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 The Art Detective: Fakes, Frauds, and Finds and the Search for Lost Treasures.

1. I listened to the audio book version of the book and I found it interesting yet frustrating. Some of the stories were quite interesting but getting there took some time. I was expecting many case studies with shorter time spent on each one. I lasted till I was about half way through the book. That's when the author started to talk about Rembrandt and it went round and round there for a long while without getting to the meat of the story (therefore my reference to "breading"). I just gave up. I know the book got very good reviews from other readers, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.



2. This book is wonderful - I was so sad when it ended! It is well structured, and the author tells you all the personal and historical details that you want to know in each well-told story. I am giving this book to all my friends who are interested in art, history or biographies. I have not enjoyed a book this much in a long time.



3. Philip Mould takes a wonderfully interesting look at how art restoration works. But, in looking at restoration of existing paintings, he also delves into how he, as a gallery owner, along with his team, find work that has remained under-valued or unvalued for centuries. And then how that piece, now restored by Mould's experts, ventures back into the art world in renewed glory.
   
   Mould, an appraiser for the BBC's "Antique Roadshow", is also an owner of a gallery in London which specialises in antique portraits. As an aside, I have visited the gallery in the past to see his collection but did not know that this book was written by the gallery's owner until I read the credits. As a book reviewer, I have no reason to falsely rave about his book, even though I have enjoyed visiting his gallery. I suppose that being a fan of antique portraits gave me the impetus to read and review the book, however.
   
   Mould takes five or so examples of "found" paintings - one from his "Antique Roadshow" - and writes how instinct and education about a painter, his other work, the painting's subject's history, and other "intangables' go into Mould and his staff taking on an often dirty and undistinguished painting on the chance that the painting is "the real thing" - a real Rembrandt, a real Homer Winslow, etc. Probably the most interesting story was that of a Norman Rockwell painting on display at the Rockwell Museum in Massachusetts that...wasn't. Wasn't the "real" Rockwell painting, but rather one done by a disciple of Rockwell, who copied the original for reasons sort of murky, and donated to the museum. The "real" Rockwell was found by the copier's sons after his death and turned over to the museum.
   
   The other examples Mould cites are almost as interesting. Each is a story in-and-of-itself, and most end conclusively. The last painting in the book, that of a Winslow Homer, "found" in Ireland of all places, has
   been the subject of ownership dispute which have not been worked out yet.
   
   Mould's book is a wonderful read for those interested in art history and in art restoration. Some of the paintings found did not need massive restoration but a few did and Mould recounts the intricacies of physical restoration. Not a long book, Mould makes the most of his subject with descriptions and interviews with his fellow art historians and sellers.



4. I'm not an art connoisseur by any stretch, although I do have my tastes and don't mind the occasional museum stroll. I love history and I love a good story. When you combine art, history and terrific storytelling, you come out with a book like "The Art Detectives" by Philip Mould.
   
   The book is structured around 6 specific paintings, and the mysteries that surround/surrounded them. Mould is a fantastic writer. He's clear, concise and sometimes poetic. It's an odd thing to focus on when considering a work of non-fiction, but his writing is as expressive and pronounced as anything I've read recently.
   
   Mould avoids the pretension, condescension and patronizing tone that one might expect from a book on high art. And surprisingly, each story is a strong tale in and of itself. At their best, they are very personal, human and touching. At their worst, they're simply good mysteries that Mould unravels layer-by-layer with a blending of personal insight, relevant experiences, historical background and significance. And it all flows beautifully through his solid prose and storytelling abilities.
   
   The strongest tale is of Moulds' meetings with an eccentric hoarder named Earle Newton. The story ranges from their first interactions, to their first and subsequent visits. Newton is more of an "ammasser" than he is a collector, and the real heart of the narrative is Newton's wackiness and the impact of his hoarding on his family.
   
   Family is also at the heart of a story that centers on a well known art deception (and recovery) of a Norman Rockwell painting. After subtle clues circulate around Rockwell's "Break Home Ties", two brothers hunt for the truth of whether their father owned a real Rockwell, and whether or not he knew it was a fake.
   
   Mould does an amazing job of making art history accessible and interesting. All of his stories involve the detective work required to identify what is genuine and authentic from what is a pretender. Mould is both eloquent and passionate in "Mystery of the Missing Gainsborough" and "The Rembrandt in Disguise". Tudor England is the focus of "A Queen in Distress", and colonial Caribbean in "A Winslow Homer Lost and Found" as Mould turns art and history into compelling mysteries.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to readers of history, mysteries and certainly art.
   
   Note: I received "The Art Detectives" as part of the Goodreads First Read program.

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

1. This was a thoroughly enjoyable account of the master forger Han van Meergeren. I appreciated it for the attention to the details that really brought the story and its larger context to life. The story of van Meergeren cannot be told without understanding the milieu in which he worked (just before and during World War II), and this book does an excellent job of placing him in that milieu. This is no better captured than at the very end of the book where the author describes previous attempts to tell the van Meergeren story that did not include a discussion of the Volkgeist artistic style that permeated Germany at the time, and how this style would have been helpful to van Meergeren in passing off his fakes. I also appreciated the details at the end of the book about the post-war period relating to anti-collaborationist sentiment in that one gets a sense of what Europe was like as both the war and the events that transpired during the war (in this case, related to art forgery and the movement of stolen/looted/faked works of art) unwound afterwards. Not being a period in time I am generally familiar with, I was glad this section of the book was added.
   
   I felt that the narrative 'petered' out a little towards the end. For all the stress that selling a fake to Goering must have brought van Meergeren, the way it was written seemed to be almost anticlimactic. This is clearly a nitpick, but after feeling so engaged in the early parts of the book (especially as Lopez recounts the web of shady and legitimate dealers and well-meaning critics and specialists who were brought together to move a fake painting), I felt a little detached from parts of the ending. Maybe it was the seemingly brisk pace the final forgery sale seemed to occupy in the book.
   
   Regardless of the nitpick, I enjoyed this book for its historical perspectives as well as detailed account of the forgery world related to van Meergeren as well as the interesting discussion on how his (van Meergeren's) sympathies can be seen in his paintings. All of this greatly enhanced the thesis and made for a good read.



2. Many people know the famous paintings by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. In the past decade, the images that come to mind upon hearing Vermeer's name have been made more lucid by the novel Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, and later the movie staring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. However, because of reading The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren by Jonathan Lopez, I am unable to distinguish mentally the stories of Vermeer and van Meegeren. When I think of Vermeer's name, I now also recall van Meegeren's artistic contributions and devious story. As Lopez points out, van Meegeren not only forged artwork, but he forged an identity. van Meegeren's pseudo-Vermeers added a dynamic edge to the way art critiques thought about Vermeer's style, and left a lasting impact on Vermeer's name.
   After many failed attempts to become a successful artist, van Meegeren turned to the world of forgery and cheated his way to a prosperous life. While he may not have been an honest man, van Meegeren was undeniably bright. Little is known about Vermeer's past, and in the absence of knowledge, van Meegeren saw an opportunity. There is a time period where no one knows where Vermeer was, or what he was doing. Seeing that there were already speculations that Vermeer spent this time in Italy, studying the works of Caravaggio, van Meegeren chose to paint pieces that would bring that myth to life. However, although he succeeded in fooling the art world for quite some time, van Meegeren ended up doing business with the "wrong people"--the Nazis--and got caught, plummeting his career and tainting his name eternally.
   
   I read The Man Who Made Vermeers as research for my first paper--an analysis of the pseudoscience of art forgery and Han van Meegeren in particular. However, out of the half dozen sources I used, Lopez's account stood out to me as being different. Lopez's attention to historical details and creative use of imagery makes this nonfiction account of van Meegeren's life seem like a history textbook in the form of a fictitious, and riveting, story. It appears that Lopez not only aspires to tell the dramatic story of a notorious forger, but he also wants to depict van Meegeren as a real person--analyzing his character for both strengths and weaknesses.
   
   While many other authors made it evident that they were well versed in the actions of van Meegeren, Lopez's book is saturated with impeccable historical research and flowery language to accompany the scientific facts about van Meegeren's fraud. One of van Meegeren's forgeries was a painting called the Lace Maker, a pseudo-Vermeer bought by a man named Joseph Duveen. Along with the Lace Maker, Duveen also bought another Vermeer forgery by van Meegeren--The Smiling Girl. While many biographies on van Meegeren would be content telling the reader only about these two purchases, Lopez delves into the inner psyche of Duveen and explores how he made his purchasing decisions. Apparently, Duveen not only bought these two "Vermeers" but he also purchased two other pseudo-Vermeers, The Girl with a Kitten and "another sauced-up seventeenth-century picture of a very French-looking boy" (54). Finally, to elaborate further on the historical detail, Lopez includes the fact that--although Duveen believed the four previously mentioned paintings were authentic works by Vermeer--Duveen passed up the chance to buy The Girl with the Red Hat, "the only real Vermeer he was offered during this period" (55). Duveen passed on this opportunity not because he thought it was fake, but because he thought it was too small--and Duveen was weary of small paintings (a fear that did save him later from buying another Vermeer forgery called The Young Woman Reading) (54). Lopez does not talk only about Duveen's dealings with van Meegeren, but also includes details about all his other exchanges around the same time period. This attention to historical detail, although it may initially appear frivolous, allows the reader to understand better the characters--and see them as real people with thoughts and emotions. In a successful attempt not to have the book be considered dry, Lopez includes phrases like "van Meegeren's career during the Roaring Twenties had an undesirable charm: the haut monde atmosphere, the conspiratorial strategizing, the blithe spirit of prosperous times," which paint a more vivid image in the reader's mind, while still including all the historical facts (5).
   
   I admire Jonathan Lopez's commitment to depicting van Meegeren as a well-rounded and dynamic person, and not just a one-sided character. Details Lopez includes about van Meegeren's alcoholism make him seem like a real person. Of this Lopez says that in the 1920's van Meegeren's "alcoholism was still under control: the truly destructive binges, the incoherent, gin-fueled tirades that would eventually frighten off many of his friends, had not yet begun" help the reader to understand van Meegeren as a real man (6). This seemingly does not have anything to do with van Meegeren the art forger, but it does have everything to do with van Meegeren the person. Accordingly, Lopez gives the impression that he knows van Meegeren, at least well enough to comment on his character flaws. For example, on the subject of van Meegeren's decision to forge art--rather than invent it--Lopez says, "rather than soldier on, throwing his full energy into painting his own pictures in his own name, he allowed an essential part of who he was, the genuine artist, to wither on the vine" (7). When dealing with the subject of recounting the story of an art fraud, it is simple just to tell the facts. Lopez however goes above and beyond what is easy and tells the reader not only what van Meegeren did, but also who van Meegeren was. Thus, the reader gets on know van Meegeren on a deeper, more intimate level than he might get in an average book.
   
   Lopez does not try to glorify van Meegeren's name, nor does he tiptoe around the rumors of van Meegeren's ties to fascism--he confronts the flaws face on. While many other historians romanticize the story and the tricks of van Meegeren, Lopez digs into the unpleasant truth and connects van Meegeren's work with fascism. Lopez tells his reader about van Meegeren "parroting Mein Kampf"(8) in 1928, how van Meegeren drew morbid illustrations to accompany the poems in the Nazi coffee table book Teekeningen 1, and how Hitler had a copy of Teekeningen 1 signed by van Meegeren in his possession. However, after analyzing all the facts, Lopez comes to the conclusion that van Meegeren was never committed to the Nazi party, but instead he was dedicated to "the possibility of having a successful public art career" even if it was under a different name (148). Although van Meegeren supported Hitler in his earlier years, produced art for the Nazi campaign, and ended his career after selling a pseudo-Vermeer to a Nazi general, van Meegeren did it all for the hope of artistic fame. If he had been an avid supporter of the Nazi mission, he would have formally joined the party--but "a conventional job, much less a bureaucratic one, had never been high on van Meegeren's list of desires" (148). Despite that it was all for greed, and although Lopez admires van Meegeren's artistic talent and manipulation skills, he sees "van Meegeren's affection for the Nazis [as] the biographical roadblock that makes it virtually impossible to conceive of the forger as a hero in any conventional sense" (8).
   
   In conclusion, The Man Who Made Vermeers is an elite portrayal of the scams, lies, and masterpieces of van Meegeren. Lopez seems to respect van Meegeren for what he accomplished--fooling some of the best art critics--but he also sheds light on van Meegeren's flaws. No person is perfect, and Lopez shows that with the way he depicts van Meegeren. Using historical data, artistic understanding, and by applying psychological assumptions, Lopez tells the story of the real Han van Meegeren.



3. "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.



4. 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.



5. 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.

5 comments about Contemporary Color (Design Concepts).

1. They were quick to ship the item and the book was in PERFECT condition! Will shop with them again,



2. I somehow just love this book. Very interesting and easy to read. Great condition, too!



3. This book, like many textbooks on the subject, is slightly biased and some information is based on scientific theories about the human body and psyche, and are not explained as such. Although, this book makes it much more enjoyable to read about color theory on the whole! Information is presented in an easy-to-read and easy to comprehend manner.



4. This book is packed full of useful information, and is laid out in an easy-to-read interesting way. I actually look forward to reading assignments in the class this textbook is for!



5. I found this to be an ecellent book on the subject of color and it's relationship to the art, graphic, and design world.
   I would have loved to have taken the course which uses this book as their study guide art the Art Institute of Tampa, but they only deal with Degree seeking students.
   You will find it very relative to the use of color in the Art, Graphic, and Design areas, especailly in the practical use of color in the real world.

5 comments about Basic Perspective Drawing: A Visual Guide.

1. Book is very much in good shape and delivery was much sooner than I expected which was critical since I need it to do my work.



2. I've had my copy for several months now, and it's well worn and thoroughly digested by now. This is an excellent book on perspective, which can at times be a difficult concept to master. The book is well written, with clear instruction and equally clear illustrations. I also picked up Perspective for Artists by Rex Vicant Cole, which you should also seriously consider because it adds so much more to a thorough understanding of perspective. Also very helpful to me have been They Art of Perspective and Perspective Secrets by Phil Metzger, and The Complete Guide to Perspective by John Raynes. All four of these books dovetail nicely and it is really worthwhile buying all four.



3. I have trouble getting things in perspective - especially when I start adding other buildings or objects that come in at different angles. This book is great because it gives 1, 2, and 3 point perspectives, contrast and tonal shading techniques, projections for plans, practice object drawings with curves and landscape drawings. It even gives example of people proportions, and movements, and clothing. I have been looking for a book like this for awhile. It is very easy to follow and it really has every aspect covered. A great foundation to build upon.



4. This book is the perfect perspective guide and reference. Great for beginners and knowledgeable alike. I highly recommend this book.



5. I needed this book for one of my college classes and the Amazon price was almost 3/4 cheaper then in the schools book store. This book was only used for about 3-4 months and from what I saw from the textbook... it was great. I learned a lot and I might keep it around just in case I need it for a future math class. But overall, I give it an A...

2 comments about 500 Judaica: Innovative Contemporary Ritual Art (500 Series).

1. Judaica is meant to be useful: ritual art as part of ceremony, as part of the home, as well as an expression of devotion to G-d. The five hundred photographs displayed in this beautiful, passionate book capture a diverse range of exquisite traditional and contemporary Judaica objects from leading artists and craftspeople, who dedicate their talents in objects made for the home, the synagogue, weddings, holidays, and celebrations. I still have the inexpensive menorah my family used when I was a child, as well as a silver Tree of Life menorah I purchased as an adult. I light both with my son. The emotion that wells up in me even as I type that is similar to the emotion you'll feel turning the pages of this book, seeing the beautiful artwork, and reading some quotes from the artists about their art, their families, and G-d. 500 Judaica is a very special keepsake that art collectors and families--both Jewish and non-Jewish--will treasure.



2. I'm a big fan of Lark's 500 series, and this gorgeous book may be the best of them, or at least the most powerfully resonant. Leading Judaica artists from around the world--and especially from the United States and Israel--are showcased, with their works grouped together and sometimes coupled with quotes about what making Judaica means to them.
   
   It's an amazing cross-discipline collection, displaying the depth, breadth, and passion of makers of Judaica in the world today. The ritual objects include menorahs, mezuzahs, Seder plates, tzedakah boxes, Torah pointers and much more in metal, clay, paper, fiber, glass, and wood. The book, juried by Daniel Belasco of The Jewish Museum, includes many of the most renowned Judaica artists working across the globe today. Ray Hemachandra, the book's author, has put together some of the loveliest entries in Lark's 500 series, including 500 Vases: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Form (500 Series), 500 Art Quilts: An Inspiring Collection of Contemporary Work (500 Series), 500 Cabinets: A Showcase of Design & Craftsmanship (500 Series), 500 Chairs: Celebrating Traditional & Innovative Designs (500 Series), and 500 Tables: Inspiring Interpretations of Function and Style (500 Series)
   
   Judaica is a major category for art galleries, and this book will appeal to art devotees, as well as craft fans, and of course many Jewish families will want a copy of this book in their home. I can't imagine a better present for Hanukkah ... or for any other time of year!

3 comments about The Winterthur Guide to Caring for Your Collection (Winterthur Decorative Arts Series).

1. This is a great book either if you're a museum professional or just an amateur collector who wants to understand the effect of physical and chemical forces on common collectible materials. It's easy to read and engaging.



2. This is a small book that gives the readers a basic understanding of how to care for any collection. Broken down into collection type (textiles, photographs, porcelain, toys, glass, etc.), the use of pictures and easy to understand principles has served as a quick reference to let me know what kind of preservation care would be needed for a certain item. Of course, the book is not designed to be the ultimate reference on detailed preservation care, but unless you're an expert and can access the detailed information you need from your own shelves, this serves as something that gives correct information without overwhelming those of us who might care for a personal collection or who have come across an item we are unfamiliar with. Very useful and one of my favorites!!



3. This is a great book and I have used some of the info provided to care for some textiles that I have.

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.

1 comments about XXGirls.

1. Is it art? Is it porn? It's both, or it's neither, or it fits in some weird space in-between that is unique to Richard Kern. This Kindle edition of b/w photographs looks great and makes available an out-of-print book that now sells for over a hundred dollars to collectors. Doubtless photography books will become more common in this format in the near future, and their publishers would do well to turn to XXGIRLS to see how Kern does it right.

5 comments about Direct Stone Sculpture.

1. The author understands the medium of stone well and brings the techniques to life in a way that one can visualize, reproduce and gain the desired skills. The photo illustration works well with the material. However, I rated this book as three stars instead of five because of the publishers formatting (or lack there of.) Photo groups, necessary for following along were not labeled and quite often out of order visually or even on the wrong page. It was a distraction that could have easily been fixed if it had been proof read and/or laid out a little more carefully. Also, all of the photos in the book are black and white. Normally this is not a problem, but to see some of the detail and processes described, a color section may have been warranted.
   
   Since there are few good books on the subject of direct carving in stone, I would recommend it, but with some mild hesitation and a disclaimer. From the standpoint of conveying information, it was a good book, kudos to the author. However, I don't like sloppiness and would more readily recommend a higher quality book if one existed.



2. As an utter beginner, 10-15 years ago, I purchased this book. It told me where to get rocks, tools, workbench - all of which I was able to mail-order (since he also gives addresses). I did so, and started carving on a piece of lovely pink alabaster, with only this book as a guide. I couldn't find ANY local instruction. And I did pretty well, using just this book. Go for it!



3. This was a gift for my husband. He is very pleased with this book and the information contained in it.



4. This is an excellent book on the techniques and mental process involved in learning to "direct" carve stone. You will see many examples and styles of carvings and a very through and well planned course showing how to select your stone which tools to buy and how to use them. This book contains everything you need to get started in stone.



5. This book is wonderful for the beginner or experienced person working with stone. I highly recommend this book.