5 comments about Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Men's Wear (F.I.T. Collection).

1. Overview:
   This book is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to learn about tailoring a men's suit jacket & pants. It provides detailed instructions on every step of the process, from selecting the threads, materials, and fabrics, to laying out patterns, to sewing in the canvas, etc. It also provides very useful instructions on modifying store bought jacket patterns to fit varying body types (e.g. sloped / broad shoulders, wide /thin body, erect posture, bow legs etc.).
   
   This book completely eliminates the need for the instructions which come with the pattern. And it also gives instructions on how to modify the pattern style (e.g. changing vents, lined or unlined jackets, changing pants pocket styles etc.). As the book states: "all you will use from a pattern envelope are the basic pattern pieces: the jacket front, side panel and back, the sleeve and the undercollar. You will be able to create the rest of the jacket on your own."
   
   A few drawbacks:
   The book contains both line drawings and photographs. The luckily, most of the illustrations are the line drawings which are simple and very useful. However, in the paperback version which I purchased brand-new from Amazon (perhaps the only version still in print) the photographs are extremely dark, and hard to see. They look and feel almost as though they were photocopied (poorly) from the original B&W pics in the hardcover book. This was, in my view, the biggest disappointment of this book.
   
   As well, though not necessarily a drawback, it should be noted that the book focuses only on the "Classic" tailoring techniques (i.e. custom / hand stitching method). Those seeking information on the quicker (though inferior) machine and fusible methods of jacket construction will find no help.
   
   Conclusion:
   This is perhaps the most in-depth book you will find on men's jacket construction still in print today. It is used (I believe) in college courses on tailoring and fashion, and it is not difficult to see why. The smallest details are covered, and innumerable options are provided for customizing a jacket to your exact style and taste. If it wasn't for the terrible picture quality I would probably have rated it a 5.
   
   As a side note,I found that it was useful to supplement the low resolution photographs in this book with the full colour photographs in Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket(though the latter focuses mainly on women's clothing, many of the techniques overlap). With the two of these books one will be well armed to construct a very nice men's suit.



2. This book is for persons who are just starting out, not tailors. It is good to have reference books in your library but this book has the same construction directions that a vogue men's pattern has in it. If this book costed 5 or 10 dollars it would be worth it but not for this price. Thank you



3. This book is not for beginning sewers! It's not an easy book to get through. If you are really ready to make a suit jacket that will be comparable to $1,000 designer jackets, I'd recommend you also have on hand Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket. The pictures in that book are much clearer and easier to follow. And that book shows methods of tailoring with fusible interfacing.
   
   Also, the Zapp Method of Couture Sewing has a great chapter on sewing a tailored jacket. Still, I do believe that a really fine jacket needs to use sew-in hymo hair canvas just as Roberto Cabrera (the author) recommends. It makes a tremendous difference.
   
   If you must use fusibles, then Anna Zapp's method using Fusible Acro is best. I think, however, you will find it eventually separates after many dry cleanings.
   
   You'll most likely need the internet to find these interfacings because places like Jo-Anne's certainly don't carry them!



4. Excellent resource for those desiring to know how to create really beautiful jackets for men or women. Completely replaces pattern instructions purchased with the envelope.



5. This book gives a lot of advice. The only thing that's keeping this book from being rated 5 star is it's picture. It's black and white!!!!

5 comments about Creative Fashion Design with Illustrator.

1. Great book! One of the better offerings for this industry.
   
   Would be better if he used clipping masks for his ribbing technique...



2. This book is Great for novice Illustrator users. It has great step by step tutorials that really walk the reader through the basics of Illustrator. The tutorials are clear and informative. The book is well organized. As a proficient Illustrator user, I found a couple of tricks useful, but overall I would not recommend for anyone already experienced with Illustrator or for graphic artists not in the apparel field. Also the book is geared toward readers in the UK and therefore instructs the reader to set settings to A4 paper and millimeters. This may be confusing for some readers, and using A4 paper settings will probably not work with most US printers.
   I will be teaching a CAD for apparel class this fall, and plan to use this book. It can be difficult to find CAD books that are geared towards fashion design, and many of the great books out there are starting to become out of date. This book is relevant and current (Illustrator CS3).



3. Even though this book was written with the Mac user in mind...it has been a life saver for me. Before reading this book I was ready to go out and purchase fashion design software when I already had Illustrator. Since reading this book and working through it using Illustrator, i am able to create designs in Illustrator and transfer my drawings onto Illustrator. This is a good book if you are new to Illustrator.



4. This book is very nicely made. Easy to read...but the content is aimed for beginners only - and fashioners only. It deals with geometrical shirts, pants, skirts etc... no complex design. It's not a general book on Illustrator. It wont fit for all design learning purpose.
   
   - the pros:
   It's Okay for fashion design students (beginners).
   It teaches the basics in a very clear way. If thick books and too much details and explanations frighten you, then this book will fit you. It's a step-by-step easy learning book.
   
   - the cons:
   Definitively not for graphic designers who work with higher drawing skills.
   If you already have read other learning books on illustrator (or you already have learned some basics), you wont learn much from this one.



5. This book is Fabulous!
   This book is a much better guide than the recommended one for a class that I am currently taking at Cornell U. that has an Illustrator component to it. Although I have just received it and therefore haven't used it much yet, the only missing info so far seems to be for drawing a zipper, a necessary tool for fashion design!
   This book is set up in an easy, tutorial manner and seems to cover a lot of tools for illustrating fashion technical flats.
   Minor Beware: the author is a MAC snob. All the patterning software that I have used(Lectra,Gerber,Optitex) is PC platform and I would have thought that he should recognize that the Fashion Industry is mostly PC based and put in MAC commands after the primarily used PC ones.

5 comments about Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S..

1. As an American who is fascinated with Japan, but frustrated with books about the relationship between the two countries, I found Roland Kelts' "Japanamerica" to be a welcome breath of fresh air. Kelts focuses on the growing popularity of manga and anime among Americans, and the "mobius strip" of give and take between the two cultures, but his focus inevitably widens to address the broader mutual fascination between these two worlds. I love the fact that, as an American with a Japanese mother, Kelts avoids the two hazards of Japanophilia and Japanophobia. There is a refreshingly grounded and sensible middle ground in his analysis, a realism that seems to lighten things up and make it all more accessible and welcoming. Perhaps best of all - and this is a miracle in the world of cultural analysis - Kelts is delightfully unpretentious and his prose is as clear and comprehensible as it is filled with fascinating ideas and observations. Never for a moment do we doubt that Kelts knows what he's talking about it - and he brings it all across with infectious enthusiasm.



2. I've been interested in popular Japanese culture for a long time, so I was pleased to see this new exploration of the interface between Japan and America, . . . though I was somewhat put off by the use of the pejorative word "invaded" in the title. That seems to have been a marketer's contribution, though, because the half-Japanese author, who has become something of a professional explainer of Japanese and Americans to each other, seems not to reach value judgments about the wide popularity of manga and anime in this country, nor about the much more longstanding popularity of everything American in Japan. It's largely a generational thing, though; most Americans over the age of thirty have no idea what Gundam is, nor what "otaku" and "cosplay" mean. And while anime has become increasingly popular in the U.S., it remains deeply Japanese. There's really no such thing as "American anime." Though he comes to no strikingly original conclusions, Kelts does a good job of explaining things to those who are new to the subject.



3. Mr. Kelts' book about the popularity of Japanese culture in America is first rate. He discusses more than just anime and manga and provides the reader with an easy to understand analysis of Japanese popular culture both in Japan and as it appears in the US. It should be in the collection of any Japanophile.



4. For those who have been to Japan or have an interest in anything Japan, I highly recommend this book. The author does a wonderful job explaining Japanese pop culture and how it relates to Japanese society and culture. IT was a very easy, entertaining, and insightful read.



5. I read this book after a Village Voice critic called it "a Wired Magazine article on steroids," and Ain't It Cool News said that it was "an imperative resource." Then Bookforum called it "an amazing ride," and The Boston Globe raved.
   Then: Even Pete Townshend of The Who endorsed it!
   I am skeptical of books trying to capitalize on trends, and very skeptical of books on Japan. But the chorus of praise from so many different voices was enough for me.
   This book is written in lucid, carefully crafted prose--telling you everything you need to know about transcultural entertainment and the psychological and spiritual traumas embedded in pop culture, and also precisely what makes Japan so sexy to Westerners in the 21st Century. It is also hip and smart, and very accessible. I only wished it were longer.
   The author is no geek, but a writer of considerable talent and range. Get Japanamericaa now.

5 comments about Drawing Shortcuts: Developing Quick Drawing Skills Using Today's Technology.

1. Every once in awhile, a life changing book comes along. I've been creating Architectural Illustrations for over 40 years using airbrush, water color and pen and ink. I've never felt comfortable doing quick sketches. Jim's book clearly delineates the tools and techniques needed to produce drawings fast and on-site. Living in New Orleans, I'm involved in a lot of post Katrina planning and development. These new skills are an invaluable asset for my continued survival.
   
   Richard L. Gardner, New Orleans, LA



2. There are lots of good tips in this book. It is one I recommend to my architectural drawing students. It is very good on how to make quick presentations and it shows several midias and how to use them. As most of the students use 3d software for final presentations right now, I think this book is a very good motivation for using traditional midia techniques during process work. Making good and quick drawings for explaining ideas is a very useful skill and this book helps.



3. I got this book after participating in a Web Seminar with Mr. Leggitt. I think this is a very good source for anyone that would like to hone their quick drawing skills or look for different approaches for doing presentation drawings from all levels of detail. It might even give you a few ideas about using technology to your advantage to produce quick drawings. I would definately recommend this book to a beginner or students in architecture school. I know that students are always looking for ways to product great looking drawings in a minimal amount of time.



4. Very dissapointed in this book...especially since he is an advocate of Sketchup (which is why I anxiously wanted this book). I think some of his shortcuts are ok, but I found the book very, very repetitive (almost painfully) and the authors rendering style is just simply BRUTAL! I mean, it seems as if every one of his renderings include happy,smiley 1980's rocky mountain-type scale figures and all of the scale children hold teddy bears! His library of projects lack any pizzazz and there's just no sophistication to his rendering style. The most tedious read of the year for me.



5. I was left with the feeling from the other reviews that this book would be great for architects, which it is not. It is more for an art student. If you want a better book on architecture drawing get "Color Drawing: Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers, 2nd Edition" by Michael E. Doyle

5 comments about D.V..

1. I saw Mary Louise Wilson play Vreeland in the one-woman show "Full Gallop" in New York in 1996. I knew nothing of Vreeland before "Full Gallop," and couldn't wait to learn more about her after. "D.V." reads just like the character Wilson played on stage--larger than life, perhaps a little shallow, but a hell of a lot of fun to have a drink with. Not in the same league as memoirs by Moss Hart and Lillian Hellman (who, like Vreeland, was accused of doing a little fabricating in her memoirs), but "D.V." remains a pretty entertaining way to spend an afternoon.



2. It's time the world rediscovered Diana Vreeland. She's the maven we'd all love to be. Friend to all the rich and famous, she moved freely in high society, imprinting it with her personal style and never losing her earthiness. When she made her faux pas, they were so hilarious that nobody even thought of suing her. Owners of major European fashion houses gave her their clothes because they knew that they'd be seen by all the best (read "richest") people, who would no doubt pay the clothes more attention than they did dear Diana's plain face (she acknowledged it as so herself). If ever a person made the most of every card she was dealt, it was Diana Vreeland. And "DV" is a narrative of her very own world with details you never knew before. (I'll give you one tidbit as a hint: Edward VI made up his mind that he didn't want to be king LONG before he met Wally Simpson.) Buy this book and enter Vreeland's parlour for some revealing and often amusing gossip about nearly every high society character of her times--royalty, high profile politicians (including the Kennedys in their prime), artists, authors--everyone who made the news worth reading. Warning: once you enter Vreeland's world, you'll never want to leave. A person like this comes along at best once or twice in a century. A marvelous read and look at a world we'll probably never see the like of again.



3. If you're looking for some insights into fashion and/or the fashion world, look else where. I thought I'd gain some insights to the world of fashion (an area of life that I'm not famailiar with) but I was very disappointed. Nothing but nothing in this book had to do with fashion, the fashion business, nor the intellectual exercise that goes into fashion. This was simply the rambling lifetime memories of a well respected player from the fashion field. Childhood, young adult, married, Europe, here, there, everywhere... if you like name dropping (and I admit she did drop some impressive names) - this book is for you. If you're looking for some insights into fashion and/or the fashion world, look else where.



4. Okay, all the stereotypes might be true for this one, but it's a classic. She's in charge, in control and just amazing. I've bought more copies of this book to "loan" but of course no one has ever been stupid enough to return it. Truely, buy two copies to begin with, so you aren't crushed when the one you loan out doesn't come back. I think of it the way Gideons think of Bibles.



5. The only complaint I could make about this book is that it was too brief. I could have read this for weeks, and I would have loved another couple thousand pages. There is a paucity of photos, which is a shame, because Vreeland loved the camera as much as it obviously loved her strong, aristocratic features. Some people might dismiss her as a featherweight, but I wouldn't. To do so, would be to fail to understand a singularly fascinating woman. During her time on earth she met most of the big and small names, and has something to say about most of them. I was so enamoured of this small book, that I am going to have to buy a biography. When you read this book, she tells you everything and nothing personal at the same time. A rare gift, to be sure, and not one that I appreciated! As someone else noted, it seems a great pity to only be able to give this delicious tour de force 5 stars, but there you are: life is seldom fair. I would love to have a best friend as fascinating and maddening as Vreeland, but I doubt I ever will. She is a product of another time and another generation. If you ever wanted to be able to sit inside someone's head and watch them think, this book should do the trick. There are better writers and better subjects than D.V. but this book will spoil you for any of them.

2 comments about Civil Drafting Technology (6th Edition).

1. I purchased this book with the hopes that it would help me understand civil drafting. There is no answer section to check my work. So,,,I do not know if I am on the right track with my understanding.
   Does anyone know if there is a solutions manual?



2. When I read the word Drafting in the title I assumed this book would focus on civil drafting as it applies to modern (CAD) technology. Instead there are many references to manual drafting which few drafters use any more. A better title would leave the technology out of the title and substitute the word theory, thus letting the buyer know that this is a generic overview of civil drafting theory, not a book that a CAD operator will get much use out of.

   In my estimation this book has a Value of around thirty dollars only. Unfortunately, pricing trends seem to indicate that any words committed to print by the The Gods (engineers, programmers, etc.) are worth their weight in gold, regardless of their value.

No comments about Engineering Graphics w/AutoCAD 2008.

5 comments about Graffiti Women: Street Art from Five Continents.

1. A must have for any art lover! If you are interested I recommend you to start first with the "Graffiti World: Street Art From Five Continents" book from the same author.



2. Street artist/fine artist Nicholas Ganz, author of Graffiti World, offers urban art enthusiasts a second round of exceptional research and art compilation, this time concentrating on the pioneering contributions of women to contemporary graffiti writing and artwork. Having always been a part of the street art front lines, female graffitisans are typically overshadowed by the men in the ranks due to sheer numbers rather than any lack of innovation or talent. Ganz, along with author Nancy Macdonald and co-conspirator Swoon have produced an exhaustive narrative that tells the intricate story of graffiti writing women. Included are the artist's personal stories and their insights into the male-dominated urban art world.
   
   The Ganz collection, like his earlier work, promotes the efforts of praiseworthy, marginalized artists. In the case of Graffiti World that marginalization occurred as a result of the art form itself. In Graffiti Women, it's not the "second-best", urban artist that is lauded but the women who are graffiti writers that receive the exhaustive and well-deserved coverage. Although the author's intent is not to be divisive, it is unfortunate that our cultural approach to acknowledging one another centers around labeling people as either "blank" or "female blank". In Three Artists: (Three Women), Anne Middleton wrote:
   
   To identify an artist this way, as a woman, has never been a merely parenthetical remark. The qualification has customarily been offered as a limit to, rather than a guarantee of, suitability for the artist's role - with mostly irritating results for the artists themselves. (2)
   
   Nicholas Ganz does a unparalleled job of describing the contribution of almost two hundred women who work in the urban art genre. His book will continue as a permanent part of my small but well-loved collection and I will continue to wonder whether the world is best served by keeping the commendation of exemplary women separate from that of men.



3. This is just like graff world book, chronicling the movement into other areas of the world. This is the same, but for women in graff.



4. Graffiti Women is a great book for either the collector, or the first time buyer of street art, also this edition comes with a dust jacket that is also a fold-out poster of art within the book!
   Never before has there been a better compiled book on Women artists from right around the world, also includes background and history of Artists.



5. Great pics of graffiti by women. Bought as gift for my son and he LOVES this book...says every time he looks at it he sees something new. Can't put it down.

No comments about The Dynamics of Fashion 3e.

5 comments about World Of Warcraft: The Art Of The Trading Card Game (World of Warcraft).

1. I am another person who bought this book who doesn't even play Warcraft but is just a lover of Fantasy art. I've always loved the Warcraft universe, which seemed like an expansion of/variation on the fantasy universe first created by Tolkien.
   
   When I got this book I was surprised by just what a hefty volume this is. This is a very thick book printed on the finest quality heavy-duty stock.
   
   Not only did this book live up to my expectations, but I found that the great variety of styles and artists included has also helped me to clarify my own tastes in Fantasy art, and has even introduced me to some great new artists I had never heard of before.
   
   The spectrum includes everything from the breathtaking photo-like hyper-realism of Clint Langely (check out his great new solo book "The Art of Clint Langely" by the way!), to the brilliant use of colour in the works of Jim Murray (very Bisley-esque) and Michael Komarck, to well-established artists like Todd McFarlane (--why are both of the pieces credited to him signed as "Greg Capullo"???) and Udon Studios, to the cartoony cuteness of the works of the book's editor Samwise Didier (sorry Samwise, but just gotta say YECH~!)
   
   It was also interesting observing the differences in the variety of mediums used (--I found I preferred good ol' non-digital art.) And a few pieces of preliminary sketches are also included to give us a brief taste of the process from concept to finished work (In some cases I found I liked the initial sketch better than the finished product. Samwise Didier, you ninny, what were you thinking? [...])
   
   The book is organized into sections according to Warhammer race of the subject of the painting. And in the back it also includes indexes of the works by title and by artist, making it easy to look up other works by an artist you may find you particularly like.
   
   I am happy to highly recommend this book, and look forward to further volumes in this series (this book says "Volume 1" on it, hooboy!). I really feel like I got my money's worth with this one. Well done people!
   
   And to all you publishers out there, I hope that other series of trading card art will be made into beautiful art books like this. (--Hear that Wizards of the Coast?) It's such a waste just having it on those tiny little cards. It deserves to be enjoyed properly like this!
   
   And to you people over at Blizzard, how about some art books for Diablo and Starcraft too? I love them too!



2. I bought this as a gift. The person who received it just loves the book. He really enjoy the art work. So if you need a gift for someone who plays world of warcraft I'd recommend it as a good gift.



3. This is a wonderful book, and any fan of fantasy art, or Warcraft, would absolutely love it, I've had it for over a month, and i still open it up and just stare at some of the wonderful artwork. Just buy it, you won't be disappointed.



4. I am not a World of Warcraft gamer, but the beautiful art in this book drew me to it the moment I saw it on the shelf in my local book store. This book is filled with page after page of gorgeous renditions of highly stylized creatures and monsters that entrance the viewer. Discovering some of these artists for the first time was a treat for me, so much so, that I had to go online to find out more about some of them. This is a wonderful book with some great art in it. I highly recommend it for both WoW gamers and non-gamers alike!



5. I was looking for the perfect book to display the beautiful works of art I had seen in the world of warcraft franchise. This book certainly delivered. There is nothing low quality about this book. It included many of the pictures I'd already seen on the internet and many beautiful paintings I had never seen before. I'll let each buyer see for themselves, but the book is organized in a very simple and interesting way. It is so full of paintings, even after a month, I can look through and find a painting I'd never noticed before, and as an amateur artist, I find plenty of inspiration. A valuable book for any fan of warcraft or fan of fantasy art.