3 comments about Yard: The Life and Magnificent Jewelry of Raymond C. Yard.

1. so many of the pcs that we still see coming available from estates are not that distinct.... I know that every time I see one from Yard tthat it will be special.... the book tells why



2. I had not seen this book "in person" and am often disappointed in the quality of other art books I have purchased. Not so with "Yard: The Life and Magnificent Jewelry of Raymond C. Yard". It was meant to be a gift, but I must confess that I devoured the elegant photographs and the interesting copy before I wrapped this special book up for its new owner!



3. For a moderately priced book of a semi-obscure jeweler this book completes its goals. However, those looking for an actual in depth history of the business and its founder will not find it here. Lushly photographed and info-heavy on a few of Yard's more famous clients-it entertains and earns its price tag.

5 comments about Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings (Tuttle Classics).

1. Several years ago I bought a reprint of Dr. Morse book and it has become not only a treasured Clasic but a Bible of information. Although there are no pictures, none are needed with Dr. Morse drawings and detail descriptions.
   E L Smith



2. I bought this book about 3 years ago from Amazon. So you'd think that it would be old hat by now. Yet I find myself picking it up at least once every few months to either refer to it for a construction detail or just to look for something new. What a wonderful resource for traditional Japanese design this book is.
   
   Trained as a Zoologist, Morse put his scientific powers of observation and systematic description to work during the 1880's in producing the sketches and text that describes a world of everyday Japanese design right before it was swamped with Western influence and largely disappeared. There are plenty of books that can show you pictures of ancient Japanese temples and teahouses, but what about the method of constructing the roof of an ordinary 19th century Tokyo home? This was stuff that few people thought was worth recording for posterity. Which is why Morse's book is so unique and valuable to us.
   
   Anyone with more than a passing interest in the way that things are built or designed would do well to put this book on their shelf. Interior decorators, architects, DIY types (such as myself), finish carpenters, contractors and furniture makers should all have a tattered, dog-eared copy of 'Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings' within easy reach. It is a constant source of inspiration.



3. "Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings" is a great book. If you've any interest in traditional Japanese architecture, get this book. Edward Morse was an American who went to Japan in 1877 to study brachiopods. He ended up recording a vanishing way of life instead. He tells you how Japanese homes were built and why they were built that way. Not much escapes his eye. In serviceable prose and clear drawings, he tells us about carpenters and their tools, houses, furnishings, privies, fences and gateways, water supplies and gardens. Most of it he compares favorably to American and European counterparts.
   
   Best of all, it's a Dover book and cheap.



4. I picked up the Dover paperback edition at a library book sale and was charmed by the author's detailed drawings as much as the description of domestic life in 19th century Japan. Morse originally published this in 1885, barely 30 years after Perry's expedition, and traveled around Japan documenting as many houses and styles as possible (including those of the Aino culture). There are no photographs, but the intricate line drawings and intimate descriptions of functional households -- kitchens and cooking utensils, washing areas, sleeping quarters -- are minutely detailed and thoroughly described in the text. Not just a book for those interested in architecture but history as well.



5. I purchased this book simply to get a quick overview of Japanese domestic architecture. The price is always right with Dover books so I just ordered it without any research. What a pleasant surprise to find myself reading a definitive work on the subject a few days later. The text is thoughtfully written and the illustrations skillfully done. As with any well written and illustrated book, color pictures are not overly missed. As a result of this book I find myself much more interested in Japanese architecture than I ever intended to be and heartily recommend it to anyone with an interest in home or interior design.

5 comments about Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge.

1. Being a good person far exceeds being a hero. I have said for many years that I would rather be deprived of the Beatles and be bombarded with painful loud noises than be a hero. To me, "hero" suggests looking for grandeur and acting on behalf of others with the thought of return. Often heroes lose their lives. To me, "hero" is far from an appealing concept. September 11, 2001 soured me on "heroism" all the more because I didn't like the way stepping up to the plate for others was viewed as the exception and not the rule and the way many appeared to expect kudos for doing so. Real benevolence seeks no return.
   
   The families portrayed in this wonderful book are better than heroes - they are good people who have allowed their lives and those of their children with autism to be shared. Readers are treated to beautiful photographs and anecdotes and interviews from the families featured in this book.
   
   Autism is an equal opportunity neurobiological condition that makes no distinction in who is affected. In our ever-dwindling quest for privacy in today's highly connected world, it is all the more courageous and generous for people to share their life stories of coping with autism in any form.
   
   Dr. Firestone's book is a book for everybody regardless of placement or lack thereof on the autism/Asperger's spectrum. Experiences are validated; autism is accepted and unconditional love underscores the personal accounts each of these families have provided. John Lennon's 1971 magnum opus "Imagine" and his classic classic "Gimme Some Truth," also from Imagine would be the ideal soundtrack to this book.
   
   This is the ideal companion book to SOULS: BENEATH & BEYOND AUTISM (paperback version) and Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes.



2. Autism Heroes provides an intimate glimpse into the world of a ever-growing sector of the human population that cuts across social, economic, and cultural boundaries in a mysterious manner. The personal anecdotes presented by caregivers living and loving in the complex world of an autistic family member are sometimes heart rending, sometimes hilarious, and always enthralling, compelling, and sobering. It is incongruous that our technologically-advanced, information-savvy society has such little understanding of people with autism. In our present atmosphere of privacy, it is yet another act of heroism for these families to share this most personal and sensitive part of their lives. Dr. Firestone's work will touch hearts and open eyes to the beautiful spirit found in people with autism and the ones who love them. Her positive but honest and balanced outlook will help parents with newly diagnosed children get a foot-hold on the future possibilities and the breadth of the autistic spectrum. For veteran families, seeing their daily efforts recognized and honored will lighten their work. For professionals, it will provide insight into the kaleidoscope of consequences the diagnosis can have depending on the family context. To understand and address the unique needs of families struggling with autism is a great challenge, and this book is a respectful, heartwarming, and sensitive step toward that goal.



3. ...and not only in the news, putting out a fire or fighting a war. these are real people. families with TRUE strenth and love. the lesson learned from this book, goes beyond autism and applies to any human condition that requires good old fashioned HELP and HOPE. there is a brighter future for anyone reading this. if 'a hero is nothing but a sandwich', you can definetely eat this one up.



4. Austim Heroes documents personal stories of autism and the common struggles of families from widely diverse backgrounds. Stories of hope and unconditional love are presented with informal black and white family portraits to create a beautiful tribute to the strength of families touched by autism. This is an important, honest and insightful book sure to raise awareness and understanding.



5. This is really a lovely book that profiles 38 different families living with autism. As a mom to twins on the autism spectrum, how I wish this book was available when we first started our journey. The stories are full of hope and encouragement, honesty and love. It's large -- almost a coffee table book -- but full of beautiful black and white photos and pretty lengthy stories. The children profiled are of all ages, their families from all walks of life. I loved it.
   
   I loved all the different voices of moms and dads as they tell of first getting that diagnosis and what their road has looked like since. I loved each bit of advice offered to other parents. It made me feel less alone and I was sad when I finished it.

5 comments about Magic Lantern Guides: Pentax K100D / K110D (Magic Lantern Guides).

1. This is one of those books that go into detail about how to use the camera to its physical potential. It helps decipher some of the cryptic owner's manual info, but at the same time leaves some questions unanswered.
   
   This book will certainly help you understand what your camera is capable of, and help you navigate the menus and find out what settings are for what.
   
   What it won't do is replace the owner's manual, or teach you anything about the art of photography itself. I would recommend this to people new to DSLR's in general, but people who have been using one for some time outside of "auto mode", and actually understand what aperture and shutter means to a photo will probably benefit less.
   
   There are of course some hidden gems for even the DSLR savvy. Each camera may have it's own perks, or shortcomings and these guides tend to point them out for you.



2. I read this book expecting something special and beyond the User's Guide or Manual that comes with the camera. I found very light (not deept) cover in each aspect that is included - most of the information that comes in this book you can find in the web (free) and in some cases with better presentation and coverage. Sorry but it's not a Guide but just a booklet.



3. I agree with other reviews that suggest this book is better then the manufacturer's manual, but I think it depends on who is reading it. It is written with the assumption that you know how to use an SLR and you understand all of the features and lingo of the SLR world. All of the sample pictures in it are almost worthless as they are in black and white. I suppose color pictures would have added cost, but I think it would have been worth it. That said, I think it is an excellent choice for a film SLR user making the transition to DSLR. For those of us making the transition from a P&S to the SLR, well it really isn't all that much better then the manual that comes with the camera. I sure wish it was.



4. This book is excellent in the regard that it reiterates all of the information in the user's manual - but in a more organized, less-"jargony", and easier-to-follow way. While it's true that it has some very basic concepts in there that most people who have ever used a digital camera of any kind would know, that doesn't mean that this entire book contains only elementary concepts. I think this book tries to meet the needs of the average user - and throws-in a little basic concept here and there for those who really are brand new to digital photography.
   The real reason you'll want this book is not because it has ground-breaking insights or secret tips, but because it tells you how to fully use and maximize your new Pentax k110d/k100d DSLR, and frankly, the Pentax manual, while thorough, is a little less-easy to understand and written a little too technically. I personally preferred the Magic Lantern Guide over the orginal manual for this reason.



5. Much more interesting to read than manufacturer user guide. Very good coverage of basic use of an DSLR camera. Well complemented by author's hints. I would have appreciated to deepen some digital-specific matters like histogram use. Worth its price.

5 comments about Adobe Photoshop CS2: The Art of Photographing Women.

1. This book is great. At times a little hard to follow from one task to the next but I find it to be very in-depth and useful. The book covers so many tricks I would never have thought of. Ordering books to be shipped to Australia can be very much hit and miss, but this book is a A+++ buy.



2. I really wanted a good book for people in general. This book had some positive reviews elsewhere so I gave it a shot. I was not disappointed. Most of the rules and examples provided could be used on anything: humans or animals. Its about using photoshop to make images look beautiful. The book's layout, format and illustrations are also top notch and help with the teaching.



3. This books is based on the old saying, "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." It teaches you how you can make changes to your 'raw' pictures into works of art. It emphasized the concept that can actually be applied to any type of photography. Personally, I like to take Portrait, Street Life, and Candid. This book really hope me to think more of how and what I want to have as my final result from the pictures I take. I used to think that postproduction of a picture is pointless but the more I learned from this book. It became more evident that that is not the case. It is an essential part of digital photography. Now, I can make the pictures I take to come out exactly the way I intended it to be.



4. A practical guide to understanding and using lighting to capture the image as well as many useful techniques for improving images of people, especially women.



5. I agree with the previous 2-star review; the typography in this edition is beyond atrocious. I can understand the decision to make the text so large--I'm sure a lot of people will want to set the book down somewhere on their desk while they follow along with the tutorials, and microscopic fonts would make that virtually impossible--but this is really sub-par. There are so many ridiculous flourishes and calligraphic captions that everything on the page is competing for your eye's attention, and unfortunately, the wrong element usually ends up winning (those oversized bluish brackets that adorn every single caption, callout and pull-quote for example). What's worse, whoever laid the thing out absolutely insisted upon using up every single millimeter of available space on the page, resulting in tangents a-plenty and margins of less than 1/16th of an inch in many cases. Have fun reading that.
   
   Content-wise, it's OK. The information Mr. Ames provides is not bad by any means, but I wouldn't call it "groundbreaking", either. There should really be a lot more screenshots of the layers palette than there are words in most of the tutorials as it's easy to get lost in the text thanks to all the aforementioned typographical concerns, and his methods of building hair masks will prove difficult to apply to many situations his examples do not cover. I'm not a fan of his method of layer organization, either, but that's one of those deeply personal things everyone evolves on their own.
   
   If you're just getting started in the retouching or fashion business, there are plenty of good pointers in here. If you've been using Photoshop for the last 15 years, don't expect to learn much you didn't already know. Mr. Ames is a fine retouch artist, but he's neither the magician nor the pioneer some would make him out to be. All of his methods predate him and he freely admits as much in the text. I would not recommend this to anyone but an absolute beginner, and even then I would feel guilty about it just because it's so darn horribly put together.

2 comments about The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: A Century by the Sea.

1. Having been born and raised and still living in Santa Cruz, this book brings back so many memories. It is a beautifully illustrated book with so many wonderful colored pictures. A wonderful souvineer book for anyone to have of a very unique place.



2. The pictures make this book! It would have been great if there were a few more pictures of the various rides.. but thats not what this book is about. From 1800s to 2007, it's all in here!

5 comments about The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Photography Book).

1. Of all the publications I've looked at for the newcomer
   endeavoring to get seriously acquainted with digital
   photography, this one book is by far the best!



2. This book was very helpful in learning the basics for me as a novice. I would suggest the following order for a novice:
   1. "The Joy of digital photography" by Jeff Wignall
   2. "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson
   3. "The digital photography book" by Scott Kelby



3. This book is an enjoyable read for sure. Mr. Wignall's humor and lighthearted style of writing lightens up a subject that can get rather technical. While you don't want to get a book that is a dry as a text book, I suspect that you do want to actually learn something when buying books in this topic area.
   
   As far as what you will learn and how useful this book will be depends on what you want to gain in knowledge. I found this book to be a general overview of digital cameras; digital point and shoot as well as dSLRs, their functions, some basic photography concepts and photo editing.
   
   A multitude of topics are touched on in this book and the author tries to cover a little of everything. Too little on too many different subjects to be of much practical use.
   
   If you are using a P&S a lot of the book doesn't really apply to you and is therefore not very useful. Most of what is covered regarding digital P&S cameras is done for you automatically, or you can either figure out on your own after taking a few pictures or you can learn in the manual.
   
   If you are new to using an dSLR, there is not enough info to actually learn anything. The photos are beautiful but no info such as aperture or shutter speed is included. And as I stated before, there are many nice intros on many useful subjects but they are just that, intros.
   
   If you are just starting your journey into the world of photography with a dSLR I suggest starting with the following three books in addition to your camera manual:
   
   Understanding Exposure and Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Peterson
   
   and the Magic Lantern book written for your particular camera.



4. This is the book I bought for a friend who is just getting serious about digital SLR photography. Wignall covers all the basics and some intermediate stuff with obvious enthusiasm, and he knows his stuff. Maybe he tries a little too hard to be funny here and there, but not teeth-gnashingly so. Pleasing design, good choice of sample pictures, high print quality, not too geeky.



5. Jeff Wignall writes about photography with a passion that's both entertaining and insightful. Everyone from novices and seasoned pros will enjoy his writing. Not only is this book perfect for anyone making the transition from film to digital photography, but Jeff explains things so clearly that it's also the essential reference for those picking up a camera for the very first time.

1 comments about Conformation (Threshold Picture Guides, No 19).

1. Lots of pictures and drawings to explain even to the youngest child or the most confused adult. The entire series is well done. Recommended.

5 comments about The Here and Now: The Photography of Sam Jones.

1. the Clooney album, too many shots of Clooney makes it too boring and creepy. Obviously Jones has a 'jones' for Clooney.



2. The photos are absolutely brilliant... I only wish there was more text explaining Jones's take on each shot -- how he came up with the setting, what his inspiration was, what happened during the shoot, etc. He does a little of this in the intro of the book where he remembers moments with Jessica Beil, Clooney, etc, but it would be so much better if each photo had something like that.



3. The images in this book are spectacular & beautiful. If you are a fan of George Clooney you're in luck as he has the most photos spread, some serious some funny.



4. fantastic book! a must have for anyone who appreciates stunning photography by a clever and talented photographer. whether jones is drawing out a subject's demure side or silly side, he lets you feel as if you are, at once, let in on the secret and the surprise of the moment. no coffee table collection is complete without this photographer's monograph.



5. I loved it.....
   buy it now....IT WILL IMPROVE YOUR SEX LIFE!
   seriously. there is nothing like some bare naked ladies...

No comments about A Short Course in Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Photography book/ebook.