Arts Books

Everything about this is great. Besides the story, which mixes action and comedy in the right amount, the printing and paper quality is SO much better than most "normal" manga. With artwork this beautiful, you need it to be larger so you can really drink in the details and immerse yourself in the story. I only wish more manga were printed in this high quality format. Plus it's cheaper than buying them individually in an inferior format! Now if they'd only release them quicker...I hate waiting to see what happened next!

As a dabbler only in the manga field I was familiar with the ttile but decided based on the price, this was a good try out book. I was not wrong!! Defintly worth your money as you get alot of story for the money. Actually cheaper than buying the individual books. Printed on strong paper with a handful of color pages at the front this is a compact beautiful apckage with a great starting story and I intend to buy all of the VIZBIG editions!

There are many manga that use themes that are similar to this one, but among all these, Rurouni Kenshin stands out as one of the best. Part of what makes this series so good is the great set of characters. There is also the wonderful recreation of the era in which the story develops; we truly feel like being at a different time in history. The impressive drawings are also a trait that makes this a successful series, and I particularly like how they use the distorted facial expressions for humorous situations. Finally, there is the story in itself, which has many layers and the deeper we get into it, the more mesmerized we are. The fact that this volume is not at the level seen later, in terms of the complexity and richness of the plot, is the only reason why it gets four stars instead of the top rating.

Hitokiri Battousai is a warrior that with the help of his sword slew many rivals of the imperialists and contributed to entering the Meiji era, and then, he disappeared. A few years later, in the eleventh year of the Meiji era in Tokyo, times are such that carrying swords is forbidden, and Kenshin, the former Battousai wanders around with a reverse-blade sword, after having vowed not to kill anymore. Soon Kenshin runs into a murderer impersonating the Battousai and trying to discredit the Kamiya Kasshin School. Luck has it that before running into the killer, he met Kaoru, the young woman who is in charge of the school, and therefore, soon gets involved in helping her clear her name. This is the first bond that will stop Kenshin's wandering, but there are even more to come.

Kenshin is a man with deep convictions, and nothing can steer him away from the goal he set after abandoning his previous life: to build a world where people can pursue happiness. He is one of the most interesting characters I have met in the world of manga, but he is not the only notable character in this series. Far from it! In this first volume we meet Kaoru, a brave young woman that provides the series with some fine humor, and there is romance to come. And we meet Yahiko, a kid that has somewhat of an attitude problem and that hopes to become a samurai and become strong. Maybe most importantly, towards the end, we encounter Zanza (Sagara Sanosuke), the street fighter who will become a central character in this series, so pay attention! He is a very complex character, with an unconventional weapon and a baggage from the past that makes him hate the Ishin-Shishi (imperialists).

This is the start to a wonderful series, and one that goes way beyond the fighting, humor and romance. The quality of this volume should be enough for most people to want to read further, but even if that is not the case, trust me, this series gets much better, so I urge you to keep reading the next volumes. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

A mysterious warrior named Hitokiri Battôsai arose in Kyoto 140 years ago. A fiercesome warrior, he slew countless men, his efforts helping bring to a close the Bakumatsu era and bringing in the age of the Meiji.

Then he disappeared.

In the 11th year of the Meiji, a rurouni--a vagabond--named Himura Kenshin surfaces in Tokyo and befriends the spunky Kaoru, the owner of a student-less dojo.

With the aid of young new friend Yahiko, a boy wanting to be a samurai himself, Kenshin and Kaoru must ward off those looking to kill them.

And so the story begins...

Despite its label being a "romantic comedy," this is by far the most serious out of the manga I read. Nobuhiro Watsuki has crafted an incredible tale, an important story, one that had captured my full attention the second Kenshin showed up in Tokyo (which is pretty much the first page of the book).

His art is stellar. The detail is astounding (even after the first 22 pages when the art goes from ultra detailed to "just" super detailed). His rendering of Japan from 140 years ago is believable, each panel transporting you directly to the past.

The big deal about this book is the fight sequences, each chapter in this volume containing at least one battle. I've never seen action like this before--so huge, so intense, so detailed, so explosive, with speed-lines everywhere--AMAZING!

This volumes also includes a special bonus story that was originally published about a year before the now-complete-twenty-eight-volume series began.

This is a great opening story to what is sure to be a fantastic saga this reviewer looks forward to finishing. (I'm also now eager to check out the anime for this.)

Language warning: Cursing

Applauds should be given to Viz for taking a step in this direction, we can only hope they add more series to their VizBig line up!

In this book, you get the first three volumes of the series (Vol I: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Vol II: The Two Hitokiri, and Vol III: A Reason to Act). Pages 11 - 32 are in full color, which adds another dimension to the story, I was sad the color had to end. The last few pages also give us some wonderful color pictures from the original volumes, without text. We also get 2 end of volume specials, the first occurs a year before the series begins and the second is, as the author describes, sort of the 'pilot' episode of Rurouni Kenshin, where the details are a bit different than the actual story, but it's still the Rurouni we all love!

The size of the book allows us to look at the detail a bit better. Another feature I noticed was page numbers, which are great if you lose your place.

If you're new to the series, I recommend buying this version over the original 3 volumes as you get more for your money.

I have a 1987 Catalina 30 sailboat with a diesel engine. I wish I had purchased a copy of this book six years ago when I bought my boat. I might have saved hundreds and maybe even thousands of dollars in yard bills by doing more of the work myself with the help of this book. I have the 2nd Edition published in 1995. I think it is well organized, well written, and I find the illustrations to be clear. A friend of mine purchased the 3rd Edition, which has updated information, particularly on electronics. However I am extremely satisfied with the 2nd Edition for my needs.

No this is not a book for inland gas boats! This is a book for ocean going vessels. Both power and sail. I have cruised on a 28' Columbia (outboard) and a 41' Islander Freeport (perkins). It was a *must have* with the Cruising Handbook in 4 years of full time cruising. [...] Fairwinds!

This is the second Nigel Calder book I own, and I am even more impressed. I am an ASA-certified instructor qualified to teach through bareboat chartering and coastal navigation. I have sailed on all sorts of boats, have owned a cruising style boat for six years, have heard boat owners and students complain about various problems, have read dozens of books, and through all of this have experienced so many mysteries related to corrosion, electrical problems, equipment problems, and issues with various boat systems. For the first time, I feel I have a single reference manual specific to boat systems that not only provides clear troubleshooting steps but goes beyond troubleshooting to clearly explain the mechanical and physical principles that demystify why things go wrong and how the troubelshooting steps systematically work through problems. The explanations are understandable, the instructions and safety tips are effective, and the diagrams and photos are valuable. It has already helped me deal with a grounding problem that was causing our main cirvruit breaker to trip!

I'm redesigning the electrical system for my boat and portions of this book has given me the knowledge to make informed decisions, with an understanding of the trade offs, about what features and capabilities I would like my new system to have. It has also provided information to allow me to make intelligent decisions about selecting new components to achieve my electrical system goals efficiently (save money by not buying things I don't need). I would recommend this book for the person with a basic knowledge of electricity who wants to understand either how their current electrical system works or how they might change it to make it better.

This is a great book. I love the extensive coverage of electrical systems, as it seems so many boaters have problems with electrical. I was a little surprised that the engine section only covers diesel engines. No big deal, as most of the other stuff applies to gas too (impellers, transmission, etc), but I wanted to know a little about a head overhaul and there's not much there for the gas engine owner.
Still, I'd highly recommend this book to any boat owner who also has the gumption to do the work themselves.

Having Played Guitar for over 20 years but largely self taught, I found this book offered valuable information & filled in a lot of the missing blanks, Desi Serna explains Guitar Theory in easy to understand terms with plenty of helpful & clear diagrams & lots of song references to put your newfound knowledge to practice. Whatever level you play at, there is great stuff in this Book for all Guitarists, It has become my Guitar Bible, Thank you Desi, Wish i had this Book 20 years ago. If your serious about guitar, you need this Book!

[..]


great for any level student, helps to take away a lot of the confusion created when trying to learn guitar theory. He doesn't teach like it's for formal music training, instead breaks down to a workman's understanding... providing tips and helpful hints along the way

I have bought dozens of books/ dvds before finding out about Desi Serna .... wish I had heard about him sooner ... would have saved me tons of money

I have been playing on and off for about 10 years. I have read fretboard theory books before, the CAGED system included, jazz comping, and numnerous books on Modes. I can honestly say not one of them explain the application as well as this book (and videos).

Most of what Serna teaches you probably have seen before; but what is unique about this material is the application. I dont know how many times before in other material the CAGED system, pentatonic scale, and modes have beenn disussed but never applied with actual examples. This course ties it all togther. At least it did for me. For the first time ever, I understand how modes are actually used and which are common and which are rare. Try finding that info in any other course - never happen.

Throughout the course Serna provides examples from the book and videos of how to apply what you have learned from actual songs you have heard on the radio etc.. Although he makes no attempt to teach the entire song, he gives you the understanding to figure it out yourself; so if you want to be told where to put your fingers to play a particular song this is not your book/course. If you want to learn and be able to figure things out, this course should be very helpful. It has been for me at least. Also, I think he does not reproduce entire songs ver batem because the music industry is closing down sites that directly reproduce artist intellectual property. That is why all the courses are now teaching methods "in the style of... Jimi Hendrix etc".

I play electric blues. I make no attempt to play top 40 cover tunes so my goal is to learn my own style for myself so I need to understand what I am doing and how to figure things out. Without a doubt this book (and videos) has accomplished more in the last month than almost all the other material combined because for the first time ever it "connected the numerous dots" that other courses have failed to do. For example I never fully understood how the pentatonic patterns, both major and minor, tie in to the CAGED system as well as the arpeggio form of the chord.

I do not recommend the course for beginners that do not know too many chords or progressions yet. Also I do not recommend it for those who simply want to "play" without understanding the underlying theory.

After several books and countless hours on the internet reading articles I finally found Fretboard Theory. It clearly explained the pentatonic scale and the CAGED theory and teaches how to apply them. I now feel I have some direction with my guitar study and playing. Desi also offers his personal attention to email questions.

I learned guitar 43 years ago - enough to get by for the playing I wanted to do. Now that I've returned to playing, Desi Serna's book has been one of the basic tools I've been using to re-learn and learn new playing skills. I have looked at and tried at least 3-4 other similar books on Amazon and have settled on basically two - this one from Desi Serna - the other being Pumping Nylon.

None of these books are going to make you an excellent guitarist overnight - it takes a lot of hard work, and even then, if you are not dedicated to continual practice, your skills will dwindle. Desi's book provides a lot of good information, and is the absolute best in referencing other songs for examples - more songs than I could ever download or locate.

2003's "The Making of Pride and Prejudice" is a peek behind the scenes at the transformation of Jane Austen's classic romance novel into the 1995 BBC television production, a classic in its own right.

Sue Birwhistle and Susie Conklin walk the reader through the entire process, from selling the idea to a reluctant studio, to Andrew Davies' superb adaptation of the novel into six TV episodes, through casting, preproduction, shooting, and finally postproduction. The book is filled with comments from the workers on both sides of the camera, and illustrated with fascinating set photography.

Recreating the 19th Century required extensive research into such mundane matters as period costumes, hairstyles, drapery patterns, furniture, and music and dance. Months of pre-production paid off in an authentic look, at the cost of daily two-hour costume and make-up sessions for the actors and nightly refreshing of sets. Minor challenges included the delicate task of keeping food presentable for the three day shoot of the Netherfield supper party.

Location shooting, even in a country rich with old homes, required patient negotiation with owners over the restoration of house and grounds to a 19th century appearance. The expenses of production required shooting by location vice chronological order; Colin Firth notes his very first scene was Darcy's marriage proposal to Elizabeth.

Casting presented its own challenges for such a popular story. The book shares the concerns of the actors, along with some interesting before and after make-up portraits. A highlight is an extended interview with Colin Firth on the challenges of the role of Mr. Darcy. Jennifer Ehle adds her own comments on the grueling five month shooting schedule, which required her presence on set for all but five days.

"The Making of Pride and Prejudice" will be equally fascinating to dedicated fans of the BBC television version and those interested in the actual details of production. This book is very highly recommended to both audiences.

Loved the actors interviews, the photos and all the back story. To learn that Jennifer Ehle (Lizzy) is blonde and to see her as such without the Lizzy dark-hair wig, was worth the buy in itself!

This book is a must for those who love A&E's version of Pride and Prejudice. It's very informational and gives the reader even a greater appreciation for the work and detail put into this magnificent movie!!

This delightful book telling of the making of the 1995 mini-series of Pride and Prejudice gives real insight into the preparation of what must be considered the definitive version on film of this beloved novel. Like the featurette on the DVD, it explains a great deal about the costumes, the choreography, the musical score and determing locations for the various well known places that the audience visits during the program. What is not on the featurette and is in the book is insight into what the performers were feeling during this major film event, expecially the primary characters of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy portrayed by Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. It is very interesting to hear their thoughts as they approached their roles. And it is also very apparent as you go through this book that everyone responsible for actually getting this on film loved the book and are fans of Jane Austen. Very nice indeed.

For the first time, I recently watch the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. This adaptation created a desire to know more about the filming and the cast & crew. I was pleasantly suprised to discover this wonderful book of trivia.

The photographs of the cast out of character gave a truly amazing picture of the quality of the makeup artists and costumers. Some of these actors, you'd NEVER recognize on the street!

I genuinely enjoyed the insights into casting the miniseries and the search for the perfect locations.

For me though, the best part of the book was the interview with Colin Firth, what a joy! He is such a gentleman.

The book while short is jam-packed with trivia from where specific scenes were shot, what scenes were shot first/last and how the actors costumes developed over time!

Truly a purchase that I'm glad that I made

This book is great. Page after page after page of stencils and stories. There are so many things to look at, it's well-organized, and includes a little something to read on almost every page. Some of the things in this book made me laugh, and other pages really made me think about the world I live in. I guess that's the point.

If you want to get into stencil painting, this book will open your eyes and give you lots to think about.

ONE OF THE SMARTEST, MOST PRODUCTIVE, HUMOROUS, STREET ARTISTS AROUND. WHAT ALL GOOD GRAFFITI ATTEMPTS, BUT OFTEN FALL SHORT OF A MUST FOR THE STREET ART LOVER!

it is interesting and entertaining. the stuff he does is really cool. some of them are a bit strange, but others are hilarious. he likes to make fun of various people and things, so someone who is a bobby, or british cop, might not like it as much. otherwise, he just does stuff for fun, such as writing "what are you looking at?" in front of a security camera. its fun to just look through the stuff he's done. he is an amazing artist. and very creative guy.

If you know Banksy, you know everything he has ever done is worth 5 stars. But in case you are concerned about their presentation, this book goes far to present his work with beautiful imagery and insightful commentary from the Banksy, itself!!

If you do not know Banksy yet and you enjoy stencil, symbolism, absurdism, political art, graffiti or taking risks to prove a point- just buy this book, you will not regret it!

this is a nice coffee table book for suburbans like me who want to appear edgy. banksy's work is brilliant.

Art of Modern Rock features some incredible art drawn from great artists and is a must not just for a rock aficionado, but for an art enthusiast, an artist, a designer or even a writer. The tremendous amount of variety and unique and powerful imagery makes looking through this book a great pleasure.

I've had this book for several years now and this is my all time favourite art book, and I own far too many to even be considered in the realm of normal. The Art of Modern Rock is a huge book (almost 500 pages) and the art diverse and inspiring. I just love this book!!

I purchased the Art of Modern Rock online for my son and his wife for Christmas. I usually have a difficult time finding a gift I think they will like. They have a rock band themselves, and my daughter-in-law is also interested in art, so I gave this book a try. Not only did they love it, but they are in it! I wish now that I had opened it and looked through it before I mailed it to them. I was pleased with the book, and the service from Amazon is always excellent!

"Art of Modern Rock" is a fantastic compilation of rock posters form bands both famous and obscure over the last 15-20 years or so. Separating them by subject (for instance, some chapters focus on "silkscreened" posters, others on digitally-produced art; still others look at themes of content like posters with horror themes, etc.), here you will find examples of high-illustration, psychadelic extrapolation, absurd visual puns (such as in the art of Derek Hess's posters), and abstract greatness.

Be warned - this book is an enormous book and has hundreds of pages printed on high-gloss paper. There is a bounteous selection of art here to be enjoyed. However, I was disappointed that some artists (such as the renowned master Coop) didn't receive as large an airing as other artists. However, this is an exceptional volume, one that artists will come back to again and again to appreciate and draw inspiration from.

This is one of the greatest books I've read in the last ten years about rock posters. All kind of rock music is here. If you really like rock'n'roll music, you must get this one.

I LOVE Jan Brett's books! I buy them anytime I see them whether on sale, old ones on Amazon as remainders, or new.. They make great gifts. I have a backup of many to give to children, particularly my granddaughters. The illustrations in this one are so beautiful it is really a keepsake to save as well as enjoy. Give it as a gift and you will make some child very happy and a parent happy,too.

Beautiful illustrations reprinted from over 40 sources. All illustrations are credited on last page. Book measures 9"X11.5" Only down side was that the price changes by the day. One day it's almost $11 another it's $8.97. But that's just the way Amazon works; something to be aware of. (It's worked in my favor often while shopping at midnight--price suddenly went down!)

it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one

I bought this for my grandchildren last Christmas. The wording is traditional, and the illustrations are wonderful! This has become a part of the Christmas Eve tradition at my daughter's house.

These illustrations are the best ever for The Night Before Christmas...Stunning even! A worthy heirloom Christmas Book. The illustrations cover both sides of the page for a large panoramic view seldom seen in other books...

A pleasure to review. Wonderful illustration talent (a là Bill Watterson), with a deranged humor we've never seen before. One can read the same comic over and over again, and continue to laugh. And because Nicholas Gurewitch has announced a semi-retirement, we may have to.

Nicholas Gurewitch's Perry Bible Fellowship is a refreshing exception among webcomics: it combines good ideas, great visuals (most webcomics seem to manage just one of these two) and twisted humor that has more than just shock value.

Not that it's all perfect: some of the strips are - in all honesty - quite mediocre. But when PBF hits the mark, it is just about the funniest thing around. If you're not already familiar with the comic, you should just read it on the official website to see if this is your thing.

This Dark Horse collection has all the PBF strips up until its publication and some previously unseen material as well. The overall quality is very good and does justice to Gurewitch's visual stylings. What I missed was more background: information about the author, origins of the comic, how the whole phenomenon grew online. In my opinion, it would be nice to have something more than hard covers (good as they might look) around the things that are already available for free online.

However, I don't regret my purchase one bit. The price was right, the book looks good and, most importantly, the content is great. I just wish there would have been a bit more of it.

I've been reading the Perry Bible Fellowship for a few years now and I was looking forward to this book. It's just as good as I hopped it would be. These are the best strips I've ever read anywhere. The humor is hilarious from every direction. At 10 bucks, you can't afford not to have this book.

If you could somehow harness the powers of pure awesomeness (even more rare than dark matter) and contain it in the form a book, this would be the end result...

Proudly display it on your coffee table, or wear it around your neck; just spread the word of PBF!!! Either way, it is by far one of the best Graphic Novels you will have ever owned.

Ever!!!

I'd read a lot of these comics on The Perry Bible Fellowship website, but my goodness, it is just so good having them all printed in a lush, glossy-paged book. Truly, the sick humor comes to life in a way that the internet simply could not dream of. Buy this book. Seriously. You won't be sorry.

I am completely crazy about this book and I don't normally read poetry books or books about writing poetry. But as a HS librarian I was trying to find something to help my English teachers who struggle every year to come up with lesson ideas for their poetry units. I struck gold with this book. I actually took six of Wooldridge's ideas and created lesson plans from them which I share with the teachers. For example, I cut up an old wildflower book, laminated the pictures, so that teachers could do an activity about naming plants and then writing poetry about the names. Though I dabble a little in writing my own poetry, I find that I always enjoy following little formulas to help unlock my creative juices. This book has several cute and fun formulas to assist the beginning poets. I highly recommend this book!

This book is not a how to write a poem book. It is how to live your life so that maybe you can write a poem in 6 to 8 years.

Get it! I dare you! This book is awesome! I learn something new every time I pick it up. I love the freedom it promotes in creativity. Buy it!

Over the last few years I've begun to explore my own talent for poetry, and among the books I've read to help me is this one.

I've yet to try the exercises, but just reading the book gives me some food for thought.

Lots of ideas and techniques to try as the spirit moves you.

I confess that I've never been a poetry fan in the past. But thanks to this book, I may very well become one now! I only bought it because Teesha Moore (mixed-media artist, editor of the Art and Life 'zine, and creator of ArtFest) had raved about the author. So I gave this book a try. I'm so glad I did as it has really opened my eyes to what poetry is all about!

I decided I was going to make aprons for my female family and friends for Christmas and ordered this book hoping it would give me lots of different ideas. It is actually more of a history lesson on aprons but did have lots of pictures and patterns and instructions. There does not seem to be a glut of books on Aprons so this was a good choice. If you are the least bit creative you can go with some of their general ideas and expand on them. Makes a nice coffee table book too.

Love this book!
I am always recommending it to others who love Aprons and apron stories.
It even has a user friendly pattern in the back of the book.
A must have as well as a great gift to send to friends who are apronistas!

I love this book - it brings back great memories. Very interesting information, photos, patterns, a great book to add to one's library.

I had to make an apron in Home Ec class many (many) years ago. I didn't enjoy it at all. I didn't care for the fabric, didn't really get the hang of using a sewing machine, just felt it was a waste of time. Nobody in my family wore an apron, anyway, somehow they miraclously stayed clean during food prep.
Flash forward a few decades. I like to cook and bake and I did not inherit the miracle of not getting messy while I cooked. Most aprons you can buy in a store are servicable - but not exactly flashy or pretty. One of my supervisors whipped up aprons as Christmas presents one year. I was amazed because I knew she was a very busy woman. Slowly, I began to gather fabric to make aprons. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. That's how I feel about this book. I recommend it highly.

Saw this in my book club at twice the money. I really identify with these, the good old days. Days when aprons were a part of getting dressed each day. I still am an apron person. Love those pockets.