Arts Books

Accidental Genius is a quick read, but has a series of ideas that will keep you reading your favorite author (yourself!) for a long time to come.

This book is about using private writing to sharpen your own thinking. This is not a book about written communications. If you're looking for written communications skills, you can't do better than The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto - which is considered The Bible among consulting firms.

If you're like me, you would have noticed that your typing fingers have a mind of their own - ideas start forming *after* you've started writing about them. Words starting forming on their own, and before you know it, you have a fully formed idea staring back at you on the computer monitor. This book writes out a few ways you can actually use this writing momentum to your advantage. The writing you would do as a result is meant for your eyes only. Writing in free-form and then reviewing the text makes the ideas present themselves to us in black and white (literally!), allowing us to refine them until they're ready.

I travel on long flights, and have found the approaches in this book extremely useful in clarifying my thinking, and passing time.

How many times have you looked at a new idea or invention and said "I thought of doing that once..." How many times have you forgotten things because you didn't write them down? Answers: lots of times, lots of times.

Now ask yourself "How many good ideas have come to me pure, shining forth with no clutter around them, precisely when I needed them?" The answer is likely to be "Never."

Accidental Genius tries to capitalize on these truisms by suggesting that the mechanism of writing can liberate the mind and allow the good ideas to pour forth - amid lots of debris, even nonsense. "Write fast, as close to the speed of your thinking as you can," says Levy, and with a timer (one that doesn't tick). And be relaxed while you do it.

The private writing log, which is Levy's main tool, can contain a journal, jottings on a problem or a wish, conversations with self or imaginary interlocutors, fantastic scenarios ranging from phenomenal strokes of good luck to horrifying catastrophe.

During the time you assign yourself you pour it all into your log, which only you will see and use. Later, perhaps much later, you will look over what you've written and try to extract the gold nuggets. For the price of a pencil and a pad of paper, you have built yourself a personal brainstormer.

Thought-logging has a long tradition among writing; many writers cannot survive without a notebook. Too many character sketches, images, details, dialogue and states of mind would be lost forever. However, the stated purpose of Levy's method is not to become a great or even a publishable writer but to keep a record of your thoughts for revisiting and future profit. The book is aimed at businesspeople but, at least in theory, anyone could benefit from the Levy method.

First, the method, which seems inspired by meditation techniques -- paradoxically, it replaces mind-quieting with page-filling --, requires a relaxed state of mind before starting a thought-logging session. Thus, the practice will be much easier for experienced meditators than for people who constantly carry unacknowledged tensions, fears, or other obstacles.

Someone capable of quieting his mind and relaxing may find it disconcerting to subject himself to a fast-paced exercise in free writing. Indeed, such a person may not want to get good ideas in this seemingly crass and haphazard way. Yet, in principle, the Levy exercises are no more absurd than practicing archery or repeating mantras.

True, the tone of the book is boosterish, the author being almost too eager to tell you his secret recipe -- but as in food recipes, literary polish matters little and the results are everything. Wonderful things can be done with cabbage, raw fish and snails (ants and cockroaches, too).

Despite its rough surface, this brief book has the bones of a fine meditation manual for businesspeople and a possibly useful tool for removing mental obstructions and even promoting a degree of self-knowledge in the age of commodity and show -- Levy's tacitly assumed and accepted scenario (whether the acceptance is reluctant or not, we don't know).

Talking to yourself in writing cannot be a substitute for the lost art of civilized conversation, but it will likely be a useful exercise. At worst, the technique can work as a placebo or not work at all, in which case you have lost nothing (think homeopathy).

At best, it can inspire you to pay attention to your thoughts and to develop an eye for good ideas, as well as good work habits. And if it teaches how to be comfortable in your own company, this book will have been not just a good buy but a steal. Good bones.

Many people have preconceptions about how the writing process goes. Grueling, frustrating and aggravating are just a few. This book shows you how to let go of your inner editor using private writing to let those unpolished gems come to the surface. Writing is work, but there are ways to make it easier and this book gives numerous useful strategies for moving past writing blocks and barriers when you have to write. It is very clearly, creatively and humorously written. Leavy illustrates many of his concepts with examples from his own writing. The most useful thing about this book is that it demystifies the process of writing and shows you multiple ways to create new ideas, strategies and perspectives. These are real, useful strategies, not "learn our new system and you will be successful" systems that are so complicated that you never use them after you read the book. I started using them when I was a quarter of the way through the book and produced 20 pages of single space material in one day. Not all that was great, but I was surprised at how good some of it was. It turned out there were a lot of good ideas in my head just waiting to get out. We are moving toward a knowledge society and most companies get their best value from ideas. This small, potent book will pay you back many times over by helping you get your ideas onto paper and into the world.

Accidental Genius: Revolutionize Your Thinking Through Private Writing )
by Mark Levy

I have had this book for quite a while & I have also reread it several times. I have been attracted to the book in the first place by what the author writes in the Introduction:

- Every recognized innovation has, in some way, been a product of human thought. It stands to reason, then, that the thoughts appearing in your mind have an enormous, potential value to you & the world;

- Sometimes your best thoughts must be coaxed out, & played with, before they reach their fullest potential;

- The world's most progressive companies have sophisticated infrastructures just to develop, and protect, the kinds of thoughts that you've already had or are capable of having;

What does this book do, in a nut shell: it teaches you how to get at what you're thinking on paper, so you can convert the raw material of your thoughts into something useable, using an energising body of techniques called 'private writing'. It entails examining all kinds of work/life situations & creating solutions for them through personal reflection and free-form writing.

The chapter on 'Extracting Gold from a Business Book' is my personal favourite.

For me, I have often used the author's writing techniques as a catalyst to guide my own best thinking on paper. I use what I often like to term as my 'scratch pad', foolscape-size, spiral-bound, 100 pages per pad, 100 gms weight, similar to the type artists use, in conjuction with a multi-colour/multi-utility pen from Rotring. At one point in time, (for about 3 years) I used the Bienfang spiral-bound note/sketch pads until the only local supplier went out of business unexpectedly.

On many occasions, I have astonished myself by being able to wrestle with the valuable business & life insights from my own seemingly disparate 'private writing' pages. I have translated many of my valuable insights into pragmatic projects. One of the sideline projects is writing reviews on amazon website.

I have noted that one of the most outstanding results of 'private writing' is honing my own critical & creative thinking processes.

Because of my personal interests in visual thinking, I often incorporate the 'rapid visualisation' & 'deliberate doodling' techniques I have picked up from Kurt Hanks as well as Joy Sikorski into my 'private writing' processes. As most readers may know, Kurt crafted the classic book, Rapid Viz, among many others. Joy crafted the following three marvellous doodling books, which I also own:

- How to Draw a Cup of Coffee & Other Fun Ideas;
- How to Draw a Radish & Other Fun Things to do at Work;
- How to Draw a Clam: A Wonderful Vacation Planner;

I have drawn phenomenal power from my purposeful integration of 'private writing' with 'rapid visualisation' & 'delberate doodling'. That's why I always use a multi-colour/multi-utlity Rotring pen in my work. My scratch pad is always a visual smorgasbord of relatively heavy text, mystical doodles & logical illustrations (thanks & no thanks to my engineering training!).

To conclude my review, Accidental Genius, is a real, rare gem. I strongly recommend this book to any reader who wants to explore powerful insight generation, &/or to apply some structure & purpose to - & at the end, extract some value from - all those notes you've been writing to yourself.

This is a great book. It's short, easy to read, and entertaining. But it's also a very powerful book that will change the way you approach creativity and learning.

It's not just about "private writing", it's about how to generate creative ideas and increase your learning and retention of what you read. It's also about how to clarify your thinking. The book has more than enough ideas to improve your life than what you would expect in his 141 page book.

I give it an A+ in my rating scale. This is a MUST READ for those who want to increase their learning, creativity and retention.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

In our world of today, which is multi-cultural, fast-paced and global, what more makes sense than listening to the 'inner voice'? Randi convinces the reader to realise the importance of balancing preformance and emotion,which may come as an eye-opener. Many phrases and expressions in the book will strike a chord, which may have been buried in our sub-conscious. The book is full of real-life examples, making it readable and providing the feeling of sharing common experiences with individuals like ourselves.

Randi B. Noyes has written a beautiful book that will be your loving guide and companion if you are serious about leading yourself from the inside out. For those who are yet to define themselves as the "uncontested boss off their own life", the book will encourage a bigger and brighter dream of what their life can be.

This book is a practical and down to earth approach to navigating in your own life. Its focus on emotional intelligence teaches that if you want to live a whole life, you will have to use your whole self in your day to day living. Filled with living examples, the book is easy to read and enjoyable. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know themselves better.

In "The art of leading yourself" Randi is taking full advantage of her natural talent and the vast experience she has gained from meeting with people in different contexts and her desire to understand their behaviour. She succeeds in conveying the highly complex topic of emotional intelligence in a simple way without banalising the art of managing yourself. Emotional intelligence is often presented in an academic way which means those in need to understand this topic often miss out. Therefore "The art of leading yourself" has the potential to capture a wide audience thence enabling more people to take an active role in developing and improving their situation and becoming managers of their own lives. Randi's book and seminars have definitely contributed to my personal development. I have found the strength to confront myself and as a result I have become a more complete person, both private and professional. Consequently, "The art of leading yourself" should not be regarded solely as a businessperson's guide as it is a very useful tool and guide for personal development...

This book is a conversational journey with extensive, vivid images. Noyes calls on extensive consulting and coaching to take the basic principles of self-awareness and self-management and personalize them. The imagery is memorable. The people and examples given make the material applicable and personal. Throughout, the work is easy to read and on point. It's strength is in experience rather than abstract principle. This serves as a great self-help work. The final sections provide easy to use exercises to make materials real, personal and practical. Fun and informative, this work serves to practically make life more fulfilling.

Finally - an author has created a new paradigm of success and has produced a book that gets right to the heart of modern pursuits. One of the world's leading experts on emotional intelligence, Randi B. Noyes, argues that in today's world, emotions matter. In fact, they can matter twice as much as conventional intelligence and expertise put together in terms of accounting for business success.

"The Art of Leading Yourself" provides a balanced and practical approach to emotional intelligence. It indicates that proper understanding and use of emotions can be critical to helping us be more effective workers and better communicators. Comprehensive, convincing, and invaluable this engaging book is a 'must read' for anyone desiring to make a difference.

I haven't finished reading this book yet but it seems very good. It is very easy to read and it is very informative. I would recommend this book to anyone who has taken organic chemistry, is going to study organic chemistry n graduate school, or as a supplement to any mechanism class.

This is a great book. It is a "must have" for any organic chemist.

For people who love organic chemistry, this book provides a basic guide for people to learn some basic but fundamental details of organic chem mechanism.The fourth chapter is expecially worthy reading. Moreover, Chapter 6 provides people with a rough idea of what's going on in organometallics filed.

This book is excellent for reaction mechanism. This book is helpful for the undergraduate's organic chem 2 and the grad school's reaction mechanism class. I learned how to move the electron in reasonable way. So in one word, this book is awesome book that I ever read for practicing reaction mechanism.

I bought this book to practice mechanisms because I'll be taking a physical organic class in the spring that uses them heavily. I used this book instead of sitting in on a sophomore organic class, because by job as a TA conflicted.

Anyway, this book is extraordinary. Dr. Grossman has taught me so many things about how to write a correct mechanism and how to recognize a bad mechanism when I see one. The book is written in a very clear and friendly manner and it's really quite hard to put down when you start reading it.

The book also has practice problems and the book's website has the answers, giving even more incentive to practice mechanisms.

It's a neat book.But I need to work at doing more stamps more often.

If you are interested in learning how to carve your own art rubber stamps then you need this book as well as The Weekend Crafter:Rubber stamp carving.

Both books provide clear cut instructions on how to carve your own stamps to make artistic and fun stamps that are one of a kind. But this book is much better of the two and I'd suggest this one if you can only buy one book on the subject of stamp carving.
The projects in this book are lovely, artistic and not cutesy or cookie cutter similar to everything out there. You will easily be able to begin carving right away with this book alone. Well worth the 15 bucks here on Amazon! I recommend it.
5 stars!

This book is my new stamp carving bible! The projects are inspiring and there are no hard to find tools required. Thanks to the detailed instructions carving a stamp from an eraser is easier than carving a pumpkin. A great book.

If you need some inspiration, I strongly advise reading this book. Before reading the book, I didn't understand and was very intimdated about carving. After reading Art Stamping Workshop, I am now carving and printmaking!! I also teach this form of art in various schools and art stores.

One of the reasons I advise my students and online members to read this book, is because it is both teachable and progressive. It is an excellent book to study for classes, workshops, and personal study. With each technique, Gloria Page teaches in a way that you are bound to understand, and you are not left in the dark or in confusion in any way.

In an online group that I host -Artists of the Round Table- we read this book from cover to cover, and tried each of the projects. "ALL" of the member LOVED it.....adults, as well as the children!!! Gloria Page was kind enough to make herself available during the workshop to answer any questions, and to give advise and commendation. What an "encouragement" this was to the members studying her book!

Loving author.....AWESOME book. A perfect combination!

Sincerely,
~Jacqueline F. Graham
President, Artists of the Round Table
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtistsOfTheRoundTable/

I have always wanted to make my own art stamps but never knew how or where to begin. Thanks to Art Stamping Workshop, all of my questions have been answered! After reading this fabulous book, I was able to create a stamp from items I had around the house. Gloria's instructions are easy to follow and the photos clearly show how each step is supposed to look as you go along. Gloria Page makes stamp carving easy and FUN! The variety of projects in this book are different from anything I have seen in other stamping books and are easily adaptable to any style.

My 15-month old has loved this book since she was about 6 months old! I reccomend for every child! I'm so tired of reading this book.... ;)

I love this book. It is so cute, so fun - both in word and art!!! I will buy it for every baby I know.

This is a fantastic children's book. The illustrations are colorful and engaging and the rhyming text is important for fostering pre-reading skills in children. It is one of the favorites at our house, and we have given several as gifts as well. It's sure to bring a smile to the faces of kids and parents alike!

My daughter wasn't even a year old when we bought this book after checking it out of the library. It is that much fun! We love the bouncing, wonderful rhythms, the silliness, and whimsical illustrations. Our only "downfall" is that instead of "...the chocolate-colored cow," we always want to say "...with the chocolate-covered cow!" Mmmmm.....

I know this one by heart, and everytime another parent hears me recanting Baby danced the polka with the polka dotted PIG - they ask me what I am 'singing'. It is an all time favorite book - and I have one copy to read and one to save for my daughter so she can have a new copy for herkids one day!

I like this book, learned a lot from it, it will help you take better pics! Some parts maybe a bit to much for absolute beginner but if combined with another reading or class you will appreciate it. Contains valuable info to any photographer.

I am in the process of reading about 20 guides and books related to Nature Photography (Landscapes, Macros, Wildlife, etc)...everything from the older Shaw books to new digital books such as this one.

This book has a lot of good information. I enjoyed the mentoring style of the book and thought the LCD (Lighting, Composition and Digital(Eposure) approach to each of the sub topics was well presented. There are good ideas for assignments also.

I only have one fairly minor flaw with the book and it is a rather subjective one...while the photos in the book were good examples of the topics being discussed, not a lot of them were jaw dropping and inspiring to me personally. Obviously this is a subjective point and others may disagree. After reading the Shaw and Audubon and acouple of digital nature books prior to this one, the photos in this book just didn't wow me as much as the others I have read.

I don't feel the above is enough for me to knock the book down to a 4 star so I am still giving it a 5 star rating although if there was a 4.5 star option, I would probably select that.

Don't get me wrong, though, I still feel this is quite a worthwhile book to buy. The approach is friendly, encouraging and refreshing and the author obviously knows his stuff and has produced a good book.

One further note...I also liked the fact that this book is definitly about nature photography and doesn't spend an over-abundance of time on generic photography priniciples that one has more than likely picked up from other general photography books. Some nature books are general photography books with a splash of nature thrown in. This one is a nature photography book with just the right amount general photography thrown in. An honest approach to a nature photography book.

Nature's a big place, and you can easily get lost -- photographically. This book does a good job of explaining all the varied aspects of outdoors and wildlife photography from a digital perspective. You'll learn how to choose lenses, stalk elusive creatures, and capture great "close-ups" from distance perspectives. I liked this book very much.

Excellant written. I bought this and his other book Digital Photography together. Not only did I get an excellant deal but both were well worth the investment. You can't get much more clear and easy to understand than this. Very down to earth written and everything is so well explained and simply put. It's almost like your sitting down over a cup of coffee with a good friend. I learned more from these books than any other material that I've read. AND from the first day started to notice a big improvement in my photos. A must read for anyone that is serious about photography!

I love this book. Jim is not only an excellent photographer, he is also an excellent writer. His style is conversational, and his book is well organized and easy to read, while not being too "simple" sounding. No corny humor either (I like Scott Kelby, but his humor annoys me after a while). He also clearly put thought into what he covered. He first ASKED people WHAT they wanted to know about digital nature photography and then wrote his book guided by those needs. He covers topics that other authors would not have thought to cover (like what to pack for photo trips and peripheral tools that can be helpful in the field).
Excellent reading. I am now looking at digital photo books based on author, and Miotke is one of my search words!

THERE ARE MANY BLUES SINGERS FROM ROBERT JOHNSON TO THE PRESENT, BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE THEY CALLED "THE KING OF THE BLUES" THIS MAN IS A LEGEND HE IS CALLED B.B.KING. THIS POWERFUL BOOK GOES INTO THE HUMBLE BEGINNING OF RILEY B. KING AS A SHARECROPPER,THROUGH THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT,RACISM TO PERFECTING THE MUSIC THAT IS HIS FIRST LOVE "THE BLUES" .HERE IS A MAN WHO CAME FROM A SIMPLE HUMBLE BEGINNING TO PERFORMING BEFORE KINGS AND QUEENS AND PRESIDENTS AND EVEN THE POPE. IF YOU HAVE SEEN B.B.KING YOU KNOW WHY HE IS CALLED THE KING OF THE BLUES, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN HIM YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON "THE MAN" HIMSELF ALL YOU CAN DO IS READ THIS POWERFUL BOOK

I've read BB's book several times, maybe 5 or 6. Every time I read it I still love it. I learn something new about him every time. If you even consider yourself a fan of BB or the blues, you have to read this book. David Ritz is an awesome co-writer, keeping BB's voice in the forefront, and he just gently guides BB. He did a hell of a job with Etta James' autobiography also.
An excellent book!!

His real name is Riley B. King, the B.B. stands for Blues Boy, and he is known as "America's ambassador of the blues". A recommended enjoyable, good read about growing up and into music, self-taught guitar, remarkable attitudes of a man who faced prejudice and hate with an even keel. A performer who went on stage even when he was suffering from a bad case of flu. B.B. King took his music to Israel, England, and Russia, and held up in stature through the lows and highs. And he loves his 'Lucille' (guitar)! David Ritz has co-authored with the King a wonderful synopsis of love, fortitude, belonging, and enthusiasm. Recommended for blues lovers or otherwise... please don't miss this splendid read. (Review based on hardcover 1996)
Reviewer also recommends: 'Between Each Line of Pain and Glory My Life Story' by Gladys Knight

Wow, I just finished reading this biography and am truly satisfied with my reading. It's been a long time since I read a book this refreshing. Talk about honesty, passion and heart.
The last 3 chapters were especially entertaining, talking from the heart about issues generally left untouched. From page one, I couldn't put the book down.
This book really helps you understand B.B's live performances. For anyone who as seen B.B. King live sometimes gets the feeling that his performance is a routine that dates back 25 years (well, I now know it is!), but this fact doesn't bother my anymore, understanding where the man comes from, better understanding his way of doing things.
Recommended for blues fans and anyone interested in a very entertaining read.

A blues story
B.B. King's life is presented here in a breezy, happy go lucky style. Ostensibly an autobiography, (although if you heard any of B.B.'s interviews about the book and his amazement at some of the details that were revealed, you know David Ritz did much more than help out.) this book deals with B.B.'s childhood of amazing poverty and his eventual rise to be the "King of the Blues." Conversational in style, but revealing in detail, BLUES ALL AROUND ME works as both a personal reminiscence and as a look at the life of a black man living in America during the 20th century. Tales of racism (in the military and elsewhere), the difficulties of dealing with a less than honest music industry, and the struggle for success against these odds are all expressed in a manner that shows no true anger, rather an acceptance that these were challenges to overcome. B.B.'s personal relationships with the many women in his life is not avoided, nor his opinions of many of his contemporaries. While the selected discography is extremely disappointing, this book should be required reading for any fan of the blues, and while any autobiography has to be taken with a grain of salt, this one definitely rings true.

This book is a wake up call to the Creative! It completely opened my eyes to the many things to think about and plan for when leaving your secure job, and going out on your own. Extremely well written, with a plethora of knowledge on the subject. A complete eye opener. A MUST HAVE for the Creative who is planning on going freelance, or starting their own business. Very informative and necessary to read in order to succeed on your own. Very exciting, I could barely put it down!

According to the author's website at http://www.creativebusiness.com/books.lasso The Business Side of Creativity addresses freelancing and the basics of pricing, selling, and running a SMALL design or marketing communications business. The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business focuses on the management of a MULTIPERSON organization. The website gives a summary on the various chapters of each book.

I started out excited about this book, then quickly realized much of what the author had to say was outdated at best, not the best advice on numerous occasions, but yet the book contained some valuable information. A bit stoneage as far as business marketing practices. One hundred pages on setting up your own studio/small business with personnel (No, thank you). If working as a freelancer in the graphics or copy arenas is your thing, its worth paying $20.00 to get something out of it.

This is such a comprehensive book. If you have any question about how to run a business, let alone a creative one, this book is the only one you'll need.

I'm starting a sole-proprietor (one-person) freelance design business and I have found this book to be extremely helpful. It manages to be realistic about what to expect while also providing encouragement that if you prepare well and work smart, you have the opportunity to reach your financial goals. The book has made me consider contracts carefully and has given me valuable suggestions (for example, setting up standards such as "I can't accept jobs for which I can bill less than 8 hours' work"), thinking about what kinds of clients I want to attract in my business, and so on. It has important points to consider if you are locating your business outside a large metropolitan area. I recommend it for anyone who is starting out - or considering starting out - on a solo creative business.

Mifune's 'The Canon of Judo' is an outstanding work and certainly joins Kano's 'Kodokan Judo' as an essential book for all Judoka. The instuction included within is exceptional and will without doubt be of the utmost benefit to any and all Judoka who may read it. Mifune was undoubtedly one of the greatest Judoka to have lived, and the quality and depth of instuction given in this book is a fitting match for the man. Few, if any books available at this time present techniques in the format offered in this book. Mifune offers not only the pure techniques but also advice, key points and cautions for their use which are often only learned the hard way.

I wish I had bought this book while I still an actively practicing Judo. It is comprehensive and impressive. I wanted to reconnect to the dicipline and history of Judo, and this did the trick. My son has become very interested in Judo as well as other cultures becuse of this book. What more can a you ask?

Each page has about six pictures showing progressions of the various techniques. Some pages have four pictures and some have eight or nine. Description headings include: Description, Practice, Important Points, Caution and Remarks. It starts with judo fundamental principles and etiquette and progresses to posture, exercises, falls and breaking of balance. The book continues to descriptions of practice and philosophy. After the first fifty pages, forty pages of throws, ten pages each of grappling and strangling are followed by another ten pages of counters and defenses. Fifteen pages of joint locks follow with seven pages of ground strategy. Then twenty four pages of defensive and counter techniques for throws with multiple counters or defenses per throw lead into a brief discussion of modification of technique and adapting to circumstances and several pages of more specialized techniques. A few pages of counter techniques for practice are finally followed by methods to revive the injured.

All in all, this is one of the very best books on martial arts I have seen. It belongs in every martial artist's head, but you have to read it and practice it to get it there.

Fantastic source of info & techniques. Definitely one of my most used resources.

This puts 90% of the judo books in the shade. A must have!

I have a copy of the first edition of this book and am still mesmerized by it. When it first came out, everyone I knew at design school who bought it felt like the information and techniques had given them an out-of-body-experience and it quickly became THE book to own, learn from, and emulate. Anyone who buys this book and applies the material and techniques will become better at drawing, rendering, and creative presentation methods...it is a sure-fire way to achieve "star power" in your office and in front of your clients!

great book! Out of the dozens of hand rendering guides I looked at, this was by far the best and the easiest to learn from. It tells you what pencils, markers, and tools to buy to achieve certain effects, and gives you step-by-step rendering instructions for tons of different types of materials and lighting situations. I highly recommend this- in fact, it should be mandatory for interior design students!

This is an excellent resouce for the study of rendering. After detailing the elements of color and design, it describes, step-by-step, how to achieve many finishes both interior and exterior. It is both instructive and informative.

It's really hard to say too many things about this book. Even older editions of Color Drawing are great, but this newest one goes above and beyond the call of duty. In an age when a lot of books get re-released as new editions with few substantive changes, Color Drawing breaks the mold by updating the techniques with current technology (i.e. Photoshop). It's great to see that the author and publisher realize that pure hand-drawing and rendering is quickly becoming a thing of the past and that the practitioners of today and tomorrow need to have excellent computer skills too. This book is full of very useful tips for combining Photoshop with hand drawings to create great effects. So even if you have an earlier edition, do yourself a favor and buy the new one anyway because you will learn a lot.

This is the standard for rendering in architecture and interior design as far as I am concerned. It will most definitely become a required textbook for my classes in visual presentation in the years to come. Doyle takes you step-by-step into the process of rendering with marker, color pencil, and pastels. But he doesn't just spoon feed you the recipe for each material rendering, he presents the basis for a process that allows you to render virtually any material not found in the book.