2 comments about The Mirror: A History.

1. For anyone given to introspection, this is a gem. It exposes places in the heart by sourced authors from centuries ago, when human nature was far more commonly understood than it is today. The corporate rivalries in seventeenth century Europe are of interest if only to show that commerce flourished without the gasoline engine, air freight, UPS, or asphalt roads. And rivalries the size of Microsoft/Apple are not new. I enjoyed this book immensely.



2. Even though mirrors are a commonplace of everyday life and an essential part of modern technology, suprisingly little has been written about them, making this charming little book a welcome addition. It might more accurately have been subtitled "A history of the mirror in France" since it concentrates almost exclusively on that country. Subjects include the manufacture of mirrors, their use in decoration, art, literature, theology, and most especially their psychological effect on self-image - and of course their erotic implications. The author says virtually nothing about optics or technology, and the illustrations are few and poorly done. This is not a must-have book, but if you are interested in mirrors, French culture, or cultural history, it is worth reading, and would be an appropriate gift for the mirror-obsessed individual in your family.

1 comments about George Washington and His Family Paper Dolls in Full Color.

1. I remember buying this book when I was in the 5th grade ( I am now 20 years old) on a trip to Washington. I bought this book at the top of the washington monument. I remember how I could have looked through the pages a hundred times. His illustrations are to date and very detailed. I remember there being several dolls of Washington and his family and a good amount of outfits for each doll. This will be a collectors item one day.

4 comments about Handbags (POCKET COLLECTIBLES).

1. I love this book. I actually saw this in a shop at Logan Airport while waiting for my flight and decided to order it online as soon as I got back home. It's a terrific book if you are looking for inspiration when making your own handbags (I started making felted handbags recently) or if you just happen to like handbags.
   Beautiful detailed photos, elegantly presented. Includes ratings by estimated value for collectors.



2. A great book to have on hand as reference. Dimensions of the bottles would have been an advantage.



3. OK...for some Un-Godly reason Amazon has all four of Judith Miller's Pocket collectible guides from DK books linked together. If you review one of the four, it shows up on all the other three. Very Strange...
   
   Let me make it clear that this review is only for the Metal Toys Book only! Miller is the long-time collectibles and antiques expert and has assembled hundreds of classic tin, cast iron, and die-cast toys for this wonderful book. The book is sectioned by the three distinct types of metal toys I just mentioned beginning with sheet metal or tin toys. Each toy pictured is given a value range based on 1 to 5 stars with 1 star being a range of $10 - $200, and 5 stars being over $2000. Admittedly these are very broad ranges meant to reflect the condition of the item as well as the availability of the items original box and condition as well.
   
   While it's certainly no where near comprehensive, the guide does provide a fair representation of the types, styles, and manufacturers of each of these types of toys and the names are certainly well known to collectors: Dinky, Marx, Cragston, Hubley, Corgi, Tootsie, Schuco, Britains, and Hot Wheels/Mattel. Included are some great early examples of German tin toys such as a fantastic double-decker bus made by Gunthermann that gets a five star value, as well as many great post-WWII toys produced in Japan as factories that formerly made weapons were now being used to make toys. Some other great in toys pictured are the Disney Dipsey car with Donald Duck as the driver made by Marx, and the Nautilus submarine from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" made by Sutcliffe.
   
   The die-cast section features many of the gorgeous Corgi licensed toys like the Beatles Yellow Submarine, Monkeemobile, James Bond cars, and the classic 1960's Batmobile. There are also numerous Hot Wheels "redlines" pictured but while the photography is top-notch, many of the redlines pictured are in very rough condition with lots of scratches and paint nicks. It would have been nice to see some better examples used for the pictures.
   
   One small complaint is that the books is comprised almost entirely of various types of vehicles: cars, airplanes, buses, ships, trucks, wagons, tanks, etc...It was disappointing that things such as the great Japanese tin robots and space toys, and Marx military playsets were not included.
   
   That minor complaint aside, I really enjoyed thumbing through the book and it is a useful tool in recognizing, and evaluation the price of metal toys. Now I just need Amazon to fix their end!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



4. "A survey has found that an American woman owns an average of six handbags." ~Judith Miller
   
   Judith Miller has captured handbags in all their intricate beauty. Many of these bags exist in museums and it is very unlikely that we could observe them all in a lifetime. So, this book is invaluable in that regard. Like Judith Miller's book on perfume bottles, this book exceeds expectations.
   
   The bags range in age from Pre-1890s to the 1970s and present day selections. Each chapter contains historical information, unique quotes and full-color pictures showing the most intricate details and evolution of the beloved handbag. Here we find the original mobile phone, a phone that is shaped as a bag that actually can be plugged in to make calls. One can only imagine those surprise long distance charges after a friend stops by for a visit.
   
   Red velvet Turkish bags with gold embroidery and French beaded purses all live happily amongst pages displaying everything from beadwork to precious metals and leather. There are purses shaped like phones, flowers, accordions, boxes, baskets, wicker parasols, birdhouses, birds and adorable toy rabbits. If you have any interest in Vintage clothes, you may rather enjoy reading about the magazine clutch bag.
   
   With over 400 designs to choose from, this is the ultimate handbag book, it could even fit in a handbag. You will be left with a feeling of: "I simply must have that bag on page ____." However, it is probably in a museum and one can only hope a designer finds this book and makes a modern replica. From the playful to the elegant, there is something to enjoy and many memorable handbags are featured in this wonderful book.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review

No comments about Felted Wool Fashions: Making New Styles from Old Knits.

2 comments about Runway Madness.

1. I was fascinated by Perkins' book examining the fashon industry---something that was quite foreign to me. His insightful photographic analysis of the industry and the people opened a new understanding of this activity so foreign to those of us in west Texas. His photographs conveyed the the energy, the joy and despair, anxiety and confidence that accompanies modeling. A great "inside look" by an immanently accomplished photographer.



2. The books cover caught my attention, I picked it up, looked at it and knew I had to buy it. As a photographer I found this book to be a new way of looking at the world of fashion. "Runway Madness," takes you on a journey of what happens backstage during a fashion show. This book is perfect for anyone who likes fashion and photography.

No comments about Sew Easy-As-Pie.

3 comments about It's In the Bag: What Purses Reveal---and Conceal.

1. I was expecting more of an academic, historical and psychological analysis of the actual meaning that handbags (and personal items) have to people. The book touched on this BRIEFLY a few times. But, the rest of the book discussed brand/label history of designers and name dropped.
   
   I was a bit dissapointed. If you're looking for a book on handbag design history, or light coffee table reading, you might enjoy this book. If you want to dig deeper into the psychological meaning that objects have for you, this book (suprisingly) will not do much for you.



2. There are entire specialties of scholarly inquiry into the meaning of the things in our lives. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who researches humans' everyday lives and things shows that people " -- especially women -- particularly value 'contemplative objects' that have positive associations and represent dimensions of who we are" (p. 66). The lovely and engaging, charmingly reported IT'S IN THE BAG: WHAT PURSES REVEAL AND CONCEAL by Winifred Gallagher sheds light on what purses mean, their history, how certain ones become "IT" and how women relate to these objects in their lives. As a woman who never seems to have enough purses, I was very curious about what I would learn in this book and very gratified by what I found here.
   
   Gallagher, who has written for the Atlantic Monthly, Rolling Stone and the New York Times, and has written books on spirituality, among other topics, takes her reportage on this issue just seriously enough. (In the conclusion she states that a purse isn't going to change anyone's life significantly.) But she does examine just thoroughly enough the historical context of the purse, how they are produced, who makes decisions about the accessories we carry (even when we purport not to care, we are carrying out the vision of someone, somewhere who does!), why women are attached to their handbags and the individual stories of specific women (such as Gov. Ann Richards, who designed her own for the utmost utility and attractiveness). She quotes designers, fashion directors, store buyers and purse connoisseurs and obsessives. She talks to everyone from French marketing research guru Clotaire Rapaille to Isaak Mizrahi ("You cannot ignore your hair or your shoes or your bra--those things you must, must, must come to terms with. But...your bag can be your totally functional friend or your amusing court jester" [p. 62].)
   
   I found the chapter on why we care absolutely fascinating and illuminating. I remember a while ago saying to my husband, "What is it about purses that is so irresistible to me?" He said, "Maybe you just like them." But now I know there are ways to parse and understand that interest, which relates back to how individuals endow certain objects with meaning, which according to Csikszentmihalyi is part of an individual's necessary development of self. Purses appeal because they answer behavioral needs (or utility needs such as carrying the things busy women need on their long, demanding days), visceral needs (appealing to the woman both visually and tactically) and reflective needs (calling to mind something from our past that had emotional meaning for us, such as a mother's fine-leather handbag). We certainly know that we make more decisions on the emotional-subconscious level than we often admit. A purse that speaks to a woman on all these levels may cause her to plunk down $1,200 to $2,000 for a handbag!
   
   I thought this book was completely enjoyable, and adds to the constantly evolving portrait we have of the contemporary woman. I recommend it!



3. amazingly interesting how the handbag for women is now the equivelant of the wristwatch or italian sportscar for a man.

No comments about Medieval Clothing and Textiles 3 (Medieval Clothing and Textiles) (Medieval Clothing and Textiles).

No comments about Greer Garson Paper Dolls.

2 comments about Print in Fashion: Design, Development and Technique in Fashion Textiles.

1. I got this book for a digital surface design class that I am taking. I thought that it would be a really cool book and I had actually flipped through it once. Yet when I got it, I was a little dissapointed. The author does not carry her thoughts well from one paragraph to another. I feel like she uses big words that she might not necessarily understand completely...oh and there is a missing page :(



2. I loved this book - very inspirational - gave me lots of insight on top designers that I hadn't read about elsewhere. Total eye candy. I highly suggest this book for anyone in the design biz or who just needs inspiration and is a real lover of prints and patterns.