5 comments about Extraordinary Chickens.

1. This hefty little book is a surprise on every page. I've always known chickens were beautiful, as all fowl, poultry and gamebirds are. But these lovely macros of the breed standards are really just incredible, from a fellow writer/photographer's point of view. Whatever your interest in these birds, be it a curiosity or a hobby, you will love this book.
   
   I also like the size. Easy to find on my overloaded bookshelves. So kudos to Mr. Green-Armytage, for a job well done. Chickens aren't the most cooperative subjects for a photo shoot. I just wonder how many hours to photograph plus travel time he has into this!



2. My dad raised chickens all of his life. He had many breeds and varieties. He no longer has the chickens and when I saw this book I thought he would enjoy it. I gave it to him for Christmas and when he opened it he looked through it right away and said, "Maybe I need to get some chickens again." The pictures are great. Everyone at the party enjoyed the book and I know my dad will enjoy it over and over again.



3. Even though it did not have lots and lots of facts, the pictures make this book well worth buying.



4. Beautiful photographs and interesting information. Great coffee table book! A book you can enjoy for years to come and a great conversation starter!!!



5. It's really amazing the amount of pictures with full details! I found it lovable! The amount of information it has it IS enough and great! If you don't know anything about chickens or don't know how many diferent kind of breed are in the world, this book it's perfect.It gives you everything you need to know straight to the point! And for those that love chickens it's a perfect addition to their books collection!

No comments about Greek Sculpture: The Archaic Period (World of Art).

5 comments about What Remains.

1. I was very happy to recieve my purchase. It was in great condition and arrived alot sooner than expected. I certainly plan to make future purchases on Amazon.



2. I was a bit disappointed as I didn't realize it was just pictures of "Extremely Dead People" photos. I really did not read any of the other reviews so I was a bit shocked when I opened the book. I would not purchase this book again. I thought it was something concerning life, not past life. If you are a person interested in NECRO-ART it would be of interest.



3. Being a photographer myself it is a must to study Sally Mann's work. No doubt, here reputation is not coincident and definitely not only because she took a couple of photos of children without cloth. Her photos tell stories and portrait those children in a very strong and real way.
   I was very impressed with her work and it still inspires me today.
   
   I was very happy when this book arrived at my door and couldn't wait to open it. The photos of the decaying bodies is clearly not every's taste, but captured on in an extremely impressive and strong way. She treated her negatives is a way that matches the rotten look of the bodies. She carefully chose a style that gives you just enough distance to still feel comfortable but at the same time getting close enough to recognize what we see.
   
   I had to look through these photos a couple of times to adjust myself to it and become open to what I saw. Looking at human being this way is something we have damned from our everyday life. It is not something I would put on my wall, but it is an experience I don't want to miss either.
   
   The big disappointment comes after those photos. The other 2/3 of the book shows photos that are hardly worth the paper they are printed on. I consider myself open to a wide range of artisitc expression but not the lack of it. What we see on the following pages is like the title suggests the remains of Sally Mann's drawers where she probably found decade old films that she forgot to process. As much as I tried to like it and find something "talking" to me I simply ended up flipping through the pages more and more quickly hoping to get to the next chapter. But it never came.
   
   No I don't think it is a waste of money, and yes I still like Sally Mann's work. I just don't have to like this book (except for the first part).
   
   If you like her previous work, her style and extremely impressive and artistic portraits you might be very disappointed with this book as it is not remotely similar to what you might expect.



4. WHAT REMAINS is an apt title to this extraordinary photographic portfolio by the sensitive, ever inquisitive, gentle spirit of Sally Mann. Though often criticized for her 'audacity' of material she elects to photograph, Mann is never less than creative and challenging.
   
   This well designed book is divided into sections that explore life and especially death in its many guises - accidental, violent, natural - and the remains of the deed, matter with which we the living must deal. There is the death of a family greyhound shown with grief and simplicity, the violent death of a criminal killed on Mann's property and the gore of that event and aftermath, a series of views of dead bodies in a morgue, and dark landscape survey of Antietam (a battlefield fro the Civil War) that is haunting and all too reminiscent of ongoing battlefields we still create, and finally some views of her own children's faces.
   
   The camera techniques include ambrotypes and modes of developing that are both difficult and rewarding. One is left with the impact of the fine line between life and death and that vacuum that exists when one becomes the other. Some may find this particular portfolio difficult to see, but perhaps those people will gain the most from Sally Mann's meditations on life and death. Grady Harp, January 2004



5. i always wondered if mann was a truly gifted artist or if her subjects and locations were just so compelling that anyone could have captured incredible images if they happened to be present.

   this book confirms the latter.

   these photographs are flat, uninteresting, not compelling for me in any way.

   Maybe she needs to find some new prepubescent girls and go back to the child-erotica.

   The controversial nature of her images were what vaulted her to fame.

   it surely was not talent.

5 comments about Photoshop CS Artistry (VOICES).

1. I'm currently using this book for a digital imaging and video class. I agree with others, the writing is not good at all!! Its confusing and the instructions are poorly written. Half of it doesn't work. Maybe its because I'm using CS2? Who knows but I dont like this book!



2. This is the ONLY one of the four of five different books - all supposed to be functional, easy-to-use, and logically organized - that I have bought and tried to use. Others are either: (1) poorly organized; (2) too technical; (3) too "cutsey" ie the Dummy series; or (4) accompanied by a CD that seems out of synch with text. I struggled to "fill-in the gaps" from courses and workshops I have taken. This book has truly helped me. I would recommend it for intermediate or advanced users. For any user under the age of 50 the print font shouldn't be a problem. For those of us over 50, the font size is a real struggle for those of us with either aging eyes or extreme nearsightedness. Nevertheless, it is worth the effort.
   
   A. Schwartz



3. Don't get me wrong...There is a ton of useful information in this book. The included CD has a great collection of images that really make the lessons work.
   
   But this guy is a horrible writer. That's not his fault. The floggings should begin with the editors. (Which begs the question: Were there editors? Some are listed, but what did they do?)
   
   I don't mind dense text, when it knows where it's going. But being verbose on the excuse of being conversational just doesn't make it. Also, there are no conventions used in the text to help you navigate. Remember -- the reader will be splitting his/her attention between screen, book, and maybe some scribbled notes. Text conventions like bold-face for commands, different font for filenames, etc., can go a long way.
   
   I'm using it in a university course right now, and the instructor feels compelled to explain what the book is trying to explain. That just aint right.



4. I continue to find myself disappointed with this "Artistry" version. I read Photoshop 6 Artistry cover to cover and found it very good. All the praise of the other reviews was certainly deserved. I upgraded to CS and felt compelled to buy the new version of "Artistry" primarily to learn about the new features, especially since the Adobe documentation is a bit cryptic in places.
   
   I must say, I'm disappointed. It's feels like this version was rushed to press. The new features are mentioned but not explained very well at all. In many cases, the explanations are nothing more than a rehash of the Adobe documentation.
   
   For example, the camera raw section doesn't really give much insight into what you are trying to accomplish through the use of the feature (some, but not much). Nor does it give a very good description of the recommended workflow within the feature or how to incorporate it into your overall workflow. Further, there are no hands-on examples.
   
   The Shadow/Highlight section is similarly lacking. The authors seem to allude to the fact that this may be more of a "simple tool" rather than one for the serious user. But they don't really come right out and say that. If so, tell us. If not, tell us how to incorporate it into the workflow, especially since it isn't available as an adjustment layer.
   
   The section on the color replacement tool is as obscure as Adobe's. I still can't figure this tool out very well. The descriptions for sampling and limits are extremely confusing. This is a case where the book could have cleared up the mysteries that remain after reading the Adobe documentation several times.
   
   I still think this series is very good and I have learned a great deal from it. I would still recommend it to anyone wanting an in depth understanding of Photoshop. I am simply disappointed that the authors appear to have taken shortcuts with the new features in CS and don't seem to have carried through with the same quality of the previous editions.



5. As a total beginner, I learned Photoshop using the 5.5 version of this book and have bought the corresponding version each time I have upgraded. This book is great for not only intermediate and advanced users but also for beginners who want to understand why and how the program works in depth from the start and don't mind investing the effort to do so.
   
   If you are looking for a quick reference or "Photoshop basics in 3 hours" DON'T buy this book! You will be better served by something else; BUT, if you are looking to really learn the program and willing to invest the time, your efforts will be richly rewarded using this book. I can't say enough for it.
   
   If you look through reviews, you will see either love it or hate it. The ones that love it are looking to learn/understand the program. The ones that hate it are most likely looking for a quick reference book or to learn the bare basics quickly which is totally fine as everyone has different needs but this book simply is not designed for that.
   
   I will say that the screen captures are not as good as previous versions but still acceptable. Hopefully future versions will go back to the previous quality.
   
   Thanks to Haynes and Crumpler for their great work!

1 comments about State Fair: The Great Minnesota Get-Together.

1. I was disapointed in this book, the pictures were colorful -but would like to have seen more in detail...Plus thought it was a book more about fairs as a novel.....but it was mostly just pictures that did not really show any fair much...

2 comments about The Zone System Craftbook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Zonesystem of Exposure and Development.

1. There are a number of guides to the zone system and many have something to offer. The Zone System Craftbook (paperback) by J.C. Woods is one of the best. Much of the book is relatively elementary in the sense that people who know the zone system will find it light (but still worthwhile) reading - e.g. zones, zone relationships, placing gray tones, moving them, expansion, contraction, contrast, etc., etc.. The discussion of expansion and contraction is particularly picturesque and transparent. People who are learning the system will find very few books that are clearer. Wood's book has a modest number of illustrations, but they are entirely adequate to support the presentation. What this book does very well is cover the subject in extremely practical terms that can be immediately put into practice. Much of the presentation is not technical and it is unencumbered by elaborate details of testing or sensitometry. But, for those who wish to refine their technique, later chapters are devoted to a detailed approach to testing and calibration, with and without the use of a densitometer. The books will be very useful to people who are refining their use of the zone system as well as to folks who elect not to delve into a high level of perfection with technique. All in all, if you are interested in learning about the zone system, this is a book you will be very glad you decided to buy. There are others, of course. The Ansel Adams Guides (books 1 and 2) by John Schaefer are also well-written and really loaded with illustrations and useful information. They are much bigger than the book by Woods. Out of print now but also excellent is Schaefer's earlier (paperback) book, How to Use the Zone System for Black and White Photography.



2. It's the best zone system book that has been written so far. It is interesting and very easy to read. It doesn't get bogged down in useless information that fills up so many other books. It's concise and accurate. If you're serious about photography in the least, it's a required reading. It's a must for anybody who cares about his/her photography, unless you're Ansel Adams.

5 comments about One Hundred Young Americans.

1. The photographs are interesting to look at, but the stories that accompany them are awful! They're poorly written. Also, the intro to the book over-stresses the fact that this is the "instant access generation." That's not really news, and I think it pigeonholes teenagers too much. It's the completely obvious way to look at teenagers right now. And though Franzini stresses in the intro that he identified himself to the teens as a peer, he definitely comes across as someone with an agenda, looking at teenager as specimen. I also don't like the way they used a low-angle shot on the overweight girl, making her look even huger. I bought this at the same time as "It's Complicated," another photo book of teenagers, and "It's Complicated" is MUCH Better, more honest and less other-izing of teenagers.



2. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1CXY6H5MKQ650 I love this book. It documents America's youth today in a stunning and sometimes shocking way bringing back memories of teenage anxiety and joy. I lool forward to other works from this brillant documentarian and photographer, Michael Franzini.



3. This book is captivating. A very personal glimpse into the life of 100 individual personalities. Independently, each is fascinating. Collectively, it is an even more compelling look at a generation.



4. One Hundred Young Americans is an eye-opener for me. I consider myself pretty connected with the youth of today but after reading this beautifully published piece, my perspective has broadened immensely. Franzini's lens captures the emotions, aspirations, and dreams of his subjects with vivid and detailed artfulness. The images are provocative and many times playful. Though I learned and got reaquainted with today's young people through Franzini's eyes, I almost feel like I personally knew many of these kids when I was in high school.



5. Terrific, it's all there, the kids' hopes and dreams, their passions, fears, mistakes.
   Michael Francini (and his team) did a terrific job in finding such a diverse group of 100 youths around the country.
   The portraits are fabulous. Each one made to fit and doing justice to the person in the picture. All telling different stories. Great light, composure, good ideas and great people, all of them! This is what portrait photography is about.
   We all can learn from each and everyone in the book. From who they are, what they want to be and what they have to say. Listen, try to understand and it will make you a better person.

5 comments about Souvenir of Canada.

1. You don't read Coupland for content, and you certainly don't read him to understand where he is coming from. Coupland is best read as a collection of highly eclectic - and in this case, almost loving - insights of a country he knows well. Like his previous book on Canada and the one on Vancouver, all of these stand as weird, human, insightful snippets of Canadian life. Its like a large relish tray - good snippets, but not all to your personal taste.



2. My familiarity with coupland prior to Souvenir of Canada primarily stemmed from Generation X and his City of Glass (his loveletter to Vancouver). Unlike his novel, Souvenir is utterly sentimental--even when seemingly critical. Not being Canadian, yet quite interested in Canadiana, I found Souvenir to be interesting on several levels, and I found myself not only enriching my knowledge of Canada, but also reflecting more deeply on the area in which I grew up--not so much America as a whole, which is a point inferred in the book as well. It's style makes it vastly readable: a series of photographs with relatively short passages with varying degrees of topic digression, yet all quite appropriate. I have often found myself picking Souvenir (and Souvenir 2) up again and again, thumbing through and randomly reading sections. I don't know what it is, but Coupland seems to have the knack for inviting the reader into a world and being a great host while you're there.
   
   I might only add here that recently Coupland loosely turned his Souvenir books into a film of the same name, made somewhat in the same style. The film was great but does not include everything in both the books.



3. This collection of imagery and musings from Famous Canadian Writer Douglas Coupland didn't always strike a chord with me. I'm from a different part of the country, with different history and experiences, of course.
   
   Yet enough was oddly, eerily familiar to convince me that there are few young writers better qualified to comment on the State of Our Nation than Coupland. Not as enjoyable as his fiction, but something fun to tide us fans over while we wait!



4. I was fortunate to have found this book a couple of years ago when I was in Vancouver,BC, and I was nothing but thrilled to see 1) a new Coupland book, 2) a book about Canada, and 3) a picture book for adults. And since I've had it I have found myself reading it several times.
   
   Coupland fans who didn't like the "non-fiction journal" style of "Polaroids from the Dead" may not enjoy this book. But Coupland fans who vist his website for art as well as literature, or try to make gallery shows when Coupland's work is being displayed, will absolutely cherish this book.
   
   Coupland spends anywhere from a couple of paragraphs to a couple pages talking about Canadaian facets like Cigs, Hockey, the Maple Leaf, Poutine, and the Trans Canadian Highway.
   
   This is a must have for die hard Coupland fans, Canadians, US citizens who have spent any amount of time near the border, and everyone else in the know.



5. I read this book in two sittings. The photograph compositions where clever and did evoke familiarity - good and bad - about Canadian images and icons. Coupland's ramblings though, are insights that I believe all Canadians feel or have felt at least once in their lives. Ironically I think this book would have the greatest resonance with non-Canadians, although judging by the few American reviews posted, this suggestion may prove to be a stretch.

5 comments about Edie Factory Girl.

1. As I've stated in a few of my reviews, I'm a huge Edie Sedgwick fan, so any book with Edie in it will automatically be bought and poured over endlessly. Now, I wanted to like this book. I really, really did, but some of the text is off putting and only dampens the whole spirit of Edie. Most die-hard Edie fans know that there are two camps of people who had the privilege of knowing Edie and who are still alive and kicking. For what I'm sure are a myriad of reasons, both camps loathe each other. Not surprisingly, each camp released a book that was perfectly timed with the released of the Sienna Miller (unintentional) disaster flick "Factory Girl". Some of that distaste (or feud, if you will) comes through in this book which makes for an uncomfortable vibe. There's so few people who made it through that era alive that it's quite disappointing that they all can't just put their petty differences aside and quit the one-upmanship game.
   
   Edie wasn't a figure to be wholly admired, but I don't think she was figure to be mocked or ridiculed either. She had her problems and she wasn't perfect. None of us are. She may very well have been a vapid little thing, but I don't think anyone who lived their life as unapologetically and open as she did should dismissed. In my opinion, that's what this book does. I don't think anyone who takes the time to write or at the very least contribute to a book about a person should dislike them. They should have some affection for the subject and that just doesn't come through here which leaves me wondering why the book was released to begin with. The pictures are fantastic, but as others have stated, they've been seen and released countless times before. Again, I wanted to like this book, but aside from a few rude and thoughtless comments and a few (and I mean a few!) unseen photos, this book doesn't have a whole lot to offer.



2. This book is actually somewhat of a rip-off. Many of the quotes are from the book "Edie", which most people who would buy this book have probably already read. Though most of the pictures are candids, they are unlear, dull and don't give you any impression of Edie whatsoever. They are almost like bad pictures you might find in your basement that you meant to throw out. I was very dissapointed in this book. It's clearly another bad cash-in on Edie's posthumous fame.



3. Nice looking Edie book with rare interviews & photos. Unfortunately, seems to concentrate a lot on the negative aspects about Edie & her life. Better off buying a copy on Edie:Girl on Fire!



4. Each page has a gorgeous full color photo or photos of Edie, some of which I have never seen before but most of them I have in other books. A lot of the color photos also appear in Nat Finkelstein's The Factory Years which gives a greater photographic over view of "the factory". The pages are thick and glossy and technicolored like a Warhol painting and the font, utilizing many different font sizes in one paragraph, can be a bit challeging to read. The text is primarily a rehash of snippets from George Plimptons Edie: An American Biography which is far superior in content and photos although all of the photos are black and white. Over all a nicely done tribute to a fascinating and tragic person but more of a photo album/coffee table book than a biography. A definite must for any Edie fan.



5. I knew nothing about Finkelstein until I bought this book. His photographs of Edie Sedgewick are so absent of shading truth that at first I was startled by what I saw. Before this book, I'd seen her only in images of black and white, which leave the mind open to interpretation.
   Color forces you to see intriguing and harsh truths. I spent hours studying his shading and her facial pores. Yet one of the most striking photographs he took of Edie was in black and white when she had a lace shawl over her head. One can play around with black and white photos in the dark room. But in one photo in particular, he captured a death's-head. He writes in this book that he saw what was coming and purposely took the photos of her in the shawl that showed her in such a dark way. Whether that's so or not, he captured a young girl with death already there.
   Everytime I came across a picture that startled me or made me look twice, it was taken by Finkelstein. In this book and the other book that came out right before the movie, "Factory Girl," (Weisman's "Edie, Girl on Fire,") Finkelstein's photographs captured me every time. He shows a girl who is tired and pounding on the make-up in an attempt to seem like she once was. His photographs show that she was already dead inside long before she actually died at age 28. Where was he when Jean Stein's book, "Edie," first appeared in...was it 1981?
   As for Danny Fields, he's a raw gem that has contributed to our history in a great way that he seems to underestimate. Maybe the "feud" with Finkelstein is just a ruse. When you're dealing with people from Warhol's orbit who are still floating around out there....You never know for sure.

5 comments about The Fashion Book - Mini Edition.

1. The Fashion Book is a first-class encyclopedia on fashion as a whole. The cross-references going with each entry make this book an even more entertaining and fascinating source of information as it reveals the entity fashion from different perspectives.



2. This book is a must have as a reference book. It has all the important names in fashion industry and a great editorial design that makes it hard to put it down. Although the size is a little bit tiring ("mini edition"...mmm, kind of says it all!), the pictures couldn't been better.



3. This is a flawless example of beautiful, mesmeric art. Not only does this book capture the ongoing development of fashion through the years, it presents the designers, photographers, makeup artists, and even fashion retailers who made these pieces come to life. Phaidon has always impressed me with the quality of their books, along with the meticulousness they put into choosing the perfect photos for their final product.



4. This is a great referance book for anyone who loves fashion. It's an A-Z book of designers, illustrators, icons, photographers etc. Just about everyone is in here. This is a great book, because it's very inexpensive, small and great because you can look up just about anyone you would like. There are great pictures, and great informative blurbs, including birth and death dates and information about just what made the person so influential. If you love fashion/ fashion history, go out and get this book!



5. This book was suggested reference material for a college course of study at FIDM. Initially I thought this was a paperback condensed version of the hardback book. Upon receipt I found it extremely difficult to read without a magnifying glass - the print is literally micro-small. At first I blamed my aging eyes, but my nineteen year-old daughter whom I purchased the book for has 20/20 vision, and she expressed a similar opinion. I would not recommend this version of the book - if you have the option, purchase the full size hard bound copy.