5 comments about Smitten: A Kitten's Guide to Happiness.

1. 'Smitten' is absolutely adorable but the two JPEGS that have been` uploaded beneath the book in the upper left-hand corner are not the professional work of Ms. Hale's. I know because I own the book. Amazon should taken them down.



2. An absolute fabulous book. The pictures are amazing and the words are uplifting. A must for every cat lover!



3. I got this book for myself and my daughter immediately fell in love with it and walked off with that copy but I like it so much that I bought another copy for myself that I will hide. This is a wonderful book; the pictures and the captions are incredible. A must-have for anyone that loves cats or even remotely likes kittens or cats.



4. This book is one that you can flip through again and again. Not only are the kittens absolutely adorable to look at, but the photographs are so well done that it's impossible NOT acknowledge how talented Rachael Hale is. It is sure to make a great gift for anyone and everyone, no matter what the occasion is. With those precious little kitties captured in the cutest of moments, paired along with fantastic quotes leading you towards a happier life, how can you go wrong?



5. -- Absolutely irresistible.
   
   I bought this on a whim through a book club offer and am so happy I did. It is soooo wonderful. The photos aren't just *cute* but also well-shot. They have an artistic bent -- not just another cute kitties book -- and are very uplifting. The author pairs heart-melting photographs of kittens (mostly 6 weeks old) with day-brightening quotes from various authors and philosophers.
   
   For some reason, looking at their happy little furry faces never gets old, and never fails to put a smile on my face. This is a wonderful book to get and to share with the other animal lovers in your life. :-)

1 comments about John Hedgecoe's Photography Basics, Revised Edition.

1. John Hedgecoe is a veteran photographer with years of valuable experience, but he keeps publishing what I call "very pretty but very useless" photo books, and this is (yet another) one of them. The book is beautifully published (as are his even more lavish DK books), and very well written, but the information is often quite out of date (he teaches you how to load a roll of film; but the words PIXEL or MEGAPIXEL or CMOS do not even appear in the index; on the other hand, the term CLOUDS has 5 multi-page references - go figure).
   
   It is worth noting that while the book claims to be for beginners,it illustrates all points by using National Geographic-caliber photos. No - even if you follow the advice, your photos will not look like that. Hedgecoe is an accomplished, very experienced photographer - there is no doubt about that, but the photos included here were shot using equipment that costs thousands ("teaching" you how to take pictures like that w/ a point-and-shoot is cruel and pointless), and even one brief look at many portraits suggests that elaborate flash setups or professional studio lighting was used - using this stuff to illustrate how to use a point-and-shoot is a joke, and will leave you frustrated and disappointed. Even worse (perhaps very tellingly) virtually none of dozens of beautiful photographs are accompanied by ANY shooting info. (type of camera, speed/aperture, lens, etc.). I'd venture a guess that not one of them was shot using anything like the basic PandS cameras shown in the intro. How are you supposed to learn if you can't even know this basic info about the photos used as "examples"? What a joke!
   
   If you want a coffee-table book, there are better ones; if you want to learn how to take better photos, try something else (e.g., Peterson's Learning Exposure or any Lee Frost books).

5 comments about How to Be President: What to Do and Where to Go Once You're in Office.

1. DEFINITELY not the best book on Presidency. It is kinda strange because this book is meant for kids and WHAT KID WOULD EVER BE PRESIDENT!? It is kind of dumb because I doubt that George Bush carried this around his first hundred days in office! It was an okay book, but it is not my favorite.



2. Very funy and informative. Makes you get a real feel for the perks, and hassles, of being president. Makes a great 35th birthday present.



3. Fun, quick read on everything from how to get your dry cleaning done to ordering breakfast at the White House (and who pays for it). Gives the essentials; how to salute, location of the "red phone" and who carries the "football". Lots of fun facts - it makes you feel like an insider. It's a short book, and that's the only real downside. I would love for it to be longer and in more depth. A great gift for fans of the television show - The West Wing as well as anyone interested in politics and the presidency.



4. This slim, poorly written, poorly illustrated, poorly referenced paste-up might have a few interesting tidbits, but it's so error-filled that it should not even be idly browsed. A few examples:
   
   * "There is no official White House barber" (p 16). Don't tell Milton Pitts.
   * "Offices in the West Wing are usually ... windowless" (p 49). Huh? On Williams' own diagram, 3 executive offices are windowless and 16 have windows.
   * "The oval shape of [the Blue Room] inspired the shape of the Oval Office, when the West Wing was constructed in 1902" (p 21). In 1902 the president's new office was a rectangle. The oval-shaped ones were later additions.
   * He says Nixon filled in FDR's pool (p 49). Almost right: it's still there, just floored-over.
   * He calls the Eisenhower Executive Office Building by its former name, then says it's accessible by tunnel (p 45). It's not. There is a tunnel to the Treasury Building.
   * He gives a chatty but wrong history of presidential bowling lanes (p 113).
   
   With so many patent errors and no references, the rest of his "info" has the ring of guesswork. (Williams has "written for the New York Times"? Written what!)
   
   The book is lousy with fillers: A box on the colors in the U.S. flag. An entire page on HOW TO PUT YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEART. Pages advising how to tell a joke, tie a tie, remember names. A list of some White House paintings - not photos of them, mind you, just a list.
   
   The illustrations by Nancy Leonard are a computer graphic disaster.
   * She cannot be bothered to draw a round oval, but ends up with flat parts in the oval rooms, the south portico, the elliptical drives, and the Oval Office rug. Fireplace and furniture icons are grossly oversized and oddly angled.
   * Her colonnade pillars come in bunches between gaps.
   * Her graphic program apparently could not handle tricky angles in rooms, so these are represented by what look like potato chip outlines.
   * She clearly relied on the Independent Counsel's West Wing map and uses that labeling (and mis-labeling). The famous press briefing room, therefore, is called "West Terrace Upper Level" without a hint of its actual function.
   * For decorative facing pages, she colors her floor diagrams to look like old-fashioned blueprints, but neglects to reverse the colors of the white and gray squares she used to make "holes" for doors in the wall lines, leaving a floor with weird, massive boxes all over it.
   * Other illustrations are worse than clip-art. The TelePrompTer diagram implies that the president stands on a glass screen.
   
   Williams doesn't mention the East Wing, the third residential floor, or the sub-basements, apparently because these were not in the Zweifels' "White House in Miniature" book and so do not exist for him. For that matter, bills, vetoes, executive branch appointments, judicial nominations, treaties, and other stuff a president should know how to "do" aren't explained. (For example, can you veto a bill by phone? Don't ask Williams.)
   
   A book like this could have been delightful. This one is vapid, ugly, and wrong.



5. Stupid, trivial and worthless toilet paper, this book takes a few basic facts and reduces what was once a position of respect into one of disrespect - it's all just some big joke about a job with perks - as opposed to public service. Don't waste your money

5 comments about Wedding Photography, 2nd Edition: Art, Business & Style (A Lark Photography Book).

1. It is the first wedding book that I like out of three that I have. Easy to read and understand, covered every area that I had questions about, nice and light humor. Full of useful examples and advices. I immediately saw how implementing some new techniques from this book can improve my work.



2. I was disappointed with this book. There were some good ideas such as formal posing, but otherwise, outdated. A better wedding photography book by far is "Digital Wedding Photography" by Glen Johnson.



3. If you lean more towards wedding photojournalism, you'll find this book annoying. The author takes stab after stab at the photojournalistic style and concentrates on listing which images you can sell after the wedding.
   
   I found the photography examples rather cheesy and old. The "Posing" chapter starts with a full page image of a bride and groom (almost smack in the middle of the photograph) and the groom's arms hanging down to his sides. I'm new to wedding photography, but even I know that's poor posing! It has some good points, but I wasn't too impressed.
   
   If you're into Traditional style of photography, this is a very good book for you to read. The author breaks the wedding down to almost every kind of picture you should create and how to make it sell at the end. It will be useful to you.
   
   So far, after having read 4 separate books on wedding photography this is my least favorite.



4. I have bought several books on posing and wedding photography. This is my first covering the most important aspects of the wedding photography business. Although it admits the prevailing tendency of admitting casual, journalistic photos on a wedding album, it still thoroughly explains the conventional wedding photos. It also describes how to deal with the business side of this activity. I consider this book a good very good source for those of us who would like to enter on this field of photography.



5. I've been reading through this and have found it very informative. I'm happy with my purchase.

5 comments about Digital Art Photography For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. I purchased this book for my wife when I got her a digital camera for Christmas. It was well worth the money. The book explains photography as well as post processing which is a critical part of digital photography today.



2. Matt Bamberg's book Digital Art Photography for Dummies is an excellent resource for both the beginner and the advanced student of Digital Photography. I have read the book and of especial interest to me were the numerous overt and subtle suggestions about technique and execution. Suggestions which I have used to great effect to dramatically improve my own compositions and to better concentrate and focus my shots.
   
   In addition I really benefited from the suggestions regarding how to process and enhance your work, post shooting. One of the more important foci of the book regards how to transform your work from more simple photographic imagery into more complex renditions which can be considered artistic. Matt explains these techniques for image modification easily and logically and it was not difficult with the right equipment and software for me to begin experimenting with altering my works to produce far more spectacular work. Work which others have expressed interest in. I have even become my church photographer and have recently had other people ask me to undertake photographic assignments on their behalf. In addition I have started the process of taking previous shots and altering them for inclusion into my written works, as graphic enhancements to my writings.
   
   However the book also contains a myriad of techniques which are useful and helpful for the amateur and for the individual who uses photography as a part of their other work. I am often involved in investigations and through some experimentation and adaptation I have used techniques suggested and explained by Matt in order to clarify, focus, and render my investigative photographs far sharper, clearer, and more relevant for my clients. So the book has indirectly benefited me professionally as well.
   
   I have enjoyed Matt's book, have visited his blog and site, and found him to be an accessible and helpful author. Additionally he obviously knows his subject matter and is therefore professionally well-qualified. He seems very experienced and yet eagerly experimental, two traits I like in any individual who is trying to teach me something new.
   
   I have Matt's book and consider it a valuable addition to my personal library on the subjects of both art and photography.
   
   I recommend the book.
   
   Jack.



3. This is a great book for anyone using digital photography -- whether
   you are just starting out or have some experience. There is something
   for everyone! I found it to be a great source of information when it comes
   to Photoshop. Of all my Photoshop books, I find I reach for this one the
   most. It is permanently planted by my computer for quick reference when
   I need it. It has GREAT editing tips and is easy to read and comprehend.



4. I know Matt Bamberg's writing and love his blog (digitalartphotographyfordummies.com). If you're new to photography and confused by all the terms, Matt takes you through the basics (although he says the book assumes you know the principles of photography, he patiently explains the technical stuff). If you're a seasoned pro, skip the refresher course and just enjoy the fabulous photos--which, by the way, everyone will appreciate.
   
   I'm the outgoing vice president of NLAPW Palm Springs--we were honored to be among Matt's first speaking engagements--and have seen our members create beautiful digital art photography. Thanks to Matt's book, I now know how it was done! Artists seeking to sell and exhibit their work will find great career guidance. For other shutterbugs, the book will eliminate some of those photos that you cringe at later (I know I have a few!)
   
   The image manipulation tips in Photoshop are extremely valuable. This is a terrific book, even if you've only toyed with the idea of doing digital photography. Matt's vivid, lively prose makes this a pleasurable read.



5. If you are a digital photographer that is starting out or trying to get into the "art" side, then this book is for you. This book is well written, easy to understand, and full of excellent images and great walk throughs. I can tell that Matt is very comfortable with this topic and is an expert in his field. It touches on many easy ways for new shutterbugs to expand their knowledge without taking the fun out of photography. His Adobe Photoshop knowledge is also very useful when post processing scans of film, slides, or negatives as well as existing digital images.
   Matt, thanks for your time and energy in writing this book. I will recommend it to both family and friends.

5 comments about Stuff on My Cat: The Book.

1. This is the funniest cat photo book since Why Paint Cats, which fooled a lot of people into thinking the images were real "cat paintings." But here the photos actually are real. Considering how finicky cats can be, it's amazing so many of them would put up with having so much odd junk piled on them, and then being patient enough so that you could take their picture. If I hadn't seen the book I might not have believed it myself. With so much odd stuff piled on them, the images become sort of live kitty collages. :-) For someone who is both a cat fancier and amateur photographer there is probably no more entertaining book than this.



2. 
   My poor cats have no idea what they have coming the next time I'm drunk off my butt on Jack Daniels' popsicles!



3. Sometimes it is great to have something fun to open at Christmas. This year I gave this book to my new son-in-law, and it was quickly passed around the family. My daughter says that they have it out at their home to share with their guests. Hey, I'm allergic to cats, and I even like it!



4. If you have the Internet none of the pictures are that great. Many of the pictures are online or have been done better since. The paperback is too small to enjoy the collection pages (they display 20 or so pictures on one page). You can get this for someone that doesn't have the Internet, but the paperback isn't good enough so you would need to find a hardback; but I couldn't see paying the price.



5. I picked up this book in a bookstore and couldn't put it down. It was so good, I read it cover to cover at the bookstore, but I didn't buy it (because many book readers are perverse and cheapskates about buying "non-literary books"). Months later, I still think about it and I'm laughing. So I'm finally caving in and parting with my money to get a copy. If anything, it is worth ten bucks for the idea. But it took me months to realize it. Yes, it is that good. (To cat owners especially).

1 comments about A Night at the Motel.

1. What is sleazier than a hot tryst in a hot-sheet motel?..Virtually nothing...but this picture essay permits the sleaze to sizzle and stimulate, as well as, visually satisfy.

1 comments about Ilf and Petrov's American Road Trip: The 1935 Travelogue of Two Soviet Writers.

1. What a terrific job on the translation and reproduction of the documentation of this fascinating trip by the two Soviet journalists.
   Highly recommend the book.

2 comments about The Complete Digital Video Guide: A Step-by-Step Handbook for Making Great Home Movies Using Your Digital Camcorder.

1. This is a large heavy book that has little really useful information considering its size. Digital Video for Beginners by Colin Barrett is a much better choice.



2. Don't end up like me-time wasted at camera store book racks;
   fatigue from endless internet book searches. Eliminate the grief. Buy "The Complete Digital Video Guide" by Bob Brandon.
   
   Chapters include: choosing a camera; using your camera; your camera and light; composition; telling a story; capturing sound and pictures; building your story; shooting a personal profile; editing your video.
   
   A professional videographer's lifetime of experience distilled into an essential book. Strunk & White for digital video.

5 comments about The Sixties: Photographs by Robert Altman.

1. I've heard that if you lived through the 60's, you probably can't remember it. If you did live through it, I heartily recommend, The Sixties: Photographs by Robert Altman as a way to send those memories floating back like the smoke surrounding a Lava-Lamp.
   
   In essence, this is a magnificent collection of photographs that capture the essence of an era. Don't miss out on those memories a second time -- buy this book!



2. When I look at The Sixties: Photographs by Robert Altman, I see exactly where I come from and feel full of hippie heritage pride. I'm not just speaking figuratively -- I'm talking literally, turn to page 23, and there I am, in utero - front and center. Maybe you won't see me without your ultrasound spectacles, but I see me immediately, because I've carried around a framed original print of this photo since I was a kid. I zero in on the beautiful, bare, slightly rounded, 6-month pregnant belly of my mother Rhea - but the true focus of the picture is on Mom belly dancing for a smiling outdoor crowd at the fiddler's convention, my sister Piper sitting astride her shoulders with arms outstretched. You don't see him in the picture but my dad, musician Phil Marsh, is playing the song "Little Egypt" for my mom with his band, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Without knowing it, Altman took my first family portrait. And that is only one of the many incredible & moving photographs in this book.
   
   Robert Altman's electric, beautiful book is a gift to our current slickly-packaged, relatively disengaged, corporate, consumerist era. I don't just look at Robert Altman's photographs, I feel them, I am immersed in them -- hippies making music, dancing, thumbing their noses at authority, thinking outside the box, living authentically and according to their personal beliefs -- I see myself not just on page 23 but spiritually-speaking on every page: I was conceived in this era on a beach in a freethinking cloud of love, acid, pot and creative and political engagement. I managed to emerge from it all clear-headed and with wonderful hippie humanist values. Still, in many ways I've always felt out of place - a psychodelic flowerchild-bohemian-creative-artistic-expressive refugee soul - more a citizen of the swirling 60s cosmos than any nation. But in Robert Altman's world I feel completely at home. Buy the book: I think it will blow your mind.



3. Great pictures. Altman's chronicle is a good choice fora couple hours of leisure. I'd have liked a little text.



4. Thank you Robert for bringing it all back in your wonder filled photographs. In a flash, I was back in Central Park, the Bronx, and the Bay Area remembering and sharing your pilgrimage. In a moment when so many attempt to recall that conversion of love and spirit your works shine with rich personality and a perceptive eye.
   Shine On,
   Alan Binstock



5. I was immediately taken back through time to the Sixties, The Bronx, the music, the bell-bottoms, and the long hair....Altman's photos are able to capture the spirit that was the 60's and makes you yearn for a return to that time....I love the book and would highly recommend it to anyone under the age of 90......or maybe under 100....a worthy book.