5 comments about Spectrum Presents: Frank Frazetta: Rough Work (Spectrum Presents).

1. If you already have Frazzeta Journals this is more of the same, but for a new addition it is a nice compilation



2. I like this book for a reference but wish there was a little more to it as far as steps and processes.



3. This is mostly a book for die-hard fans of the genre and artist, I think. It is small in dimension, but very much something you will study over and over. It makes you understand the genius of Frazetta and his creative process. While intimidating, it feels somehow more approachable to do what you do as an artist. I regret that they canceled publication of the other Frazetta book expected last year.
   
   This is a fantastic value for the price. A great tribute to the process and body of work. There is a sense of "cleaning out the attic" to the recent push of Frazetta, admittedly, as if to continue the legacy after his retirement. This is, however, only what it needs to be, and doesn't seem like the selling of fingernail clippings [snort] that will follow the passing of great influences like him historically in writting, music and art. I at least hope we'll not get a collection of cocktail napkin doodles at some point.



4. There's not much to add to the positive reviews here. The insights this book offers into the creative process are considerable: glimpsing the underpinnings of some of Frazetta's great works is nothing short of a revelation.



5. A selection of rarely seen rough paintings and sketches from the "Master" Frazetta.
   The book isn't large, but it's a nice little one to have if you are interested into a new approach at Frazetta's art.

5 comments about Confessions of an Advertising Man.

1. This is a classic written by one of the legends of advertising. It is well written and easy to read. It is full of great information, not just about advertising but about business and life.
   
   David Ogilvy traces the start and growth of one of the most successful advertising agencies in history. His business philosophy is striking - he did not strive for a large number of clients but was much more selective in targeting the clients that he felt would be mutually beneficial.
   
   He would refuse to spend time developing competitive proposals in bidding for business. He felt like the business should be awarded based on competency. He offers some great insights into why his agency was so successful.
   
   I would recommend this book for everyone in business - not just for ad men or copywriters. David shares a lot of principles of advertising that will help anyone spend their ad dollars better.



2. A classic that still rings true. Relevant not just to the ad business but to the management of any professional services firm.



3. Confessions of an advertising man contains advertising principles David Ogilvy has derived based on his experience and available research. In this book he shares what he has learned to be the optimal practices both for advertising agencies and for clients of advertising agencies. While some of these principles and practices may be considered timeless, others have changed under the influence of new advertising media and technologies. One standard timeless practice in advertising is to test everything and to choose the most appropriate action based on research. David emphasizes that the bottom line of advertising is sales, rather than the entertainment value of an ad, and that in the end numbers demonstrate the effectiveness of the ad.



4. This book is similar in content to Ogilvy's other masterpiece, "Ogilvy on Advertising", but with more emphasis on the sales aspects of the advertising business. "Confessions" is also more autobiographical. Ogilvy's stories about his background, building his agency, and dealing with clients are fascinating.
   
   Given Ogilvy's talent as a copywriter, the book is obviously a pleasure to read. For example--
   
   "How do you decide what kind of image to build? There is no short answer: Research cannot help you much here. You have to actually got to use judgment. (I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post, for support rather than for illumination.)"
   
   Anyone engaged in any aspect of advertising, marketing, or top level management should get plenty out of this book. It's a how-to manual for total success.



5. Dubbed "the King of advertising" by Advertising Age, David Ogilvy shared his thoughts and stories on being successful in the adverting industry in this book. His ideas are often overflowing with self-confidence, but for a man who reached his level of success, he's definitely earned the right.
   
   Originally published in 1963, in part as promotion of himself and his agency, this book is broken down into ten "How to" chapters plus an opening and closing commentary on the state of advertising. No example ads or illustrations in this book, just straightforward advice and colorful anecdotes on topics ranging from managing an agency to writing potent copy.
   
   The stories are enjoyable, and Ogilvy's advice is enlightening. David Ogilvy led an amazing life, and his insights on advertising, business and human behavior are timeless. Overall, this is an inspiring book that I recommend to anyone involved in advertising.

5 comments about Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in 1950s Animation.

1. Fantastic book! This book is well written and is amazingly interesting. A must read for anyone interested in 50's design.



2. I absolutely love 50's (and early 60's) animation styles, so based on the other reviews here I eagerly awaited this book. It was a huge letdown.
   
   First of all, the majority of content here is biographical information about the artists who created this art. As such a nice piece of scholarship and research, and giving these artists their just rewards is a Good Thing. But that's basically all there is.
   
   Yes, there are some images, even quite a lot, but the artwork isn't large or arranged in a manner to make any sense (other than as biographical material). There are a few tantalizingly good images, but the vast majority are small, rather pedestrian and, oddly enough, not particularly indicative of the style of the period.
   
   The author sets great store by "unconventionalism", but in point of fact the art of the 50's and 60's did become conventional -- it became its own convention. And this kind of historical perspective is sorely missing here, in large part due to the way the material is organized (it's strictly a studio by studio look -- no timeline or growth of the art is presented in any way. Each studio is given a page or two, and the studios are listed alphabetically).
   
   If you are into cartoon history *facts* then this book will be a goldmine of information for you. If, like me, you are more interested in the visual aspects of the art then I'd strongly recommend skipping this and spending the money either renting or buying some of the cartoons from that time period that are available on DVD (contrary to the author's opinion, much of the stuff IS available: once again, his bias towards the unconventional means that he overlooks the majority of work of that time period).



3. If you are a cartoonist, or animator, or aspiring to be either one, this is the book to have. Hurry before it's out of print!!!



4. Cartoon Modern by Amid Amidi is a book who's time has come. As an artist
   and a baby boomer, this book brings back warm memories of my youth sitting
   in front of the T.V.(back then Cartoons only happened on Saturday.)
   So these images have a fond connection to a developing mind at an age
   that soaks it all in, from English ONE to Gerald McBong Bong. Just a note,
   I do have 3 of the original Gerald McBong Bong and find genius in the
   illustrations, so timely, to have all these illustrations and works of art
   is like having bell bottoms popular again! I have been trying to find
   other Gerald McBong Bong tapes at flea markets, yard sales, etc. So how curious
   to see Gerald McBong Bong in the stores again. I bought two different D.V.D.s
   my fingers and opened it up and all the wonderful illustrations were turned
   into a over intense experience of the story, packed with friends and parents, noises,more friends,all packed
   into a 1/2hour show. This tells me two things, our children need more attention
   grabbing, multi-tasking everything, which means when we were children , T.V.
   had been out for just a few years and there were no computers, hi-def,
   cell phones, I Pods, e mail, in fact I don't think the first computer game "Ping
   ,pong was , but years away. This book is wonderful in it's simple ,
   but great art and illustration, when life was not so erratic. I also want
   to let the cartoon fans know that this book is packed with tons of color. I always want a read a review that lets me know there is color ,
   I am a colorist, in my art, and I do think we may see some of these cartoon
   images in bits and pieces in our art today. It's a good thing.



5. This book is so much more than I thought it would be. An incredible source of art, artists and companies, this book is an essential for those who respect animation in general. Incredible reference for the price!

5 comments about Adobe InDesign CS2 Classroom in a Book.

1. I bought this book and yes, it is a good book but it is not the reference book that I was looking for. I need to be able to look up how to do a particular application or what a certain button does. I have to figure out which lesson this might be found in and then go through to the lesson. This is time consuming and I do not always find the information I need. I am really looking for a great index with step by step on how to perform certain funtions.



2. I was just starting to learn InDesign and had not taken any classes. This book was great. It really helped me through many projects. A definite plus to your library if your are an InDesign user.



3. I am a convert from PageMaker, so I was already familiar with a lot of the functions in InDesign. However, the book has still been very beneficial. The examples and already finished or almost finished documents that come on the disc are great tools to learn with.
   
   The book is easy to read, despite being written by Adobe. Sometimes the only way to learn is to buy a book written by a third party, but I've found that is not the case here. Adobe did a great job.



4. I'm only giving it 1 star because CS3 has now been released, so the book is of modest value except for those who wish not to take advantage of the new and improved. Try taking this one to a used book store and you'll see that at "1" it's over-rated.
   
   Aside from that, this is an excellent series of manuals, particular valuable as software publishers no longer include manuals! As they say at O'Reilly: "The book that should have been in the box."



5. This book is extremely helpful with the Adobe InDesign program I wish I would have had it a year ago!!

5 comments about The Designers Complete Index (Boxed Set).

1. the designers complete index is a must have for all designers out there in the field.
   it includes an idea based book to get you started, a layout based book for format and a color based book, all to make the designing process seamless.
   kudos to jim krause!



2. This set is well worth it. If you are into graphic design this belongs in your book case just buy it you wont regret it. Very helpful and inspiration set.



3. Great, easy to use and comes in a cute clear plastic carrying case. Although these are meant for graphic design, I use them for ideas for my oil paintings. My boyfriend uses it for graphic design and he has said it has spurred on several ideas.
   
   I also bought the design essentials index. It comes in a tall slim yellow box and two different books included and and updated book on color.



4. I am a design student and use these books on an almost daily basis. While some aspects of them are some what simple as long as you are not going to be using these books to get ideas but rather improve upon an existing idea that you already have then these books are great. Overall there are definitely other books out there that will do the same thing but they wont be able to do it as quickly or as easily.



5. Just received this boxed set today. I expected much more. The type and examples are very, very small, with many "thumbnails" less than one inch square. The designs in the Layout Index are poor quality, in my opinion. The Idea Index contains 400 pages of lightbulb graphics and over-use of metallic ink (and I'm normally a big fan of metallic ink.) PMS colors are not mentioned anywhere. Anyone can buy a computer and call him/herself a designer, and these books prove that point well. I'm certainly glad I only paid the discounted price, because these books are certainly not worth $60.

5 comments about D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself (Design Handbooks).

1. I saw this book years ago and thought I'd like to own it. Now that I do I really am underwhelmed.



2. This is basically like all those magazines - Sunset, Martha Stewart Living, etc. etc, - wherein you buy it with the hopes of being inspired to create, update, remake, etc. and you ACTUALLY NEVER WILL, except in book form!
   
   I love reading the book - it's cute, kitschy and definitely entertaining, but really, who can create these crazy wall decorations and/or press kits and have them turn out flawless!?!??



3. I know a little about Lupton's career -- teaching, writing, and curating shows. She seems very intelligent, but I don't understand who this book is really for. Beginning or advanced people? Crafters or designers? Some of the ideas in this book (wrapping paper) are so obvious that I think anyone with an ounce of creativity has already figured them out. Some things (commercial embroidery) seem very advanced and specialized, and not useful to most people. The layout of the book is nice, but the content is very inconsistent. Was this really a student project, as someone mentioned? If so, I think Lupton should have made more of an effort to make sure that everything came together and made for a coherent whole. I think there are better DIY books out there.



4. Pretentious art student tripe, mostly. I discovered that I can wrap gifts with newspaper! I can use a graph paper notebook for a scrapbook! I was looking for examples of cutting-edge design, and a methodology to implement it. What I got was the product of the tragically hip after too many lattes.



5. Design It Yourself is a lucid and accessible introduction to design basics for the lay-designer/artist or small business owner. An invaluable find!!!

5 comments about Ralph Lauren.

1. I read about the Ralph Lauren book in a book review. I was interested in the book because we love the Ralph Lauren brand in our household. The first thing that struck me upon receiving the book is the size. It's huge! But, once I started reading it I spent the entire afternoon pouring over it. I couldn't tear myself away. It's stunning and typically iconically classic. It also looks great on my coffee table!



2. This is a great book. And HEAVY! Lots of pictures and his own writings of how his career came to be. Highly recommend for the RL fan.



3. I love Ralph Lauren clothes and the book gives me ideas in creating his look. I read the book in one evening. It was fast reading, I loved looking at his past styles from the 70's to current and it shows his style is CLASSIC. If your a Ralph Lauren fan it's diffinetly worth purchasing the book. I have to admit I felt I was reading a story book. The book is also very heavy to lift. You need to be strong.



4. This is one great book! I highly recomend it. It's expensive, but it's worth the money. Any Ralph Lauren fan or fashion fan should own this book. I look at it all the time. The pictures are beautiful!



5. Nothing short of stunning imagery and style unmatched in the world of fashion. Never chasing trends or playing second to any one else's dreams, Mr. Lauren clearly lives his vision, his stories, the epic movies he creates with a passion and dedication not found anywhere in fashion these days. He allows us all a peek into his very private life with his lovely family in a huge Italian made book filled with his creations, inspirations and humble "American Dreams Come True" zest for life. His name is on the book and his life's portrait is painted for all to see and appreciate. There is a certain honesty and respect for Ralph Lauren that for 40 years in the industry he has maintained his direction and unwavering philosophy for what life is really about... Family, working hard and sharing.

5 comments about Fashion Design Drawing Course.

1. I bought this book acually wanting to draw and create clothes but I didn't do any of that. On the other hand it does teach you the right way to do certain things like how to get inspiration and how to get it on paper but again you don't actually draw.



2. But about how to draw inspiration from common everyday things. It`s really not about rendering or drawing fashion, but more about the thought process in making the garments.



3. This book is more about collection development than it is about fashion drawing. And the worst part is... it's so sparse on the information even for how to develop a collection. Everything is in a nutshell. It's like picking up a children's book-- you don't get much out of it other than the obvious.



4. Very basic, it goes on a summary overview of areas of fashion design. So, it's great for a beginner that is looking for a quick introduction to what fashion desing drawing would include. Not for someone that has a general idea on what fashion design entails and is looking for more "hands-on" more sophisticated projects. For example, I was looking on how to actually draw clothes wore by people...there was only one area for that, it covered actual drawing of the human body; about 4 pages. A lot of general, finding your style, mood boards, etc. To the title I would add "101" so it is not misleading, then it would be an excellent book!



5. The title is an absolute lie. There aren't even general sketches to look onto as templates! This book, chock full of details on how to become "inspired", may help if you need assistance focusing on what motivates you--but otherwise, it's not going to teach you at all about fashion illustration.

5 comments about 100 Years of Fashion Illustration.

1. As a lover of fashion illustration, with book shelves and file drawers filled to capacity, I highly recommend this book. I like the small size and the fact that it includes examples from all eras. My only complaint, and this may be a personal preference, is that there was not one example of the work of George Stavrinos, a masterful draftsman who did work for Bergdorf Goodman, The NY Times, Barney's and The NYC Opera in the 1980's. He died too young, but really deserves a book of his own.



2. Excellent visual paranoma of fashion with panache. Should please everybody. There is a nice touch of elegance to it and chich flaire. Nice to have it on the shelves or on your cafe table.



3. This book is an absolute dream come true for me. It has inspired me not only costume wise, but also decorating my new apartment. You just never know where inspiration can come from. I would not hesitate for one second to recommend this book. It's really beautifully done.



4. This is a great book for any illustrator to have, loaded thick with full color images. The illustrations are done in a wide variety of different styles, hours could be spent considering some of the images. If your interested in drawing people this is a good book to have on your shelf.



5. You might as well print out a copy of the front cover, because the contents of this book are rather disappointing.

5 comments about The Medium is the Massage.

1. This book is filled with un-artful pictures because it has nothing to say. A 3-year-old could produce better artwork, and you'd learn more by picking up a magazine and a coffee at Borders.



2. Yes, it's amazing that Marshall McLuhan foresaw the internet in the 1960s. However, that is only part of his message. The movement to electronic media not only disrupts print's linear style of communication, it will dismantle traditional hierarchical structures. In a world where the means of communication have been democratized, organizations will move to collaborative environments (wikis, blogs, commenting on articles are only the beginning). Command and control structures exist, because they were the most cost-effective way to manage organizations. You Tube, Facebook, and My Space are mere playthings compared to the dawning revolution. The concept of trademarks and copyrights will be challenged in this "global village." Marshall McLuhan's thoughts are still very relevant, because much of what he predicts is yet to come!



3. This book was recommended to me and I bought it. I have no idea what the point of this book is...it's just a bunch of tweaked out pictures. I thought it was...well, I don't know what I was thinking. I wasted ten bucks.



4. Some of McLuhans stuff is really unaccessible for average readers... It's deep stuff... BUT we see much of what he was talking about occuring in our modern day. It's really interesting. I think if he could have found a better way to present his philosphies he could have really made much more of a difference to our "global community"



5. ... was profoundly influenced by this book. I read it about 30 years ago. I'm pleasantly surprised to find it still in print.