4 comments about Handbook of Pictorial Symbols (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. It's a must have if you care for icons. Wish it was hardcover.



2. An excellent source of images that can be used for making charts, website buttons, newsletters. The designs are clean and can easily be modified. I personally enjoy just looking through the images as they are very inspiring.



3. HANDBOOK OF PICTORIAL SYMBOLS (1976) is an expanded, updated version of Modley's earlier book, 1000 PICTORIAL SYMBOLS (1942). Like its predecessor, the HANDBOOK shows us that a truly pioneering, insightful mind actually can see the way the future looks. // In his introduction, Modley argues that pictorial symbols are in some respects superior to words as a form of communication because they can be understood by people from around the world. In a globalized economy, he predicts, such symbols will ultimately supplant "Men," "Women," "Hotel," "Taxi," and "Camping," among many other words. This is the world we live in now. Modley could have actually strengthened his Case For Symbols by pointing out that such pictures can be recognized by children literally years before they learn to read, and that symbols can be recognized more quickly than words, making them especially useful in situations where fast reactions are necessary (e.g., control panels in airplanes.) // Most of the HANDBOOK is a collection of pictorial symbols, some created by Modley himself and others devised by various bureaucratic organizations, including the International Olympic Committee. If anything stands out about these symbols, it is that Modley's own are richer and more interesting than anyone else's. They have a thirties-modern look that has more charm than anything the British Airports Authority could come up with.



4. Rudolf Modley, symbolman and graphic designer, was a student of Otto Neurath [ISOTYPE]. One of the best examples of the application of this material is his _A History of the War in Maps, Pictographs, and Words_ [1943] which is out of print but easy to find.

2 comments about Creative Edge: Letterhead + Business Card Design (Creative Edge).

1. If you want step-by-step instruction on how to design a letterhead, this book isn't for you, but if you want to see lots of letterheads and business cards that push the artistic boundaries and that will inspire you to rethink your options when designing, then you've love this book. The captions are more in-depth than those of other books of this kind, and consist of quotes straight from the designers themselves on what
   they did, and how they did it--way better than just telling you what you can see for yourself.



2. This book is great if you are looking for some inspiration or finding out which programs can be used to do what. However; this book was not written (and I use the term "written" loosely) for someone with less than 5-6 years of design under their belt.
   Fortunately, I am one of those people, nonetheless, I still didn't care for this book. There wasn't enough verbal-meat to sink your teeth into and say "Oh, that's how that was done." The authour would rather keep you guessing.

1 comments about Erte's Seven Deadly Sins and Other Great Graphics in Full Color.

1. This is a picture book featuring Erte's gorgeous designs in full colour glory. There is very little text, so if you desire biographical information, look elsewhere (I found some great info about Erte the man online).
   
   As an amateur costume designer and maker, this book is amazingly inspirational and stirs the passions of creativity.

5 comments about The Runes of Elfland.

1. I liked the book a lot. It was captivating and interisting.The illustrations were originall, and Brian Froud did a good job doing them. It was all around awesome!!! :)



2. Let's face it, the majority of stories we tell each other these days is nothing but gossip. Gone are the days of fables and poems and limericks. Stories like this are considered bedtime rituals for kids rather than something important that we can learn from.
   
   Brian Froud and Ari Berk team up in this book to deliver 24 stories (some short, some long) based on ancient culture, each one with a twist in the tale and the meaning of of it laid out afterwards. A runic code is also featured for every one, that takes a few minutes to unravel. But once you get familiar with the Key, it'll be easier for you.
   
   Some of these stories are easy to identify with, but some are really out there. Since Berk has a degree in Modern, Classic and Medieval English Literature you can expect him to have pretty diverse writing skills. All of the stories may be set in the same world but you'll never know where he'll go in the next one.
   
   Froud's paintings are definitely interesting and vivid, but I'd be hard-pushed to call them beautiful. Some are so abstract and weird that I could look at it for ages and still not fully understand it's point.
   
   It took quite a while to get through this book. A lot of patience is needed to decipher the codes and I'm not the kind of guy who can read several different fables in one night. It does make for a good bedtime read for kids and adults though. But I wouldn't expect many children to appreciate the book at all.



3. it has less correlation to traditional runes that i would have liked. For instance, the traditional futhark order isn't observed, nor are the traditional names of the runes given. However, the pictures and stories are wonderful, and the book lends a new and creative perspective to runework which is at once easy to understand and very cryptic.



4. This book is a series of fantastic retellings of old stories of myth that are associated with the runic alphabet of Northern European prehistory. The Rune of Protection, for instance, is a retelling of "The Waking of Angantyr" from the Elder Edda. All these associative stories are incorporated into a mystical world known as "Elf-Land", both illuminated by Dr. Berk and envisioned by the reknowned fantasy artist, Brian Froud (most known for his book "Faeries" and having done conceptual art for the Jim Henson movies "Labyrinth" and "Dark Crystal")
   
   I've had the pleasure of being a student in several of Dr. Berk's classes at Central Michigan University, and I can say that his way of looking at the world through the folklore of generations has profoundly changed my own view. It is great seeing his vision of the world on the printed page, and complimented so beautifully by the illustrations of Mr. Froud, who is a good friend of his and a current collaborator.
   
   This book is a must-have for both lovers of fantasy and of folklore. It has many profound teachings by ways of courtesy in the realm of nature and the invisible world of Faerie, brought forth excellently by Dr. Berk's unique language.
   
   For a closer look at Berk and Froud's somewhat eccentric "academic" relationship, check out "Goblins!" which was released in Nov. 2004. It is a new volume in the Lady Cottington series, under a sort of Faerie ethnological study of those pesky creatures that cause us so much woe.



5. In the Age of Technology, it is a testament to myth's eternal power to inspire that a book like "The Runes of Elfland" by Brian Froud and Dr. Ari Berk has come into being. At once whimsical, passionate, solemn, and joyful, each page is a gift, a fresh breeze that blows across the mind and takes the reader to a special place uncorrupted by that which is easily acquired and jealously owned.

   Myth and runes are owned by no one; they are tools by which we can escape into the unexplored corners of our minds, and one could want for no better guides than Froud and Berk. The point and counterpoint of the work is exquisitely displayed as you turn each page and presents something certain to affect everyone who looks at the book, if even for a moment.

   As always, there is darkness and sensuality in even the most innocent picture, as Froud's faeries peer out from the corners of the pages, yet even the most sinister picture has some measure of beauty. Berk's words are soaring poetry, written with a deft touch that presents a deep scholarship in mythic conventions without being pretentious or pontifical.

   While the book claims to be nothing more than, as Berk says, "a process of seeing, listening, and remembering," this is expert and elegant storytelling that respects the reader and the material. In fact, it is even more because through these words and images, we gain (or re-gain) the power to appreciate not only the "landscapes in [our] memory," but the land itself. No matter your spiritual orientation, there is something to be gained and cherished from the journey you take each time you open this wonderful book.

1 comments about Celtic and Norse Designs CD-ROM and Book (Electronic Clip Art).

1. Celtic and Norse Designs CD Rom and Book
   Viking Designs CD-ROM and book
   Celtic Designs for artists and Craftspeople
   
   These are to be commended - they are useful sources of information -
   and a good source of Design and inspiration from Dover Books - with
   Amazon's help
   Patricia

4 comments about Paula Rego (Contemporary Artists (Phaidon)).

1. excellent product. took a bit longer to arrive but when it did it was in excellent condition.



2. If you like good art, especially by women this one is excellent!! More than everything you needed to know about this fascinating artist.



3. An excellent book about one of the finest & most challenging painters of our time. Paula Rego has produced some very unsettling images with enormous artistic skill. It is difficult to do justice to the complex psychological treatment of her subjects (often nursery rhymes) but the author, John McEwen, does a great job.



4. I had seen Paula Rego's work in a lot of museums and so on an impulse bought this book sight unseen. This book gives a complete overview of her work..it was interesting, but I found that my interest in Rego the artist has diminished after reading the book.

1 comments about Art Nouveau Designs in Color.

1. "Art Nouveau Designs in Color" is a wonderful reprint of a portfolio first published in Paris around 1900. The book collects the graphic designs of Alphonse Mucha, Maurice Verneuil, and Georges Auriol.

   The many colorful designs in the book contain a number of different motifs: flowers, peacock feathers, seahorses, birds, butterflies, various geometric creations, and other elements. These decorative designs are often playful, often elegant. Overall, a fascinating and delightful book.

No comments about Contract Interior Finishes: A Handbook of Materials, Products, and Applications.

5 comments about Expedition: Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV.

1. This is the best work for Alternative evolution yet! I actually like how he made the animals look nothing like things on Earth because they evolved from a completely different orgin.It is even better that it's movie adaption Alien Planet. In alien planet it said that they have eyes, but very weak ones, probably just strong enough to pick up biolights, but not strong enough to have complex vision. I like how they ended up with sonar. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is as big an evolutionary science nut as I am!



2. Expedition is a book in the style of Dougal Dixon's "alternitive zoology" books, with the main diffrence being this book takes place on a completley alien world, Darwin IV.
   The book itself is amazing. The writing, while not as bad as some reviwers say, is'nt up to Dixon's books, but the artwork is truly where Expedition shines. Darwin IV and it's alien inhabitants jump off the pages, even if some of the creatures look pretty "out there". I highly reccomend Expedition to any fan of scientific fiction.



3. Barlowe has created a rich and exciting world for his readers. We discover this world alog with his main character, who is an intrepid and earnest researcher and artist. Barlowe does not simply spell out every detail of this world, but makes conjectures based on the available data, thus preserving the illusion that this is an actual account of a place that exists.
   This book is the template for the new Discovery Channel special on alien worlds. I recommend this book to anyone interested in beautiful art coupled with a fantastic story.



4. Expedition is about an artist's voyage to Darwin Four, in 2358 A.D. The book is his collection of drawings and sketches made during the first manned mission to the planet. Mr. Barlowe is not just an artist, but also has great knowledge about nature and how it works. He tries to mix the two, showing the aliens and explaining how they lived, mated and, sometimes, died. But he leaves so much out - there is very little background on the planet's natural history. We get hints and clues about what early life was like. For example, most creatures use sonar and have biolights, yet are blind. Being blind, the sonar makes sense, but why have biolights then? The atmosphere must have been thick and murky, allowing animals armed with sonar better chances than those armed with eyes, but could the biolights be something from earlier times, before sonar was developed and all animals used visible light?
   The science, in other words, is lacking the details I enjoy. It is a great art book, but Dougal Dixon is better at the science, showing evolution and how it works. This is an alien planet and we barely touched the surface of its wonders!
   That is why it only gets three points.



5. All these people saying that this is a well illustrated but poorly written book shouldn't take it so serioulsy, who cares if the inhabitants are unbelievable. It's a fiction book, none of these reviewers could come up with anything half as imaginitive as Wayne Barlowe... consult a scientist or biologist, yeah right...it's not real.......just have fun with it.

1 comments about Design and Science: The Life and Work of Will Burtin.

1. This cannot be a review because I am a co-author of "Design and Science..." This note alerts readers to reviews that Amazon placed in "Editorial Reviews."
   
   America's leading design commentator, Steven Heller, reviewed "Design and Science..." for the "New York Times Sunday Book Review" (June 1, 2008). Heller writes, in part: "[Will Burtin's] most influential body of work was in the discipline now called information graphics ... [His] most impressive contribution was the marriage of science and design..."
   
   Britain's ace design writer Rick Poynor ("Creative Review" magazine, November 27, 2007, London) leads with, "A meticulously researched and engagingly readable account..."
   
   Professor Michael Burke (Hochschule fuer Gestaltung, Schwabisch Gmund) finds that "Burtin's pioneer work sets out the framework for today's multi-media models and illustrates what can be achieved by an outstanding designer working with enlightened clients."
   
   Dr. Martha Fleming, of King's College, London, and curator and design consultant to Britain's Wellcome Trust, praises the prose while parsing the contents: "[B]eautifully presented examples of Burtin's amazing work."
   
   New York businesswoman Estelle Ellis, who knew the Burtins for decades and Cipe Pineles for longer, writes: "Bravo! 'Design and Science' is a long overdue celebration of Will Burtin's life, work and legacy. Inspirational and heart soaring. In admiration!"
   
   To read these reviews and discover full texts on the Internet, I invite you to scroll to "See all Editorial Reviews" on the Product Page.
   
   Robert Fripp, Co-author,
   "Design and Science: The Life and Work of Will Burtin"
   Author, "Let There Be Life" 62 essays about our cosmic and organic origins