No comments about Fashion: The Industry and Its Careers.

2 comments about Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas.

1. Sometimes when images from newspapers or TV are taken out of context they can fall flat out of meaning or context. Not so for the revolutionary work of Emory Douglas. Douglas who was the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1968-1980 and it's weekly newspaper artist amassed more works for the paper in a short period than most artists in a lifetime. But quantity is not the focus here but quality, growth and diversity. Emory Douglas is a prolific artist; his one page pieces included in the Black Panther newspaper were captivating and profoundly moved individuals all over the world no matter what language they spoke. His work has influenced every generation of artists/writers/activists who found their way into his work. It is interesting to note that while Emory's finished work was incredibly elaborate looking his tools of choice were simple pen, marker, tape and paper. His palette always represented and reflected the working class.
   Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas focuses on many of Emory's best works and includes forward and texts from former Panther Chairman Bobby Seale, Kathleen Cleaver, Amiri Baraka (still NJ Poet-Lauriat in my book)and Danny Glover among a few.
   
   A definite must for anyone and everyone!!!!!!!



2. This is a must-have for the Black Panther memorabilia collector, the African American art collector or any great art book lover's collection! A beautiful and unique book. The pages are printed on a paper that really makes it look like the original Black Panther papers. I love this book.

5 comments about A Baby Book for You (British Museum of Fine Arts).

1. Bought for a friend and she has enjoyed. Great space to enter important dates and information.



2. I got this for my second child, a boy. I spent a while looking for a baby book that was simple enough that I could keep up without too much effort. Sure, it would be nice if there were a little more blank space for photos, or a pocket for a few keepsakes. But I'm OK with that.
   
   The best part about this book is how understated it is. The first 100 or so baby books I picked were too twee for my taste--pink! and blue! and bunnies! and puppy dogs!.... The graphics and poetry in this book are very classic.
   
   As another reviewer so aptly said, you scrapbookers out there will find this book very limiting--but it's good for the rest of us!



3. This book is completely charming. Not only are the illustrations and poems cute, but the format of the book is very versatile. We homebirth and don't do a lot od doctor's visits, and many baby memory books have several pages dedicated to these things. It means we would have to cross a lot out or have many empty pages. This book has a spiral binding inside the traditional binding, so it is easy to remove a page that does not apply to our experience.



4. I have two copies of this book for two of my girls. I agree with some of the other reviewers that it might have been nice to have a bit more accommodation for scrapbook-type items (early artwork and such), but I like the book's artwork and its allowance for a few pictures for each of the first 5 years. There are plenty of pages with "priming" entries for the time right around baby's birth. This isn't for heavy-duty scrapbookers, but is just right for overworked parents who still want to create a nice baby book for their child to cherish.



5. This review is solely a matter of personal taste as I was debating on this book or Humble Bumble's. The other reviews led me to believe this book had plenty of poems and nice illustration, however, I disagree. Again, it totally serves its purpose for the relevant memories and not bogging one down with tons of writing. It would be very easy to keep up with and had a soft, earth-tone, classy design. I was simply looking for something brighter and more colorful and also needed a few pockets for storing keepsakes, which this one does not have. I ended up returning it and ordering Humble Bumbles which has bright colors (not overbearing), photo frames, plenty of pockets, and very busy-parent friendly. I felt the use of lines from well-known nursery rhymes in A Baby Book for You did not qualify as meaningful poetry and the illustrations were dull and a bit boring. Humble Bumble's has cute pictures, nice rhymes baby will also eventually enjoy, and touching quotes on every page. For those of you who do not like bright colors, do not need a lot of storage space, and don't have a lot of time on your hands, you may really like A Baby Book for You.

2 comments about Treasures of the Louvre: 30 Postcards.

1. They are just okay. I am not thrilled with any of them. They are a little grainy. They are also not perforated, so you have to be careful when removing them from the binding. They are oversized too, so they require a regular first class stamp. I would look for a different set if you can find one.



2. I am an art instructor who works primarily to introduce pre-school and elementary age children to fine art. There are many fabulous reproductions found in this postcard book, such as Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait in Front of an Easel", Raphael's "The Holy Family", and Poussin's "Rape of the Sabines". Any person would be delighted to receive almost all of these postcards as a means to hear from friends and family. As a teaching tool, however, the 30 reproductions as a whole did not contain the breadth of art forms or artists I was hoping to find.

   The introduction to the book led me to believe it would include samples from all over the world, however it's focus was European painters (particularly heavy on the late 16th and 17th centuries) and consequently no female artists were included. The majority of reproductions had similar dark color schemes (reds, yellows, and browns, and all of the 30 reproductions were paintings, no other forms of any kind.

   The selection is a fine selection of postcards for the sake of postcards. It is also a fine tool for teaching European art, but as a sample of world art it does not contain the variety I was looking for.

No comments about Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective.

3 comments about Bernini.

1. sculptor. architect. child prodigy... Bernini's real name was Michaelangelo, but he hid the fact so that his own work would stand apart from that of the greatest sculptor of all time. Here is a tribute to a man who fufilled a great potential to create beauty in this world. The Galleria Borghese in Rome will attest to this. A wonderful volume about a truly incredible talent.



2. Wittkower has created a book that is easily enjoyable for those familiar of Bernini, or those starting to learn about art/archetecture of the Baroque. I highly reccommend this book to anyone remotely interested in this period, as the photos are clear and the explanations are not filled with jargon a lay person could not understand. bravo.



3. Wittkower's work is simply stated an artistic anthology of the achievements and life of the chief architect of the Roman Baroque. His perseptive commentary and pertinent factual information are extremely useful to all who attempt to comprehend the complex messages behind all of Bernini's work. While the author stays committed to rendering the artist as a sculptor and architect, one wishes that Wittkower would delve more into the environment, particularly political and religious movements, that continually serve as an impetus and background to Bernini's chef d'oeuvres. Regardless, Wittkower's inclusion of both color and detailed black and white plates allow the viewer to observe the Baroque master's works in their appropriate light.

No comments about Tom Friedman.

1 comments about Thomas Hope: Regency Designer.

1. This is a truly excellent addition to the rather small literature on Thomas Hope. Every facet of his career and talents from Interior design,collecting and travel, furniture design, drawing and writing is discussed, as is his -and his family's - history. The catalogue section presents the history and significance of items designed and owned by him and his family. A worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in interior design, collecting or simply the lives of extraordinary individuals.

2 comments about Parisiennes: A Celebration of French Women.

1. I find this book fabulous. Pictures are beautiful, all of them in b/w and most of them of anonymous women, the proof of how french women (particularly parisiennes) are charming without the need of artificial effects such as money or marketing-made. They are rebels, mothers, lovers, elegants, self concious, self confidents, etc. But I think, that what is more important, they are very literate. They are always reading, writting....
   To sum up, my favorite part of the book are the quotes by writters, philosophers... about women, and parisiennes. But I must say, the original edition in french est plus charmante...



2. Perhaps it's my oversight in not checking the publication date of this book. I thought it would share more of the easy style and elegance of the French throughout history. The pictures, although many, were dated from 20's - 40's with a
   sprinkle of 50's style. I was hoping to see more of a range of pictures and fashion. The photography is done well and cover is stylish, but the book does not evoke any feeling of elegance within the pages......have not felt compelled to read
   through yet.

1 comments about Vivienne Westwood (Va).

1. We caught the Vivienne Westwood retrospective traveling show at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, and were blown away by the inventive, fun, nutty clothes this woman produced. This book serves as a exhibition catalog, although many of the pieces in the show are not in the book, and nothing matches seeing the wild shoes, hats, dresses and frocks in person. The book design is a minor annoyance, as it can be a little hard to find the garment pictured, who was wearing it, or when it was created. And I think frankly the girl has her best work behind her, but the glory of it cannot be exaggerated, or, to put it another way, her exaggerations were truly glorious. Over The Top in the very best way.
   
   Thoreau would no doubt disapprove....