Design Books

I have not only read the book, and enjoyed it thoroughly, but my local watering hole has been blessed to have several pieces from the collection on loan. There is nothing like sipping a beer with a clown and monkey (with "bette davis eyes") looking over your shoulder. I have many art books, and often find myself disappointed with the reproductions, but there is no worry here. They are just as bad in the book as they are in person.

If you are in the Brooklyn, NY area... Stop into The Pioneer Lounge (Bar?) in Red Hook, Brooklyn to see a few select pieces. I don't know how long the MOBA exhibit will last, but it is really worth seeing.

The Museum of Bad Art is a long overdue book, and I was so happy to finally get a copy. This is the one art exhibit I would gladly pay to see in person.

I visited the MOBA at its cinema basement location in Massachusetts, and was enchanted. I am so glad that this book came out to help make the collection visible to a larger audience. Like bad poetry (see "Pegasus Descending" by Waldrop), bad art at its best is unbelievably hilarious. Some bad art is merely bad, but the utter sincerity with which the works in this collection were painted accounts for much laughter. If by some chance you can't tell why the thing is so bad, there are helpful titles and captions by the authors to explain it to you. My favorite is one called "Pals," in which a sad clown with five o'clock shadow is comforted by a monkey that has "Bette Davis Eyes!"

This is incomparable bathroom reading of the highest order. Do not read in public as your laughter will undoubtedly mark you as insane.

One of the funniest books I've ever seen. All my friends loved it- I'm an high school art teacher, and after years of perusing tedious, high concept modern dreck, Tom and Marie's book is just what the doctor ordered.My colleagues and I agreed that we've all done at least one artwork that should be in MOBA! There are so many bad pieces here, it's hard to say which is the worst ( or is the best?) Encore!

Wonderfully organized and extremely useful content. I am using it as a class text to instruct parents at my church who want to know how to deal with social networks effectively with their teens. The author even provides a link to a custom MySpace page, where parents can look up the latest tips and additional information to make the most of their learning. As an IT professional with over 20 years of experience and uncle to two teens, I cannot stress enough the importance and value of this book to help parents and teens navigate through some of the perils and reap some of the benefits of cyberculture.

It's been a see-saw for me, "Let my 15-year-old have a MySpace/not..." But Mrs. Neal makes some really valid points for letting her have one, with my supervision of course! She spells out for even the most dense among us about how to work around MySpace, as well as making a VERY GOOD point about how it helps with their 5 developmental stages they're working through in their teen years on their way to be independent 'adults'. And how it's the 'mall'/phone calls/etc. of yesteryear.

Having made my daughter delete a MySpace once, I honestly had to apologize to her when Mrs. Neal has us (the parent/reader) answer a lot of questions pertaining to "What's your favorite _______ ?" And then in the next paragraph having us pretend she had authority over us and said "Delete it." It isn't like deleting a list, it's like deleting "us"/our identity amoungst our peers. Does that make sense? She says it so much better on page 99.

Anyway, I was glad I heard her on Jim Burns radio show "Homeward", and I was glad I ordered and read the book. I am ordering another copy for a friend of mine with a teen of her own.

GREAT book. VERY helpful. I have a 16 year old son who has a myspace. I have had one(A my space) since he has, insisting that I be a "friend" for monitoring purposes. Was I ever glad to find this book and know that I am NOT a lone ranger! I tell everyone about this book. NO parent should allow their kid on My Space without having a space of their own and really understanding what it is all about.

This book will help even the most computer illiterate parent navigate and understand My Space. You will be AMAZED at what you will discover about your teen and their world by exploring their My Space with them, as suggested.

I LOVED the insight into teens today..why the internet is so important to them. Lets face it, parents, the world has changed since we were teens! Dont be left in the dark...Connie has done the work for you. If you can read, you can navigate AND understand My Space! Get a copy today and enter your teens world!

Perhaps it's inconceivable only to me, but, somehow, I've found myself the parent of a teenager this past year. And right on cue, my son is asking for all of the adolescent accessories--email accounts, a cell phone, and a TV and Internet access in his bedroom. I've conceded on the email account but the rest will have to wait. A teen should come with a Surgeon General's Warning. "Caution: Raising a teen may result in sleepless nights and increased anxiety levels."

If you're the parent of a teen, you owe it to yourself to introduce yourself to Connie Neal. Connie is an author and speaker who specialty is understanding "the intersection of parenting and pop culture." Connie is the deep breath that every parent needs to take before hyperventilating over all the challenge of raising godly children in the American culture.

Connie's latest book, MYSPACE FOR MOMS AND DADS, is designed to help busy parents understand the Internet phenomena known as social networking. "Social Networking" is using home computers and the Internet to connect with peer and to make new friendships. Some of the more popular social networking websites include Myspace and Facebook. Parents might be aware and wary of social networking due to a rash recent news stories that detail how sexual predators have used Myspace to connect with teens and lure them into face-to-face meetings.

Connie uses her calming logic and sanity to calm parents and to give them the tools they need to navigate this new world of social networking. Connie defuses the emotional charge surrounding social networking with her methodical treatment of the book. Part One explains what the history of social networking. Part Two walks as parent through the mechanics of setting up a "Myspace" account. In Part Three, Connie explains the draw of Myspace on teenagers. Teens use social networking to meet God-given developmental needs. Connie helps you connect with your teens' needs by reminding you of their basic relational needs to connect and to express themselves. Finally, Connie offers a Christian framework to Christian parents decide if Myspace is right for their teens.

One of the most valuable features of the book is a section that trains parents how to customize the Myspace profile to reduce the risk of teens encountering unsafe people or on-line "friends" with unchristian values. Parents will also be equipped with the proper questions to ask their teens to help monitor their healthy use of Myspace.

Readers familiar with Connie Neal's writing know that she is biased toward engaging culture and for using cultural trends to train discerning teenagers. Connie's "Walking Talk in Babylon" is her manifesto calling parents to train children capable of interpreting and discerning the cultural messages that surround them. Don't expect to hear a simplistic "Myspace is good" or "Myspace is evil" from Connie. Instead, she'll give you the information you'll need to engage your teenager regarding this important issue.

After reading MYSPACE FOR MOMS AND DADS, I'm not ready to give my teen permission to join for now. However, this will be a valuable guide to refer to when my oldest is a bit older and wiser

The book is a good guide to technical aspects of myspace but really intends to remind parents to be knowledgeable of, and involved in, their children's lives. The contemporary reality is that myspace is often a significant part of a child's socialization and needs to be taken seriously. The book is straightforward, practical and broken down into sections. It can be used as either a cover-to-cover narrative or as a reference book. Good organization, abundant charts and graphics, and a large type font make it exceptionally user friendly. A good read.

LB

This is a really great book. It combines philosophy and science in order to tackle a multitude of existential problems. The author's style of writing is fresh and alive, I recommend ths book to anyone interested in expanding the fronteirs of their understanding. Books I also liked are a Universe in an Nutshell by Steven Hawkings and Descent into Illusions by Paul Omeziri.

I must preface my review by stating that I have never been so excited and moved by a book that I have wanted to contact the author. That is what I found myself doing upon reading this book. This book is just what its title says. The author does not "miss a beat" describing in great detail using practically every aspect of scientific knowledge from atomic structure through logic to quantum theory---we are even given a valuable explanation of Love. This text may be challenging to read for those unfamiliar with scientific terminology. And it can also be difficult for those with a science background, such as myself. However, for me it is well worth the work necessary to strive to understand the unfamiliar terminology. (I am continually learning from this book. I am presently on my third reread).

One of the author's main messages is "not" to believe anything without first verifying it with reality, as we know it. He calls it the "Personal Explanation Principle". He indicates that religions are just such belief systems that we as people "fall" victims of; because we do not verify the beliefs with the facts, as we know them, of reality. He gives a very detailed explanation of how the New Testament can be explored using his methodology.

The author methodically and meticulously walks us through his thought processes, which took 30 years to assimilate, of delineating the structure of reality and the nature of consciousness. Included in the "walk" are many of reality's phenomena made revelatory. An example of that, for me, would be the dual nature of light. It's particle/wave duality, which is explained as "functions". Also, when the author took me on the mental journey of "Setness" an exhilaration of the magnificence of life swelled up in me.

To me this is a very important book that should be read by all that are seekers of truth. It is for all those wanting to gain an understanding of the purpose for their existence, wanting to know where life is headed towards, and wanting to know who God is.

This book will enlighten and develop one's mind substantially. You will discover that this is our objective.

And yes, I contacted the author and he responded openly.

Although Mr. Wheatley is a little verbose in sections, his documentation of Zen Buddhistic Principles found throughout the disciplines of Mathematics, Physics, Theology, etc. forms a nice reference guide for anyone tuned into that wavelength. In particular, his explanation of how Godel's Theorem and Cantor's "Confusion" shed great light on the difference between GOD's Logic and Man's Logic should be a revelation to any undergraduate level math students who encounter these ideas for the first time. Curiously, Mr. Wheatley makes many misstatements about both Zen Buddhism Principles and the Bible, however. For example, by accepting the false biblical teaching of Original Sin, he misses the point that eating the proverbial apple gave Adam and Eve the ability to make Moral Discernments in fulfillment of GOD'S PERFECT PLAN. As proof, read Genesis 1 which states that Man and Woman were made in GOD's Image. Genesis 4 shows that Adam and Eve weren't the first humans on Earth at all, there were plenty of others by then. The allegorical meaning of the story of Eden, then, isn't that Adam and Eve were the first humans on Earth, but they were the first humans with the ability to make Moral Discernments (in GOD's Image). In fact, Moral Discernment is God's Unique Gift to Man, which is the basis of consciousness, not some Math Formula. But because the wages of the resulting, unavoidable sin are Death, many people foolishly try to return to Eden by: (1) living a sinless Life (2) by removing choice altogether by passing and enforcing strict Laws (3) by attempting to do away with Moral Discernment and the resulting consequences for our actions altogether by trying to remove Shame from Shameful actions. GOD is not some ethereal Man-In-Space, but is simply the Totality of all Real Things, The Set of All Real Sets. GOD's Love manifests itself from the amazing sub-atomic relationships that underly this magic Life all the way to the grandest of Macroscopic Scales, the Interconnected Totality itself. The Zen Buddhism connection can be found by simply superimposing the 0 symbol and the symbol for infinity (8 on its side) in Mr. Wheatley's supposedly "new" formulation that 1 = 0 x infinity. Superimposing them gives you the yin-yang symbol. A potential disadvantage of artificially separating the infinity from the zero, however, is that Mr. Wheatley is able to equate the entire expression to be equal to 1. This potentially might obscure the fact that the deepest meaning of the yin-yang symbol is that it is both 2 and 1 AT THE SAME TIME. His overall equation does preserve that important meaning by utilizing a single element on one side of the equation and two elements on the other side of his final TOE equation. This may be hard to see for some at first, however, which could potentially obscure the richest meaning of this beautiful symbol/equation. A much more GODLY TOE, in my opinion, comes from Euler, who discovered that e ^ (i * pi) - 1 = 0. When someone can explain that relationship, then they can say they know GOD.

This book will change your life. You will never think the same way you did before reading it.
I have a degree in chemistry and I think this book should be read by everyone in the sciences. Without a doubt, the best book I've ever read. Why and what are two of our best friends

Mr. Wheatley has touched upon one of the most intriguing methods, through scientific study and evalution, that leads to new deductions for behavioral patterns. Many books have been written for sociological, psychological, cultural, and behavioral studies, of which I have a deep interest. However, as you are led step by step through the scientific processes of this book, one's perspective of human behavior will take on a whole new meaning. Such questions as "why do people behave the way they do?", or "How do cultural, geographical, sociological factors impact our behavior?" take on a whole new perspective for study and evaluation. This book could become required text at the college level for scientific studies. I was fascinated with several concepts put forth by Mr. Wheatley.

There are a lot of photos and ideas that are easy to duplicate. Enjoyed the book.

I love other people's homes because I get decorating tips, art suggestions, perhaps color ideas and room layout pointers for furniture. I also like other people's homes because I'm curious and I want to see where they live.

Shortly after our departure from Minnesota for the long, cold winter and our arrival in Arizona for the balmy sunshine, The New Southwest Home by Suzanne Picket Martinson arrived for review. It couldn't have been a more fortuitous arrival since, after five years in our current home, we are considering a move.

The New Southwest Home is a simply scrumptious book packed with room-by-room tours of stunning and uniquely innovative contemporary and traditional homes that marry style with environment. Whether you're looking for larger windows, unencumbered by coverings, to view the mountains, monastery front doors that signify strength and durability, or a traditional beehive fireplace for cozy warmth, there is something for everyone.

And since the Southwest conjures up visions of warm, neutral earth and desert colors there are many ideas, using that color palette, for the reader to experiment with. From the entryway where guests are invited in, to the heart of the home, the kitchen, and all rooms in between, there is beauty, ideas galore and a sense that Southwest living is a collaboration of beauty and function. The photographs are exceptional and add to the flavor and enjoyment of paging through the book, just for fun or for ideas for your own home.

Armchair Interviews says: The southwest style can be transported anywhere. It's not just for the southwest. Isn't that a fun thought?

I have enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to others who are interested in the SW style.

The photo's are wonderful especially if you're looking for ideas to decorate your house in southwestern style. That's what I am doing and I actually got some great inspiration from many of the photo's. I'll be honest, I bought it for the great photos and decorating ideas and I haven't actually read any of the text!

Moving from Florida to New Mexico is a learning experience. Styles of homes and furnishings are very different as one might expect in leaving the tropics for the desert.
This book gave me beautiful pictures to help in the transition and build a home with style. I highly recommend it for beautiful concepts in decorating and design and those who desire pictures to get creative juices flowing!

I have been fascinated by the simplicity and usefulness of the
Object-Process Methodology paradigm and approach expressed in the book. As a
researcher in Science Education I have been grappling with how to represent
complex, technology-enhanced educational systems that involve humans,
processes and educational artifacts. OPM and the OPCAT software enclosed
were very instrumental in enabling me to model and represent the "big
picture" of educational systems I developed. With OPM I was then able to
gradually refine portions of the system to any desired level of detail.
The applicability of OPM to IT-intensive educational systems is a testimony
to the generic nature of the methodology and to the fact that it is useful
in so many domains. The combination of a single simple graphical model that
generates natural language on the fly is really unique and valuable. I
wholeheartedly recommend the book to anyone interested in modeling complex
systems, be they of technological, economical, or social nature. The method
is straightforward, easy to learn even for non IT-professionals, and most
rewarding in terms of the quality and clarity of the resulting graphical and
textual model.

This book describes how Object-Process Methodology (OPM) CASE can be used as a tool for generating complete system intent specifications by graphical object diagrams, precise semantic and syntactic language, and intuitive symbols, definitions and structures. As systems have become more complex, a prevalent problem in systems development has been the number of accruing errors. These errors can cause catastrophic failure in the worst-case in addition to intolerable schedule delays and cost overruns. Introducing errors as well as difficulty finding and successfully correcting them occurs because of the lack of proper analysis and design tools for complex system specifications. OPM has the attributes to mitigate against the possibility of system failure, providing comprehensive visibility for better schedule and cost control in product development. It enhances reuse of system modules, processes and software routines in different contexts, while reducing the chance of errors. OPM automatically generates intent specifications that are readily understood by both customers and product team members and are translatable to machine control subsystems. OPM is a holistic systems paradigm that extends the Object-Oriented (OO) paradigm and overcomes its major shortcomings by integrating system structure and behavior in a single integrated graphic and natural language model. OPM successfully tackles the task of development and lifecycle management of systems, products and projects. OPM is a significant extension of and a major departure from the OO approach. It incorporates the system static-structural and dynamic-procedural aspects into a single, unified model. Presented as a concise visual formalism by a set of Object-Process Diagrams (OPD set), it is automatically translated into a set of Object-Process Language (OPL) script, a subset of natural English. At the basis of the OPM philosophy is the observation that to faithfully and naturally analyze and design systems in any domain, processes, like objects, should be considered as stand-alone "things" (entities) that are not necessarily encapsulated within objects. This detachment and de-coupling of processes from objects emphasizes the duality and complementarity of objects and processes, and opens the door for structure-behavior unification. At any point in time, objects exist with some structure and state. This is the static aspect of the system. Processes affect objects by changing their states. This is the dynamic aspect of the system. System complexity is managed through a number of graphical scaling options: zooming into and out of processes, unfolding and folding objects, and expressing or suppressing object states. These mechanisms provide for selectively detailing a subset of things while still maintaining the high-level context of the details.

OPM provides a new framework for specifying design intents and capturing the complexity of hardware and software interaction. Through OPL, it is possible to translate the process into a machine executable code. In addition, OPM can capture the dynamic behavior of the hardware attributes and software states in a single integrated graphical and textual language that is understandable by domain experts who have no programming experience. These traits of OPM ease the development effort for evaluating the system reliability during the design stages. Simulation and testing protocols can be automatically generated though future extensions of OPM to reduce lengthy system verification efforts.
The main benefit of OPM is its ability to identify system objects, processes, and the relationships among them in a structured way. The resulting OPD set becomes an excellent framework for identifying how to implement structural and procedural improvements. The resulting OPL script provides a well-defined set of existing and future specifications for the system. The ability to freely switch from text to graphics and back is of great value to understanding the system as a whole with a single graphic and textual model, without the need to consult various models and carry out mental transformation among these various models.
Based on my personal experience, the following points highlight the benefits OPM can bring to the particular projects described in this paper.
1. OPM is an excellent way to represent daily activities, products, processes and other complex things
2. OPM has allowed representing the complete system with its various aspects in a single model. The model specifies the systems function, structure and behavior aspects without sacrificing clarity.
3. OPM can be used as a common language to exchange design among members of a team.
4. Since OPM design is visual and textual at the same time, it is easy to explain the design.
5. OPL is very easy to generate from OPD
6. OPM will be a good tool for documenting the existing processes and as ISO documentation.

I have used many methodologies over my career. Most of them are based around the object-oriented and structured design paradigms. I found out about OPM quite by accident about a year ago. I've been using it ever since. I have used it to model both hardware and software systems, as well as for business process modeling. It is an excellent methodology and I recommend it for anyone developing any kind of system.

One of the nice things about OPM is that it is easy: I was able to get a team "up-and-running" with the methodology in less than an hour of teaching them some basic concepts (try doing that with UML). Another feature is that you can use this for any type of project; you are not locked into a structured or object-oriented mindset like structured analysis or UML. OPM can handle both types of concepts with ease.

Finally, this methodology is fast. It is just easier and more intuitive to model in an OPM fashion. I've also found that others can comprehend the OPM models better than other methodologies too.

I used to be a UML advocate until I found OPM. I have found concepts that are difficult to model in UML are quite easy to model in OPM. It is just more flexible.

The book is really good by the way. It is very complete and gives plenty of good exammples. I congratulate Dov Dori and his team for providing something that all engineering disciplines can use to design their systems.

OPM is a methodology for modeling systems, technical as well as any other system. In the techical world it compares with UML. OPM is designed with consistant and simple notations, uses simple rules that when combined can be used to model any system (real or informational) to any level of complexity that is desired by the system architect. Also, it integrates object modeling and process modeling in one diagram (although you can still keep them separate if you wanted).

UML uses complex rules to model complex systems, something that is very difficult to make happen, therefore it is very difficult to learn and use. OPM uses simple rules and consistant notations to model complex systems. After simple introductions to the methology, we have been able to start using it in our organization. More powerful and far simpler then UML. The way UML should have been done long time ago.

There is an eternal debate between system designers
and architects of software, products and large systems:
Is it ever possible to show structure (the arrangement
of objects) and system behavior (over time) in the same
representation? Dov Dori's book shows convincingly that it can
be done. Particularly powerful is the duality between
graphical system representation and natural language.
Also, the CD-ROM with OPCAT software allows one to follow
the examples in the book and apply OPM directly to a project.
The book is clearly written and will appeal to engineers,
computer scientists and software developers. A refreshing
contrast to the traditional way of looking a object-centered
systems architecting. This begs for more ... in terms of
connecting OPM to other tools such as Design Structure Matrices,
but also for representing highly complex systems over >2 levels
of decomposition.

If only all my college textbooks were this well written and practical, I would have saved tons of money on coffee! The style of the book is conversational, the organization is clear, and the user research tips are great! This book has been a valuable resource to frame my graduate course in human computer interaction. Each week we cover a chapter and post our reactions to our Shiny Happy People user experience blog. The book has many layers, so that the usability novice to expert can glean plenty of tips and techniques.

I can recommend this book. It is well-written and readable, with practical advice and examples. I am referencing it as part of my daily work as a Usability Analyst in a large government department.

This book rocks! Of all the reference resources I have in my cube, this is the one I lend out to people who ask, "jb, what is user research and how do you do it?" Mike's book has the techniques down - soup to nuts -- useful for the novice and seasoned practitioner.

I'm always recommending this book to my colleagues. This is not a book that is meant to be read cover to cover. It's more of a desk top reference for all kinds of user research techniques. I've found it to be very comprehensive. Buy it, you won't regret it!

This book provided my team with enough confidence and flexibility to design a research project of the right scale and formality for our needs, but gave us enough structure to stay on track.
Kuniavsky's detailed examples and caveats helped us engage with users respectfully and effectively, leaving both parties feeling they had done something to move the site a step forward.

What a delicious selection of quotes about fashion! This book would really help me explain to people why I am obsessed with getting all dressed up in costumes, outfits and accessories. The gorgeous illustrations add to the charming cuteness of the book. These quotes show that there is real meaning and philosophy behind fashion and it's form of self-expression. Clothes and appearance really do make a difference!
An essential book for fashionistas. I shall cherish this book forever!

Toby Tobias' adorable book takes the questioning element out of my daily clothing puzzle. This morning, Edith Sitwell told me to 'be myself'! The in-put from great minds of the past is a radiant rainbow of fun, humor, delight and wit. Ballerina@Large.Dash-Dot

Tobi Tobias' new book, Obsessed by Dress, brings delight far beyond the sensual pleasure of holding a book that is exactly the right hand heft for the object itself. It corroborates ones joy of personal adornment through quotes from those who have the wit and style through the ages to say what you have been thinking and feeling all along about why have arrived a this particular persona. You become marvelous in your own eyes.

One doesn't have to be a clothing aficionado to have a rewarding time with Tobi Tobias's "Obsessed By Dress." A small-size book with a biggness of content, "Obsessed" is alive with famous-person clothing quotes, meticulously researched by Tobias, reflecting her passion for Dress and great writing. Dickens, Proust, Virgil, Keats, Dior, Dorothy Parker, and RuPaul are among those quoted.

This is a lovely book, full of wit and surprises. It's obvious that Tobias has chosen quotes from books with which she is familiar, rather than compiling a hodgepodge of witty bon mots, selected at random. The bonus, in addition to making one think about fashion and its place in civilization, is reminders of books one has read, or wants to read, or should.

Armed with a few quotes from this book and a little black dress, one could conquer any cocktail party in fine style!

I collect Oriental rugs and Oriental rug books. This book is not for the beginner, but is meant for in-depth study of the subject of Oriental rugs. As you read you are directed to other pages for study and comparison. This is a time consuming but valuable process. If one wants to really study Oriental rugs this book can elevate you from beginner to a person who is comfortable with the subject and able to talk with experts. I used this book as a self teaching text book and loved it.

This book has the best information I've found on distinguing one type of rug from another. Many books give information about the major types of rugs...they're a dime a dozen. Ford breaks everything down into what specific tribes and villages weave, and tells us what the weavers use for warps and wefts, distinguishing colors, area motifs and designs, and more.

This book is definitely academic in nature, but this is exactly the kind of fact-filled information I've been searching for. I had thought I would find it in Peter Stone's works, but even Stone's 2004 book on motifs does not come close to what Ford did twenty years ago. I currently own about 50 books on oriental rugs, and Ford's book offers the most comprehensive, detailed information of any of them.

If you want to move from being a novice to becoming a more knowledgeable buyer and rug lover, you will want this book.

I bought this book after going to the library and checking out a number of carpet books - I was looking for a reference that would teach me some of the history of rug making and the people who make these incredible pieces of art as well as the practical side such as what to look for in a rug. This book is great at teaching about the different types of rugs. There are color pictures on every page, there are drawings of specific patterns so you can see specifically what make a rug one type rather than another, there are uncommon examples of types of rugs shown, etc. Its quite a good book (which is why I bought it after returning the library copy). This book is ok at teaching about the history/people or about how to tell a good quality rug - the intro goes into some good detail about things like knot types, weaves, use of synthetic dyes, chinese rugs etc but it's a fanatsic guide to decoding the different traditional motifs and patterns. I'm giving it 4 stars rather than 5 only because the text is so dry and they don't really give the stories - they give more dry facts such as this type of rug was woven in this manufacturing/village setting in x,y,z town. It would have been niceto have more details about the people and about the symbolism of the motifs. But, like I said, I knew all that before I bought the book since I had checked t out at the library. I use this book to augment others that I ended up buying that do tell more of the stories.

I've spent years of my life looking for a well-written book on rugs. I've poured hundreds of dollars into recommend volumes, only to be dismayed by their lack of coverage, and horrified by their exclusive focus on tribal rugs. Eiland's "Oriental Carpets" was a joke of epic proportions, and Eiland must be a confidence trickster of notable talent if his book is the benchmark in rug analysis; he must have been paid by the word, as I have yet to encounter so much outright nonsense condensed into the pages of one book.

Quite by chance, I found Ford's book at a local thrift shop. The book was in impeccable condition, so I was keen to give it a chance. What a contrast between his book on rugs and all of the other "scholarly" volumes unnecessarily clogging up the world.

Ford's coverage is not on a global scale-primarily Iran-but his focus on design and construction made for a refreshing change of pace. Ford groups his analysis not by region, but by design; rugs are primarily identified by their design. With this in mind, Ford categorizes rugs by their dominant motifs, i.e. Botah, Herati, Geometric, and Floral patterns. Equipped with this knowledge of patterns, construction, and dyes, it's easy to extrapolate a rug's origins with some degree of reliability.

Ford emphasizes 20th century rugs, as his expectation is that the bulk of his readers will lack the means to collect antique rugs of flawless provenance. In this respect, Ford shines out from his competitors; the book is infinitely useable, as other tomes tend to focus on rugs of the highest pedigree.

Lastly, I was won over to Ford, because he does not over-emphasize one particular design, or one region, over another. Every other book on rugs will heap high praise on rugs from the Caucasus, and consign 20th century curvilinear floral rugs to the lowest order of damnation.

This is an excellent book to find all the information one needs on Persian and Oriental carpets. Very informative, and beautiful colour plates.

Easy step-by-step examples with plenty of illustrations as samples!! Easy to use...excellent!!

I loved this book. It contains tons of hints, tips and lots of different techniques. It also has a lot of color reference pictures and artwork. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, but some experience with painter will help a lot.

For a smaller book, it covers a lot of ground. It contains several different traditional art techniques with information on to make each brush look as realistic as possible by using different settings.

It also has instructions on how to apply scanned paper textures, color a scratch board, & make hot beveled metal. It covers create a tide pool, melt text in water, make a cloned mosaic, use light to add dimension & make draping weave as well.

This book is the best book on Painter 5! Examples are easy to follow. I do find new tricks in this book. Good for beginners and intermediate readers. I got a book called Painter 5 f/x which is very bad. I am looking forward to buy the Painter 6 Wow Book.

Don't waste your time with the other inferior books on Painter 5, this is the book you'll grow to love. Even if you're a beginner or not especially artistic, this book will have you doing things you never thought you could do. The fact that the author and publisher have added a special update to their website for the new feaures in version 5.5 makes me all the more happy that I bought this book. You won't be disappointed either. This book does the near impossible by taking a complicated, multi-layered program and making it seem easy and within your ability to master. And it also makes it fun!

I love this book. It contains tons of hints, tips and lots of different techniques. It also has a lot of color reference pictures and artwork. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, but some experience with painter will help a lot. For a smaller book, it covers a lot of ground. It contains several different traditional art techniques with information on to make each brush look as realistic as possible by using different settings. It also has instructions on how to apply scanned paper textures, color a scratch board, & make hot beveled metal. It covers create a tide pool, melt text in water, make a cloned mosaic, use light to add dimension & make draping weave as well.

How blessed indeed we are to have these truths available to read and study. Thank you Joel Goldsmith!

I have read several of Joel Goldsmith's books before I read this one, but who could assimilate all that stuff in mere months? This book took me by surprise. It was bam bam bam, pearls everywhere, on every single page! To date, this is still THE best book I've ever read, whether by Joel or not, but then again, that's not a fair comparison. I am so blessed to have come upon this work.

I was skeptical about reading this book based on the first few pages. As I went further, I found Goldsmith's writing to be full of conviction and motivating. I will try meditation as a result of reading the book. Goldsmith frequently repeats points made earlier but with another twist added. This is good because it helps to remember the points that Goldsmith makes.

Joel Goldsmith has been given a spiritual vision into living a life in Christ.

There are many steps to take in the spiritual life and sometimes we take one step forward and two steps backward.

There are days when all seems hopeless and your faith is waning and than you let go and let God and you reach the mountain top.

To stay at peace in your journey takes work and yet this is a paradox because grace will see you through.

40 years after reading this book for the first time, I can read it again and still be amazed and astounded by the spiritual insight it contains. In consciousness it does not matter when something was first written -- it is the insight written on the pages that matters. You will be blessed to read the pages of this book.