Design Books

I must admit, I'm not as crazy about this book like everyone else seems to be. I gave it four stars for the beautiful photos, and descriptions.
But I think some things could be improved. The index lists everything by page number, which is fine if you're just leisurely looking through the book. But if you're looking for one particular outfit, it would be much more convenient to have an alphebetical listing. I wouldn't mind seeing the price guide broken down to include each individual accessory, since many people put together a complete set, piece by piece. But the thing that REALLY bugs me is that she almost always adds the word 'doll' after their names. For example, 'On weekends, Ken doll liked to take Barbie doll for a drive...', or 'Francie doll was excited about...'. Very annoying, to me, anyway. But, overall, it's a very good book to have.

To say something about this book is so so easy - this is THE Barbie collection book. Great photos, great describtions of all the outfits year by year.
You don't need any other book besides this

Great book - a must for any Barbie collector-great pictures with accessories that originally went with each outfit- easy to look up values-great fun to wander through!!

A great reference book with great photos and descriptions to keep track of your dolls clothes and your investment.

For any serious collector of vintage Barbie doll, this book is the best resource available. I have many other books on early Barbie and her fashions, but this volume is the one that I consistently use. It is an accurate, comprehensive chronology of Barbie doll, her family and friends from 1959 through 1967. The photographs alone are worth purchasing the book. The colors are vibrant and crisp. Each fashion is pictured with all of its original components. This is of great value to the collector in putting together an outfit. I keep this book by my computer for reference when making vintage Barbie doll purchases or bidding on online auctions. I cannot imagine collecting Barbie doll items without it!

Great book! I grew up with it, and rediscovered it just now. Wonderful!!

This is my favorite book. I purchased it when I was 18, and loved black and white photography. I am now 65, and still see the same basic beauty in the photographs. It's not about the 1950's, or showing American culture. It shows how universal and similiar all people of all races and cultures are. It shows young children playing, people falling in love, weddings, births, hard work, wars, death, grieving, and even hope from various people and countries from our planet Earth. One family. One people. This is a collection of love, not about a specific time, or place, or our differences. This is a book that shows our skin colors, clothes, and countries may change; but we are all the same.

I am so glad Family of Man is still available. I would also suggest that in conjunction with this book, you offer Family of Women, and Family of Children.

I first found this book at Foyle's in London, about 35 years ago, and it struck me. Since then, I bought five copies of the Family of Man, but no one remained in my home, because ever I felt the need to give this book to someone I loved or trusted.
What is making this book so precious to me?
First the idea itself of collecting pictures from the whole world (remember, when Steichen launched his project, the Cold War and the related hysteria was at its peak). This to demonstrate that all the human beings have to pass through the same events in their life: birth, growth, education, emotions, work, love, children, reflection, death. This apparently trivial concept leads to a conclusion by far less trivial: we all do belong to one family, our species, the humans (by the way, this thinking had not so great success in the past, nor the present seems to be more benevolent).
The Family of Man is exactly the visual demonstration of such a concept, by comparing the same events as viewed from different geographic and cultural perspectives, by means of photos from renowned or unknown photographers (of course, the pictures from the US are prevailing in numbers for logistics and statistical reasons: it was by far more simple for an US photographer to even simply receive the news of the Steichen project than for a photographer in Rwanda or in the USSR).
Steichen and his assistants made an impressive selection, shortlisting 503 pictures from the over 2 million they received. By the way, Steichen was a photographer, and his selection also considered the aesthetic side of the question: most of the pictures selected simply are wonderful.
The result is this book. I think no one on this planet can miss it, because The Family of Man is representative of a large part of our culture and on our very nature.
To give an example, in my opinion this book is at the same emotional and rational level as Homer's Odyssey, Dante's Divine Comedy, Melville's Moby Dick, primo Levi's If this is a Man, or the ancient Greek lyrics, to quote some comparisons.
I hope it will continue to be published; we, the humans, desperately need it.

I've always thought of THE FAMILY OF MAN as a magic book, ever since discovering it on the family bookshelves when I was a young child. The thing was (above and beyond the book's excellence and power to move anyone with a heart), for many years it seemed that every time I would delve into this book, there would be at least one new picture, one I could swear I'd never seen before. I still sometimes have that experience (although nowadays I tend to attribute it to an aging mind). I do remember at first being most impressed and guiltily fascinated by the powerful pictures of birth, which my siblings, our friends and I would look at, giggling in horrified wonder, and by those "nasty" (actually, beautiful) pictures of breastfeeding. I still remember our mom explaining that there was nothing "nasty" about any of those pictures, that they were true and lovely. That was only one of many life lessons she taught us, using images from this book.

Each image is a whole story, a world, unto itself, and the beauty is the connection of each one to all the others, just as we are all connected to each other in the family of man (as well as to all that the world comprises, like it or not). As others have written, I have given numerous copies of this book as gifts over the years. (That was not so successful when I gave it to my brother and sister-in-law as part of their wedding present. My brother had grown up with it, but his bride had never seen it before, and was somewhat horrified and disgusted by it; unfathomable to me. I don't think it lasted long in their home, if it ever made it there at all.)

Sometime in the mid-'90s I bought a new copy in a bookstore, and was upset and very disappointed to discover how it had been changed and messed up in that edition (which was, I believe, put out under the aegis of Disney's Buena Vista Entertainment). The look and feel of the paper were wrong, to begin with: too bright white and thick. Pictures had been cropped differently and (I think I'm remembering correctly on this), in some cases, laid out somewhat differently. I recommend avoiding such copies (I don't know what is being published now in that regard, or if the book is out of print, or if they've gone back to the original look and feel); the differences, though subtle, really are jarring and very much diminish the quality. This 'brightened' version came in the wake of a spate of "Family of..." books (Women, Children, and I think maybe a couple of others), that always seemed opportunistic, a little crass, and pitiful in their inability to approach the fundamental, universal, inevitable feeling of the original. Not that these others were without merit, but almost always, an original will far overshadow any sequels or copies that come after it. That's certainly the case here.

Wonderful; very informative. Very useful!!!

This is a great book on breeds. Although, I believe that
the ASPCA's Complete Guide to Dogs was much more helpful in
my research on the breeds. Even though Legacy of the Dog has
200 breeds, I believe the ASPCA's Complete Guide to Dogs tells
you more of how the breed acts, and the amount of exercise the dog needs and energy they have, while the Legacy of Dogs seems to more tell you where the breed comes from and how they appear... It is a great book, but when compared.... It comes in second in my dog breed collection.

I bought this book because I had a gift certificate and had to use it up. Boy was I glad that I bought this!
This book has so many good pictures of so many different breeds, it is wonderful. There is the common breeds like the Golden Retriever and the Labrador and than there's the uncommon ones like the Neopolitan Mastiff and the Koohikerhondje. If you like dogs or want to do some resaerch, this book has alot of good info.

It is great!

Well, the cover did it for me, a beautiful example of the breed I own and love, the Irish Terrier. Great book, great photos, good listing of many non-AKC breeds such as the Cesky Terrier and Smoushound and many others.

Worth a buy!

This book contains fantastic photographs and brief write-ups of 200 breeds of dogs. I would have liked more information on each breed, especially info on temperament. The photos are top-notch, however, beautifully done. Definitely a good, though pricy, general guide to review when you are considering what kind of dog to buy.

this book is awesome!
it's like looking into Alan Lee's Sketchbook as its name indicates.
the renderings are beautiful. any Tolkien fan will appreciate this as a wonderful companion to the books, as well as any one interested in fantasy art and drawing!

If you're looking for the film's information literally, this might not be what you want. But, if you're looking for a trip into the cretive process that brought Tolkiens masterpiece to life, you might like this one.
Alan Lee is a wonderful artist, his drawings are really impressive, and in this book he shows how he created his version of Tolkien's world, trying to be faithfull to the autor's ideas.
There's plenty of drawings and sketches from all parts of the story, and the text explains how and why they were developed to the movie's scenes.
I loved.

In the amazon review we can read: "the book contains 20 full-color plates", but this is a lie: The book contains only 7 full-color plates (2 of them in small size). The book is really beautifull, but it is not as amazon shows it.

Our son was "more than pleased" with this most unusual contributiion to his library. It was on his Wish List, and delighted to receive it for Christmas.

if you like pencil drawings then this is the book for you! uncountable number of awsome alan lee drawings. and he tells alot about many of the drawings.

I have been learning ColdFusion for about 5 months now and have 4 books on it. So far I have this one and 3 others. And out of all the books I have on ColdFusion, I use this one and one other one the most. Even though it is written in ColdFusion MX, it still has a lot of good ColdFusion examples and descriptions on how to make some of the most popular applications. Great book if your looking for a book that is a little cheaper and still has a lot of great info. If your looking for the new breakthrough features of CF8, than mabye you should try somewhere else. But overall, a great book for the price!!

This book is the best Cold Fusion book to date. I use this book daily. The book contains clear examples without a lot of fluff. Can't wait until the next release.

Everithing you need to good programming in ColdFusion. Not to useful if you're interested in Server Configuration.

The only quibble I have with this book is that it is not long enough! Some parts just paraphrase ColdFusion documentation, which is not bad in itself but left me wanting to know more from the author about how he applied the feature to a project.

It would be phenomenal if the author could expand this book or, better yet, put together a new book of more extended examples called "ColdFusion Examples in a Nutshell," similar to "Java Examples in a Nutshell" by David Flanagan.

Having said that, I can now state that this book is a shining example of what a programming book is supposed to be:
(1) Well-Organized. Chapters are grouped logically.
(2) Well-Documented. Almost every topic has at least one example; a few have a complete set of templates to guide the beginning CF (ColdFusion) programmer.
(3) Well-Balanced. In addition to instructive code, the author also provides many in-depth explanations of ColdFusion and database principles.

About six months ago the company I work for recently moved to Coldfusion 5 server (holding off on CFMX until all the bugs are worked out) and since that time, application programming duties have been dumped on me. As a web designer and not a programmer, this was a more than a little worrisome. After trying to wade through Forta's Construction Kit, Hewitt's Core Coldfusion 5, as well as "Mastering Coldfusion 5" it was as if the light was turned on by Rob Brooks-Bilson's Programming Coldfusion.

By the by, those books mentioned are all great books. I own all of them. But when it came down to what I really needed to know and understand Bilson came through like no other. Great job Rob! Keep up the good work.

I ordered this book to assist in refreshing my memory about RF Circuit Design and associated equations. I found it to be a great source of advice on the "how to's", as well as a wonderful reference source for the basic equations involved, which I haven't used actively in some time. Since my old reference/school books are in storage, I needed a concise, compact and easy to understand presentation of the application of the math to real world design considerations. I highly recommend it for self-tutoring, for general reference, and especially for those "breaking away from theory and into the real world" of design.

I have owned two copies of this book for as long as I can recall; one for me to keep on-hand, and one that is constantly on loan to colleagues that ask to learn about impedance matching, Smith charts, filter design, transmission lines, small signal amplifier design, etc. Nearly everyone that borrows my copy ends up buying their own shortly thereafter. The text is readable by anyone with a good knowledge of electronics, and the depth of subject is an excellent "just right" balance of practice and theory. Finally, it's very refreshing that this excellent book is available at such a reasonable price - I would venture to say that Bowick's book is likely the best value on my bookshelf in terms of "usefulness per dollar spent"!

Easy to read, understand. Good reference book for basic buliding blocks in RF circuit design. The book only has solved example problems and is not very helpful for practise.

We have used Chris's book for training and refreshing engineers for years. We have literally worn the cover off and I can't begin to tell you how many pages have been dog eared for future reference. The previous comments regarding "outdated" are, in my opinion, misguided since the focus of this book is more on the fundamentals and foundation of RF circuit design which HAS NOT changed since the first edition of the book was written. The information in this book is diverse and condensed very well. We haven't purchased the 2nd edition yet, but likely will in the new year to replace our reference copy.

If Chris's book sounds too technical, you may want to start with Jon Hagen's "Radio Frequency Electronics" or if you are more into the magnetics side of it try Jerry Sevick's "Transmission Line Transformers". Lastly, if you need some general testing guidance, Joseph Carr's book "Practical Radio Frequency Test & Measurement" will likely be of some benefit.

Having worked with the industry leaders in this field, I can honestly say that Chris and his colleagues are among the best in the industry and Chris's experience shows in the content of this very fine work.

This is the book I reach for first for review and the one that I used almost exclusively to learn rf design. Very easy to follow and the math is easy to understand and use. A must have book!

Second Slice, The Art of Olivia is two books in one...sort of...about ¾ of the book is displays Olivia's paintings in portrait format. Flip it over, and the rest of the book is in landscape format...a flip book for adults! Olivia's second slice is every bit as filling and delectable as the first offering featuring 124 pages with 140 paintings in full color. Each of the two sections provides a detailed index with the name of the piece, size of the original painting, materials used, the name of the model, as well as Olivia's own commentary on her works. These comments are often as entertaining to read, as the paintings are to view.

The models used in this edition include Pamela Anderson, Rhonda Shear, Bettie Page, Julie Strain, and Sandra Taylor. The paintings of the saucy Julie Strain are some of my favorites in the book. With her long, kinky black hair, ample curves, and playfully wicked smile, Strain made a wonderful pin-up queen for the 1990's, when most of these pieces were completed.

Olivia experiments with many forms of style and color, which make for some of her most striking and exotic work to date. This is well displayed in "Zebra Lady III" as the nude, striped model (Rhonda Rydell) blends into and almost disappears into the striped backdrop. While not necessarily known for darker, gothic works, Olivia clearly shows she can compete with the best in that genre with works such as the female vampire on display in "Things that Go Bump in the Night" and the winged, horned "Banshee" which serves as one of the book' covers.

Flipping to the landscape side, the buxom blonde bombshell Shear is captivating in the painting entitled "Pomeranians" as she finds herself lying on the ground, covered in a wrap made out of those furry, little dogs.

Second Slice is another gorgeous collection of Olivia's works, all from the 80's and 90's. It is filled with gorgeous women and bold, sassy, and exotic colors and settings. Olivia continues to prove why she is at the top of her game.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Olivia was one of my favorite artist, and in my collection of Illustrations books she can't be absent. This new collection of paintings shows her skills to mold all kind of techniques.
A must have release.

Olivia is the Vargas of our time. As Vargas took the reigns from Petty, Olivia has done the same, and Just like Vargas went beyond Petty in terms of realism, and delicate beauty, Olivia De Berardinis has taken cheesecake to a whole new level. Every pose, expression, and little bit of body language is put to use. Every Shot is beyond what a glamor photographer would dream of. Utter Perfection on so many levels. There is definitely some of her art that pays tribute to Petty, and Vargas among other legends of pinup in many of her pieces in most of her books. This one is a collection that spans many realms, and genres as would only be appropriate in our day. (Frank Frazetta influence spans the universe) There are no pieces that are over the top goriffic, or Horrific works like Clevenger, but there is some definite influence from Fantasy art in a portion of this book. The cover of this book was also a cover on Heavy Metal Magazine of which Olivia did many covers for in the past. This book is like an homage to the beauty of the feminine and female form, as is all of her work. Mouthwatering is the only description I can give it. If your looking for extreme fantasy, or horrific, gorrific works go for Clevenger. But if you want to see the beauty of the female form that can only be described as: like looking into the eyes of an angel". Olivia's books will do you no wrong. This one is no exception.

For any female who has ever been embarassed by the pictures of the other publications that are not so tasteful in showing a nude female this is a book to check out. I myself grew up with a feeling of nakedness is not beautiful and felt that way until I was about 18. When one day someone showed Olivia pictures to me and opened my mind allowing me to see the real beauty of the female form. It is beyond words and as a young woman it allowed me to feel better about myself. As a reminder to myself of the beauty she brings out in a woman I have small tattoo of Heatseeker just below my waist.

Who better to draw women than a woman? Olivia De Barardinis is the undisputed queen of cheesecake art, that wonderful if ill-defined blend of sensuality, sexuality, humor, and glamor.

Although her style covers a wide range, each illustration depicts a lone model. Based on Olivia's notes at the end of the book, it sounds as if each woman's presence is just too big to share a page with any other. Each time Olivia paints, she captures something unique to the model, so two models might confuse the directness of the image. Other visual elements appear in her work often enough to form a recognizable ensemble: happily erotic poses, improbably high heels, and lingerie ranging from antique to futuristic fanatasy. Various of the paintings here show other influences, including Bettie Page, Klimt, Marilyn Monroe, Erte, and generations of other sensualists.

Olivia uses the last few pages to add notes describing the paintings. The text identifies each one by title (if any), year, medium, and usually the name of the model. In many cases, Olivia says a bit more about the woman depicted, the inspiration for the image, or something else to help the reader enjoy the picture - as if help were needed. Then, the last two pages let her talk about the creative process in each of her media, including watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and her trademark oil. I recommend this to anyone fascinated by Olivia's voluptuous, vivacious vamps and vixens.

-- wiredweird

Being in this house must be like walking around in a dream.This man is highly gifted!

The exquisite cover of this book embraces you from the start and continues that embrace throughout the pages and pages of beautiful photos and very helpful how-to instructions. This book kick-starts your imagination into the beauty of our surroundings, in and around your home.

The heart of this artist, Curtis Heuser, is found in every photo, detail, and writing of this awe-inspiring book. By opening the pages--
"YOUR HOME" can truly become "A LIVING CANVAS".

Very motivating book. Excellently detailed instructions. Mr. Heuser is very creative with color ,texture and design.

I have worked with many different designers on interior design for new construction. This book would be an invaluable tool in creating new spaces while giving them an older feel. Not everyone wants their new home to feel new. These procedures give a home warmth and character.
I have personally toured this home and the effect of all of these designs together in one home is just simply amazing. Kudos to Curtis for having the patience and vision to put together this amazing book.

Mr. Heuser accomplished his mission! His book is, indeed, truly inspiring and encouraging!The personalized narrative piqued my interest in exploring each process and project in his home renovation--not just the ones of particular interest to me. I gleaned marvelous insights regarding the use of color and ways to create added warmth and meaning to a space. The before, during and after illustrations inspire confidence, as do the detailed materials/sources lists. From my experience, as a lay person, this is by far the best publication I've found on the subject. Heuser's talent is awe inspiring and his passion for art cannot help but engage any reader in the creative process--individually, or in partnership with someone who can help to create a living canvas for their home. Curtis Heuser and North Light Books have done a splendid job in producing a book that will be loved and appreciated by many!

I am a student studying animation, and I purchased this book for my character design class. I really love this book, it is quite usefull, and my two roommates reference it as well! One is an illustrator, and one is a video game designer. Useful to anyone and everyone...

This a great book for the beginning character artist. I often have a hard time drawing cartoon characters but this book always helps me out. Covers everything from personality to color, from exaggerated to semi-realistic. Highly recommend!

Nice book , a lot of ideas , examples. Very good choice for beginners. My students loved it.

This is a great book to take your drawings to the next step. I've been frustrated that my characters lacked that certain special 'something' to make them pop from regular ol' dry drawings to likable, engaging characters. This book illustrates simple examples of a line here, a curve there, to push it up a notch. I really enjoyed the suggestions, and this book has been very helpful. myspace/kris10cartoons

A great useful book! The best way to learn and draw your own appealing characters!

I think the pictures in the book taken from many beautiful landscapes are spectacular.
The book gives you many creative ways to use succulents in your landscapes. The book also has helpful advice starting new succulents and caring for them. I believe in the near future we will see more succulent gardens that require less water.

This is a book that my wife has wanted for some time , so it will make a great Christmas gift.

This is a much needed, comprehensive, beautifully photo-documented, informative book about
succulent gardening. It is helpfully organized and well thought-out. The author has suggested many good ideas about the care of a succulent garden, as well as good descriptions of suitable plants. One of the best gardening books I have ever read. Kudos to Debra Lee Baldwin.

"Designing with Succulents" is one of the best gardening books I've read--clear, well organized, beautifully illustrated, and written at the appropriate level for interested gardeners. I heard Ms. Baldwin speak and bought her book shortly after the 2007 southern California wildfires and am most interested in succulent plantings as firebreaks.

Most of the existing books on landscaping can be put into one of the three categories:

a. Coffee table books with pretty photos.
b. Encyclopedia of plants.
c. Horticulture books.

Only a few of the books on landscaping actually discuss design.

"Designing with Succulents" is so unique that it fits in all three categories and it is also a well-written design book. It has striking color photos, useful horticulture information, and it is an encyclopedia for succulents.

This book also has detailed information on planning and design for gardens. Debra started with discussions on sun consideration, basic of garden design, front yard ideas, street side gardens, pathway plantings, slope and terraces and some useful and practical information on evaluating the soils, water and irrigation, and preparing and repairing.

If you mention succulents, most people will think of them as sculptural plants with green-tone or gray-tone colors. Debra provided some fresh ideas and introduced succulents with vivid, colorful leaves and brilliant flowers into garden design. She also explored the issues of landscaping and fire safety, the design of green roof gardens, rock and boulder gardens, desert and cactus gardens, beach gardens, sea-themed succulent gardens, geometric plantings, as well as tapestry and labyrinth gardens with the use of succulents.

"Designing with Succulents" has a special chapter on pots, wreath and container gardens, including style and sizes, design principles and creative ideas for pots, wreath or topiary, and soils, sun and fertilizers, and water and drainage. I found this information to be very useful, especially for gardens with tight spaces and for remodel projects where planting areas are limited.

This book also has information on growing succulents in colder climate, and plant care and propagation, and separate chapters for huge succulents, mid-sized succulents and small succulents.

"Designing with Succulents" has 256 pages and color interior photos. It is a must-have for both gardening novices and seasoned professionals.