1 comments about Arts and Culture: An Introduction to Humanities, Volume I (2nd Edition).

1. This book is just what I needed for my class. I was afraid that with it being Humanities, I would not like the class, but this book has very interesting information that makes the class a surprisingly interesting one.

1 comments about Becoming a Digital Designer: A Guide to Careers in Web, Video, Broadcast, Game and Animation Design.

1. Not finished with this book but so far a witty and insightful book which focuses on graphic design beyond printed matter. This book explores the world of digital graphics and looks at new dimensions of graphic design and how designers will become part of a dialogue with the public. A scenario in which they receive feedback from an audience and perfect there design solutions based on feedback from viewers reactions etc.
   And of course Heller has become an authority on Design Culture so this book is informed and up to date.

4 comments about Arab in America.

1. As an editor of a collection of creative nonfiction writing about the Middle East (Encounters with the Middle East, Solas House), I've read a lot of personal narratives set in or about the Middle East and its relation to the U.S. and Europe. Arab in America is among the best I've read. It could do for the cause of better awareness of Arab Americans in the U.S. what Persepolis has done in better explaining the Iranian revolution and its effects to the West.
   
   Toufic El Rassi lays out for us the pernicious and normative cultural prejudices facing Arabs, Muslims, and others in the U.S., in ways that make visible to readers common social practices and beliefs that may have seemed fairly harmless. And he tells a very good story while he's at it. I hope this book sells--would make a great text for high school and college courses about identity issues, politics, US foreign and domestic policy and cultural affairs, writing, art, Middle East studies. Looking forward to the sequel in Lebanon, another poorly misunderstood place.



2. I'm glad that Arab in America is the first graphic novel I've read because it demonstrates what illustration can add to an absorbing text. The author's drawings make the reader experience what the immigrant experiences: that the product we Americans advertise--open arms and a welcoming smile--is not always what we deliver. As the writer tells us, Americans are so ill-informed about the geography, history, and religions of our neighbors across the sea that we don't even know whom we hate! This is a valuable book published just at the time when we need to read it. Besides which, it's a fascinating read.



3. The Guardian
   
   On the defensive
   Craig Taylor rounds up recent releases
   
   Saturday March 22, 2008
   
   Arab in America: A True Story of Growing Up in America by Toufic El Rassi
   
   Those looking for lush artwork and nuance will do well to skip El Rassi's autobiographical tour of his troubled American existence, but Arab in America is more complex and rewarding upon closer examination. The scrawled black and white drawings track a journey from El Rassi's birth in Beirut to his struggles with and in America. He understands he's different after a childhood production of The Wizard of Oz places his face among his classmates - a "dark splotch" beside the white. From there he examines his family and his role in this eternal war against terror that seems to have shuffled him into the opposing camp. Why do they have to be referred to as "our troops", anyway, he asks. Not only does El Rassi feel the sting of racial slurs, but he often receives the wrong ones altogether: "Americans don't even know who they're supposed to hate."
   
   He explores the different degrees of Muslim activism through the reactions of the friends around him. Throughout El Rassi remains an inert figure, held in by the contraints of his personality and his culture. The struggle to find an identity is kickstarted finally by Rage Against the Machine and a reading list of revolutionaries. Even then El Rassi questions the best intentions of the liberals around him. He decides to become a US citizen to save himself from a possible one-way ticket out. The work is most powerful when El Rassi is recounting his own failures, his missed opportunities and outrages, petty or otherwise. The post-9/11 context he's gathered to illustrate his thesis seems to be snipped from newspapers. At its best, his personal history is enough to illustrate a life lived constantly on the defensive.



4. I absolutely loved this book! My question is- where's the second part?
   
   The author does a great job of interweaving his personal life with historical events which serves to make the narrative an engaging and valuable read. The writing style and images work together seamlessley to deliver a story that wil stay with you long after you finish it.
   
   I recommend this book for educators, students, or just anyone who loves a good story (and doesn't mind learning a little bit on the way).
   
   Most importantly, the book is about Arab experience in the U.S. In this post-9-11 world, we need more of this kind of literature.

2 comments about Six Mermaids in Art Cards (Small-Format Card Books).

1. They were really great my niece has loved mermaids all her life she swims like a fish she is now preparing to attend the Coast Guard Officer Training School and these mermaids she can take with her I got these for her birthday.



2. I love mermaids and this little book contains small 3x5 inch cards with J.W. Waterhouse paintings of memaids. All are lovely images. They can be used as note cards or put into tiny frames or on the fridge to remind one of these lovely creatures.

3 comments about A Visual Dictionary of Graphic Design.

1. Great book, very nicely put together, easy to go through and tons of knowledge in few words. A must for any graphic designer.



2. This book doesn't go into too much detail on any single topic, but it gives you a good introductory guide to a useful number of art cocepts, history, and industry jargon (just stuff you only could ever need to know). A lot of the information may seem trivial, but it's all good to know if you are interested in entering an artistic field, regardless of which one.
   
   Content-wise, this book is diverse. There's stuff for printers/publishers, typographers, art historians/teachers, digital graphic designers, photographers, writer/journalists, colorists, iconographers, pretty much any student of art! I will say that there's not that much for painters, sketchers, and other more 3-dimentional artforms, but a lot of the information does come in handy since nowadays, a lot of people use computers to compose graphic art.
   
   Here's a sample of the stuff I learned:
   
   Recto - right page of an open book
   Verso - left page of an open book
   Tessellation - Repeated layout of a design that doesn't have gaps or overlaps
   Ascender - Parts of a letter that extend above the x-height
   Descneder - Parts of a letter that extend below the baseline
   Art Deco - A style of decorative designs that started during the 1920's which celebrated technology via geometric designs, intense colors, and use of plastic and glass
   Canadian Binding - A book binding method that uses a spiral
   Moire - Printed patterns produced by colour (CMYK) halftone dots which ultimately combine to reproduce images
   Denotation - The literal and primary meaning of an image
   
   As you can see, the kind of information in this book is really diverse; from components of text to composition basics. Some of the stuff is pretty basic, but a lot of times the book adds to a subject something that you either didn't know or don't pay enough attention to.
   
   The book itself is a good piece of art; it not only explains concepts in text, but it also demonstrates them by using graphics (mostly photographs) and comitting an entire page for every topic. I think this is something graphic designers really could use and enjoy having.



3. This book is an excellent tool to have when you are working with a layout program like indesign cs. You can pretty much look up the definitions for most of the commands and you can understand what they mean and what they are for. I'm very pleased with this purchase.

1 comments about Magical Secrets about Line Etching & Engraving: The Step-by-Step Art of Incised Lines, with an Appendix on Printing by Kathan Brown.

1. A must read for novice and experienced. The DVD accompanying it is as in other Crown Point books used worth the money on its own.

2 comments about Adobe Illustrator for Fashion Design.

1. I found that this book has so much information its difficult to follow in a structured fashion. The pros are the fact that it has lots of content, the cons are the fact that it seems to try to throw everything at the reader at once. Also, I find the sketches very amateurish and juvenile compared to other illustrator books for fashion. As someone working in the fashion industry for more than 20 years I would demand more professional sketches for flats and on the figure.



2. Adobe Illustrator for Fashion Design is a necessary tool for anyone studying fashion design. I am currently working in the Fashion Industry for a major designer, and use all of the Illustrator techniques I've learned in this book on a daily basis. All of the concepts are well organized with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. I love this book!

5 comments about How to Keep a Sketchbook Journal.

1. I like both the layout and the pictures in the book. I found it very inspiring and a good addition to my sketch library.



2. This book not only has great ideas for sketchbook journals, but wonderful detailed lessons on pen & ink work and watercolor techniques. I wouldn't say it was directed at beginning artists, thought. This is more geared to drawing & painting than actual journaling.



3. I got this book for Christmas and it was a rather nice gift. The copy that was sent to me was a bit imperfect on the cover but I was much pleased with the content. The author presents good tips on how to choose a journal type, the right medium for you and adequate tools, type of drawing, how to draw basic forms and more sophisticated images, what details you should write on your journal, etc.
   
   The images in the book are very nice and they vary in sophistication so they are not intimidating. Even if you really don't know how to draw, there are very nice ideas on how to start, for example use plant leaves to make prints and add details with pencils, paints, etc. Another great thing is that the author advises you to research the subjects of your drawings further, instead of just drawing them.
   
   Overall, I was rather pleased. Now, if only this book would come alive and send me out the door...



4. Really, this book is good. But to tell you the truth, there's not
   much of a 'journal' enthusiasm than I wanted. If you're looking
   for how to draw, what you need type of book, than this will be
   a good book for you. I recommend Pencil Dancing or Making Pearls.



5. This is more of a "how to draw and paint" book than about keeping a journal. It is packed with plenty of drawings in mixed media from pencil to pen to watercolor and a blend of all of them.

   I must say the book is attractive. The format is like a wider-than-long sketchbook, bound attractively with a wide hessian cloth band. But the drawings didn't do anything for me most of the time, though the butterflies were nicely done. There is a very handy schematic for sewing a field drawing and painting carryall to carry your book and implements with you in the field. That was a nice touch.

   I already have a library of art instruction books, and that wasn't what I expected from the title. This book just doesn't have enough "journal" content for me, nor do I like the style of drawings so this isn't my cup of tea. However, you might like the style and the art lessons, so your opinion may differ completely from mine.

5 comments about Sahel: The End of the Road (Series in Contemporary Photography, 3).

1. As always hapeens with Sebastiao Salgado, you can see really good pictures in this book, but they are really hard pictures and sometimes it's difficult to see this book. It shows the reality of Sahel, which is forgotten by occidental people and this book makes to think about it.



2. The book "Sahel: The End of the Road" is a rare example that shows how can a photojournalist produce excellent fine art pictures!!!



3. I think Sebastiao Salgado is a great photographer. All the black and white pictures are in duotone color, which make them look very professional. Something this book has is that you can see through people and at the same time look to a picture with great composition, so you can feel the picture and at the same time admire it's appearance. I just think the pictures are too sad for me, you can see the real people suffering so much.



4. I was keen to obtain this book for my son, but was aware that copies were not easily obtainable. I was thrilled to locate it on Amazon and then to receive it well ahead of the estimated time frame. The condition was excellent as described, and they arrived very well packaged. Thank you



5. One of the most potent books on the human experience. I got a lump in my throat while viewing this collection of prints. Sebastiao Salgado is a master at using value to capture shape and texture in his subject matter.

1 comments about Mirror of the World: A New History of Art.

1. Found and ordered the book we wanted. Book arrived in a timely fashion and was as it had been described.