3 comments about Art: A World History.

1. This is a good book for those who slept through high school or college art history and now wish they had a bit more background for enjoying their local museum of art. The book is VERY concise and provides relevant historical perspectives. The page size is small (it is really a very thick handbook) so the photos of the various pieces are hard to appreciate. I have enjoyed going through it, however, and it has provided the foundation I was looking for.



2. Art: A World History
   A great book for the price. It is not all inclusive but there is vast amounts of information here.
   I would recommend it!



3. This book was just what I had been searching for: a well-illustrated, thorough - yet concise - "all-encompassing" book of world art. This work covers individuals/creations from ancient times to present, and provides timelines and interesting facts like brief artist bios, the current locations of the featured masterpieces, and the official names of each artistic "period." Each artist gets his/her own few pages, describing his/her style/history, and there are tons of images, including one of the artist him/herself. It's quite substantial, and the pages have a high-quality shine. This is a great reference book and a jumping-off point for more in-depth exploration into art history and the people who shaped it.

5 comments about The Rejection Collection: Cartoons You Never Saw, and Never Will See, in The New Yorker.

1. The Rejection Collection is a must for any book lover's collection. The concept of this book is particularly appealing - a glimpse into a cartoon artist's mind and into the standards of the New Yorker. By reading The Rejection Collection, you will have the rare opportunity to see into the childhood of each artist and discover the unusual, often brilliant, thinking process of the cartoonist. I guarantee that you will laugh out laud with each page. My husband and I regularly give this book as a gift - and always receive an exuberant thank you.



2. I love NY'er cartoons. These aren't rejects--these were too outre, too funny, too rude, smart, outrageous, on point... Just be careful to read these on or near well-upholstered surfaces. You'll hurt yourself laughing so much collapsed on a hard wood floor.



3. While the cartoons in this book are still New Yorker style, I found most of them not funny or to the point but besides the point - if there was any.
   It became very obvious to me why these got rejected, and I strongly recommend to purchase one of the collections of cartoons that were not rejected.



4. Truly funny and very creative.. and I loved the "questionnaires" filled out by each cartoonist. Looking forward to all future R.C's.



5. Definitely funny! And while admittedly edgier than The New Yorker (language, bodily functions, gore), it's not offensive.
   
   Even better than the cartoons are the accompanying photos of featured cartoonists and their clever responses to a (probably intentionally lame) questionnaire.

4 comments about Logo.

1. This is a great reference. Most of the designs are in black and white, which does emphasize the form. As designers, it's important for us to understand that shape might be the most distinctive aspect of a logo. This book includes backgrounds and cites the designer for nearly every of the 1300 logos featured.



2. This is a nicely conceived book but has a few problems. None of which stopped me from buying it!
   The design and typography used to differentiate sections of the book (groups and categories in the book or classifications of types of symbols, logotypes, signatures, etc.) is difficult to use. If the actual type and design to differentiate these sections had been more clearly done, the book would have been much more useful and leveraged one of its greatest assets. (So, whoever designed the book made that mistake!)
   The last section of the book is on multiple solutions used for one identity. This is in contrast to most identity design which uses only one logo or symbol (Apple, Nike, 99% of the book).
   This multiple identity solution (sorry, the author calls it something else but I don't have the book with me at home while I write this) is a trend that is emerging slowly over the past 10-15 years. But the coverage in this book is very thin. There are a number of other examples of this method which are not included. I wish there was more on this.
   One thing I would like to have seen more of is deeper historical context of identities. More text on, about, why, and who of each or most of the designs. Right now, it is just a picture collection.
   Not so much a flaw but something to consider - This book has the greats. Old and newer and very new. But it also has some real silly stinker examples. You wonder, why is that logo in here? For example: the ugly reworking of the UPS logotype shield. Why include this? (and I am not a fan of Paul Rands original although, it would have been far better to included for historical impact purposes)
   Indeed, this is the bible and shows the good, the bad, and the ugly but all on a level playing field.



3. I can't possibly explain the scope of the book briefly; therefore, I will explain some of the benefits, challenges and basic layout of Logo. First of all, the book covers over 1,300 different corporate brand marks currently in use around the world and categorises them by a similar characteristic shared by each logo such as a chapter featuring handwritten typefaces, a chapter on square logos, 3D logos, etc. The book is mostly in black and white with the use of colour being used sparingly, which is unfortunate as colour is an important element of some of these logos, if not the most important. Seeing the Pepsi logo in greyscale, without seeing how it uses its red and blue gradients, is disappointing.
   However, the book is satisfying by the sheer quantity of logos being printed and is a rich source for inspiration and reference. The editors reference every logo, so you know the year and the designer and most references include a little spiel about how a logo came to be, why it was accepted and why it works. A must have for graphic designers just because of its convenience.



4. As a design student, I have been looking for a book that has collection of logo to reference and analyze. This book is a great reference to see logos that are substantial and corporate. It contains logos that are well known to small. Also, most of all the logos are in black and white which I find it better to understand the form.

5 comments about Visual Grammar (Design Briefs).

1. I stumbled on this book at the local library and found it a very fascinating read. I've been involved in graphic production for years and can push the objects around on the comp, but never really knew the basics and foundation of visual language.
   
   This is a great primer to learn the basic concepts that lead one to want to learn the syntax and the structure of the visual nouns learned.
   
   This is something I will purchase and pore over until I learn the concepts.



2. Wow. Thats just it for this book. Seriously, someone wanted a publication and farted this thing out. I mean, it gives you the vocab of the elements...thats it. Im a college design teacher and this book would be great for a middle-school art/design class.
   
   If you want simplistic...this may be for you.



3. This book certainly takes the simplicity route. It is ruthlessly straightforward in regards to expressing it's information, in a layout that is without a doubt concise and efficient. The nadir? It also unfortunately reads like stereo instructions and the knowledge it tries to impart is thoroughly basic at best. Simple shapes and the like may be the building blocks of structure, but without any really tangible information to be gleaned we are left with an attractive skeleton. Yes there are some bits of wisdom in this book as well as some fetching Adobe Illustrator rendered graphics, but by and large we're just left with more white space than a snowstorm. I really do think people should form their own opinions about reference materials however, maybe you could learn a great deal from this work. Buy it, try it, but I honestly can't envision the need for this volume in light of so many other exemplary works on the subject.



4. Everything was excellent except the quality of the binding on the book. it isn't bad enough for me to want to return it but it is something to mention.



5. The standard for visual literacy was set by Dondis A. Dondis in 1973 with "A Primer of Visual Literacy". However, it was (is) a heavy read. Christian Leborg's "Visual Grammar" gives us a more visual approach to the subject. His thesis is that we cannot understand the visual images that assault our eyes unless we share a common understanding of the symbols involved. Leborg enlightens us with a symplified but nonetheless complex view of symbols that are abstract, concrete, active, and relative. It's an interesting exploration using only basic geometric shapes. This is a "must have" book for those who teach design and a desirable book for students. All you need to know is that it is published by Princeton Architectural Press. Princeton publishes some of the most important books on design. Their positive discrimination is evident in all of their publications.

5 comments about My New York: New Anniversary Edition.

1. I purchased this book in NYC a week ago and just tossed it in the trash; wish I had viewed more carefully before purchasing. Should have known when I saw "Celebrity Centre" noted on the lovely map on the inside cover. My suspicions were confirmed with the depiction of John Travolta & family on the following page, billboards for "Dianetics" in the New Years' Eve/Times Square scene, etc. No thanks.



2. The idea of the story is very cute. A letter is written to a friend that will be coming to NYC. The pictures, though, are wonderful. The are very colorful and take you all over the city. Love this book!



3. By PHIL
   
   I'm happy I read this book because there are many cool things in this book. It explains all the cool things that you can do in New York City. It has the whispering room in Grand Central Station. You whisper into one corner and someone whispers at the other and you can hear each other.
   And lots of things like that. It is mostly for kids 7-11 years old but adult tourists will like it to.
   
   ...Story Board...
   
   It's about a girl that made an agreement with her mom to go on trips every weekend. The girl's name is Becky. She and her mom go to places that are fun in New York.
   
   On one trip they go to Radio City Music Hall to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Her friend Martin comes with her. In the book, she describes how the orchestra rises out of the floor in the beginning and then goes back in. I went to this show with my parents and this really does happen!
   
   They also go to the New York Public Library, Central Park Zoo, the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, Times Square and other cool places.
   
   I recommend this book to any tourist trying to find fun stuff to do when visiting New York City.
   
   This Book Is So Darn Cool!!!



4. Bought this for my little cousins overseas to help them understand where we live. Apperently their mother likes it more than them! Now they know where I'm talking about when i say we went to Central park today or the zoo. i'll be buying more for my friends children as gifts. Great book.



5. The pictures are colorful, very detailed, and are a lot of fun to look at. It's narrated by a little girl who's venturing the famous sites of NYC. I had fun reading it and I'm
   sure kids will like it. I got the new anniversary edition. I really recommend it. NYC may change years from now. This book captures and reminisces our exciting city during our time...2002.

5 comments about Art on the Edge and Over: Searching for Art's Meaning in Contemporary Society, 1970s-1990s.

1. The book is very informative on the artists,talks about their different pieces, I just wish it was in color instead of black and white because it takes away from the pieces meaning and depth



2. Read this book for a non-traditional studio class and it was a great introduction to many contemporary artists I did not know.



3. I can't believe that there are so many positive reviews for this book. Aside from any personal preferences, did anyone else notice that the text is FULL of grammatical mistakes? Even the artists' names are not spelled consistently the same way throughout an article. If you don't believe me, count the number of times she uses Mesa-Bains and then the number of times she uses Mesa-Baines.
   
   Aside from that, the writing style is simply awful, although I guess with this kind of subject matter, it's hard to do much better. This book, along with my Studio Art class, has helped me to develop a strong disliking for most of the contemporary art that is gaining attention. It is thoroughly disturbing and pointless. None of the artists manage to successfully convey their messages. I am very glad to never have to see this book again.



4. as a MFA student thats currently being educated by "the institution" i find myself flip flopping between wanting to drop out or drop in...this book didn't save me but it sure put things in perspective, never before in a book have I seen cover such topics where you can find Barbara Kruger and James Luna and Joseph Beuys and Tomie Arai between the same cover's in a book. This book also addresses an important issue for me. race. The art world is racist and if you don't know that just look around, art is life and a reflection of society and if you dont know that its because your a white (sorry but its true). This book may not address it but it surely helps to have some artists of color represented (although they aren't near the best art makers).



5. I guess this book is meant as a real "intro" text, but if you do know something about this art, it seems pretty lite. Clearly, lots of people like it, but Weintraub seems to bend so far over to make complex work accessible that she really over-simplifines. And the "art" in the book is so scattered and uneven, you don't get any deeper sense of what is going on, what the historical context of any of this might be.

   Granted, there aren't many intro texts on recent art. So if this is one of the "better" ones, it's mostly for lack of competition. I wish there was some accessible middle ground between pop/gossip texts and academic tomes. This feels like it's written from someone really distant to the work, who's not always that well-informed.

5 comments about Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing.

1. This is a most outstanding work on the anatomic and physiologic concepts underlying visual perception. It is aimed at any interested layman and should be required reading for visual artists, neuro-physiologists and any vision science practitioners. It requires attentive reading initially, but the extent of its insights are breathtakingly rewarding for those efforts. It is a visually stunning book that is the product of an inquiring and perceptive mind who is a senior member of the neuro-physiology faculty at Harvard. As an ophthalmologist and vision scientist-educator, I have strongly recommended it to trainees and older colleagues alike. Try it - you'll like it. MAH



2. A very good book with great pictures that demonstrate key vision concepts. Near the end of the book, however, I started to skim the chapters because it became too tedious to read - very technical book overall.
   
   I bought a used copy and noticed "student underling" in the first chapter, but an abrupt end to underlining in the second chapter. You know what that means: "This course is not what I expected; I'm dropping out!"
   The student and I feel the same way, but I got a lot further.
   
   Buy it, but I found Robert L. Solso's book The Psychology of Art and the Evolution of the Conscious Brain to be a far more exciting read. That one is a five star easily.
   
   Another more engaging book covers many of the same things as Livingstone's but in a more readable style: Visual Intelligence by Donald D. Hoffman.
   
   So, if your interested in vision, etc. I'd start with Solso, then move to Hoffman, and lastly to Livingstone.



3. This is a book that every teacher of photography and serious photographer should read and study and re-read. Although the book contains no photographic examples, there are plenty of examples in famous paintings to support the visual research Dr. Livingtson so clearly writes about. The examples in paintings are easily transferable
   to a number of familiar and famous photographs.
   Ever wonder what Ansel Adams and Edward Weston were so successful with the black-and-white photographs but not with their color photographs? I have, and her book has provided me with insights into this and other photographic practices.



4. After reading it, you'll want to keep it close to you. That way, you'll never forget how important art and science are in your life.



5. Margaret Livingstone has produced a book so very useful to visual artists that it may, in its density of ideas, seem definitive rather than evocative. But evocative it is. As we learn from studying it, Livingstone's book offers implications that may be developed by any artist who reads it in almost any direction. One might take as an example the very rich Chapter 8, with its notions of luminance as a balance for the salience, or pushiness of certain colors - how Leonardo handled it, how Ingres handled it, and how today's painter or digital image maker might go even further. The size and shape of the book allow for illustrations that work on the eye at the right scale. And there is an overall visual loudness to the book that is jarring and satisfying.

   The author gets to the structure of our visual systems, makes them very clear, and tells us things that are lasting and verifiable. Her spirit of personal experimentation shows in the book, and makes us think that looking inquisitively at the world will pay off.

5 comments about Designer's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Color Theory and Application.

1. This book had been recommended for a graphic design class but it was too text based. I found some other books on color that dealt with the subject more effectively with less a technical/abstract approach. The abstract method of explaining color scientifically that this author used did not reach me so much. I found myself trying to translate his meanings in my head. Books that explain color in terms of psychological and emotional effects make a lot more sense to me and quickly get at the impact of color on an intuitional level...where it actually hits the audience.



2. The product was as described and it was fine, but it took over a month to ship, which is ridiculous. The project I needed it for was done and turned in by the time I actually received the book.



3. A book dedicated to colors really can't afford making a major mistake as found on page 26 where Cyan is described as the mixture of Red and Blue. Not only in words, but also in a colorful RGB model. (Cyan is a mixture of Green and Blue). I just bought this book to get a clear introduction in (the theory of) colors and being and this mistake confused me a lot. Thank the Spirit for Wikipedia :).
   Anyway, I still recommend this book because it tries to explore allmost every aspect of colors and I like the design !!
   Jan Hoogesteijn, Amsterdam Netherlands



4. I bought this book because I don't have an arts background, but am starting to expand my efforts in the field of graphic design. This book is laid out in a superb format. Each sub topic spans only a single double page, and there are plenty of pictures and captions to illustrate and reinforce the points raised.
   
   The subject area is broad, and many different aspects of colour are covered ranging from the history and perception of colour to issues such as colour blindness right though to some common Photoshop techniques for colour correction.
   
   As I sat holding this pleasantly heavy book in my hand it occured to me that I felt as if I was being drawn back into my childhood, staring with fascination into those "how things work" encyclopedia-style books with cut-out cross-sections of machines and other interesting tidbits. Do you remember how you could just keep looking at those types of books time and time and again, and just look at the pictures and captions if you wanted to?
   
   This is a book that I feel I could put on my coffee table rather than my reference bookshelf, but that by no means that it is not useful as a reference, at least for me. If you are looking for detailed examination of something specific then you may want to choose a different book, but if you want to get a broad overview and awareness of something we are surrounded by all the time (colour!), then I think this is an excellent choice.



5. Color is the foundation of successful design, and so many designer's guides focus on the finer art of using color effectively. Tom Fraser and Adam Banks' Designer's Color Manual brings together key basic concepts of color theory for a title which focuses on the marriage between theory and application. From color psychology and the underlying effects of color on mental state and observational arts to color in craft and the social environment, introductory concepts evolve into easy step-by-step techniques for using color in a design environment. Add over 1,000 color images and you have a winning text in Designer's Color Manual.

No comments about Publication Design Workbook.

5 comments about Magic Eye Gallery: A Showing Of 88 Images.

1. I really love these books. I am fascinated by the technique used to get the 3-d affect. I have everyone out.



2. This book is packed with more images than any other I own, and more vivid colors. I have a lot of favorite pictures, and I love that there are varying degrees of difficulty and depth so theres something for everyone in this book. My only regret is that I cant frame a couple of them as abstract art on my walls. If your looking for an all inclusive book of Magic Eye visual art, this is definately my top choice and top recommendation.



3. (3.5 stars) I've always been a huge fan of Magic Eye images, and I wanted to find a large collection that might keep several grandchildren busy and having fun during the winter holidays. This collection of 3D images, however, proved to be something of a disappointment. Though there are several hidden pictures that are clear and very professionally done (an image of football players and one of an eagle hunting, for example), about twenty-five percent of the images are either unclear, ill-defined, or uninteresting as subject matter.
   
   Two "glass" images are simply the 3D version of the flat image. Five pages contain "no image" at all. Two mazes appear, but only one can be solved--the other has two dead ends at the beginning. Other questionable images include two jet planes with a target site superimposed, making the picture appear confused, a chariot race in which the chariot is unclear and the driver looks like a triangle; and Saturn with its rings where the bottom half of the planet is so hard to see, that the image look like a ranger's hat. Some images of little interest include those of yin and yang, a tapestry weave, an ugly cone, a cube, a car driven by a wolf, a ball seen through mesh, op art, symbols for male and female, four puzzle pieces, and penguins (not polar bears) in front of an igloo (?!?).
   
   I really enjoy this series, but this selection was not interesting to my audience, who felt that many images were just too much work for an image of little interest. In total, I found fifty-seven of the eighty-eight images to be acceptable to good, and two are excellent. Thirty-one, which I marked in the corner so people could skip them, were inferior and detracted from what could have been a terrific collection. n Mary Whipple



4. Magic Eye Gallery: A Showing Of 88 Images
   by N.E. Thing Enterprises
   
   I am pleasantly surprised that this treasury of eighty-eight colourful random-dot stereograms is still around. The publisher is apparently the leading pioneer in this field. I thought the 'craze' had faded towards the end of the nineties.
   
   Personally, I am also fascinated by random-dot stereograms. My first exposure to them happened when I attended the PhotoReading workshop in 1992 & then reading Andrew Kinsman's wonderful book, 'Random Dot Stereograms', about the same time. Besides books, I have also amassed a large collection of posters & post-cards in the same genre.
   
   My personal stance towards random-dot stereograms is that they help to demonstrate the two specific phenomena of human perception i.e. binocular disparity & stereoscopic vision.
   
   Although they are great fun to play with, I find them very educational in understanding - & appreciating - how the brain really works! In actuality, each of your two eye balls take in sensory data independently from each other. To see a random dot stereogram, your two eye balls must work together as a coordinated team to sustain a soft focus (or unfocused gaze). In other words, it takes two eye balls to tango!
   
   For some people, random dot stereograms may be difficult to see (especially during the first attempt) when compared to conventional visual illusions found in 'Can You Believe Your Eyes' & 'Seeing Double' by J Richard Block respectively.
   
   I often notice that many people can see the colourful random dot stereograms more readily than the black & white ones!
   
   For your further visual entertainment, I would like to suggest the following collections, also published by N E Thing Enterprises:
   
   - Magic Eye: A New Way of Looking at the World;
   - Magic Eye Vol 2;
   - Magic Eye Vol 3;
   - Magic Eye: A New Bag of Tricks;
   
   To conclude this review, I can only say that when you can readily see random dot stereograms, irrespective whether they are in colour or black & white, you will be able to understand & appreciate the power of 'splatter vision' practised by secret service agents, army snipers, fighter pilots, martial artists, fast readers, animal hunters & nature observers.



5. This book it TOTTALLY amazing. it has a hidden 3-d image inside a 3-d backaround. I do not even no how they do it without 3-d glasses. It is so easy to use to when you get used to it. later on you will just start starring into random pictures. You may think that is stupid but even though it sounds boring it, you will be sitting down starring at one picture for so long. You will love the stunning 3-d effects. I started getting into this by buying a 3-d spongebob book. It didn't include 3-d glasses so I borroed them. Then I tyhought myswell have some fun wlile I have the 3-d glasses so I searched the internet for pictures that need 3-d glasses. I found so much. Then I learned the cross eyed one. I get that one. Then i learned the parrelell trick. That was o.k. Then I found a wierd site in my search results. It said "magic eye". I looked at it. Then the next day I hatdto give the glasses back. I was sad. I looked at that site again [...] I noticed it did not need 3-d glasses and there was only one image of it instead of 2. I looked into it. I did not believe it at first. I thought it was fake. To see if i was right I printed one out. I looked at the directions. I got fustratted because I couldn't see it(it was saturn). right befor I was about to put it down I saw a big 3-d circle made of stars. Then a ring sorrounded it. I was amazed