5 comments about Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design.

1. This was a good overview/introduction to leveraging observational research in design and innovation thinking, not an in-depth treatise on process nor a how-to instruction manual. Reading the negative reviews, I somewhat agree that there could be more "meat" in the book, or that the author could have positioned the insights/questions with the photos to create a more usable work. However, I realized that perhaps it was intentional that the observational photos were positioned without explanation in the first half of the book, with narrative in the back. That's how observations typically happen, relying on each one's personal reflection and evaluation first, unskewed by external opinion. I appreciated this book as an inspiration to tune into the obvious around us and by capturing the everyday, learn to gain insight into it's ability to shape the creation of future things. Good stuff.



2. A book that makes you aware instead of being in automatic pilot. Sit in a restaurant, at a park, or simply on a bus and start thinking about this book and how people behave. Great for account planners.



3. Overall concept is interesting. What we observe, how we are conditioned, how we respond to our environment but quality of book could have been taking further. Instead of being paperback size, it could have been a larger coffee table book with higher quality photos to illustrate points. Rather than having to refer to back of book to understand why image was included, it should have been on the same page as the picture.



4. Yet another lousy book by IDEO. The whole book is nothing but photos. The title "Observations on Intuitive Design" implies to me that they are Jane Fultons observations. Sadly they are not. They are YOUR observations from looking at the pictures. And I paid for this. No written content (to speak of). I'll save you some money; take your camera into a supermarket, a compusa, and a walmart and snap away. Then go home and review them. Done and I saved you some cash. The arrogance of these guys. They slap their name (IDEO) on a collage and call it observations?



5. Excellent book that illustrate the little things that miss our senses and observation day in day out.
   
   Opens up a world of thought for everyone around, expecially designers.

3 comments about How To Draw Crazy Cars & Mad Monsters Like a Pro (Motorbooks Studio).

1. This book was written and drawn by some of the original artists of Ed Roth's studio. It doesn't get any closer than this, great book!



2. My kids just loved this book. They are both aspiring artists and have done some great work since Christmas!



3. I bought this book for my husband, after several refferals from other hot rod friends. This book is better than described.

5 comments about Web Design Index by Content 3 (Web Design Index).

1. Unlike most "great web design examples" that can only be achieved by abusing Flash, this book also provides several examples of great looking web design that can be applied to almost any content management system. Although some of the websites portrayed will become outdated very quickly, I consider this book, for now, a "must see" for our interns and designers.



2. I agree with the reviewer who said most the content categories run a little thin. Each page is dedicated to one site with two screen captures from that site on the page. The largest section in this book by far is "design and illustration" which seems to focus on portfolio sites and comes in at 200 pages of examples. No other section has more than 40 pages and most have under 20. There are a ton of international sites in this book and not a single "major" web site. Which is good because that means the majority of the content in this book should be new to most readers. There is also very little text; there is no discussion of the designs, just large colorful screen captures and then credits at the bottom for the designer/agency and a url.
   
   If you need inspiration for edgy or artistic sites, then this is a good resource. If you're looking for more corporate site design, you won't find much of that in here. Personally all my design falls in the later, but I do think this will be a good resource for when I decide to revamp my portfolio site or if I want to experiment with more non-standard design. Since all my work is corporate, I find the more whimsical and creative side of my brain has shut down a bit. And it did have a good selection of sites with a black/dark color scheme which is nice; that style tends to be a challenge for me so having this many examples is handy.
   
   I gave this 3 stars instead of 4 because I would have liked to see a more balanced representation of web design styles.



3. I found this book in my local bookstore, cased in shrinkwrap, and debated whether to risk buying it without seeing the contents first. In the end, I took a chance and am glad that I did. As a beginning designer, I found several designs that gave me some ideas for my own site. Ironically, the biggest section in this book is devoted to graphic designers.
   
   Web Design Index by Content 3 covers a wide spectrum of industries. However, I felt that the majority of the industry sections ran a little on the thin side. That said, the publisher of this book (Pepin Press) accepts submissions and recommendations at [...].



4. As a professional within the area, this is a terrific book, since it provides an insight to what is currently being done, all over the globe. The author doesn't just focus in one particular country, the focus is worldwide and strongly reflects what is done in web design these days. Highly recommended.



5. This is my second Web Index Book from this publisher and they have been great books for inspiration in my freelance work. Filled with great websites and large images to really see the detail and craftsmanship of each website. One cool thing was when I ordered this book and chose 3-5 day shipping I actually got it within 2 days which was a nice surprise. If you only need to get inspired this book is for you.

3 comments about The Eames Lounge Chair: An Icon of Modern Design.

1. Recently we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Eames Lounge Chair and what better tribute to that milestone than this commemorative book. I have it and I love t. There is also a poster of the cover that you must get too.
   
   Hats off to Herman Milller for keeping the Eames style relevant and as fresh as ever!



2. A great resource for anyone that has one of these iconic chairs or is interested in its history.



3. At last a book about THAT chair. Thomas Hine, one of the contributors to this interesting book, writes a chapter about the way the chair kept popping up in all the right media and this probably helped it along to its iconic status. I was aware of the chair many years ago and kept seeing it in interior design photos, adverts, and anywhere that visually needed to project an upmarket ambience. Strangely I never saw anyone sitting in these chairs and I was surprised to find, when I bought one, that the back does not support one's head. A 1956 photo used in a Herman Miller ad shows a stockbroker friend of Charles Eames clearly with his head on the back, he was either a short guy or had moved well forward in the chair.
   
   The book is a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the chair by five contributors with over two hundred illustrations. I thought Pat Kirkham's chapter on the chair's development the most interesting. There is a 1946 photo of a chair that is clearly a prototype for the final 1956 version. Another photo, from 1950 shows Billy Wilder sitting in this '46 version. Although Charles Eames designed the chair there was a huge technical input from Don Albinson who worked in the Eames Office.
   
   The book is a handsome production, well thought out editorially and nicely designed and printed though there is a bit of unnecessary design whimsy with the chapter titled 'The Lounge Chair: idea to icon'. It has seventy-seven pages of photos and graphics with no page numbers, the captions are on three following pages where the illustrations are repeated as thumbnails with the relevant text, in fact the seventy-seven pages had enough space for these captions. Also I would have liked to have seen a technical drawing of the chair and ottoman with dimensions.
   
   Despite a rather high list price I thought this book was a super reminder of a brilliant example of product design. The chair's status is surely growing because by 2004 over one hundred thousand had been sold and that most likely includes mine.
   
   ***FOR AN LOOK INSIDE click 'customer images' under the cover.
   
   

5 comments about Diana: Princess of Wales.

1. As a fan of Diana's, I enjoyed seeing a more casual side of Diana. The picutres show a side of the princess that reaffirm how beautiful she was in all settings, not just formal. The pictures however are a little soft in the focus arena.



2. Five months before Princess Diana's death in August, 1997 she sat for what was to be her last photo session with the Peruvian photographer Mario Testino. The results for the most part are quite wonderful. Often shot in natural light, sometimes smiling naturally-- a difficult task for any photographer to capture-- Diana, relaxed and unadorned (she wears no jewelry and is barefoot and seated sometimes on an all-white sofa), seems to be having a very good time and could almost be the exquisitely beautiful woman next door. Having said that, I noticed that in a shot or two she has an unflattering nose. Unlike too many Brits, however, she was blessed with beautiful teeth-- and a smile that would melt concrete.
   
   In an interview with the photographer that accompanies these photos that were shot for a spread in "Vanity Fair" that sold out on the newsstands he reminisces about the day he shot these photographs and the good time that both he and his subject had doing them, commenting on what he calls real laughter, laughter from the inside, that he was able to elicit-- it is obvious in the photographs-- from Diana. In a touching note, he mentions that these photographs became the favorites of Diana's boys.
   
   My two favorites-- at least today as they might change the next time I look at this beautifully printed book by Taschen-- are numbers 33 (Diana is clutching her hands at her ankles) and 54 with 45 (the pensive Diana) as a close third. Other favorites are 42, 43, 9, 10, 36, 10 and 23, where she is most beautiful.
   
   Diana is wearing some of the 79 dresses she auctioned off at Christie's for charity. If you are interested, information about the clothes is included at the back of the book. But this isn't about the clothes. It is about Diana; she is certainly no mannequin here.
   
   Sixty or so photographs, both in black and white and in color, are included in this book; they are reproduced and numbered in the back. Fraydon Carter wrote a foreword; Meredith Etherington-Smith, an introduction.
   
   While these photographs take on a special significance because they are the last formal ones of Princess Diana before her tragic death, had she lived, she would of course have been photographed dozens and dozens of times. I cannot imagine, however, that these by Testino would not have been seen as some of the most beautiful, most compelling and would have held their own with whatever photographs came after them.



3. Stunning pictures, just a beautiful piece of art that will leave you speechless. Princess Diana was beautiful inside and out, there's nothing left to say.



4. AWFUL! Only a few photos, repeated several times, most were out of focus. Would never have purchased if I could have looked inside. I guess that's why it was wrapped in plastic in a local bookstore.



5. Although you can buy plenty of other books with photos of Diana, Testino photographed her like no one else. She looks casual, relaxed and happy in these photos. Diana does not look at all "glammed" up with excessive makeup and hair styling. The way you would see her at home, inspite of the gowns she wears in these photos. Testino captured a Diana that was probably only seen by family and friends, and in these shots he shared that Diana with the rest of the world.

5 comments about Rackgaki: Japanese Graffiti (with DVD).

1. really neat pics but my dvd didnt work in my PS2 my dvd player or my computer. good bit of diversity on pieces its not all on trains or just throw-ups. its all over and with a wide range of style and talent. way to go



2. Very good book covering graffiti in Japan. Wonderful paper choice, nice pictures and a simple yet very usefull DVD that takes you to the spots in question with nice edit! I watched it in my imac with no problems.



3. thought it had great shots and i love the DVD, sweet sounds and great edits. the only thing its not a multi region DVD. I watched it on a little "Colby" dvd player which i entered a code so it plays everything.
   So if you have just a regular DVD player your out of luck, or maybe you should be able to watch it on your PC. Either way I loved it.



4. i go this book the day it came it and was very impressed...i had heard from a relative who lived in japan for about 5 years that japan didn't have much of a writing scene...this book/dvd proves otherwise...the dvd wont play on region 1 players but it worked on my laptop without any problems...this is great for anyone who appreciates the neglected art of the streets



5. the book is great but the DVD is PAL format so unless you have a player that can play European DVDS you wont be watching it.

5 comments about Paper Dreams: The Art And Artists Of Disney Storyboards.

1. This is a very informative book about the history of Disney's story department staff and the storyboards they created. I learned a lot. I would have liked to have seen more information about their art techniques, but the information about their careers and the vast amount of images made up for it. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Carl Barks, which shed more light on the man behind the works I've read since I was a kid.



2. Too often in animation titles, the storyboard element is relegated to a minor footnote. This book presents a wonderful insight to the creative process of animation film making. Many animators and students collect resource material from feature films, and storyboard examples are rare and treasured items. As a storyboarder myself, I was in awe of the beauty and clarity of these works, many I was seeing for the first time. However, anybody with an interest in art or animation will enjoy this book. It is an amazing and definitive collection.



3. I have most of the 'Art of' books and, though this is a little more pricey than the others, it is worth every cent. It is refreshingly reassuring to finally have a Disney art book NOT written by a Disney staffer, but by a film academic. It was great to read about the men who worked alongside Walt and knew him for all his faults as well rather than the godhead he has become to the company. This book, while showing page after page of behind-the-scenes miniature masterpieces that went into making the classic early features, also describes the not-so-happy endings that such chemistry produced among Disney and his storymen sometimes. It also covers the latter-day storyboard masters like Chris Sanders and the Brizzi twins. I have ambitions of being a Disney storyboard artist someday and this book is perfect inspiration. More than worth it.



4. If the Disney American Animated Film has one stigma, is the belief that it is made for childern. Mr.Canemaker's book disproves that notion by recounting stories by those lucky few that got to meet Walt,work with him and put his "Dreams" on "Paper" before they were made a reality on film. We are privy in the world of Walt Disney and the people who put his ideas on paper only to have Walt think that they could be better than that.The book is filled with instances of Walt cursing-four letter words and all,when his Soryman ideas did not cut the mustard. Why should they since Walt "was his own best storyman." We get to meet the men that were up to par with Walt-T.Hee and Bill Peet. But these man could be considered Lucifer to Walt's Christian God-those who wish to be better than him or take his place would end in Hell, which in a sense they did. Finally, lets not forget the geniuses Walt himself dealt with-Salvador Dali and Orson Welles. If there was anyone that could top Disney himself ,it was Orson,as described by Walt Himself.



5. This book shows off the (oddly enough) unsung heros of the Disney Animation Department, the Story Artists. Like his previous book on Disney Inspirational artists, John Canemaker piles on the rarely seen outside of Disney pre-production sketches that form the basis of all to follow. GREAT reproductions--and great to see the subject and the studio treated not only with great respect, but a healthy amount of constructive criticism, too. Beautiful job. I'm waiting for a companion volume featuring unedited complete storyboards for ALL the features(!).

No comments about The Botanical Palette: Color for the Botanical Painter.

2 comments about Graphic Thinking for Architects and Designers.

1. As an Architecture Student, I really enjoyed this book. It was very helpful with sketching techniques and just general concepts related to architecture. It was a required text for a class, but it has been a helpful reasource since. I recommend this book to any person wishing to develop a good sketching technique. This book refrences very important works by Aalto and Wright. It also addresses important and helpful hints about abstraction of ideals and their graphic weight.



2. As an interior design student I have found this book to be very informative and helpful. The step by step analysis of the design process is terrific and I've practically worn out the copy at the library, so it's time to buy it for myself.

5 comments about Rolling Stone 1,000 Covers: A History of the Most Influential Magazine in Pop Culture.

1. Bought this for my son for Chrismtas and he loves it. I was able to get it for much less on Amazon.



2. I've always been impressed with the covers of Rolling Stone over the years, and as I was browsing my local library recently, I came upon this book in the art section. I was so impressed that I went out almost immediately and ordered it. Here you will find - as the cover suggests - the first 1,000 covers of Rolling Stone, featuring the great icons of American popular music over the last 40+ years. It is a thick volume, but fits comfortably on a bookshelf and makes a handsome addition to any collection. recommended not only for the pop culture buff, but also any fan of art and photography - the artistry of many of these images is superb. A recommended buy.



3. I would have liked more information about what was in each magazine. Even if it was just a paragraph about the times and the person on the cover. But on a whole it was very nice.



4. This book brought me back so many, many years. I remember so many of these covers. It was a present for my husband and he just loves going through the book all the time.



5. If you have the original large 1998 edition this latest book is just a continuation, though smaller in size, up to the thousandth edition in May/June 2006. I was rather impressed with the earlier book except for the silly tiny type dates and photo credits for each cover, amazingly set in four point. Fortunately someone has realised that tiny type is not really readable in a domestic lighting environment so the cover dates and photo credits have been upped to just over five point, still rather small though. Apart from this all the other text is readable and combined with the excellent design and printing makes this a wonderful book to look at.
   
   Like the first book it is not just a memory jogger of covers, there are plenty of sidebar excerpts from the magazine. It is the covers though that are the five stars plus. Not many consumer publications manage to consistently retain a quality cover look over so many years and in the Stone's case with the same logo since January 1981. Look through the index of photographers and illustrators and you'll see why the covers look so cool: Annie Leibovitz shot 142 of them, Herb Ritts has forty-six, Richard Avedon eighteen. With this sort of quality no wonder it always looked good. Even the early issues in the rather inflexible newspaper format had a distinctive cover style.
   
   I think this beautiful looking updated book will be a strong seller (not least because of Amazon's bargain price) for those who lived with rock for the last thirty-nine years.
   
   Quirky observation: the book's title is on a wrap-around strip of paper (rather bizarrely called a belly band in the trade) and I can't see it staying in one piece for long as this is just the kind of book that will enjoy a lot of handling.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.