1 comments about Stretch Fashion: Design and Patternmaking for Stretch and Knit Fabrics.

1. This is the best book for strech fabrics.
   I can't beleive it's all there in one book.
   Thanks

1 comments about Visible Signs (Advanced Level).

1. If you are into methods of marketing and how symbols and words play on each other then this book is for you. I really enjoyed all the images that came along with each chapter. The book is laid out well, divided clearly with each chapter so that it's easy to follow. Definitely a steal through amazon.

4 comments about Advertising Now. Print (Midi Series).

1. Fantastic, amazing, incredible. I did miss a couple of campaigns, but overall it's a great advertising book, bringing a lot of campaigns from different years together.



2. I was interested for this book because of a friend. It is excellent, I recommends for everybody that likes advertising and needs references.



3. This book has a nice review of the best ads of 2005/2006. I would recommend it for collectors. Very nice quality also on the cover.



4. I find this to be a very useful, thorough advertising design / marketing student's resource. As with most printed ads in award books or publications, you wish the images were a little larger but the ideas are there as well as the layouts. I'm still going through it with a fine tooth comb and am very happy with my investment.

3 comments about Ready-to-Use Celtic Designs: 96 Different Royalty-Free Designs Printed One Side (Clip Art Series).

1. The description, front cover and back cover of this book indicate that it is ready to use and royalty free. Only after you purchase it do you find the restrictive copyright inside the front cover that states none of the images can be used for any type of commercial purposes.
   
   Also, many (most) of the art this book provides are of animal figures and many of the images are provided in large, medium and small size which greatly reduces the variety available in the book. All-in-all, not what I needed.



2. This was not exactly what I had in mind when I ordered this book.However on recipt I found it to be very useful for what my origional needs were.
   
   The service and delivery were excellent in all respects so that this was again a great Amazon experience.



3. Service from the seller was good, but I don't know why the book is titled "ready to use". It was listed as designs ready to use as stencils for etching, but it was a lot more work to use it than I anticipated.

2 comments about Exploring Typography (Design Exploration Series).

1. I teach at a 4 year university and had been unhappy for a while at the textbook we were using; but like any big ship, it takes a while to steer in another direction. In the meantime, I had a lot of time given to checking out possible exchanges and I was so glad that I found this book. It is everything many of the others in its genre are not.
   
   One issue from a previously used textbook was the layout and the amount of material being presented. It was not only clumsy for a book on typography, but tragically full of errors; in spelling, grammar and facts. This book, "Exploring Typography," covers all of the important information for a first introduction into the subject. It gives a nice overview of the history of written communication starting with pre-historic man, up to the present digital era we are in. It also challenges us to think outside of where we are now and to grasp typography's place in the future.
   
   The thing I enjoy perhaps most about the book is its easy layout. Students often have so much to read in their studies, and sadly many only skim the surface for the relevent information to get by. The layout is broken into bite-sized paragraphs, lots of images and consequently keeps their interest longer. A number of chapters highlight a present-day typographer or designer, which gives students a look at their upcoming peers as they look toward graduation.
   
   For those interested in using the book as a textbook, I would certainly recommend having a look at it. It is a very easy-to-follow book for any age level and is definitely worth exploring. Tova Rabinowitz has done a very nice job in supplying future and current designers with something they can tangibly use and apply into their design.



2. 
   Thomson Delmar Learning just sent me the book Exploring Typography to review for use in my classroom. I think it is one of the best on the subject and know it will be adopted for use in my classes. I teach at an independent high school in Vermont and also at the state college near by. The book is well organized and the illustrations are great. It must have taken a lot of effort and time to write; I am always in awe of someone that can bring light to a difficult and confusing subject such as typography....great book!!!

5 comments about Sneakers: The Complete Collectors' Guide.

1. Bought this for my boyfriend (who is a sneakerhead) and he loves it. High quality print, bright pages, covers many of the classic brands and at an excellent price - best price I've seen for this book and I've looked for it elsewhere. Definetly recommended.



2. This is a great compilation of the shoes that make up the ever expanding sneaker culture. But it is by no means the COMPLETE guide. Lots of great shoes that didn't make it into the book and some that should have been left out. All in all, it should definitley be in your collection.



3. A great look at most of the shoes in each of the major companies respective ranges. While the descriptions and info on the shoes are pretty scant, the pictures more than make up for that. The best part of running through this book is getting hit with the nostalgia that comes with seeing so many products from the not-so-distant past. A nice modern coffee table (or ottoman, I suppose) book. Air Max 1s are the best shoes ever.



4. This book is great to look at even if you're not into sneakers. Beautifully presented design and layout, and great history details. A good oversight of all the significant brands and their best creations.



5. this book is awesome is very informative, and if you know anything about the hip hop era then this book should be added to a persons collections.

5 comments about The Tokyo Look Book: Stylish To Spectacular, Goth To Gyaru, Sidewalk To Catwalk.

1. As a total Japanophile, I really loved this book! The pictures are beautiful and its just a perfect example of why I love those Tokyo Fashionistas. Unlike North America, where we are slaves to what we think other people want to wear and try to "fit in", a lot of the young Japanese people on the streets where what they want and have no qualms about standing out and looking unique!
   
   The book shows and describes the different looks, and often which district the look is from or originated. The text is mostly narrative, but I would've preferred some more informational style text. Such as a list of what elements compose each style and/or how to recreate the look for yourself.



2. My current ringtone on my celly is a short clip of "Harajuku Girls" by Gwen Stefani - it's been on phone for over a year now. As someone who has spent a formidable amount of my life in Japan, I covet and collect anything remotely "cute" from or even inspired by Japan, ringtones included. So it's no wonder that I love this book. Published by Japan-based Kodansha International, The Tokyo Look Book (2007) is a motley collection of photographs and interviews of Japanese fashionistas and fashion designers. "Motley" is probably a huge understatement, given what Philomena Keet (the author/editor) calls the "fashion spectrum" that exists in Tokyo. The photographs of Japanese guys and gals make me smile knowing that those pictured often follow their own drum beats. Even in the most outrageous and incongruous outfits, the Japanese youth wear their clothes with confidence or paint their faces with layers of make-up without second-guessing why they do it. If anyone has ever wondered who these "Harajuku Girls" are that Gwen Stefani sings about, pick up a copy of this book. They are fantastic!



3. i love japanese street style! this book gives so many different pictures of fashionable people on the streets of tokyo. it gives a little bit of background information about the culture and background, but if you want to get a more in-depth background and information on japanese styles and and designers and shops, i recommend Style Deficit Disorder by Tiffany Godoy.



4. Since I'm an author, and my novels often feature both Asian Americans and Asians who have moved to the US from overseas, I was very interested in this book as a research tool. I was not disappointed.
   
   This book is rich with pictures showing the different fashion styles prevalent in Tokyo. For someone who only visited Tokyo a couple times with family (and who didn't meet anyone my age), this was an eye-opener.
   
   I like the fact that there are often several photos showing examples of each particular style, rather than just one photo to show each style. It helped me get a better feel for the trends of the "look" rather than just one person's ensemble.
   
   The book shows the entire breadth of styles, from conservative to garish. I liked the hair and makeup showcased on the people photographed, as well.
   
   The fact that the people were all from off the street gave the book an air of greater credibility, since they didn't arrange a photo shoot with models. I felt like I was getting a slice of Tokyo life and culture.
   
   For me, this was an excellent research tool.



5. I've never been to Japan, and I read books all the time about how people in Japan love the global luxury brands (Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Dior). But seeing the cover of this book suggested that something else is going on with young people in Tokyo.
   
   Philomena Keet focuses on Shibuya (cool youth fashion), visually avant garde styles, street-defined ensembles, high fashion in a global taste sense, and what the well-dressed man wears to work. The last two seemed somewhat like what I expected, the first three were not.
   
   Each section is a nice combination of explaining the cultural roots behind the way of dressing, focuses on some designers, describes some celebrities defined by the style, and talks about the social implications. These aspects were welcome because I wouldn't have appreciated the logic behind the various looks without that background.
   
   The book has four big weaknesses:
   
   1. The analysis of what's covered is pretty superficial.
   
   2. The photography isn't as good as you usually see in a style-oriented book. I suspect that's because these are often virtually candid shots rather than fashion shots.
   
   3. The layout of the book isn't very appealing. There is an attempt to pick up the Tokyo look style, but I didn't think it worked.
   
   4. The type faces and backgrounds make the text difficult to read.
   
   Net-net, I found the book contained more than enough of interest to keep me reading through the book. I also felt I have a better sense of the role fashion plays for younger people in Japan. To me, the biggest aha was realizing that Western-style clothing is so relatively new to Japanese culture that young people feel a greater freedom to move away from traditional style concepts . . . even when the mixtures of clothes and styles are extremely eclectic.

2 comments about Challenging Graph Art.

1. The product was different from what I expected but I believe I can still make use of it in several ways and am completely happy with it.



2. Order came on time and in the condition stated/

5 comments about Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting Revised Edition.

1. This book is not nearly as helpful as I had hoped. If you want to read to entire book, you'll get an overview on basic ethical and pricing theories, but there is no pracitcal "this is what designers are charging now" basis, and it is less that fun to read. Skip it.



2. I have been operating a freelance graphic-design business on a casual basis for over 10 year and have just recently decided to take it to a more professional level. I purchased this book because I thought it would help me streamline my billing system and teach me something I didn't already know. Unfortunately, I found that this book was much more chatty than informative and that the information was a bit too vague. It would have also helped if the forms at the back of the book were more fully discussed in the book itself.
   
   While I found it interesting and somewhat insightful to read about the author's opinions and experience (which is credible), I did not feel that I gained much new insight from the book. Another book that I found more pragmatic and useful was Cameron Foote's "The Business Side of Creativity". Even though that book covers all aspects of running a graphic design business, it also includes a section on billing with advice that is both practical and concrete (including how to deal with clients who are price-sensitive in an assertive manner). While this book may help someone who is completely new at billing clients for graphic-design services, I personally gained more from Foote's book than this one.



3. Freelance Graphic Designers, or those considering it, get this one. It is excellent. I have read it 3 times and still learning from it. It is Good advice. She's a nice lady. I want to meet her. This helps you in negotiating and deciding on a price, and not letting the client take advantage of you, and invoicing.
   
   The author is a woman, btw. I think it is cool that a woman can have such a hugely successful business.



4. In straight-forward, witty and very business-wise language, Theo Stephan Williams lays it all on the line for anyone in or thinking of getting in the design business. She explains exactly how to negotiate, what to say and how to actually make a profit. While all other books dance around the subject of money, she just lays it on the table, giving hourly rates and project break-downs and without having to feel bad justifying prices that will keep you in business, I finally realize that it is a right to make a profit out of what we do.
   For ten years I've been operating exactly like the kinds of people Theo knows inside out - thinking that breaking even is good enough, afraid to raise prices for fear of losing work. All that gets, she explains, is a huge, unprofitable client base, all making demands and not paying a good price for the services they receive. Theo provides clear, logical, sensible and highly convincing arguments to turn your business around and make a real success of it, as she has done of hers.
   Read it and join the ranks of enlightened designers and design firms who actually make great money out of doing great work.



5. Theo's writing style is lively and at times, entertaining. The multimedia section is starting to show its age, but this is still a very worthwhile read.

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.