5 comments about Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion.

1. An excellent introduction to the variations of Hinduism, its practice, and most of all to the role it plays in the daily life of its members. This book covers something that one cannot get from reading for example the UPANISHADS, or the BHAGAVAD GITA, although all of it is helpful in the attempt to understand Hinduism.
   Excellent pictures.
   
   Ruth R. Robinson



2. This book is one of the finest regarding detailed descriptions of the elaborate and elusive religion, Hinduism. The photographs are beautifully colorful, sensitively depicting the grace and quietness of the pujas (prayers) that Hindus practice in everyday life in India. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in India, Hinduism, or world culture.



3. This is not the book for a reader who is looking for an understanding of the soaring intellectual complexity and nuance of Vedic philosophy.
   
   This is not the book for a reader who is looking for a critique of Hindu fundamentalism, the social problems arising from the caste system.
   
   But for the reader who is attracted to the beauty of a simple faith that permeates everyday life, Meeting God is the most beautifully written, moving book imaginable.
   
   Huyler is a social anthropologist who is interested in the small artifacts of Indian life--clay pots, butter lamps, house idols. It is this interest in the small, the homely, the daily ritual, that informs this beautiful account of daily devotion in the lives of over a billion people on the Indian subcontinent.
   
   Stephen Huyler's photography is exquisite, his descriptions moving and true, and his love for the culture he describes, obvious.



4. I liked the photographic images and find it helpful that they are all in color. I was pleased to see a few pages of footnotes, although it seems more would have been helpful.
   
   So, is this text cultural anthropology? It doesn't seem objective. It doesn't seem inquiring. It's exceedingly rose-colored. Without much explanation, Huyler seems to have embraced this kind of Hinduism, although, he indicates, not having forsaken his Christianity. I don't recall his explaining how he combines the two.
   
   The kind of Hinduism he describes seems fundamentalistic even as it tolerates many gods. I found no mention of Vedanta, of any philosophical issues open within Hinduism. As Huyler describes how particular Hindus perform their devotions, was there mention anywhere of what these people had to say about their devotions and their gods, in what way (according to them, not Huyler) it helps them and in what way it is real to them. It seemed just Huyler's voice and no nuances. Amidst such apparent simplemindedness, it is hard to fathom the Upanishads, incredible to consider that Buddha once taught here and impossible to imagine that no so long agao Jiddu Krishnamurti emerged from this land.
   
   What's especially unclear is whether devotional Hinduism is as limited in dimensions (despite many gods) as Huyler presents it. Much of that seems like it could be due to his own filter. Huyler has too much to say and shares too little of what his subjects would say.



5. This book is brilliant and moving beyond words. Mr. Huyler is one of the few Western scholars to have faithfully, respectfully, objectively captured the essence of Hinduism - no mean feat - and made it accessible to a non-Indian audience. Every time I look at the beautiful photographs in this book I want to cry. The stories about the extraordinary faith of ordinary Hindus from all backgrounds are colourful, moving and the photos are stunning. A book that truly does justice to Hinduism and to Mother India.

3 comments about Video Production Handbook, Third Edition.

1. I don't know what I was thinking. I bought a USED copy, but it was a first edition from 1987 or so. Editing was done by cutting tape! haha
   
   I hear that this is a fantastic book, but since I have the 1st edition only, it was mostly worthless to me. However, most lighting concepts were still good basic knowledge.
   
   DO NOT BUY THE FIRST EDITION!



2. Good book but the material is somewhat "old" - no longer cutting edge in my personal opinion. I would have purchased a different book given another choice.



3. This book covers it all. It will take an interested videography student through every facet of putting together a video production project. There is indepth technical explanations and diagrams for camera usage, lighting your set & capturing the sound, as well as plenty of helpful advice on matters of process and taste.

   This book is not digitally savvy. It covers proper technique and procedures, however it leaves the product choices up to you.

   There is a lot of material in this book. The print is small, the pages are large, and there are plenty of them.

4 comments about Mona Kuhn: Photographs.

1. Okay, I am bias in regards to the style of Ms. Kuhn's work. Somehow, I have always been gravitated toward shallow depth of field images and her work is "Wow!" The posing, expression and settting are all pleasing, effortless. Very inspiring.



2. Mona Kuhn is a photographer of the private world. She has a fine sense of composition and an even keener sense of her relationship to her subjects, whether drawing attention to a body part, a hand, a gaze, or a glimpse of atmosphere or setting. There is nothing about her work that appears planned, though there is not a sense that these beautiful photographs are gleaned from a snapshot mentality. They are the products of a thoughtful sensitive mind and eye - and persona.
   
   Kuhn understands her subjects not only from the anatomical and artful form of the body but also from the wispy spirit that speaks privacy. These subjects are engaged even though they may appear nonchalant. Kuhn's images have a soft focus, and an even softer and shorter field of depth, factors that produce a sense of respect, almost an homage to the subjects. While she favors the nude model, she avoids overtones of suggestion, and because of this approach, her subjects become even more intensely sensual: the sensuality comes from within as though the innocence of Eden is still tangent.
   
   This book is a fine representation of her work and leaves us asking for more. If these images are wholly representative of how this fine artist sees the world, there should be many more monographs coming soon. Grady Harp, May 05



3. The strongest photographs in the book are of hands. Hands that have shown hard labor, in sharp focus. Hands that are delicately draped, in sharp focus. There are some exceptional photographs, showing tremendous control of depth of field (i.e. pages 51, 79, 85). The overlying theme is strength of character in the persons depicted and that is well executed. Those who are used to seeing a greater depth of field in photographs will not be pleased. For the most part, only portions of the shot is in focus, and sometimes very little (pages 77, 90) or not at all (page 95) for an unearthly feeling. For a study of how one can manipulate depth of field to provide strength of image, this book is very valuable. The individuals shown have strength of character and this comes through well, but I wanted more. I really wanted to give this more than three stars, but feel I cannot.



4. Mona Kuhn's photographs are beautiful. That is to say, she takes beautiful photographs, but she also photographs a beautiful world. Her subjects are content and sun-kissed, and the glimpses we get of the landscape surrounding them is one we all wish we could visit-- one full of chaises lounges, sand, and saturated colors. But these photographs are not simply pretty, for they reveal an intelligence and depth in both photographer and subjects. These are photographs that make one think, and I happen to think those the best kind.

5 comments about Visions of Heaven: The Dome in European Architecture.

1. I purchased the book as I am a decorative artist who has been doing more and more ceilings in similar fashion to the illustrations in the book. This has inspired me and filled me with awe as I see some of the God given talents being used for the glory of God. I believe my company faux-creations will start to go places with this book as a reference in Lexington, KY as well within the States and Europe.



2. I don't have much to add to the earlier reviews except to say that if you like kaleidoscopes, mandalas or snowflakes, you will probably love this book. It is full of images of 6-fold and 8-fold symmetry and even one each of 3-fold and 5-fold. The pictures can be viewed as realistic depictions of parts of buildings or as abstractions, pleasurable purely for the pattern. There is something in the human brain that loves this sort of thing, and if you want to indulge that something and just wallow in beauty, get this book. Wow!



3. 'Visions of Heaven: The Dome in European Architecture' is one of those apparent coffee table books made to grace the room of art lovers and to initiate conversations about travel and architecture and art among guests. But this splendid book is far more than that (though a magnificent 'coffee table book' it most assuredly is!).
   
   Photographer David Stephenson has traveled throughout Europe from Italy to Spain, Turkey, England, Germany, Russia and beyond, intent on capturing the magnificence of the domes that crown the cathedrals, palaces, mosques, syngogues and other imposing architectural wonders of the world. Technically speaking, photographing these domes is a feat unto itself: much time must have been spent on the floors or these edifices to capture angles of intent that would allow the resultant photograph to not only give the exciting detail of a concave surface but also to allow the available light to make the colors true.
   
   The result is a book of over 120 full color photographs of art that too often goes unnoticed as visitors to these special places fail to strain necks to see the entire masterpiece above their heads. But the aspect of this book that makes it even more successful is the fact that Stephenson acknowledged the need for historical background to supplement appreciation of these domes and to that end Victoria Hammond in her essays and Keith F. Davis in his seductive foreword open discussions not only of the art itself, the creators, the materials, and the history of each dome, but they also address the concept of the dome as a reaching to heaven. The writing works as successfully as the photography and together create a book that is not only beautiful but also grandly informative. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 06



4. Dome architecture is something special: and its special qualities and art are captured by photographer David Stephenson in his images of dome interiors VISIONS OF HEAVEN: THE DOME IN EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURE. Stephenson traveled across Europe and even into Turkey and Russia photographing churches, palaces, mosques and synagogues created from the second to the 20th century: his visual display captures over a hundred images of some of the finest dome construction in the world, while an essay by Victoria Hammond tracks and dome and its decoration.
   
   Diane C. Donovan, Editor
   California Bookwatch



5. Some long ago inventer discovered that if you place carefully shapped rocks just so they will remain in place as an arch, dramatically reducing the amount of stone you need to hold up a bridge, an aquaduct, or the entrance to a castle. It probably wasn't too much later that someone recogniced that a bunch of arches next to each other would yield an arched ceiling to a room. My guess is that it then took a very long time for someone to recognize that if you made a series of arches in a circle you could make a domed room. But as soon as one was built, I suspect that a priest of some kind looked up and immediately saw that a minature version of the sky had been created, and that an artist could transform this sky into a 'Vision of Heaven.'
   
   This book shows what decoration has been applied to the insides of domed buildings from about the second century to the twentieth. It is an absolutely spectacular set of photographs of how artists have brought the heavens down to earth.

No comments about IndiaColor: Spirit, Tradition, and Style.

3 comments about Living in Istanbul (Living In . . .).

1. When i bought this item,estimated shipping time was 10-12 days. However, amazon changed the date several times at the date when they were supposed ship. They made me wait four months and at the end they've sent an e-mail saying that they can't obtain this item and they've cancelled my order. It was that easy for them ! Even now, despite that the book is unavailable, they listed the book as avaialbale in 2-3 weeks! Never buy this book from Amazon.com. I am planning to buy it from ecampus.com.



2. Some of you may be looking for a book on this subject for more than good photos but I won't detail about the writing. I feel that the other review on this book has already done a good job on that. I just want to say it is a great book even if it is just for the photos. Very beautiful photographs - perfect for coffee tables, etc... I have visited Istanbul and the photos make me sick to visit again.



3. For anyone under a spell of Istanbul, this is a book to have and behold. The photography is excellent if also typical of glossy coffee table books: romantised and beautiful, very - yet the images chosen cover a wide range and offer interesting and evocative - or inspiring, if you like - insights into the life in Istanbul and its settings. Visually, then, the book is a little gem (far better than another recent one, "Living in Turkey"). There are several essays included whichare of varying quality. The preface by an Ottoman princess is - on a second reading - not too bad and rather charming, while her attitude - both nostalgic and protective is as expected as, perhaps, it is befitting, too; a diary by a Turkish writer leaves one with mixed feelings and somewhat at loss as to what is at stake in it (in my opinion, it is the weakest of the essays in the book). "A Day in Istanbul" is rather matter of fact description of the city by and what there is to be seen. "Interiors" is probably what most people would expect to find in a book like this - after all, it leans heavily on interior decoration; the selection of interiors is, as expected, very biased: focusing on yalis or the more contemporary residences of the fashionable Istanbulites, Turkish or foreign - but then, most interior books do the same and this is not to say it is not pleasant to behold, only that at times the text seems little bit selfindulgent in terms of the people whose homes are shown - of course, as long as we don't know these people and their names mean nothing to us, it doesn't really matter, but I can imagine that people, say, in Istanbul might read and view the book rather differently... (also, it might be noted that the books is written by people who mostly reside someplace else than Istanbul). The only section where the text surpasses the pictures is the one about the palaces, or I felt so, as they don't really give you a sense of the buildings nor the interiors - it is a very personal selection and quite small one at that, too. The following section on "Traditions" saves much of the book anew: only, minor, drawback is that the relevant text and pictures don't manage to keep pace but are separated, at times afew pages apart. Finally, the "Rendezvous" is a pleasant, casual and intimate, retake on the city as to what to do and where to go, especially if you don't have a home in Istanbul and you have to experience the "living in Istanbul" through cafes, bars and restaurants. The last part, "Visitors guide" would have been best left out: not only does it start to turn the book - ambiguously and dissapointingly - into a guidebook, but it will also date it - no doubt, when first published, it was useful and it will be nostalgic in a hundred years' time, but in between it is bit of a letdown. Yet, in spite of its drawbacks, it still remains the best book I've found currently available on life and interiors in Istanbul. And some of my friends who know the city better than me, agree. I myself borrowed the book from a library, kept it for a month, extended it for another and then bought my own copy...

3 comments about Hopper's Places, Second edition.

1. There's a TWILIGHT ZONE episode titled, 'A KIND OF STOPWATCH' which starred Richard Erdman & was first broadcast in October of 1963. The story is about a man who is able to freeze time by suspending the progress of the second hand on an enchanted stopwatch. He instantaneously stops time in order to rob a bank and accidentally breaks the stopwatch in the process, leaving him stranded alone forever in a timeless, lifeless world. I saw the episode as a child and it immediately captivated me, and something about that imagery has haunted me ever since. EDWARD HOPPER is my favorite artist and there's a "timeless isolationism" - a Twilight Zoneish quality - to his oeuvre that I really resonate to. (Don't worry! I don't intend to psychoanalyze myself here. Although my parents DID disenroll me from kindergarten when, because of my withdrawn nature, my teacher described me as "antisocial." They employed the obvious solution to that malady, right?)
   
   HOPPER's works convey this intense internal aloneness by merely hinting at details in big spaces, depicting daytime shadows sparsely and yet placing almost everything in a serene (often golden) glow. His pictures rarely illustrate the sharp, mind-numbing dead of Winter or the harsh and draining dog days of Summer. Regardless of the time of year in which he worked, in Hopper's world it is perpetually Autumn. Dreamy. Quiet. Lonely. Sad. But how he captured that mood cannot be fully fathomed through mere observable techniques. It was Mr. Melancholy's inner vision that was his real "style", and this comes across so brilliantly in GAIL LEVIN's wonder-filled book, 'HOPPER'S PLACES.'
   
   Having served as curator of the Hopper Collection at the Whitney Museum, and having written & compiled 'EDWARD HOPPER: AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY' and 'A CATALOGUE RAISONNE' (as well as many other Hopper-related titles), Gail Levin is probably the foremost expert on the man and his work, and eminently qualified to be our tour guide as we go Hopper-hopping through 3 countries in search of his subjects. Levin's photographs duplicating the sights & angles that Hopper put on canvas really highlight the unique "eye" for scenes that, via his singular process of artistic alchemy, the painter was able to transform into the HOPPER ZONE.
   
   HOPPER'S PLACES records many of my favorites : EAST WIND OVER WEEHAWKEN (1934); SHAKESPEARE AT DUSK ('35); APPROACHING A CITY ('46); LIGHTHOUSE HILL ('27); ADAM'S HOUSE ('28); and the utterly fascinating, ROOMS FOR TOURISTS ('45). I can see how this bed & breakfast place depicted at night might elicit diametrically different responses from a variety of observers : "I ain't going in there; that's where Norman Bates lives!" or "God dwells there and He invites me to leave the darkness and come into the Light."
   
   Unfortunately, because Levin was unable to provide comparative photos for them, a few really choice Hoppers were excluded from this book. Notably, DRUG STORE (1927); EARLY SUNDAY MORNING ('30); SEVEN A.M. ('48); and Edward Hopper's ubiquitous masterpiece, NIGHTHAWKS (1942). Incidentally, this shopping mall poster gallery & post card favorite was the inspiration for the title of the TOM WAITS "live" studio album, 'NIGHTHAWKS AT THE DINER', which in turn was the inspiration for one of Amazon's best customer reviews - Kippy Lanker's April 6, 2002 review called, 'IN THE OLDEST BAR IN NEVADA...'
   
   Once upon a time, I had entertained the idea of a career in art (another fatality on my Boulevard Of Broken Dreams), but in discovering the work of Edward Hopper, I realized that my pictures had already been put on canvas, and better than I could have hoped to paint them. HOPPER'S PLACES is a "must own" book for any fan of the man's work, or for anyone who simply wants to SEE the definition of "art."
   
   "MAMAS DON'T LET YOUR BABIES GROW UP TO BE COWBOYS," Waylon & Willie sang in 1978, "BECAUSE THEY'LL NEVER STAY HOME AND THEY'RE ALWAYS ALONE, EVEN WITH SOMEONE THEY LOVE." But then of course, if your babies should happen to display an aptitude with pen & brush, you just might want to ship 'em off to art school.



2. I loved this book! If the most important trait to have as an artist is to "see" like an artist, then this gives you insight into what one of America's greatest saw.
   
   Anybody who has picked up my copy of the book has been fascinated, even if they aren't painters themselves. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5, was the analysis of some of Hopper's subjects. It seemed, after reading what the author wrote about the paintings, that she spent too much time in academia and not enough time painting. She attributes more complex motives to some of Hopper's compositions than he intended, I think. For instance, I suspect that the only reason he painted the dead tree in front of Libby House was that he found it artistically interesting. I don't think he was trying to show "past decay" against the present, but who knows?
   
   In the end, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Hopper or the realist style.



3. If you are a fan of Hopper's art, and/or if you like to paint yourself, you will love this book. Hopper's ability to take the ordinary and turn it into an exceptional painting is amazing, and this book shows you exactly (well, almost) what he saw when he painted his scenes. Gail Levin went through a lot of hard work to track down these places, and seeing them side by side with Hopper's paintings makes it well worth her effort. It's my favorite art book, turned to time and time again.

4 comments about Ordinary Heroes: A Tribute to Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients: Reflections of Freedom, Faith, Duty and the Heroic Possibilities of the Everyday Human Spirit.

1. There are a couple of good books about CMH winners. The thing I liked about this one was the photo's. All the winners in this book survived, and we get to see the man, as well read about his actions.
   I really enjoyed this one. A very fast read



2. Mr. Casalini's book is incredible -- I found myself tearing up at some of the descriptions and pictures. These men are incredibly brave, but at the same time, none seemed to be anything but the guy next door. The wonderfulness of ordinary was truly captured and championed in this amazing book.



3. Ordinary Heroes is a remarkable and memorable compilation of portrait studies showcasing winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Each photo is accompanied by an insightful caption or quotation arising from photographer Tom Casalini's personal interview with the recipient. Ordinary Heroes is a virtually unique contribution to military studies and a very highly recommended addition to community library collections -- especially as a Veteran's Day memorial acquisition or as a memorial donation by a Veteran's group or association.



4. While attempting with words to enter into the souls of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, Tim Wallis' commentary ebbs on the ordinary heroes, who are protectors of the Medal of Honor. The tremendous impact of the words that are spoken is second only to the full page photographs of the father/husband/patriot's in all their splendor. The photographs are not of men in full dress with the Medal around their neck, as you would think, but of them on the back porch, in the orchard or merely on the couch in prayer. The book shows us all what can be found if only we look a little harder. We too might discover the wonderfulness of ordinary.

No comments about Mont St Michel.

No comments about Bill Owens.