3 comments about Piecebook: The Secret Drawings of Graffiti Writers.

1. The PieceBook gives you an inside look to the world of graffiti through the eyes of street artist.



2. i myself grew up a graffiti writer and are quite familiar to all those who contributed art work to this book. it was well done the prologue written by sacha jenkins(another graffiti writer) was well spoken an hit home as we who grew up in the early days of this era of graffiti sub culture can relate to. the art was reproduced with colorful visages that brought it all to life again as if it was done a few hours before i bought the book. each page was a look back to yesteryear, reading the messages that were a staple of the times ''fresh,def,and many other phrases we used then bring memories of an earlier time when it was fun to do the graffiti and create styles of your imagining.special thanks to chino villorente (another graffiti writer) who took the time an the love to put this together!! i truly enjoyed this book tremendously and glad i bought it, any graffiti writer should have this book on the shelf next to all the other homage books of the street life growing up.



3. Piecebook: The Secret Drawings of Graffiti Writers has successfully compiled a who's who of writer's writers in a format that looks so legit, you'd swear you could feel the grooves in the pages left by pencils and pens... as authentic and realistic as possible, there are even a few blank sheets to get up yourself! I even tried to peel the sticker off the inside cover!

3 comments about Megaman Zero Official Complete Works.

1. I am a fan of the Megaman Zero series. I love the hardcore gameplay and rating system and when I read about this book last year and saw it was sold out I was sadden but I kept checking to see if it restocked. Now after such a long, LONG time it is back and my goodness, I wasn't going to miss out a second time. This is a great book for the fans of the series. The art is what took me into the game as well, and there is TON of that in here. I love the reflective cover of the book and the interviews as well inside. If your a fan of the series, don't pass this up, a great buy!



2. This is a great book filled with tons of art, a nice amount of concept art never seen before(like phantom's second form which wasn't used in-game). My only complaint is the way the last sentence on Pg. 169 is left off "Since we had left the first game with such an open ending, I think we managed to pull of the...", I assume he was going to say sequel so I left it at that. Aside from that small flaw, which might not actually be a flaw and might just be what he had exactly said considering it's a translated interview, the book is great. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves Megaman Zero or great art.



3. After so many moons of waiting and waiting for this book to come out it is finally here! To put into perspective how long I've been waiting for this book to come out I believe that the first pre-order I put with Amazon.com was on February 20th, 2007. That's over a year ago! I can safely say that this book delivers on all fronts and is well worth the wait.
   
   This book is 176 pages of filled with great art and information about the Megaman Zero Series. It provides inside information on the characters of the series as well as how some came about and more information about them that might not necessarily have been included in the games. It even provides great insight into characters that were cut from the final product of said series. Great art, great insight into the series and it's creators, what more could you ask for?
   
   There are actually two things that I could ask for and those come in the forms of errors. On page 169 leading into page 170 there is a sentence that seems to have been cut off. "Since we had left the first game with such an open ending, I think we manage to pull of the..." Pull what off? Pull of the correct way to open the second game? Pull of the best way to start the second game? What is it? As soon as you hit page 170 a new question is asked and the previous sentence is never finished.
   
   The second error comes in on page 153; there is a picture that was reused from page 152. The picture in question fits perfectly in 152 but not in 153 which a different scene is playing out entirely. You're reading scene after scene then you stop abruptly at this scene that doesn't even belong there!
   
   These two errors make me feel a bit disappointed in the book. For a book that was often delayed as this I feel like the book should have no errors in it what-so-ever. Very disappointing indeed.
   
   Still this book makes a great accompaniment to the video game series overall with beautiful artwork and a better insight into the creation and the things that were created in the game. If you love the Megaman Zero series then you'll love this book.

No comments about Yves Saint Laurent: Style.

1 comments about Little Book of Big Packaging Ideas.

1. nice book....good design, great idea generators, nicely printed...over-all very ell done and extremely helpful.

5 comments about A History of Illuminated Manuscript.

1. Christopher De Hamel's "A History of Illuminated Manuscripts" (now in its second edition) is certainly the definitive history for lay readers, but it is probably the best starting place for aspiring professionals as well. It is well-written, faultlessly researched, and copiously illustrated. I happily use it in my university course on illuminated manuscripts together with Ingo Walther's "Masterpieces of Illumination" (published by Taschen)--in my opinion, the perfect companion piece.
   
   The second edition of De Hamel's book is structured as was the first: an informative introduction is followed by chapters which divide and discuss the manuscripts according to their intended users (missionaries, emperors, monks, students, aristocrats, everybody, priests, and collectors); an extended bibliography precedes several useful indexes. This Phaidon paperback edition is a beautiful book, with a white paper cover adorned with a full-color dust-jacket. Many new illustrations have been added, and there are many more color illustrations than there were in the first edition. More importantly, the text has been updated to reflect ongoing research in the field.
   
   My only complaint about this edition is that many of the important full-color and full-page illustrations in the first edition (to which I often referred in my classes) have either been reduced in size or eliminated entirely in the new edition. There are also significant (and inexplicable) differences in the color reproduction of illuminations between the first (David R. Godine, Publisher) edition and this second (Phaidon Press) edition--sometimes the differences are so radical that only a close inspection (or a familiarity with the actual documents) reveals they are photographs of the same manuscript. And since many of these manuscripts are from private collections (to which Mr. De Hamel apparently gained access by reputation or through associations established during his tenure at Sotheby's), it would be impossible for most readers to know which of the differing reproductions are the more accurate. My own experience would suggest that not all the changes in the new Phaidon edition are indeed improvements.
   
   Publishing faults aside, this is a fine book by a scholar with impeccable credentials and a gift for clarity and sensibility in his writing. I highly recommend it.



2. The title explains exactly what is in the book. It is very infomative and has tons of color illustrations of illuminated manuscripts.



3. I am thoroughly impressed with this book. Its scholarship is impressive and helpful in my preparations to study medieval history at Oxford. And the thoughtfully written bibliography and through indexing of the manuscripts illustrated assist further studies. Even though it's not on my official reading list and is certainly not a light nor compact book, I'm packing it and taking it with me.
   
   But, as scholarly as this work is, if one simply wants an attractive coffee table book on the subject, this can certainly be one. If one wants a very readable, engagingly written, well illustrated introduction to illuminated manuscripts, this is for you as well.
   
   There is even some helpful guidance on collecting the more available manuscripts such as Books of Hours. And as the Fellow Librarian of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and with his 25 years experience in evaluating manuscripts for Sotheby's, Dr. De Hamel's knowledge is not just theoretical.
   
   Yet the price is extremely reasonable for a book of this quality.



4. Simply a treasure in print, Christopher De Hamel's work on medieval manuscripts is an enjoyable and fact-filled romp through the Middle Ages as if no "darkness" in the period ever existed. Focusing on a descriptive narrative that is as delightful as it is informative, the text leads the reader from one interesting setting to another, belying the breadth and scope of its coverage. One meets the educational reformers in Charlemagne's court, the scribes of the cathedral schools of Laon and Chartres, the workers in English scriptoriums, and many others in this highly researched, but clearly and engagingly written book. The reader feels as if he is simply touring the European countryside from one location to another and watching the patient and unrelenting work of scribes, copyists, and illustrators as they seek to develop the most enduring artifact of the period. Underpinning the entire work is a series - no, a PLETHORA - of beautifully reproduced and highly detailed medieval manuscript reproductions, many of them full-page, to the extent that one finds himself questioning why the text doesn't cost three times the price. A rarity in that it contains both outstanding prose as well as stunningly reproduced photographs, this text should be in every medievalist's (and art lover's) own scriptorium.



5. I loved this book! I used it for a graduate course on Illuminated Manuscripts, and it was one of the main textbooks we used, but I used it often after the course as well. I really enjoyed reading it, and found that it was unlike most of the typical text books I had formerly used. For any art history student, it is an outstanding resource. For anyone who loves illuminated manuscripts, book arts, or the Medieval period in general, this is a wonderful resource. It is a book that I consider an indispensable resource in my personal library. It is very well written and easily accessible for anyone. Although some of the terminology may be unfamiliar, it isn't so esoteric that it is beyond the scope of general understanding. It is clearly one of the best resources on the subject that I have ever come across!

5 comments about Contextual Design : A Customer-Centered Approach to Systems Designs (Interactive Technologies).

1. This book is not the end-all be-all methodology for software design. Infact, the authors aren't really suggesting anything new, other than providing a framework within which to assess what they learn through observation and inquiry. And they are a bit redundant in the presentation.
   While I might recommend contextual inquiry to developers and analysts as it is presented here, I most certainly wouldn't recommend their design process. It has many holes and there are better ways to complete the process.



2. 
   If you've got a memory like a gold fish this might be a great book. For others this book is likely to be repetative to the extreme. Half of the pages could easily be cut out. The same message gets repeated over and over again. Many of the ideas are great but.. for many people out there time is a limiting factor, thats my largest issue with both the book and the method in general.



3. This book provided a method to gather requirement efficiently but the rest of the method should be revised.



4. Beyer & Holtzblatt have done an excellent job describing the process of contextual design. I'm currently implementing a new company-wide business process, in conjunction with co-workers, and thought it would simply be a good idea to both refresh my memory, gather ideas, and form concepts that would be helpful in the organizational design process. This book has undoubtedly served the purposes I've wanted it to. Again, excellent book - worth the buy.



5. This is quite a useless book about an otherwise interesting subject. The writers give redundancy and repetition new meaning as they repeat themselves by saying the same thing over and over innumerable ways.

   That said, the examples scattered throughout the text are the most interesting part.

5 comments about The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever.

1. I loved this book! I am not a fashionista or big business person by any stretch of the imagination, but Teri Agins's look at the evolution of the fashion business is a true page-turner. I couldn't stop reading. This is not your typical business book written just for industry insiders.
   
   It used to be that it was the fashion designers who dictated what women should wear, but now the tables have turned, and designers look to the public/street for inspiration. Fashion is no longer so much an art form as it is a big business, and Agins's book really delves into how this came about via clever and creative marketing. She also looks at the mass-marketing of fashion, which in and of itself, is fascinating. It's clear that the author has done her homework. A great book about a fascinating industry.



2. Anyone interested in fashion must read this book. It is a quick read and super entertaining. I now look at luxury goods in a whole new light.



3. I had high expectations that the book failed to meet. The beginning chapter is great, explaining the "end of fashion" - clearly organized and interesting. However, much of the rest of the book was a poorly organized slow read. It starts with some history of the "old" French labels, then it goes all over the place, in chapters devoted to individual designers or pairs of designers. There is little rhyme or reason in those chapters, and everything seems to happen from the late 1960's until the late 90's, so much of it is contemporaneous and it is hard to see what point the author is making about the evolution of fashion. The worst part of the book, however, is that it is dated - it talks of labels that nobody cares about, or about movie stars and events that were relevant in the 80's up to mid 90's - the early Clinton days are as hip as it gets.
   
   Overall, if you are interested either in the design aspects of fashion, or the business side, you are better off trying to find better reading somewhere else.



4. Very interesting, business minded look at the fashion industry and the struggle between the creative and the profitable. Written in a straight forward, non-fluffy manner.



5. Wonderful book. This book has given me loads of useful information about the fashion industry. I use information from it in nearly every job interview I've been to.

5 comments about Felt to Stitch: Creative Felting for Textile Artists.

1. This told me much more than I needed to know. I suppose it's a good guide if you want to start from scratch and actually MAKE felt and dye it yourself, but if you want to buy the needles, core and roving and make some interesting projects, this is not the book for you. The section on needle-felting is a very small part of the book.



2. Loved every page. This book showed me how to create and embellish felt in new and creative ways. There are detailed instructions and methods on how to use different fibres, dyes, techniques, colours, threads and other embellishments. Highly recommended for students, teachers and art makers.



3. I learned a lot about how to felt correctly. I have made some beautiful pieces as a result of this book. I love some of the work featured in this book. The 3-D pieces are amazing. I would love to learn how to do that.



4. This is simply a beautiful book. Lots of wonderful techniques, eye candy photography. One of the best felting book out there IMHO



5. Brilliant! what more can i say? A must have for any felt or textile artist.

2 comments about Illustration Play.

1. I found Illustration Play very inspiring. While the hand of the artist is clearly evident in the included work, it brings a warm handmade aesthetic that is not just another gimmicky contrived DIY style, but the real deal. Good solid work throughout.



2. A playful sticker-bound cover gets this book off to a good start. The first artist uses fabric and stitching to concoct her illustrations - something I hadn't really seen before...that is until about 200 pages and a dozen other artists doing the same, later.
   
   Overall, this book was a welcome departure from digital-centric art. While there are various methods and media featured, this book makes it seem like every other "unique" artist has jumped on the fabric and embroidery bandwagon. They all just start to feel derivative of eachother when lumped in a book together. But maybe embroidery just isn't my cup of tea.
   
   Some truly innovative/interesting artists mixed with a bunch that just didn't do it for me.

5 comments about Russian Textiles: Printed Cloth for the Bazaars of Central Asia.

1. I wish there was a 6 star rate!
   Love the quality (overall!) of the book! Amazong for inspiration!! This one goes on my special-favorite book rack!!!!



2. As a collector of, and dealer in Central Asian garments, I have long been fascinated by the printed, cotton linings of these garments. Some of the fabrics are so beautiful, that my customers turn the coats inside out, and wear them in reverse. How delightful to find a book on these fabrics. The book shows many different patterns of fabric, as well as a number of coats, turned inside out, to show the wonderful patchwork patterns. Well done.



3. while this extravagantly illustrated compilation of Russian printed fabrics from 1900 to 1950 will be invaluable to both artist and collector, it is a visual delight to the general reader as well. The author skilfully weaves the history of the Cental Asian tribal peoples into the tapestry of mass migration and technology which produced stunning roller and block-printed cotton clothing.



4. This book is stunning in a visual sense. Each print illustrates the creative choices of the Central Asian people and also reflect the influences of the world around them. More than a book reviewing Russian textiles, it records the history of a region of the world that is not commonly explored. So beautifully photographed, one can almost feel the weave of the prints. Cloth is so commonplace we take its history for granted. This book reminds us its importance. Its interesting that a swatch of fabric can weave a story of time and people.



5. This book is not only visually stunning, it is also a fascinating read. This is the first time that these beautiful and unusual fabrics have been given their due recognition both as designs and as an important part of Russian/Soviet history.