Artists Books

Bua's work is amazing. I truly enjoyed his work as well as his story. I highly recommend this book.

I put this book in the must have catagory. I have followed Justin bua's art the last few years and have found this book a great source of info on his methods and background info on his work. I have a book by ernie barns and I put this one right up with his. This book is a must have for any Bua fan or fan of black or urban art.

Justin Bua is not just a talented artist but he is prolific as well. His stylistic caricatures and illustrations with there amplified perspectives and edgy stylings bring the urban street scene to life in a poignant and entertaining way. He presents a diary of his life on the streets. He shows a cast of characters that resonate with energy and rhythm created by his skills at applying line, color and texture. Awesome! Justin Bua is a poet with a paint brush!

If you like Justin Bua...you'll love this book.The artwork is beautiful and he provides a detailed outline of his life,his inspiration, and his direction for each of his pieces... The layout is beautiful, the design is lovely, and the art is brilliantly Bua. It's a great book to share with others too.

I bought this book as part of research for a 15 min adaptation of a play Marisol (Jose Rivera) for my drama class. Bua's artwork is stunningly beautiful, with a great portrayal of a city that brings so much awe, culture and mystery...NYC (where marisol is staged).
his telling a story through art is an amazing feat, the colors are great and a few really nice quotes about progression in any artform is in need of skills, as the book states:

As one of my teachers Glenn Vilppu put it: "if you think of all the possible visual elements that you must learn as keys on a piano, the more keys you have, the wider the range of possibilities you can enjoy. Of course, you can make music with just a few keys, but that should be based on choice, not limitations."

Eloquent in his words and thoughts (and his teachers words for that matter), and passionate about his artform, i found the book a great story into the heart of new york.

I'm a grandmother and I would recommend this book to anybody who loves Christmas and what it stands for. A treasured keepsake. Wonderful stories to read your children, Poems, food for thought, a few stories could be used for programs in church etc. It's an enjoyable read and I wouldn't part with it.The pictures are beautiful and I can't say enough. It was even nicer than I had expected. Love it!

This is a book to be passed on from generation to generation. The illustrations are exquisite, and the poetry and stories and vignettes are extremely well chosen.

This book's gilt-edged pages, charming colorful illustrations and classic Christmas treats including among many, O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi" and the nostalgic holiday song, "Over the River and Through the Woods" make for merry family holiday pleasure. Splendid! This book is called a treasury for good reason.

What a beautiful book - and a great gift idea! I saw this at the bookstore a few weeks ago and loved it. I ordered it as a gift for a friend out of state off of amazon.com and was pleasantly surprised when 2nd day air and the book came to less than the cost of the book at the bookstore. Add this book to your Christmas collection!

This is a great collection of Christmas stories, songs and other treasures. All of them are beautifully illustrated by Mary Engelbreit.

If you love Christmas and Mary Engelbreit this book must be in your collection.

You'll love it!

This book is a great read for someone who has been there or going through her experience. I have been there, and it is nice to validate my feelings and experience. I am not sure of the wide spread appeal. It brought back memories, some good and some not so good. I thoroughly enjoyed it. By the way her art it incredible.

The book is well written and insightful on many levels. It is a must read for caregivers and families dealing with issues openly and honestly.

Ms. Taetzsch is a very gifted writer and artist.

Andrew S.

I began reading this book because of the references to manic depression and art but quickly found this to be a book of much broader scope. The reader is brought along with Taetzsch of a journey of self-discovery as she struggles not only with her identity as a bipolar artist but also as she takes on the role of caregiver for her father, who suffers from Alzheimers, and her aging mother-in-law.

Taetzsch navigates the complexity of aging and illness and family dynamics to the backdrop of her work as a successful painter. Through all of this stuggle we see her emerge with a greater understanding of herself and others. As a reader brought along on her journey I found myself awakened to similar insights within my own life. This is a must-read for anyone interested in balancing creative energy with trauma.

Lynne Taetzsch does those of us dealing with infirm elderly relatives a great favor. Her candid account of caring for her father and (ex)mother-in-law reveals all the hesitations, resentments and, most of all, the imperative of LOVE which characterizes this situation. Taetzsch is hard on herself, revealing with utmost candor moments of annoyance and even anger, as she moves along in this journey, which is complicated by her own bipolar condition. What is most clear is her over-the-top devotion to these two figures in her life, her constancy and her relentless drive to make their existence as comfortable as possible as they "decline" into their early/mid 90's and meet their eventual demise.
So many of us face similar situations (although who would go so far as to take primary responsibility for an ex-mother-in-law! This speaks volumes about Taetzsch's innate generosity). I found the vignettes of daily situations most helpful;they showed the kind of small disasters (incontinence, for example, or the total disruption of daily schedules)that can test even the most loving and dedicated of caregivers.
Taetzsch, an accomplished professional artist, evidently found her own personal solace in making art. This dimension of her experience is worthy of greater exposure, perhaps a sequel to this touching, easily readable, and great contribution to works (and how-to's) on caring for the elderly.

The Bipolar Dementia Art Chronicles
How a Manic-Depressive Artist Survives Being the
Primary Caregiver for Her Father & Ex-Mother-in-Law:
A Memoir
Lynne Taetzsch
Booklocker.com, Inc.
[..]
Life is hard to correct the illusion that it should be easy. . . Buddha might say, and this book reinforces how difficult life can be at times. Anton LaVey might say, "Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself." And therein is lies a clue.

The author, in a moment of irrational exuberance, you might say, and over estimating her patience and endurance, relocated her 93-year-old father and 92-year-old ex-mother-in-law to live near her in an assisted living facility. When she could not meet all their demands and needs, she became manically depressed or, in contemporary terms, bipolar dementive.

There are many memoir books written about taking care of elderly parents, spouses or beloved friends, and I am certain they are helpful and informative to others who find themselves with such a responsibility. Ms. Taetzsch is openly honest about her feelings and frustrations throughout this period of her life. To me the book read like a journal which possibly a counselor suggested she keep in order to maintain her sanity-a release you might say.

I certainly can understand why one would become depressed when one has reached the limit of his/her endurance and has to turn the problem over to someone else. It would be a fact of personal failure; however, there is always something good that comes out of something bad, if one can recognize and embrace it . . . if nothing more than to learn one's limits. Ms. Taetzsch recognized a part of the good, and I quote: "I'm glad I brought Dad to Ithaca to live, though. We became close in a way we had never been before, and taking care of him brought me closer to my brothers and sisters."

Did I learn anything from this book? Yes, to remember what my limits are, as I too have thought I could fix everything for the ones I love, which was not true.

Reviewed by Kaye Trout - May 5, 2006 - Copyright

If you've never read a book by Leon Garfield before, then you don't know what you're missing. One of the masters of children's literature, and a direct literary descendant of Charles Dickens (encompassing his love of dark and murky plots, meaningful character names and stupendous use of language), Garfield writes stories set in the mid-18th century with such authenticity that it's as if he'd lived through them.

Bartholomew Dorking (later dubbed "Tolly") is a young apprentice to a draper when he's accosted by Mrs Gorgandy, a professional widow who claims bodies from the gallows for the sole purpose of selling them to surgeons. Coercing the young teenager into watching the body of the dreadful Black Jack, Tolly is horrified when the corpse suddenly lurches back to life! By the insertion of a piping into his windpipe, Black Jack has cheated strangulation by the noose, much to the dismay of Tolly who now finds himself the convict's unwilling associate as he flees through the dark London streets.

Feeling responsible for the criminal's return to life, Tolly finds himself intolerably bound to him, even when he finds himself assisting in the sabotage of coaches. Yet by twist of fate, Black Jack upturns a carriage traveling from the Carter household, which contains young Belle Carter on the way to an asylum. Considered mad since she was a little girl, Tolly now finds himself with a new traveling companion, one that his soft heart cannot bear to see locked away in madhouse. Caught up with a traveling circus, troubled by the twin burdens of Black Jack and Belle, hounded by the malicious Hatch and desperate to evade the authorities, Tolly grows from boy to man in the vividly portrayed atmosphere of Dickensian London.

Garfield incorporates certain aspects of 18th century life into his story; the beginning of medical study (resulting in the need for dead bodies), the tricks of the trade in traveling fairgrounds, the idea that madness was contained in the bloodlines of families, and the religious fervor that heralded the end of the world (apparently Armageddon was forecast on a regular basis). Reading a Garfield book is getting a history lesson without realizing it, as all these components are beautifully knitted into the context of the story.

Also worth mentioning are the characters themselves; each one brought vividly to life. Tolly is a kind-hearted teenager with a somewhat nervous disposition, though Garfield tells us: "Sort hearts are easily combustible, and when they take fire, they burn with a sudden blaze." Burdened with a clear sense of right and wrong, with a conscience that makes him act on these impulses, (probably due to his idolization of his uncle, a sea captain) you can't help but admire his determination to do the right thing - whether he really wants to or not. Likewise, the terrifying Black Jack is a figure out of a nightmare: hulking, unpredictable, violent and menacing. Even minor characters, such as the dreamy Belle, cheerful Doctor Carmody and blustering Mrs Gorgandy are all great examples of creating unforgettable characters with the right imaginative language.

And Garfield was the master of descriptive language; reading any book of his a joy simply because it is wrapped in expert use of the English language, so rich and dense, you'll find yourself re-reading sentences just to appreciate the care with which they were crafted. Want some examples?

"The boy and the giant felon stared towards each other. In the one pair of eyes was savagery, contempt, even murder - and an angry bitterness that he should be obliged to the white-faced maggot of an apprentice who peered up at him. In the boy's eyes there was fear of savagery, fear of murder, and also a glint of bitterness provoked by the felon's contempt."

"They moved with circumspection through the night; chose infirm alleys and crippled lanes that slunk by the river in a blind and stinking confusion - as if the very streets were lost and would have cast themselves into the river if only they could have found the way."

"A huge spade struck and tore the green quilt...then another. Again and again the spades struck, till the earth flew up in gusts and scudding showers, spattering the stones and spoiling the green. Bending above these spades were two questing faces: one enormous, bearded, black as sin - the other young, desperate, not knowing or daring to know what lay beneath...only wild with hurry."

If you've never read Leon Garfield before, then you're doing yourself a great disservice. Although "Black Jack" is not my favourite of his works (that honour belongs to Smith), you won't regret picking up this book.

There's something in this book--in its characters, its settings, its situations--that is quite reminiscent of the work of Charles Dickens. But it's a lot shorter and simpler than the average Dickens novel. So I could recommend this book to anyone who likes Dickens, and even more so, to anyone who would like Dickens if only he weren't so long-winded. Or just to anyone who enjoys a rousing, well-written, action-packed novel with colorful characters.

Oh, and even though this book is marketed for younger readers, I see no reason why adults could not thoroughly enjoy it as well.

Leon Garfield's one of those authors that, once discovered, feel like personal triumphs. When I read a Leon Garfield book, I suddenly have the impression that I've done something noble and great for the cause of humanity. He feels like my own personal children's author. The kind that I discovered all on my own and that, as one of the best kept secrets in kiddie lit, I don't necessarily want anyone else to know about. Then I come to my senses, sigh, and write a review like this one. Ever since I discovered his brilliant Dickensian, "Smith", I've been meaning to work my way through the Garfield oeuvre. "Black Jack" was second on my reading list and, now that I've read it through, it has become my favorite book by this author. If you've a child that's been enraptured by books like, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" or even, "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase", then you'd be committing a serious crime to omit from your reading list this most enjoyable of high Victorian adventures.

When a set of unlikely circumstances end with young Bartholomew Dorking guarding the coffin of the recently hanged villain Black Jack, the boy is less than delighted. An apprentice to a draper, Tolly has always led an upstanding pious life. Next thing he knows, however, the recently hanged Black Jack (the kind of man described here as, "a mighty fellow, and rough... as if the Almighty had sketched him out (and left the Devil to fill him in) before He'd settled on something of a quieter, more genteel size") is not as dead as he first appeared. In fact, he is very much alive. Taking Tolly with him wherever he goes, the boy finds himself the unwitting accomplice to this most dark-hearted of villains. In the course of their adventures they meet madwomen, frauds, fortune tellers, and sailors. And while Tolly finds true love in the most unlikely of places, Black Jack learns how to use his enormous strength for something other than villainy.

The book is a highly satisfying read. Part of this is due to the characters Garfield's conjured up. Tolly is fourteen and your typical heroic orphan. The kind of lad that Oliver Twist could've grown up to be (if Oliver was a little less saintly and little more human). His eventual lady love, one Miss Belle Carter, begins the book as mad but eventually is seen to be just a gal who suffered a severe shock in her youth and has needed to recover from it ever since. But the true hero of this tale is the title character. Black Jack's one in a million. He's so real that you can practically feel his villainy emanating off the pages that describe him. At the same time, there are chinks in his personality that allow you to understand why Tolly feels he must earn Jack's respect, even as he hates and fears him. Jack has his weaknesses as well. He fears madness above all things and he's often rather disconcerted when he observes Tolly doing the right thing in the face of what's easy. By the end of the book you'll find yourself cheering Jack and Tolly on and wishing that Mr. Leon Garfield had had the inclination to make several sequels of their adventures to accompany this marvelous tale.

So there you have it. A children's book for everyone to enjoy. You like descriptions? Then take a gander at passages like: "(She was) a happy, greasy, jingly lady whose skin was always aglitter with fine brass dust so that she had the air of being a worn but once costly Christmas present". You like a riveting story? By the second half of this book you'll be disinclined to set it down for even half a breath. You can't read a book unless the characters are likable? Even Tolly is a great guy to root for, and HE'S the saintly hero! Some people pooh-pooh Garfield as a lesser Dickens. I prefer to think of him as the logical step kids need between their everyday literature and real Dickens. If you want your child to pick up "Nicholas Nickleby" for fun, don't immediately ungulf them in that text first. Start them out slowly with a little Leon Garfield. With any luck, they'll be howling for more things along that vein. But don't relegate Garfield simply to the ranks of second-rate Dickens. He's an artist in his own right and his books are well worth discovering. You'll love it. I promise.

Leon Garfield is one of the best writers for older children ever; no, make that for anyone! His gorgeous language, fabulous, gripping plots, vivid characters and Shakespearean understanding of humanity put him in the very top class of that golden age of children's books of the 60s and 70's--and some of the best of today's golden age, such as Philip Pullman, cite him as an importantinfluence. Back Jack is one of his best books, a wild, terrifying, exciting, romantic and mysterious adventure story that left me reeling as a kid, and still thrills me to bits! Don't miss it!

My sister, the unstoppable Codemaster Talon, gave this book to read as part of our literary exchange program (she gives me books to read, and I give her books to read). When I first glanced at this book, I thought it would be an easy read (it's just over 200 pages). Then, when I started reading it, I found myself stumbling over some of the old-fashioned English phrases. I asked her when it was written. "The 70s." she said. "The 1970s?" I asked? "No, the 1870s", she joked. I honestly wasn't sure which one was the real date when until she told me. Yes, this book is indeed authentic in it's language. But for me it was hard. My sister told me to stick with it. Boy am I glad I did.

The story starts out with the giant Black Jack being executed, and then procedes to tell the story of a poor good-natured youngster who finds himself in this terrifying scoundral's strange company. The strange thing is that for some reason, this terrible man finds that he likes the young lad, and won't let him go.

When the boy finds himself suddenly and strangely abandoned by the giant after starting (and ending) his search for an escaped lunatic young girl, he folows the road till he finds (and joins) a traveling carnival. The that's where our story begins.

As Black Jack struggles with his fear of lunatics (can you believe it?) and growing admiration for his young friend, Tolly (the young fellow) gains maturity and learns about life as he helps the poor lunatic (her name's Belle) regain her sanity. It's really engaging, because all the characters are so very HUMAN, and as Tolly continually tries to help the girl while at the same time keeping her from getting to close (she loves him you know) he starts to find that he cares for her too.

When Belle becomes convinced that she really is insane and has herself commited, and Tolly can't get the people imprisoning her to let him see her (despite his growing love for her), and Black Jack won't let anything get in the way of his friend's happiness... Well, let's just say it makes for one of the greatest climaxes I've ever seen in a book (especially when you consider the world is ending at the same time).

What really addicted me to this book was one thing. Love. When I read the passages about how Tolly and Belle found their feelings for each other grow, it gave me a simply wonderful feeling. The author of this book has managed to perfectly describe the feeling of being in love. I haven't felt this way while reading a book in a long time. This feeling the book gave me grew stronger and stronger as it progressed, but the very, very end made it shoot to the sky. Because what Belle kept describing in her wild rants of insanity turned out not to be mere dreams after all, but visions of a future more wonderful than she could have imagined.

If anything I have said connected with you in any way, READ THIS BOOK.

Enjoyed both the original drawings & the new colorized interpretations. Always interesting to share a glimpse inside the mind of a genius.

Bob Dylan has been painting for decades and his abstract post-modern folk art style does him well. He shows us a seemingly unsophisticated yet highly evocative presence in his images with the door wide open to interpretation, like much of his poetic lyric. These often haunting pieces speak to me as the will not to you and vice versa - as well they should. Understand however, like his music, Dylan's art is an acquired taste and definitely not for everyone. I paid half the price the museums are charging for this book and I am sure have gotten twice the value from it.

What an incredible artist he is...in so many ways. A poet, musician, philosopher, artist, humanitarian. I'm looking for a book of photography yet so I may also experience his vision in that medium. BTW....great seller. Shipped fast and packed well. 5 STAR*****

I bought this book for my friend's birthday. The art is amazing. Bob Dylan can do anything. I almost kept the book for myself. Get your copy before it's too late.

I was lucky enough to be in Germany during this exhibit and see it live. I also purchased the book there and have reviewed it several times. It includes the 170 works displayed at the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz from October 2007 to March 2008 and three thoughtful essays that examine the works from several perspectives.

Ninety-two of the works were based on drawings published in 1994 as Drawn Blank. The museum director, Ingrid Mossinger, saw some of his drawings in the fall of 2006 at New York's Morgan Library (Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966) and was so captivated that she sought out a copy of the out-of-print book. In the book, Dylan said that one day he wanted to turn these into larger color paintings. So, she made contact and asked if he'd like to exhibit them.

Somehow Dylan managed to have the drawings transferred to deckle-edged paper and paint them using watercolor and goaches. The result was 322 paintings produced in just eight months - eight months during which he also was touring! From these, 170 were selected for the exhibit.
The works include interiors (dressing rooms, hotel rooms, etc.), cityscapes, landscapes, still lifes, and portraits - all captured in drawings he made between 1989 and 1992 as he toured the world performing. For many of the drawings, there are multiple versions using different colors that give you varied impressions of the scene. Much like Dylan's reinterpretations of his songs, these alternative versions reflect different ways of viewing the work.

The essays also provoke different ways of thinking about the works. Frank Zollner, focusing on the cityscapes as seen through a window or door, suggests that these works indicate a "certain restlessness, as the simulated gaze is that of a seeker." He draws on Chronicles to illustrate how Dylan thinks of art and how his words often create word pictures. In his view the pictures reflect an internal restlessness and a calm outside world.

Diane Widmaier Picasso (granddaughter of Pablo Picasso) traces the influence of Norman Raeben, one of Dylan's art teachers, as well as the Cubists and German Expressionists known as The Bridge. She notes that, "Just as the meaning of certain Dylan songs is sometimes obscure, since his texts seek not to have a fixed sense but rather to describe sentiments, to develop impressions beyond words (acquiring, like an abstract painting, meanings which vary with the mood of the recipient, yet still preserving a strong identity), so too his drawings can be similarly understood as they also reflect work which purposely refuses to be 'honed'."

Jens Rosteck, focusing on Dylan as a "multi-talent," examines the stylistic turns Dylan has taken with his music and his artistic endeavors into literature, film, and painting. He describes him as a rare "universal artist" capable of synthesizing diverse art genres, comparing his approach to da Vinci, Goethe, and others.

I was struck by a sense of detachment, even isolation or loneliness, as I viewed the exhibit. Dylan, the most sensitive and keen observer of life I know, once again in another medium, challenges me to think about how we live in this world.

If the exhibit ever comes near you, I encourage you to see it. In the meantime, this book is a wonderful catalogue of the works of this great artist.

I had trouble finding this book before coming to Amazon. Thank you for the book, the fast service and the better than expected condition.

This is the one book that all people interested in bookbinding should read. Other books are more colorful and flashy, but Kevin Smiths' Bookbinding for Book Artists is the best book on the fundamentals of bookbinding on the market today. The book is clear, concise, challenging, and creative. A beginner can understand and implement every project described, and Mr. Smith shows you how to make and, as important, how to THINK about making books simply, artfully, and beautifully.

We used this book in a college class I took called "Book Art". This book is written in a straightforward manner with clear and simple illustrations where needed.

Among its explanation of book binding techniques, it covers specific stitching, and has directions for making archival paste (wheat paste).

The benefit of two expert authors is that whenever they differ in techniques, they describe both and you can choose a method to fit your style.

True to the synopsis of this book, it gives full instructions in how to perform bookbinding without any special tools. This book, in spite of avoiding custom tools, gives the best treatment I have seen on techniques for leather binding. It also goes into quite a bit of depth on sewing, knocking down the spine (for rounded spines, folks), repairing old books, hinging techniques, etc. In fact, this is one of my favorite books on bookbinding and I refer to it frequently. Definitely a must have on any serious bookbinder's library shelf.

This book is excellent for a person who is interested in learning more about bookbinding, but has no practical experience. You will learn the techniques of two well-known masters of the trade, and you can do it with common household items. It requires no special tools or equipment. Also, the diagrams provided are extremely useful in illustrating each step of a particular activity. I personally was amazed at how much I could do without special equipment. This book is for people who would really like to learn more about the art of bookbinding and perhaps continue with it as a career. You will learn the terminology. You will learn how to sew or paste book bindings. You will learn how to use cloth and leather to cover your books.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Good the religious doo daa stuff really spoke to me. I was stunned at how good this book was. I couldn't put it down. The fighting scences were well done and ddescribed perfectly. I could definetly tell the bond between the author and Joe was tense but loving.

Douglas Todd, the highly respected Vancouver Sun journalist, has examined the spirituality of Canadian writers and artists in his important book, Brave Souls.
Remarks by Reginald Bibby, Canada's leading religion pollster, in his 2002 book, Restless Gods: The Renaissance of Religion in Canada

This Book was soooooooooooooooo good. The religious doo daa really spoke to me. The fight scenes were buetiffully decribed with lots of detail. The bond betwen the author and Joe really stode out.

By Carolyn Purden, Toronto Star
Moral issues, ethical concerns and spiritual matters are themes in the work of many contemporary North American writers, singers, painters and sculptors. Religious imagery and symbolism abound.
Yet how much do these themes and literary devices reflect the artists' beliefs?
This is the question posed by Douglas Todd, author of The Soul-Searcher's Guide to the Galaxy.
In Brave Souls, he questions 28 artists about their work and the philosophy and beliefs central to their lives. The eclectic group includes film director Paul Verhoeven, sculptor Bill Reid, cartoonist Lynn Johnston, Inuk singer Susan Aglukark and writer Carol Shields.
Nearly all attended worship in their youth, and a few still attend occasionally. But all are troubled by religious orthodoxy and their spiritual search is taking place outside institutional religion.
Their responses provide a range of spiritual insights that Todd groups in four sections: the atheists; the doubters; the new ancients, whose faith is rooted in organized religion, and the emerging mystics.
Some common themes emerge. Johnston speaks for several artists when she says she cannot accept Christ's divinity. "I'm starting to see other people as divine, too -- such as saints and exceptional people," she says.
Many artists echo Shields' belief in the centrality of love.
"It's your basic molecule," she comments. "Why else would we make an effort to be sort of good in the world and with one another, if it weren't for this kind of mystical connection that holds us together?"
Robertson Davies, interviewed shortly before his death, talked of his lifetime interest in the Christian heresy of Gnosticism, which led him to a belief in God's feminine aspect. Singers Susan Aglukark and Bruce Cockburn reveal they have continuing conversations with God.
Timothy Findley has felt the presence of God in the vast Arctic barrens.
Writer Laurence Gough says he experienced the presence of God while keeping a deathbed vigil. Of his stepfather's death, Gough recalls "a real sense of rustling in the air -- a sense he had risen up out of himself, of something leaving him when he died. And not just life itself. but something far more powerful than that."
Todd has skilfully culled the essence of each artist's beliefs. It all makes fascinating, and, at times, thought-provoking reading.

I first encountered this book about a decade ago in a course called Faith Quests RS 100C. During the course of the term we had about a dozen books to read. From this volume each student had to select two of the people profiled and present a seminar using this book as the beginning point and doing further research. I personally loved the book, and read not only the profiles we needed to have prepared for seminars but the whole volume. I even gave away a few copies. The sad part is that the book is now out of print because Stoddart went under a few years ago.

Todd, a long time writer and columnist for the Vancouver Sun, created the book by doing a series of interviews and then crafting those pieces into this volume. He breaks the Participants into four categories: The Atheists, The Doubters, The New Ancients and Emerging Mystics. The people profiled in each group are:

The Atheists
o Mordeccai Richler
o W.P. Kinsella
o Bill Reid
o Jane Rule
o Robert Munsch

The Doubters
o John Irving
o Paul Verhoeven
o Laurence Gough
o Evelyn Lau
o Wade Davis
o Douglas Coupland

The New Ancients
o Lynn Johnston
o Susan Aglukark
o Ann Copeland
o Tony Hillerman
o Robertson Davies

Emerging Mystics
o Timothy Findley
o Peter C. Newman
o Robert Bly
o Robert Fulghum
o Sylvia Fraser
o Loreena McKennitt
o Farley Mowat
o Barry Lopez
o Nick Bantock
o Alex Coville
o Carol Shields

This book was great for a number of different reasons. They include the fact that many of these people are famous - or infamous in the way these profiles present them in a new and different light. Also some of them have since passed away and the interviews done for this book will have been among some of their last, and maybe most in-depth in regards to their religious and spiritual views. It is truly a pity it is out-of-print, which makes it all the more worth tracking down.

Sometimes, one might wonder if there's anything new and exciting that a photographer can do with the human form. The answer is yes.

This volume collects 87 black-and-white photographic images taken by Greenfield from 1982 to 1991, in which she collaborated with a talented group of dancers for impromptu movement. The pieces were not choreographed, but were the results of ongoing experimentation with motion and light.

The results are amazing. Fluid. Organic. Motion captured in a frozen moment, and stillness seeming to burst with unceasing energy. Bodies hang in mid-air, in mid-flight, solo or entwined or complementing each other in a synergy of arts ... a living sculpture caught in time.

It's hard to describe what Greenfield has seen through her lens. The dancers exhibit incredible feats of balance, emotion and passion for the dance. In some they're wearing tights and leotards, in others they're costumed as if for a show. In many they're not clothed at all, showing off their flexing muscles and rippling skin as they move through the dance. And the camera captured it all.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor

This book's photography are excellent and exemplify the beauty, symmetry (asymmetry) of modern dance. All those interested in celebrating the human form will find this book fascinating, even if modern dance is not in their background. My favorite photograph is on p. 73, as it brings out the dancers in mid-flight, totally out of equilibrium, as though Doris Humphrey herself was arranging the scene.......

I owned "Airborn" before purchasing this one, and I loved it so much that I sought out Breaking Bounds. I did not hesitate to buy it when I saw it on amazon[.com]. I am a dancer, and the photography of Lois Greenfield embodies the intention and choreography of the dancer so well, that it is unique. I prefer the material in "Airborn," so if your thinking of buying this book and dont have the other, take a look at the other one. I think there are much more interesting and provoking images in "Airborn". A downside to Breaking Bounds is that there are no descriptions or captions, other than the artist's name, attatched to the picture. I would like a brief explanation of the picture, as Greenfield does in "Airborn."

Sometimes, one might wonder if there's anything new and exciting that a photographer can do with the human form. The answer is yes.

This volume collects 87 black-and-white photographic images taken by Greenfield from 1982 to 1991, in which she collaborated with a talented group of dancers for impromptu movement. The pieces were not choreographed, but were the results of ongoing experimentation with motion and light.

The results are amazing. Fluid. Organic. Motion captured in a frozen moment, and stillness seeming to burst with unceasing energy. Bodies hang in mid-air, in mid-flight, solo or entwined or complementing each other in a synergy of arts ... a living sculpture caught in time.

It's hard to describe what Greenfield has seen through her lens. The dancers exhibit incredible feats of balance, emotion and passion for the dance. In some they're wearing tights and leotards, in others they're costumed as if for a show. In many they're not clothed at all, showing off their flexing muscles and rippling skin as they move through the dance. And the camera captured it all.

This book is perfect for display on the coffee table. Friends who look through it are as fascinated by Greenfield's work as I am. The frozen moments and the print quality make this a beautiful addition to any photo book collection. A MUST HAVE FOR LOVERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND DANCE!

This book has wondeful illustrations which compliment it's informational content. I enjoyed learning about all the different bridges, when they were built and who they were built by. I read it to a Kindergarten class and they loved the pictures and all the different kinds of bridges. I learned a lot by reading it so I know children will too.

Also a beautiful gift for an adult interested in working with craft projects, especially paper. Beautiful illustrations, with rich color, of bridges from around the world. Excellent descriptions of various bridge types from suspension to rope bridges. A book for budding engineers, future artists, but especially new readers! A far better gift to give your young nephew, niece, grandchild, or cousin than a stuffed animal.

These cut-paper illustrations of bridges are so complex and exquisite that looking at one a day is enough! Their texture and depth is astonishing. There's not a lot of text with each illustration, and that's probably just as well, but what there is is nicely designed. Add this ostensible children's book to your collection of art books.

I bought this book for myself, a professional cut paper artist, for the illustrations. The paper sculptures in this book are exquisite--some of the best I've ever seen. I took it to bed with me for days, so I could fall asleep looking at the pictures. The illustration work in this book will provide a visual feast for children and adults alike.

This is my boys' all time favorite book. Living in NY it's only natural they developed a fascination with bridges. I bought this for them when they were 3+4 yrs old. It's got wonderful illustrations. We found it quite educational too. How many 3+4yr olds do you know that can drive across a bridge in NY and tell you 'this is a steel suspension bridge'! :) Would be a huge hit with the K grade level.

I've seen nicer books coming in at several hundred dollars but for the ~$5 you really can't beat this one Plenty of beautiful full color plates this makes an excellent student edition and a reference book for home. If you're purchasing for an all out art reference library you should look into a different edition.

This is a nice overview of the work of Caravaggio.. and the price is very good - I saw a similar collection (though it was hardcover) for nearly $100 - I am satisfied with this general overview for much cheaper. I think the colors are pretty good - and the artwork is, of course, timeless!

I have recently returned from the met and observed the great colour used by Caravaggio and was inspired to by the book. This contains a great of information and has great paintings on my favourite artist--Caravaggio. God bless

This book contains many beautiful full page photos of the works of Caravaggio. Each painting is accompanied with a brief explanation. References and comparisons are made to other famous works by great artistic masters. A great book to begin your art book collection!

Someone made a reference in 1999 that this is an 80 page book. It is 127 pages and filled with quality color plates. The paper's a bit thin, but certainly adequate, as is the text. I have just finished reading 'The Lost Painting', and wanted to peruse some of the works discussed in the book (a fascinating read and/or listen with the audio book). Another reviewer noted this is as a wonderful book to begin a collection. The publisher, Phaidon, really puts out some fine materials. I own three of their publications now, one being '50 Self-Portraits' and another on Tadema. If you have an inclination to dwell awhile on the stunning legacy of Caravaggio, this should more than do the job.