2 comments about Buddhist Symbols in Tibetan Culture : An Investigation of the Nine Best-Known Groups of Symbols.

1. I'm not a practicing Tibetan Buddhist, but I've acquired a fair amount of knowledge through osmosis: I do volunteer work for a Tibetan refugee relief organization. One slow afternoon in our shop, I picked up this book to improve my knowledge of the iconography in the graphics we sell, and was blown away. Not only has the author written a clear, readable explication of the symbolism, but the book is also a terrific introduction to fundamental Tibetan Buddhist beliefs. The average Tibetan may not be able to elucidate the intricacies of the sacred texts, or practice the stylized form of debate that forms an important part of a monk's training. But the book gives great insight into what this average Tibetan actually believes. Now I feel I have a better understanding of how the Tibetans' Buddhism has sustained them through persecution, exile, and attempts by the Chinese government to stamp out their culture. (And the Fur-Bearing Fish isn't a refugee from a Dr. Seuss book, but a symbol with profound meaning.) This is a great little book, and I recommend it enthusiastically.



2. I'm 52 years old and was fairly smug about what I had learned after 20 years or so of pretty serious reading. Then into my life, through the miracle of "amazon.comm" comes by Dagyab Rinpoche: hold on to your beliefs folks: get ready for a roller-coaster ride through Tibetan philosophy as translated from that philosophical language: German. And at the end there are instructions on how to take care of and treat the book and other books of similar nature. Scary

5 comments about Visions of Mary.

1. I am not Catholic, but became interested in Mary after observing in society, and within my own heart, a longing for the divine feminine. The vivid accounts of her visitations around the world and the beautiful artwork are both fascinating and comforting. This gorgeous volume is a feast for the eyes as well as the soul.



2. She is the Mary of Jesus as well as she is everyone's Mary. See her here in all colors and incarnations.



3. Finally, a lovely and loving book about the numerous apparitions of the Virgin Mary over the past several centuries. This volume will be a welcome addition to the library of any Marian devoté, as well as an informative primer to those unfamiliar (or misinformed) about the nature and varieties of both the apparitions themselves, as well as those who experienced them. The authors also show how the visions continue to be of interest and value to modern-day persons. An excellent selection of photos of many home-made shrines is included, demonstrating how the Virgin Mary attracts even the most lowly. What most of the shrines lack in artistry, they more than make up for in charm. Another nice addition is the variety of cultures depicted. Even though I am a very well-read Catholic, there were several apparitions that I had never heard of. I really enjoyed this book. I only wish it were longer and more comprehensive.



4. In their new book Visions of Mary (Harry N. Abrams, December, 2004, hardcover, 144 pages) authors Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua have collaborated to present a stunning look at the image of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Moving beyond the trite "coffee-table art" approach, DiPasqua and Calamari share an eclectic and broad ranging composition of pictures, ranging from statues of her international apparitions to simple home shrines. As a compliment to the outstanding photography and artwork that fill its pages, Visions of Mary includes comprehensive reference material written in an engaging style.



5. This is an extraordinary book. It's gorgeous, beautifully written, and both moving and entertaining, and it has taught me many things I never knew about the Virgin Mary. For instance, I'd never heard of Our Lady of Knock, who appeared in a country church in Ireland three times in 1879 and 1980 with a crown on her head and a rose under the crown as stunned villagers prayed before her. She effected more than three hundred cures, starting with a young girl born deaf whose hearing was restored and including the Archbishop of Toronto. The book presents the full richness and variety of the cult of Mary through profiles of dozens of such officially recognized apparitions and through a rich trove of color photographs of everything from pious graffiti on a New York slum wall to Our Lady of Salette, the patroness of France.
   
   I plan to give this to several of my friends, because I believe it will appeal equally to the deeply religious, the historically curious, and lovers of art. Wonderful!

2 comments about House of Glory: Finding Personal Meaning in the Temple.

1. This book so clearly explains how to step back and really experience the peace of attending the temple. S. Michael Wilcox preserves the sacredness of the experience. His stories and insights are appropriate and thought provoking. It is a wonderful book for anyone who holds a recomend or desires to understand the personal imporance to any faithful Latter-day Saint the temple experience holds.



2. I'm not sure how long I've had this book. I'm not even sure how it came to be in my possession. But it is the most meaningful book I have on the purposes of the temple and how to gain more from temple ordinances. Brother Wilcox has assembled a thorough collection of quotes and personal anecdotes that bring his points home in such an understandable and motivating way. Particularly interesting to me were two items: first, the stories of his ancestors and his portrayal of their feelings at having their names found so their temple work could be completed; and second, the inspiring collection of quotes from modern prophets and apostles regarding the protection to be found through temple work. We worry so much today about how to keep our families safe, and think there must be some complicated answer. The actual answer is quite simple--attend the temple more often, and bring more of the power of our Savior into our lives.

3 comments about The Treasures of the Monastery of Saint Catherine (I Tesori del Monastero di Santa Caterina) (Journeys Through the World and Nature).

1. Excellent quality printing that enhances the contents; contents that surprises even the expert on the subject for its in-depth analysis and the fact that so much beauty can be in a single location. If you like art in general, get it. If you like byzantine art, get it, get it. If you have a particular taste for religious art, specially byzantine icons, you'll be sorry you missed it.



2. This is a catalog of the major icons at St. Catherine's Monastery providing wonderful color photographs and information on each, along with information about the location and importance of the monastery. This volume provides a context for understanding both the artistic merit and religious signficance of icons from the Byzantine period and Crusader period. Other treasures also are showcased. Wonderfully produced, well written, the book is an important reference as well as a captivating volume on art. When opened, it is hard to put down, as the icons invite contemplation. I love this book.



3. Great photos of a magnificent place, but the text is in Italian, and there is no English translation. It is such a lovely book that many English speakers will find it worth the price even without the text, as I did, but it is probably not the best choice for an introduction to St. Katherine's. (The missing star in my rating reflects only my disappointment in the lack of English text.)

No comments about A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal.

1 comments about The Lion and the Land of Narnia: Our Adventures in Aslan's World.

1. 
   
   Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 5/08
   C. S. Lewis's world of Narnia will long live in my heart. His portrait of Aslan (JesusChrist) is stunning and heart rendering. The Lion and The Land of Narnia is a tribute to beautiful story. Robert Cording's paintings are magnificent. He captures the true essence Narnia, especially of Aslan.
   Accompanying the art work are letters and essays about the original story. My favorite parts were the letters from children to C. S. Lewis and his answers, he seemed to enjoy their letters. When I first picked up this book, I expected a children's story. This is not necessarily a children's book. While they would enjoy the pictures, this book is for fans of C.S. Lewis and his works. The Lion and The Land of Narnia will make a great addition to your home library or as a gift.

1 comments about Bon: The Magic Word: The Indigenous Religion of Tibet.

1. Bon religion is a growing subject of study in the West, but contrary to what we find onTibetan Buddhism, still only a handful of people in the West can write well informed accounts of Bon. And the people who wrote the articles in this book are amongst those, the very few Western scholars in Bonpo studies, the best of the best (even if only because there's nobody else in the field!). But the real point of this book is its fantastic balance of artistic and scientific approaches, of scholarly rigourous while engagingly presented information, in an extensively and beautifully illustrated, carefully designed work about this fascinating subject: Bon.

1 comments about The Bible: Genesis, Exodus, The Song of Solomon.

1. I'm not well qualified to critique the word of God so I'll limit my comments to the illustrations. Many of the illustrations are small segments cut out of larger works of art. It is difficult to appreciate the wonderful paintings of Chagall when you only see 5% of a painting. Otherwise this is a beautiful little book.

2 comments about Islamic Designs in Color (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. To correct the previous reviewer, these designs are by no means Russian! Neither are they Arabic, but, as the name of the book states, they are Islamic. The designs were collected in Central Asia area, mainly in Bukhara, the center of ancient culture, and are the great sample of the wonderful art of the region.



2. If you are looking for arabian designs this is not the book, the designs are russian, but the drawings are very good.

1 comments about Art in Action: Toward a Christian Aesthetic.

1. I am a graduate student in the fine arts at a major university in the United States. I ordered this book with an eye on enriching my own theological reflection on the arts, an area that presently suffers from near pervasive theological negligence and fundamentalist reductive tendencies.
   
   Wolterstorff's "Art in Action" is commendable in so far as it offers careful analysis of and convincing argumentation against predominate contemporary Western views on the arts. This offering is additionally refreshing because Wolterstorff avoids the reactionary views of books with similar topics.
   
   This book advances an argument rooted in Christian narrative but driven largely by a philosophical engine that privileges rigorous analytic logic and careful scientific scrutiny. I see this as both the book's great strength and weakness.
   
   Wolterstorff spends an overwhelming majority of the book developing exacting analysis on what he rightly considers the narrowness of contemporary Western notions regarding the arts, with frequent discussions of analytic/scientific evidence regarding the arts and the nature of perception. Unfortunately, this privileging of analytic/scientific discourses significantly undermines the development of a prophetic, coherent narrative that distills a broader, more compelling Christian view of the arts in our lives.
   
   I make this criticism partly because Wolterstorff himself claims that this volume is meant to be the more accessible work of a set of philosophical reflections he has written on the arts.
   
   Those whose philosophical leanings run in the pragmatic/poststructuralist direction, or those whose theological narratives are indebted more to a Christ-story rather than a creation-story (Wolterstorff relies primarily on the latter), will find that the arguments of this book occasionally seem to miss the mark. Nevertheless, they will also find a cogent analysis and critique of contemporary Western notions of the arts as well as the messy birth of a Christian perspective for the arts.