by Laziz Hamani this book goes far beyond the borders of volumes about design. This is a bold and inspiring homage to Style. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05



3. Five stars are not enough! I have savored every word of this gorgeous book. The philosophy of this remarkable man is truly inspiring--his work is very personal, and seeing it and reading about it are a privilege. Anyone interested in interior design, antiques, or art would benefit from owning a copy of this outstanding, intelligent work.



4. Every once in a great while a person enters this world who truly makes a difference. Axel is such a person - generous, brilliant, cultured and admired. He works very hard and has endless passion for life and for the joys of his life. This book is a glimpse into what Axel does, into what he lives for. As you read this book and marvel at what heights of artistry, inspiration, then continue on to Axel's web site, at axel-vervoordt.com. You might even be moved to travel to s'Gravenwezel, northeast of Antwerpen, and visit the world he is building there since the mid 60's. It's a wonderful book about a wonderful person.

4 comments about The Intrepid Art Collector: The Beginner's Guide to Finding, Buying, and Appreciating Art on a Budget.

1. Item claimed to be sent out on 10/11/09...have not received it, current date at writing 11/12/09...suspect that it has been bundled with a stephen king's pre-order release hence the delay...not much help offered from amazon yet except asking me to wait...



2. There are lots of books with pictures of art, not so many on what it takes to build a good collection, for the ordinary person. You don't have to be J Paul Getty to buy art that is pleasing and makes a good investment. Lisa Hunter's book is by far the best book I have ever read on this subject.



3. This is a great starter reference for the novice. The guidance is sound, and Lisa Hunter's enthusiasm is contagious. A few color photographs would have been nice, but wisely this book focuses on cultivating the reader's own intelligence and knowledge rather than dictating taste. If you have ever been interested in starting an art collection of your own, or buying that Kashmiri silk rug, a little research is a good thing. This is a grand place to start.



4. I love art but I've always felt nervous buying art. How do you know if you're getting the real thing? How do you know if you're overpaying? What's that rug really worth? Why is a photograph worth so much? What's the difference between a valuable vintage photograph and a copy of it that looks exactly the same? No one can tell you what a piece of art will be worth in ten years, but Ms. Hunter explains how to go about buying the real thing (and avoid buying fakes) -- and why you should buy the real thing. I feel much more confident about buying a few pretty things for the house now.

5 comments about The Highwaymen: Florida's African-American Landscape Painters.

1. This is the real thing. This is the original Highwayman art book that first documented the journey of the highwaymen, who they were and how they got here. It is referenced by countless sources as the official list of the original 26 highwaymen. The first half of the book is mostly text with a few example prints interspersed and the second half is all plates of representative Highwaymen art. There now are several highwaymen art books, including 2 more by this author but this book serves as the bible for Highwaymen artist history.



2. One of the first if not the very first comprehensive study of Florida's black regional landscape artist known since 1994 as "The Highwaymen". This book gives a good overview and a wonderful historical look at these "outsider artist", the times they lived in and painted in along Florida's treasure coast. A recommended buy for any lover of Old Florida!



3. Great book! Such talent needs to be recognized and applauded.



4. In 1994, art aficionado Jim Fitch assigned the name "Highwaymen" to a loose association of young, mostly untrained black artists (including one woman) from the Fort Pierce area who created thousands of Florida landscapes and marketed them from the backs of their cars for about $25 in the 1960's and `70's. Theirs was an unabashedly commercial venture, and the artists collaborated to create and sell works as quickly and cheaply as possible. Dismissed as "motel art" at the time, these intense, lush and at times otherworldly depictions of an idealized Florida have become a subject of renewed interest and critical attention in recent years. Consequently, many myths and vague tales have grown up around the group.
   
   As part of his research, author Gary Monroe interviewed many of the remaining artists to bring the story to life, presented here in a 26-page annotated essay. In analyzing the art, he insists that the speed with which they worked was far from a detriment: "By unintentionally bastardizing the canonical pictorial strategies...they created a new form of fantasy landscape painting." The artists found their strength as colorists, and the emotional hues capture the essence of Florida (or at least, as we imagine it.)
   
   As a northerner who visited Florida twice as a child in the pre-Disney days, I must confess that the 63 glorious full-color reproductions here gave me goose bumps of fond memory, real or imagined.
   
   A followup: This book launched an explosion of interest in The Highwaymen. Surviving members no longer need hawk their wares, since collectors now come to them and new works sell for as much as $18,000. The were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004.



5. This book highlites a special group of amateur black artists who lived in Florida in the 1950's. The story is well presented with wonderful details that make their artistic journey come alive. The paintings are wonderful. The only drawback to this book, as I see it, is that the vivid hues of the paintings did not come through in this book. I happened to read a magazine article, full of rich colorful pictures of some of the paintings, which sparked my interest, and led to my purchasing this book. Unfortunately, it seems that this printing process could not represent the original brilliance of the paintings. This is a fascinating peek at a little know bit of Florida art history.

5 comments about How to Identify Prints, Second Edition.

1. Bamber Gascoigne's "How to Identify Prints" is a comprehensive, yet detailed analysis of the various types of works on paper. As other reviews indicate below, it covers the entire field of works on paper. For appraisers, dealers and collectors, it is a "must have" for your reference library. As an appraiser, I agree with another review on the book that indicates that the book is a little light on woodblock prints. However, woodblock printing is complex enough to support its own books, especially when discussing Japanese Woodblock prints.
   
   Even with the brevity of the woodblock section, this book is still the best overall print reference book I have seen. It uses a logical approach to educating the reader, and allows him or her to progressively expand his or her knowledge as they work through the book; it builds a foundation, and then adds to that foundation. I only wish I had discovered the book years ago when I was just beginning to learn about prints! For beginners to connoisseurs, this is a fabulous reference book.



2. This book is found in the printrooms of most galleries and print collectors as it is a precise and concisely written text which explains the complex processes of printmaking. It clarifies the sometimes baffling differences between printing families and the creative techniques involved in making a print such as the subtle visual difference between an etching and an engraving. The book is illustrated throughout to assist the reader to identify printing techniques, characteristics and attribution marks used in Old Master prints through to those made in contemporary times. This reference text would appeal to anyone fascinated by prints and provides a new vocabulary for those who want to know more about the interesting visual variations possible in the world of the print.



3. I almost said "for the beginning print lover," but even the pros might want occasional reminders about obscure processes.
   
   This book displays an incredible number of processes and variations. Even within etching, there is standard intaglio process, relief etching, intaglio so deep it's amost relief, spit-biting or open-biting - well, a very long list. This gives an exacting look at the marks specific to each process, and gives good diagnostic descriptions. A special strength in this book is the differential diagnoses, the questions to ask that help distinguish two very similar kinds of marks. Every point made in the text is illustrated real samples, and that makes for a heck of a lot of illustrations.
   
   I have almost no quibbles with this text. There are just a few minor points that Gascoigne could have brought out more clearly. First is that Japanese woodcuts are under-represented. It's a rich tradition with a number of distinguishing features: gradations of ink hand-placed on a block, occasional use of mica for luster, and occasional use of un-inked "blind" impressions to impress texture into the paper. Second is a mark that I think is unique to drypoint: the line is often asymmetric, crisp on one side and blurred on the other, capturing the asymmetry of the drypoint burr. The split drypoint line is more famous but, in my experience, less common. I've seen it only in the most aggressively worked drypoints, such as some by Picasso. Third is a feature of some dust-ground aquatints: that the white marks can sometimes form a connected mesh around the black dots, where a spirit ground always has a black ocean dotted with white islands. I know these are minor points, and I hope you see how few there are.
   
   I'm a process nut. It's not the only way I enjoy prints, and not the way everyone enjoys them. For me, though, it really adds something to know how the maker's hand created each mark that I see. This isn't strictly a process book, and only accidentally a book of process history. It's a book about how a print looks, and seeing even more in the finest part of its looks. In the end, that's really the best reason to love a print.
   
   //wiredweird
   
   PS: A little while ago, I was given a very nice color print. It was done in mezzotint style, using burnishers to work from dark to light. Instead of a rocker-made ground, though, it had an aquatint ground. Color came from inking au poupee, dabbed on the plate. The giver was quite surprised that I read its story so precisely. Read this book, and you'll know just what I saw.



4. Back in print and updated in a new paperback edition is Bambar Gascoigne's classic How To Identify Prints, first published in 1986 and enjoying ongoing acclaim as an essential resource for any involved in identifying prints, whether they be woodcuts, lithos, or etchings. Some ninety techniques - manual and mechanical alike - are described to round out an accompanying history of prints. A lasting, classic work essential to any art library and many a general library reference collection.



5. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, How To Identify Prints: A Complete Guide To Manual And Mechanical Processes From Woodcut To Inkjet is a superb reference and self-teaching tool for discerning between manual prints, process prints, and screenprints/non-prints, whether the print in question is monochrome or color, and whether it is relief, intaglio, or planographic. 272 illustrations, 40 of which are in color, highlight the meticulous attention to detail in this excellent manual, which also covers essential aspects of printing history and the craft of printmaking. This new addition is revised with insights concerning how increasingly sophisticated yet inexpensive cheap printing processes such as quality inkjet and laser prints affect the process of identifying and evaluating printed images. A "must-read" for anyone collecting authentic prints or pursuing a career involving the identification of prints.

2 comments about The Yves Saint Laurent-Pierre Berge Collection: The Sale of the Century.

1. This is a beautiful production and ideal for anyone interested in the items auctioned who was unable to get - or afford- the set of Christies Catalogs . There are interesting photos of the auction room and wonderful pictures of the original rooms and many of the items. It ends with a complete catalog of the auction in very tiny photos. The main negative about this publication is the small print on metallic gold paper which is extremely difficult to read.



2. just beautiful. amazingly detailed full page images of most items in the sale as well a thumbnail index in the back. A total bargain considering that the ACTUAL Christie's auction catalogs sell on Ebay at close to $1000.

5 comments about 500 Glass Objects: A Celebration of Functional & Sculptural Glass (500 Series).

1. My son is a budding glass blower and we bought this book for him for Christmas. I could barely stand to give it to him, but we did, and he loved it. It has gorgeous photographs and plenty of them and for a glass designer (or whatever what he does is called), it's a great gift. He was going to take it to his college to show the teacher because it wasn't in their library. That's how good it is.



2. Book arrived in good condition and on time. I wasn't really impressed by the content, tho some might find it interesting.



3. I love this series from Lark! It provides me with lots of inspiration and it is a wonderful tool to learn new artists and their work. I have almost the whole series!



4. This book contains images that are fantastic however it also contains some incredibly poor ones. Certain artists submitted images of really high resolution or the most accurate photographic image - in slide format and the publisher has scanned them in quite inadequately. I was disappointed at the overall quality of this book and its presentation of artwork.



5. I am not really sure what people are hoping to find in this book. Like all of Lark's '500 Series' they are simply inspirational,the are not technical nor are they project based or how to, they are mostly gorgeous eye candy. I am not a glass artist, I am lucky to have a few art glass pieces that I have collected over the years but I bought this book purely to marvel at the shapes, originality and astonishing colours achieved by the wonderful artists whoose work is contained within. Truly luscious pieces each and everyone. Not always functional but certainly inspiring.