5 comments about Himalaya: Personal Stories of Grandeur, Challenge, and Hope.

1. Himalaya is a collection of essays and photographs depicting the Himalayan peaks, the people living in the shadows of these peaks, and the needs and plights of these people. All the contributors have been very closely linked with the Himalayas. These include monks and native hillmen who were either born and brought up there, and then were typically forced to seek asylum in other countries, hardy mountaineers like Jim Whittaker, Ian Baker and the Hillary father and son pair, and famed Himalayaholics like Stan Armington and Matthieu Ricard.
   
   The book invokes strong nostalgia if you have been to the Himalayas before, and wonderstruck awe if you haven't been there. Through the three sections titled Grandeur, Challenge and Hope, you will find yourself in a world of simple hard-working villagers, troubled by malicious forces beyond their powers, and in a world of wild blue sheep, fat and honest eyed yaks, and majestic snow leopards. Pioneering climbers describe how they realized their dreams of climbing the loftiest peaks in the Himalayas, and how these ascents turned them into altogether different humans. We get interesting accounts from famous wildlife conservationists as to what made them turn to the Himalayas, and how have they been carrying out their efforts in these extreme terrains for decades.
   
   Many of the tales point out that the Himalayas are different from other mountain ranges not just because of their stupendous heights, but also due to the simplicity and genuineness of the people who have been living in its valleys and snow-covered meadows for thousands of years. Some of the views in the book are so orthodox that you might laugh them off at first, for instance, consider opposition to building roads in undeveloped regions in the mountains. But authors like Jigme Bista will explain to you that how development comes at the hefty cost of cultural degradation and decay of environmental harmony.
   
   Frankly, a few of the essays focus entirely on Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan's educational needs or on healthcare issues. Indeed these are important and relevant, and are connected with the central theme of the book, but some essays sadly do feel like space-filling digressions. Related to this is the shortcoming that the book makes Himalayas sound synonymous to the Nepal and Tibet Himalayas. Almost no mention is made of the high deserts of Ladakh Himalayas or of the vast Garhwal Himalayas.
   
   The lack of an index in such a hefty volume is also conspicuous. The book is no doubt a good collection of essays and photographs, but somehow fails to be up to the perfectionist standards of the National Geographic Society.
   
   Nevertheless, the thought which would linger in your mind for long after you finish this beautiful book, is the justifiability of human imposed geographical boundaries, if such boundaries have led to millions of torturous deaths over the years.
   
   http://readsafe.blogspot.com



2. This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves the great places of the world like the Himalaya. This is a great collection of stories by people who have fallen in love with the region, the people and the mountains. The basis for the book is to protect places, cultures and the people of an endangered region. A must have book for your collection.



3. This is a wonderful essay book with stunning photography. The essays are from a diverse group - from world leaders to refugees, to mountain climbing legends. Together they tell the story of the Himalayas - its beauty, its culture, its challenges and the hope that so many people help to bring to this part of the world. I gave this book as a gift to many people for the holidays and everyone has mentioned to me that they have enjoyed reading it and it is often a conversation piece when people see it on the coffee table. I recommend it highly.



4. My Himalayan book shelf and coffee tables already groan, but I ordered this National Geographic beauty immediately. All at once I was reminded of the depth of love and anxiety I have about these young mountains and these very old people. I learned a lot, even considering that I'm privileged to spend at least a month in Nepal and nearby countries once a year over the last decade. Photographs of masters, spiritual seekers, and people lovers lead the way to understanding the powerful impact of just being in the magic presence of the peaks. They soar beyond the clouds; the people strive for spiritual peaks and life goals too. In editing a series of short contemporary, highly relevant, but personal articles, Richard Blum, Erica Stone, and Brot Coburn show readers what can be seen and what can be done to reach out to help ease burdens there. Mountaineers, trekkers, and couch climbers, helpers and those looking for a cause, travelers, pilgrims, and all of us seeking greater human understanding will relish the guiding words of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, Sir Edmund and Peter Hillary, and Lodi Gyalsten Gyari. Everyone who loves the Himalayas or wants to get to know them MUST HAVE this well rounded easy to read, glorious to see, summary of current times in and under the mountains of the Gods.
   Joyce Tapper
   Los Angeles



5. This book would be worth buying for the photographs alone. There are well over 100 of them and nearly every one (as is appropriate for a National Geographic Society book) is of salon quality. But you shouldn't just look at the pictures. They are accompanied by 40 short pieces by a wide variety of people, each with a story to tell, either of how their life has been changed by their Himalayan experience, or how what they do is changing the life there. These are by leading Himalayan authorities in the climbing world (today's and yesterday's),in conservation, research, art restoration, human rights, development, and Buddhism. Among the authors are a former American president (Jimmy Carter) and a current US senator (Diane Feinstein), as well as leading Buddhist figures (including the Dalai Lama, who wrote one of the three introductory essays). You don't have to read all of these essays and yet, as you leaf through the book, you may find yourself doing just that. For one thing, they are short - two to three pages each. For another, these are personal stories, which means that in each case, the author connects himself with the subject he is describing, giving it an immediacy that it might otherwise lack. And for still another, they are talking about really interesting things - things like the region's problems, its wildlife, its earthquakes, its politics (a little bit), and - of course - their own experience there. The book has been produced by the National Geographic Society with the American Himalayan Foundation, and many of that organization's projects have been described. It is introduced by Richard Blum, who is its head and (with Erica Stone and Broughton Coburn) one of the book's three editors. He quotes the instructions of Lama Govinda, a 20th century holy man, on how to see a mountain: "To see the greatness of a mountain, one must keep one's distance. To understand its form, one must move around it. To experience the moods, one must see it at sunrise and sunset, at noon and at midnight, in sun and in rain, in snow and in storm, in summer and in winter and in all other seasons. He who can see the mountain like this comes near to the life of the mountain, a life that is as intense and varied as that of a human being."
   
   If you are not in a position to do all this for the Himalaya, just read this book. It will get you close to an intense and varied experience of the world's most famous mountains and the people who live among them.

1 comments about Steel Remembered: Photos from the LTV Steel Collection.

1. If you are a photographer, photography buff, LTV retiree, history buff, or 4 year old boy, this is the book for you. As a photographer and history buff, I enjoyed pouring through this book and viewing all the photographs from back in the day. The author really seemed to care about the content of the book and included some amazing photographs from the LTV Collection. It had the feel of the old Farm Bureau Admin Photographers.
   I also loved reading the history behind the photos and the book. The writing was good and the history informational.
   My 4 year old son loved pouring through the photos in the book. The trains, boats, and steelyards were definitely attention catchers for him.
   And my favorite part of the book is the front cover. The dark ominous steel yard photo is perfect for such an amazing bit of our history here in Ohio. It also made me feel upset that so much of our steel industry is out sourced now. That so many people have lost their jobs etc.
   This was a great book and I definitely recommend it.

5 comments about Posing and Lighting Techniques for Studio Portrait Photography.

1. It is obvious from this book that J.J.Allen has a wealth of experience as a successful portrait photographer.
   Unfortunately, this does not translate into being a good instructor.
   While Mr. Allen clearly knows his stuff, his lessons are wordy, incomplete, and not well thought out. The portraits used to illustrate a point seem to be mostly chosen from his file cabinet rather than shot to illustrate that point. In some instances, examinations of the portraits reveal themselves to be shot in a method other than what is described.
   Most of the fault, however, lies with the publisher, Amherst Media. The lighting diagrams are completely out of scale and sometimes wrong.
   It is exhaustive to try and match, for instance, such elements as Image 22 and Image 23 with Diagram 11 and Diagram 12 on pages with no numbers with the accompanying text on pages 36 and 37.
   On the good side is a wealth of excellent portraits in a plethora of styles and methods and a few true nuggets of solid advise that will be truly useful to the aspiring portrait photographer.
   All in all, it is not a BAD book, it is just that for the money, there are many that are a lot better.



2. MOST PEOPLE INTERESTED IN PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ARE EAGER TO FIND OUT HOW PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPERS MAKE IT. I THINK THE BEST WAY TO SHOW IT IS TO FEATURE THE FINAL IMAGE SHOWING ITS LIGHTING DIAGRAM TOO.THE AUTHOR SHOWS IN THIS BOOK HIS TECHNIQUE OF POSING AND LIGHTING IN A VERY CLEAR WAY.MOST CLASSICAL PORTRAIT IMAGES ARE FEATURED WITH ITS RESPECTIVE DIAGRAM IN A VERY SIMPLE EXAMPLE. THE ASSOCIATION OF THESE BOTH ELEMENTS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS GUIDE.



3. I have spent a lot of time trying to find books that would help me improve my skills in portrait photography. I would buy a book thinking it would answer my questions on technique, and the type of equiptment used, etc., only to be disapointed in the generalness of the information. Finally I have found a book that is specific enough to learn something solid.



4. It is a wonderful book and I am glad that I bought it, no regrets here.



5. I got a little sleepy several times trying to muck through the text, but all the info you need to get started setting up a studio light setup is there. Technical terms abound, though, so make sure you know a gobo from a barndoor.

No comments about Rascal 2009.

3 comments about Miami Beach: Blueprint of an Eden.

1. This fascinating look at the creation of Miami Beach and its early history is told by its authors through the looking glass of their prominent families. Both the Oka and Wolfson families have been highly visible players in Miami Beach's political and social life for decades.
   
   This book is filled with interesting black and white photos -- many from family archives -- not found elsewhere. The book tells the story of Miami Beach from a uniquely personal perspective. From its early development from a huge mangrove swamp through the glamorous sixties when world famous entertainers lived, performed and partied in Miami Beach, this book is evokes Miami Beach's romantic past. [...]



2. A stunningly beautiful photographic history of Miami Beach. The photographs are from the archives of 2 prominent Miami Beach families. They took the community from a small tropical village into a world class posh resort. Its fascinating to read and see the evolution of one of my favorite places. A great coffee table book.



3. I grew up in Miami Beach a bit later than the authors. When the book arrived I couldn't put it down. I loved the photos and historic reference; they showed just how special Miami Beach was. My only wish is that the authors would have expanded their history a bit.
   
   Perhaps add info on Central Beach Elementary, Ida M Fisher Junior and Miami Beach High as well as some of the other early landmarks (the Post Office on Washington Avenue). I realize the authors wrote through their own families' experience, but there is so much more... and so many others who contributed so much to the city.
   
   Hopefully one day they'll do another book to immortalize a truly "Magic City."

4 comments about San Diego: Jewel of the California Coast.

1. Stunning photography captures this beautiful city perfectly. I live just north in Orange County and still flip through this book hoping to visit soon!



2. I found this book for sale through (...) It was a very valuable book to have while touring San Diego. Our visitors didn't miss a thing.



3. Northland Publishing offers another visual gem of one of America's great locations...San Diego. A softbound, coffee table size book that is a feast for the eyes and soft on the pocketbook. Jammed packed with amazing photography, you often feel like you have stepped into the locations yourself. Auther, Charlene Baldridge has a genuine love for this city and willing shares all of the wonders this town has to offer. If you are looking to visit or have spent time in San Diego or are one of its citizens, this visual tribute is a must have.



4. The most amazing thing about this beautiful book is its cost. It's a magnificent coffee-table size photo album of San Diego and environs and it sells for less than $$. Yes, it's a paperback but the price is still a bargain! The size and the quality of the color photographs bring San Diego to life, as does the charming text by Charlene Baldridge. This is a love letter to a city that is famous for its weather and zoo and underappreciated for its cultural attractions. Ms. Baldridge states in her introduction, "As those who live here [in San Diego] discovered long ago, one visit is not enough, and the second could last a lifetime." What follows is her guided tour of the city: it's Cultural History, Entertainment, Arts and Culture, Nearby Attractions and list of Resources that includes the attraction's name, address, phone number and website. This book is the perfect souvenir for anyone who lives in San Diego, visits San Diego, or dreams about a trip to San Diego.

2 comments about Desire Unlimited: The Cinema of Pedro Almodovar.

1. Simply the greatest Spanish film director since Luis Bunuel, Pedro Almodovar reigns as one of the best filmmakers in the world. Somewhat a cross between John Waters and Gus Van Sant, Pedro's films have won acclaim throughout the world, especially at major film festivals such as Cannes and Venice.

   "Desire Unlimited" by Paul Julian Smith covers all of Almodovar's films from his first major film "Pepi, Luci, Bom, y Otras Chicas del Monton" to his Academy-Award winning film, "Todo Sobre Mi Madre." Summarizing each film in its' own chapter, Smith gives the reader a summary of the plot and commentary on the film's characters, storyline, and locations to further educate readers more about Almodovar's methods. Smith does a great job in discussing each film, especially due to his citations of commentary and critiques from various periodicals throughout the world.

   Beautifully designed, this book is not only a treat to Almodovar fans worldwide, but also it is a must have for any serious film student/buff who wants to know the forces of creativity from a non-American director. While American directors are often subjected to edits and story rewrites due to big studio contracts and concerns, Almodovar and his film company, El Deseo, do not have to answer to anyone, giving him total control over his films.

   Truly a genius, Almodovar gets the respect he deserves in this book. I highly recommend this book to all who love Almodovar's unique, campy style. It makes great reading any day of the year.




2. There are lots of books on Almodovar and most of them are either very superficial or too darned academic. This one hits the spot very nicely. It's a chatty, engaged and thoroughly researched book, packed with information and challenging analysis. Sometimes it's a bit obscure but mostly it's the book Almodovar's films deserve. Highly recommended.

No comments about Colorado: An Illustrated History of the Highest State.

4 comments about Panda Cam: A Nation Watches Tai Shan the Panda Cub Grow.

1. If you are looking for cute pictures of Tain Shan's first months, here you find them. Simply the cutest pictures ever!



2. This book is a good collection of photos of the first year of the new panda cub at the Washington Zoo. It is especially useful for those interested in pandas who have not seen them and want to get a sense of the behaviors and expressions of a young panda cub.



3. This is a wonderful book for those people to get to see the first seven months of Tai Shan's life as it was actually recorded on the National Zoo Panda Cam. Tai Shan, whose name means "peaceful mountain" in Chinese is a must see attraction for people when they come to Washington



4. This is definitely the book for those of us who spent the last year staring at "0026 HOLD" on our screens and watching Tai Shan and Mei Xiang but I am sure adults and children who like pandas will also love it. Like many people, I spent several hours every day watching Panda Cam from the first weeks when Mei Xiang cradled Tai Shan 24/7, to his early morning forays in Exhibit 3 last fall, to his adventures in the great outdoors and the surprise discovery that panda cubs routinely climb trees and nap in them for hours at a time.
   
   One of my favorite Panda Cam moments came late one night in mid-January when Tai Shan slipped headfirst between his mother and one of the walls of the dry pond in Exhibit 2 and then couldn't get back up -- all you saw were his little back feet and legs waving in the air. After a few minutes of this Mei Xiang obligingly moved over so he could free himself.
   
   Back to the book: the photographs are wonderful and there are many here that have never appeared at the website (nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/). The book is arranged with a photograph on the left accompanied by, in most cases, sections of diary entries from the past year. I really enjoyed reading these again but I do wish they had included a date with each entry so you have an idea of how old Tai Shan is in each picture. I also liked that they included information on the web campaign to name the baby bear "Butterstick" and to promote "Stickmas" to celebrate his birthday every year but I was disappointed they didn't attribute this to Wonkette where it originated. And I wished they had included a picture of Tai Shan just after he was born, back when he was still in his "Butterstick" phase.
   
   One really cool thing about the book is that there is a small photograph of Tai Shan on the bottom corner of each right-hand page so you can use it as a "flipbook" -- if you hold the book so that you flip very fast through the pages back to front, you will see a little animated Tai Shan doing somersaults!
   
   PS: Mei Xiang and Tai Shan are on the cover of the July 2006 "National Geographic" which features an article about them and the pandas at the Wolong Nature Reserve's Giant Panda Research Center in Chengdu China. (rissa@panix.com)

5 comments about Photoshop Elements 4.0 Maximum Performance: Professional Image Editing for Photographers.

1. This outstanding book provides many step by step instructions for editing photos with photoshop elements. Along with common instructions such as croping as straightening photos it includes blurring backgrounds and the use of masks for special effects.
   Everything is made simple. Have a problem recreating the effects in the book? Simply view one of the included movies and watch the author perform the functions step by step. This included movie feature is GREAT!
   Watch to movie and you should be able to find a step that you omitted when using the book. Useful content, well written, included DVD for chapter movies. The complete book for anyone wishing to enhance their photos.



2. Of all the tutorial manuals I have on Photoshop Elements I think this one is the best. While not exactly at a beginner level, it can still be of value to a novice. The great thing is that it pretty much avoids the 'first face the stove' approach that most all books of this nature feel required to do. The lessons on color correction and turning a color photo into black and white are particularly great!



3. This text is written for photographers that want to make their images look there very best. Unlike introductory texts, Mr. Galer's book goes into the very soul of Photoshop Elements (PSE) to find hidden features that give pictures a WOW factor. Here are a few examples. In introductory text, the student is introduced to the unsharp mask filter and given some suggested settings. In Galer's text, the student is introduced to some unique masking techniques created with the high pass, and threshold filters to locate edges. He then combines that technique with paint masks and the magic erasure tool to isolate just those areas that will benefit from edge crispness. The results are stunning. Galer also has a technique for making high dynamic range (HDR) photos using some add-on layer styles that are available in the companion DVD.
   
   A number of introductory texts concentrate on color correction and marginalize the importance of luminosity and tone. In Galer's text, there are a number of advanced techniques on levels, contrast and preserving shadow that are used to allow photos to look their best.
   
   Speaking of the DVD, it not only contains all the images used in the lessons but many additional background photos of sky and sea and other landscapes that the user may access to enhance their own projects. Unlike many introductory books on PSE the photos are of high quality (lots of pixels) and all the lessons on the DVD are also included in the text. The lessons are quite good and Galer's English accent lends credibility and authority to his narrative.
   
   What you won't find in the book is any serious mention of the Organizer, quick fix or photo creations (with the exception of a lesson on panoramas). In summary, this is an important book on the advanced features available in PSE that every serious student should own.



4. I have completed several Photoshop course books and found all of them to be very good and useful. So I had a reasonable knowledge base when I discovered this book. I found that in this book, the author has covered the most useful Photoshop examples yet. The text and video projects complement each other perfectly and are seamless. Not only does the author explain every step of the project, but he also does the most important thing: he tells you why he is doing it. This book has propelled my knowledge of Photoshop Elements 4.0 to a very high competent professional level. I cannot express my absolute delight with my new skills.



5. One of the best books out in the market about using Photoshop Elements 4.0 (PSE4) to edit pictures. Comes with a DVD containing pictures to practice on, and some movies to watch while the author explains a specific technique. There are some techniques included in this book that I've not seen included in any other book. Examples are clear and concise, and with accompanying pictures at each stage. Stress is on using techniques to work on pictures that will not harm the pictures or the pixels themselves. These techniques include learning all about gradients and making some for yourself that increase contrast, or using adjustment layers, and making masks to affect the contrast, learning how to get the most efficient use out of the levels settings, among other things. Take part of a gradient sample in PSE4 and use it to create beams of light coming out of a storm cloud! Great book. This book teaches you how to work on pictures with many different techniques--techniques that do the least harm to the original working photo--techniques that allow you to take care of small subtle details that are usually ignored, but that make your work more believable. Highly recommended.