1 comments about Brushes and Bayonets: Cartoons, sketches and paintings of World War I (General Military).

1. Over 200 illustrations taken from the archives of the Illustrated London News covers a range of newspaper and magazine images, from strip cartoons and line drawings to sketches and paintings. Highly recommended for art libraries strong in military art history, and for any collection strong in World War II archives.

1 comments about The Diaries of Paul Klee, 1898-1918.

1. When I picked up the Paul Klee Diaries it fell open to the sentence every artist must secretly yearn to see: "...I am still incapable of painting, in spite of my sharp observation of tonal values and inspite of my clever way of determining the proper gradations of light and dark." Well! If he had trouble, there must be hope for the rest of us! The diaries, edited by his son and published posthumously, cover his 19th to 40th years as he travels, attends concerts, draws, paints and engages in intense artistic discourse with friends like Kandinsky and Macke. An exquisite writer, Klee captures whole experiences in a few brief words. The book is a chronicle of the development of both the artist and the art of his time. I especially liked the precise descriptions of his drawing experiments and periodic review of his progress. His grasp of techniques and insights into the creative process can be returned to again and again.

5 comments about Sentences:: The Life of M.F. Grimm.

1. i heard him on "fresh air" on npr and he sounded pretty interesting and well spoken and like he had alot of worthwhile interesting ideas; and without saying that im a fan of them generally, i like comic books sometimes. this ones alright, i actually like the npr segment way better though. cant deny that its an interesting story, and i was excited to read this book, but i thought it was only ok, and was wishing itd be great.



2. A student leant me this book; I read it in a day. He gave it to me because he knew this might be a book I would really like. Here's my letter to the student:
   
   Thanks for letting me read this novel, and at first I really liked it. I was enthralled by how this world of MF Grimm could be captured in book-form, and I marveled at this African-American writer's ability to replicate the "sound of the street." After a while, however, at the author's urging, I started to realize that this book sounded like any of those movies we see about the tough streets and could have been written by anyone: white, black, Asian, whoever.
   
   As for the story itself, I won't lie. I think it was after all of the lists of the great hip-hop artists, page after page, that I got bored. Then I realized while I KNEW I was supposed to be identifying with this dude, with all of his tough times, with how horrible the world was treating him, page after page, I couldn't help but see that he made one stupid choice after another. Sure he takes responsibility in a little thought bubble here and there but it never seems authentic, never changes his next actions.
   
   I skipped final pages `cause like "he" said in a slightly different way, I am not that interested.
   
   I guess I am supposed to be mesmerized by how tough this dude is, by how cool he was to have known the hip-hop greats, by how horribly the world and white folks, treated him, but I'm not.
   
   The way he tells the story (even that final moment when he draws himself standing up at the end because at least he can do that in his own personal book) seemed like whining.
   
   "Dude, your mother was right!" You made a boat-load of mistakes, never learned from one, wrote a book that is a platform for you to whine...
   
   The question is...why did Vertigo ever publish this? Guess they thought guys like you and me would want to hear this guy's story. But I need a story that has something; something more than an "epic" graphic novel about self-pity and the refusal to own up to mistakes AND to learn from them.



3. REAL RATING = 4.5 STARS
   
   First off, let me say that MF Grimm is one of my favorite rappers of all-time. This is saying a lot, considering that rap music is basically everything I love. MF Grimm represents everything that can happen to real gangsters. His life is not only one of the most interesting biographies you can think of, but it should also serve as a model of what NOT to do. So when I heard that there was going to be a graphic novel released on his life, you can understand how happy I was that this was being acknowledged.
   
   When I finally picked up a copy, I read the whole book in about an hour and a half. Of course, I knew this was going to be the case, and you should understand this too so you don't end up disappointed with the short read. Graphic novels tend to run very quickly. As fast as the read was though, it was definitely one of the best recent publications I've read. As much as I researched his biography when I was just a fan of his music earlier in the millennium, there was nothing like reading about it straight from the man himself, with images to back it up. Even an avid fan would learn a thing or two about Grimm's life from the 128 pages, like more details of the events that led up to his unfortunate downfall (I would go more into detail but I don't want to include any spoilers to those unfamiliar with the man). There are many details about his friends, family, and everything around him that made his life what it is, which should hold a fan's interest as much as the story itself should hold a casual reader's.
   
   Still, I feel that the book might have been truly 5-star worthy if it was a bit longer. There are so many events in Grimm's life that I can see many people getting lost in the fast-paced action. The book does only scratch the surface of Grimm's life, possibly because of space limitation, but what is included is still very enthralling and informative. I believe that the nature of the graphic novel might just achieve Grimm's goal of helping lost kids get back on the right path. This novel will serve very well to wake the public eye to the life of MF Grimm. I just hope that Grimm does a follow up with more detail, or maybe even a full length autobiography. Who knows. All that matters is that this book is amazing, even if you might not exactly be Grimm's target audience, because Grimm's life is, to put it simply, very, very interesting. So do yourself a favor and make the purchase. It's worth the price.



4. I heard Percy Carey on Terri Gross' fresh air. He's what happens to you when you DON'T learn how to argue well, and stay stuck in the scorched-earth policies of the dog parks: he hurled his body through life, eventually got shot, and ended up in a wheelchair and crawling around in prison. Now I don't usually care about such stories because I've been around too much craziness, but it was a good and scary-sweet/little-big story precisely because Percy Carey is so humbled and becomes like this Zen master guy, without turning into a frail white vegan guy with a crew cut and glasses.
   
   After blustering around like a peacock with all the other boys, he finally turns into this seriously major MAN. Someone you quietly nod respect to. He's amazing and I hope he does well from here on out. His book is an amazing gift and he's truly good people.
   
   People who were never bad can be scary boring and suddenly snap and stab you. But people who never grow out of all that kid stuff are downright tedious. But not this man. You can tell he not only went through a physical death, but a spiritual death and has come through it. Anyone who had to crawl around a holding cell without his chair...whoa, I've only spent a day or two in jail and being that close to the ground for multiple days is enough to make you a holy man right there.
   
   And you've gotta really die to live, right? Well his life and Truth radiates through the pages.
   
   Anyhow, buy Percy Carey's book NEW because you want to support an artist like that who's trying to do his own thing after all that hell. He doesn't get a cent off the used copies for sale here. Besides, it's a beautifully illustrated story on glossy paper. Do you really want someone else's greasy, grubby fingerprints on your new book? You've heard those studies about all that stuff they find on people's dirty hands on keyboards and doorknobs, right? Buy his work new! It's worth it.
   
   --Erika Lopez, San Francisco



5. There is a lot to this book and the story left me wanting more -- Maybe a movie and even a novelized version.
   
   It's the confessions of a rapper, dealer, convict,and eventual producer/author. That's the gist of it but you've gotta see how it all unfolds.
   
   He chronicles the triumph of rising in the Hip Hop world and then the flip side of gang banging, dealing, and incarceration. The ups and downs never end as he goes through getting shot, paralyzed, incarcerated and how he comes back. There some interesting things he observes while he is incarcerated as well. I could definitely get into a more detailed and longer treatment of his story.

1 comments about Union Station.

1. This is a very worthwhile read for anyone who is interested in the Depression era, particularly in gangsters of the period. The fact that it is a "graphic novel" may be distracting to some, but nevertheless, it is a well crafted story that tells the events of of the massacre at Kansas City's Union Station that allowed J. Edgar Hoover to gain the publicity and clout he needed to fully arm his G-men and be given a free hand in law enforcement from that day forward. FBI men even today will still swear that Pretty Boy Floyd was at the scene, despite a good amount of evidence to the contrary. IF one is to nitpick, the only failings of this book is that by creating fictional characters and putting some real people in places they were not (which the author Ande Parks admits in his notes), it undoes the very thing it seems to set out to do, which is do an authentic, factual retelling of the true story. Overall, though, very good.

No comments about Curiosity and Enlightenment: Collectors and Collections from the Sixteenth to Nineteenth Century.

5 comments about How to Use Your Eyes.

1. HOW TO USE YOUR EYES
   by James Elkin
   
   I am a strong believer in the power of observation. Learning to see, really see, is not as easy as we would like to believe. Observation simply meant to notice, perceive or watch attentively, as Webster's Dictionary suggests. Observation is more than looking, it is learning from looking.
   
   Why is it so important to be observant? I have come to realise that it is the vital key to optimum performance in science, in business, in sports & in other life pursuits, e.g. reading & writing, photography, etc. In reality, it's a critical survival skill!
   
   Thousand years ago, Leonardo da vinci had proven its significance in his varied field of expertise. He said, in order to attain a complete mind, one must learn how to use all our senses, especially learn how to see.
   
   Edward de bono, recognised as the world's authority on creativity, talked about it - perceptual sensitivity - first in his seminal work, Mechanism of Mind, in the late 60's & then in his many subsequent books on lateral thinking.
   
   Many consultants/authors have since then pursued & reinforced the same line of thought.
   
   Interestingly, to share with readers, I noted that the common denominator in the following important business words:
   
   vision, visionary, imagination, illumination, enlightenment, foresight, farsighted, perspective, viewpoint, spectacle, inspection;
   
   has a visual component: 'seeing'. Come to think about it, the word 'seer' even has 'see' in it!
   
   I have also learned that the word 'idea' has its origins from a Greek word, which means 'to see'. Even the word 'intuition' originates from a Latin word 'intueri' which also means 'to see'.
   
   So, how does one develop & enhance the power of observation?
   
   I have found one very good book on the subject. It's 'How to Use Your Eyes' by James Elkin, who shares many techniques & tips. His book is both visually stunning & mentally stimulating. It is more of a field guide as the reader needs to physically exercise the 'world experience' by himself rather than just sit back & enjoy the 'word experience'!
   
   In terms of my own 'world experience', my favorite chapters in the book have been:
   
   How to look at:
   
   - a postage stamp;
   - pavement;
   - engineering drawing (should have known this when I was an engineer);
   - mandalas (may be too esoteric for some readers!);
   - perspective pictures;
   - a map;
   - a face;
   - a fingerprint - with the aid of a magnifying glass, of course);
   - grass;
   - a twig;
   - sand;
   - sunset;
   - inside of your eye;
   - colours;
   - nothing (this one almost drove me bonkers!);
   
   Frankly, I did not realise that there are so many things to see from "universally unnoticed" objects around me.
   
   To share with readers, I would like to suggest another very good book, i.e. 'Playful Perceptions: Choosing How to Exerience Your World' by Herbert Leff.
   
   'Everyday Wonders: Encountering with the Astonishing World Around Us' by Barry Evans is worth exploring, too.



2. I ran across this while browsing through the QP section in my college library (QP being physiology, which is a bit odd; it really should be under the T section). The general theme of the book is looking at objects or aspects of objects which people often overlook. It's an excellent book for anyone with techy/nerdy interests in general, amateur artists, and science and art history students.
   
   It might also be an unusual but very nice present for the kind of bright child who likes the Dorling Kindersley sort of books with lots of photos and explanations. They could browse through the pictures and then dig into the text as they get older. I know I'd have loved this when I was ten.
   
   The book deals with very specific cases such as perspective drawings, X-rays, and bridge engineering, but reading it is also a great reminder to literally look at the little things in life - there's an amazing amount of information and beauty to be found in small details.



3. ...particularly the chapter "How to Look at Oil Painings". The chapter is about looking at the crack pattern on the back of an oil painting and how you can tell a lot of information about the type of painting, and when it was painted, just from that crack pattern. Lots of the other chapters are excellent as well, but this one tickles me each time I reread it. I would recommend a prospective buyer pick up a copy at a bookstore, and read a chapter at random. If you like that chapter, chances are you will be delighted with the entire book.
   
   P.S. Another book worth looking for that approaches this topic from a different viewpoint is THE AWAKENED EYE by Ross Parmenter.



4. How to Use Your Eyes by James Elkins invites us to look at -- and maybe to see for first time -- the world around us, with breathtaking results. Note, only a little of this book is about colors. Other chapters include things that everyone sees, but no one notices: cracks in pavement, culverts under highways, grass, sand. We appreciated sunsets much more after reading this book.



5. I love this book. I love the fussy little details. I took this book to school, and two eigth-graders were fighting over it. They were eager to show other students and me the gems they had found in it. Thanks to Marcia for giving it to me.

4 comments about An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry.

1. While I will admit that this book is very informative, I was slightly disappointed for the same reason I have experienced with some other jewelry books. Of all the pictures only a handful are in color. Always confusing to me why they do this because jewelry is one thing that you really need to see in color to appreciate. I would recommend this book for it's information but if you are looking for great color pictures to go along with the definitions I would pass on buying it.



2. I have a problem with a book whose first words are: "The first problem".



3. This book is wonderful! Visually stunning, some of the pictures are enough to make you drool! Filled with extremely well photographed color and B&W photos of museum quality pieces, used to illustrate the jewelry terms being defined. The definitions are well written, and reference related terms in a very smooth and easy to follow way. This book is a MUST if you are fond of jewelry! MORE than worth the money!



4. From A to Z, the best jewelry dictionary I've seen. Aside from looking something up, it gives you the opportunity to learn terms you've never heard before. Even if you've been in the business a long time. Fantastic. Every antique lover should have this book!

3 comments about Prints and Printmaking: An Introduction to the History and Techniques.

1. If you've just started your love affair with fine prints, you're sure to want a better understanding of just what this thing is and how its unique character came about. Griffiths's book would work well as your first guide to the technique and history of printmaking.
   
   The tour starts with the major categories of technique (relief, intaglio, litho, and silkscreen), then discusses the extensions needed for printing in multiple colors, followed by a summary of photo processes applicable to each technique. This isn't a how-to for the aspiring printmaker or an academically meticulous history. Instead, it's just enough to let the new printlover know what the words mean and what the differences are, along with a sketch of the major who and when in printmaking innovation. I fault it only for under-representing the incredible art and technique of the Japanese woodcut masters.
   
   Illustrations abound, demonstrating nearly every point that Griffiths brings up. The bibliography by itself is worth attention - it not only lists sources of information, it categorizes them by areas of interest and adds other comments about each one. Very few bibliographies in any field offer that kind of help to the reader. And, as the beginner might hope, it ends with a list of common abbreviations and a strong glossary. This book is a great way to introduce new printlovers to the object their of affection.
   
   -- wiredweird



2. This is an excellent book for anyone trying to learn more about the various kinds of printmaking techniques. It is very useful for identification of prints. Lots of great pictures and text that explains the techniques and history very well. I highly recommend it.



3. Have you ever tried to explain to an art student what is printmaking? Better. Have you ever tried to explain to an art student why it's still important? You can try to do a very long speech about how it was and still is important for artists. You can say that print was for an artist like Rembrant a way of thinking. And you could even explain how the techniques used by the artists were connected with their subjects. But you can't only talk you must show some pictures. That is exactaly what this book does. The autor was very sucesfully in showing us the value of printmaking since the "unknow masters" to our century. He can explain without being boring how etchings were doing and I believe he could do so because the pictures were sharpily choosen. Without doubt no art teatcher can miss these piece. And it's essential to any print lover.

4 comments about The Cat in Art.

1. This book covers cats in art from Egyptian to modern times. Lovely color photos with a history of the paintings or sculptures. A very well done art book for cat fanciers!



2. This books is a "must" for every art historian, collector, or any one who simply loves art and/or cats. Well researched and well written.



3. 
   Who can resist a soft, furry, inscrutable, playful, endearing cat? Not many. Especially not artists throughout the ages whose works have been gathered in this fascinating volume by art historian Stefano Zuffi. He describes the cat's important place in culture and art, literature and fable as follows:" True to its nature, it rarely emerges as a protagonist: more often than not, we must look closely to detect its presence. However, this presence, especially in painting, is never a banal one. It has been given a rich variety of symbolic meanings, so much so that we can almost read them across centuries of masterpieces - a sort of history of art with whiskers and a tail, full of surprises."
   
   Thus begins our journey with the cat from antiquity and the Egyptian Goddess Bastet to the modern feline as found in contemporary portrayals. In the Middle Ages we sometimes find the timeless game of cat and mouse as carved in French cathedral choir stalls or in the Lutrell Psalter, an illuminated manuscript now seen in London's British Library.
   
   Later we find the cat in paintings by such beloved artists as Annibale Carracci, Tintoretto, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Jan Van Eyck. The latter places him at the birth of John the Baptist, while a drawing by Da Vinci offers numerous studies of cats.
   
   Richly illustrated with over 250 color images "The Cat In Art" is a sumptuous volume chronicling the works of artists who have been entranced by this affecting creature.
   
   - Gail Cooke



4. I have to admit, I know this book from its French edition, that I acquired at the Louvre in Paris. But assuming the English version stays true to the version I have (it was originally written in Italian), then this is a thoroughly enjoyable volume. More than just another book of cute pictures of cats (which is not to say that's a bad thing) this book is actually an overview of the changing place of the cat in society, as demonstrated by the leading artists of the day. An engaging study in changing iconography, we can trace how the cat changed from devil's "familiar" in the Middle Ages to the protector of the home (by killing rats and mice) as shown in beautifuly reproduced works of art from the world's major museums. Zuffi is an engaging writer and scholar who has provided us with a lvoely and entertaining portrait of the cat.

5 comments about A Humument: A Treated Victorian Novel, Fourth Edition.

1. I had been introduced to this book years ago by one of my peers. I had always remembered it, but never really had a need to buy it. I had decided this year to have my high school art students create altered books, and I knew it was time to get it so they had some visual references of how you can transform book pages. I am so glad I bought the book. You don't need to read it as a book, although you can. Every time I open it, I find a new treasure. It's just amazing what Phillips has created from an old book. It's an inspiration and a great piece of artwork.



2. Truly an elegant, messy piece of work.
   Tom Phillips' Humument is one of the most affecting marriages of image and text that I have viewed/read. Visaully, it is stunning, with its layers of subsumed text and inventive imagery. Moments of profundity bordering on Zen surface intermittently, whilst bawdy puns [...] up beside.
   If you're looking for sustained, easily interpreted narrative, then this book simply is not for you. If, on the other hand, you long for a story that is as much in your head/heart, as on the page, I can heartily recommend A Humument.



3. I own multiple copies and give them away to worthy friends. Visually, artistically, and intellectually stunning, this masterpiece is unique in the world of art/literature. The author/artist Tom Phillips began this work in the 1960s, and first published it in book form in the 1980s. He called the result of his decades of effort The Humument and it is a completely illustrated version of W. H. Mallock's 19th Century novel A Human Document. Each page is a well conceived and compelling work of art. On each page the author leaves only a few of the original words revealed. These surviving phrases tell, in prose and poetry, the pathetic love story of Bill Toge. Symbiotically linked to the art itself, the preserved text, and its tale of Toge, reveal a story Phillips found submerged within the original text, a story which Mallock neither wrote nor intended. Phillips calls his work `mining for meaning'. Everyone who has received this book from me has had great difficulty putting it down until they had read/absorbed/experienced/lived/studied it from cover to cover. If there is such a thing as a priceless book, The Humument would be a good candidate for the category.



4. I received this book as a gift about 10 years ago and have yet to tire of it. It is beautiful and funny, surreal, creepy and profound.



5. I love this book. I first learnt of Tom Phillips when he recently did the cover of an album by a band called Dark Star, and then was introduced to his work whilst on work experience last summer. I hunted down a copy of this book, and then devoured it completely. at times moving, at times funny, and all the time completely incredible to just look and marvel at. the art work is great. ingenuitive, original and inspired. this book seems to be getting harder and harder to find... buy one while you can.