Themes Books

I recently bought this book for my middle school sister's birthday and just flipping through it I knew it was perfect. Girls (and boys) need strong female role models, not just celebrities. I am happy that my younger sister can name every player on the Detroit Tigers baseball team but they don't even know the most popular of women athletes such as the Williams sisters. I can't wait to give this gift of current history and inspiration to the strong girl warrior athlete that is my sister.

This book is a fabulous gift for a female of any age. The photographs are both stunning and thought provoking. 100 Sports? Who knew there were so many sports opportunities for women and girls! The handicapped athletes are truly inspirational and the extreme sports are fascinating. I gave this book to my daughter who pored over every page. The quotes from the women really add to the book. I wish there were more inspirational books for girls.

I bought this book for my 3 nieces. However, it's so inspiring, I am going to get another for me. The photography is fantastic. Truly amazing!

I gave this book to my 12-year-old niece for her birthday, and she was awed by it. The photos are beautiful (and so are most of the women)! This book has a huge soul. I recommend it to everyone - man or woman, young or old - you'll be uplifted.

This is one of those books that can change your life. The photos are so totally inspiring. This book will be on all of my friends' coffee tables.

This was such a delightful read. Each of these (mostly short) essays extols a particular object which might, at first glance, seem like a piece of junk. But it turns out that junk is in the eye of beholder. The uplifting moral of the book is that the best "things" aren't the most expensive or shiniest or rarest. They are the ones with the most personal significance. Highly recommended.

If you are somebody that enjoys things or objects, or even if you don't, this book is great fun to read. If you know somebody that tends to find interest in life - you should buy this book for them. If you know somebody that does not tend to find interest in life - you should buy this book for them, maybe it will help.

A beautifully presented collection of bite-sized insights into objects and the minds of their owners. A coffee table without this book is a naked coffee table.

This book is a real original. It's great to pick up and enjoy, then pick it up again later and enjoy some more.
It encompasses something everyone does and hardly anyone really thinks about...hoarding/collecting stuff that is really important only to you. It puts a perspective on people's emotional ties to sometimes useless things. I had a lot fun reading it and sharing it.
Pat D.

Glenn and Hayes' book offers some wonderful little pieces of others' memorabilia that makes you look at all of your ephemera in a different way: the story behind each object puts a poetic narrative blanket over the world. Yard sales become soap operas, trash dumps become family trees. A book you can't put down, it's so engaging. Highly recommended. Esp. good for a gift.

Again Howard Roffman -- seems to just know how to photograph his models you can not go wrong with this book..

This book is a soft-cover collection of superb photographs in B&W. It is large, some 12"x9", giving plenty of space for large detailed prints.

It's difficult to find words enough to praise this collection of Roffman's work. His models are simply magical (well all but one!), and their sensitivity, shyness and youth simply flood from the page to your eye and then to your brain.

I suspect that many guys will simply absorb themselves in the pictures and wish they could dive in and hug many of these boys - and boys most of them are. No hardened, pumped-up, muscle-Marys here; simply a collection of great boy-next-door types.

Tha accompanying text gives context to the models and the photographs; Roffman says that he loves Brian, the first profile portrait we see. Well, so do I! He just too perfect and is, for me, the very best of what is a superb collection of pretty boys.

Highly recommended for its soul, its insight, its quality, and for its presentation of first-class eye candy.

Tales is a powerful book both in words and pictures in which Roffman sensuously catures twelve of the most beautiful young men in the world. By telling us his realtionship with each Roffman then completes the story in his photography allowing us not only to see these boys' outside beauty but also that which lies within. A masterpiece.

As usual, another great collection of work from Howard Roffman. My one hope is that I will one day be able to shoot photos this well. Howard's ability to touch the inner soul and transfer it to print is truely a gift. You can see within the photos the ease with which he has placed the models in. If you don't own a Howard Roffman book, this is an excellent start. If you already do, then you need no prompting to get another to add another to your collection.

The only word to describe this book is GLORIOUS. Sexy men, sexy poses, erotic aura...who could ask for anything more? This is a real winner.

Nishantha Gunawardena is a journalistic photographer from Sri Lanka whose previous photographs have been directed toward reportage of events such as floods, poverty, disasters and man's ability to cope. In this grand yet quiet book he continues his ability of reportage, this time directing our attention to the endangered wilderness grandeur of this country.

Gunawardena's images in rich color capture leaves/ twigs/ branches/ trees/ forests at dawn, noon, sunset and night in an effort to bring the viewers' appreciation to the majesty of nature unfettered by human touch. His photographs range from astute close-up shots of flowers or petals to vistas of fields, mountain ranges, and skies. The quality of the photography is magnificent and the book's reproduction is excellent.

But nature books abound on the shelves of our bookstores, so why is this volume so different? The answer is in Gunawardena's eloquent comments on his three year journey that resulted in the treasures of nature captured in this volume. His writing encourages the response of awe in the reader, a response that hopefully will eventually be manifested in our more cautious care for the great American wilderness, a place that simply must be protected from the greed of resource exploitation. Highly recommended viewing and reading and contemplation. Grady Harp, March 06

"The vastness of the United States seems endless and the variety of ecosystems incredible. Deserts, rain forests, grasslands, wetlands, coasts, glacier-clad mountains, and temperate woodlands each brim with its own distinctive character. The spirit of the land caresses and engulfs the one seeking solitude in it. It is possible to hear the essence of the terrain resounding and relating its story in tranquility." ~Nishantha Gunawardena

Traces of Eden is a beautiful introspective work displaying natural wonders and soul-nourishing landscapes. Like a photographic meditation, each page presents images to inspire a love of nature.

Nishantha Gunawaredena's poetic prose throughout make this as much an emotional journey as a visual experience. He sets up camp outdoors in order to capture a perfect picture of the moon, the glossy reflection like sprinkles of stardust across the North Shore of Lake Superior. He lives in Minnesota, but traveled across America to capture the rest of the pictures.

Lavender mountains from Wyoming seem to be awakening in a sunrise and gorgeous watery landscapes contrast with old growth forests.

After waiting for hours in the snow, a perfect moment is captured at Crater Lake Oregon. The colors in many of the pictures make them seem more like artwork than winding blue rivers from an aerial view. Sea green glaciers almost look like angular emerald green waves. I had to look at the picture for a few minutes to figure out what I was seeing.

The use of lighting adds a shimmering glow to many of the photographs. They contrast in warm and cool tones with mist-drenched valleys on one page and horses running in dry pastures a few pages later. One picture of a duck with water beading across its feathers is truly spectacular.

Nishantha Gunawardena has created a world of beauty to inspire awe and a sense of nostalgia for areas of America we have visited or wish to visit. His writing enhances the artistic experience and leaves you with a warm glow of appreciation.

~The Rebecca Review

Humanity has disrupted the very elements of nature which it seeks to preserve, yet the vastness of the U.S. and its ecosystems abide, as TRACES OF NATURE: THE LAST OF THE AMERICAN WILDERNESS seeks to capture forever under its book cover. Gorgeous color photos of American parks and wild areas accompany Gunawardena's own evocative prose based on his personal travels to these regions. From Alaska impressions to California' Mojave Desert and the vanishing Everglades, each lovely and often quite dramatic full-page color representation is faced with a blend of personal observation, photographic insight and natural history reflection. A gorgeous presentation; especially recommended for gift-giving.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Considering our natural land is retreating, the photos take us to a landscape some dream to discover. From cover to cover we are able to dive into the last of the North American wilderness and camp out in our favorite retreats. The colors in the photos are vibrant and illuminating. Mr. Gunawardena's hard work paid off in delivering a true work of art. What a beautiful tribute!

"We are but one thread within it. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth...Whatever he does to the web he does to himself." Chief Seattle

This quote opens this book of photography, and the sentiment is woven throughout the photos and text.

This is a visually beautiful book, and that's what first drew me to it. When I looked at the pictures, particularly the luminous and lush landscapes, I felt Icould step right into the photo, that I was actually there. But when I took the time to read the text accompanying the photos, I truly understood why the author undertook a three-year journey to document the "few remaining traces of a once lush Eden" in our 50 United States.

His is a deep and heartfelt need to accurately portray to those of us who aren't paying attention just what it is that we are in danger of losing in our never-ending preoccupation with our self-gratifying, self-indulgent lifestyles, our "frivolous desires."

We are neglecting the land, which asks so little from us, yet is so necessary to our very survival. What will it take for our environmental apathy to end? What will it take to finally get our attention, and show us just how utterly dependent we truly are on the health of the land and all of the Earth?

Unfortunately, it seems to me that our short-term avarice trumps any thought to the long-term consequences of our actions and decisions, and it will take major economic and environmental impacts before the majority of people will sit up and take notice. And by then it just might be too late.

Armchair Interviews: A spectacular photo book with a very strong ecological message everyone needs to hear.

Dear Mr. Rehbein,

I am writing on behalf of my friend, Maria Mendonca, whom you met recently in East Providence, Rhode Island. Maria has leant me the book to read...These are her comments. Wonderful! When I picked up the book to ready, I just couldn't put it down. When I met you and your wife, I knew that you were both kind people. I enjoyed reading about your life. Just to survive was a miracle. The fact that you found both your mother and your father was fascinating. I hope many people read your book....there is so much to learn from it. The world would be a better place. Sincerely, Maria Mendonca

While reading this book can stir many different emotions in the reader, the one that I was left with was hope. Hope in the fact that more people can be as forgiving in their fellow human beings as Charles Rehbein was after all he was made to endure at the hand of mans own kind.

Believing that he was able to survive his hardships through his faith in God, Mr. Rehbein's personal story has meaning in it even for those whose faith may not be as strong.

I commend him for being able to share his memories and open feelings with all who are fortunate enough to read this very moving story of "one man's life as lived through World War II."

A book well written and well worth the read.

This informative memoir is set in Eastern Europe, a region historically noted for its interplay between Polish and German settlers. Beginning with the onset of World War II, this book describes the flights and imprisonments of teenage Charles Rehbein. Of particular interest is the characterization of German, Polish, Russian civilians and soldiers. Depictions are simple but insightful and make for an interesting read. Charles Rehbein is a gifted person, quite able to provide the reader with the terror, deprivation, discipline, and the hopes that were his.

It is a privilege of knowing Mr Rehbein for 45+ years not only as a man whom I worked for, but also as a teacher and friend. Mr Rehbein taught me to do my work, as humanly as possible, toward perfection.
His daughter and three sons have to be so proud of their Dad, especially knowing his childhood and teenage history. I envy them because I only wish I had known more about my Dad. His Faith, which sustained him during this tragic time, is a testament to a true believer. May God Bless Mr Rehbein and his Family. Charlie, I look forward to the continuation of your life in the next book.,,, Orson w. Black

This is an astonishing story of faith and survival. The story is well written with vivid descriptions of people, places and events. The author's clear recall of events amazed me and kept me reading with anticipation. This story will put your own life into perspective. The short and to the point chapters make for easy reading. Highly recommended.

And that thought never wavered once as I agonizingly slowly fiddled with the corners of each page to the next, completely awed and feeling like I wanted to go to New York and show off my skinky legs as well. This book is unreal.

There's flash everywhere. There's pizazz. There's an army of sequins, a rainbow of sparkles, a lifetime of gorgeous reds, beautiful greens, and dazzling blues that you would have never dreamed would have graced this earth in all of eternity. They all flash, they all sparkle, they all wink out and grab you by the eyeballs and force you to gawk and gawk at them until you feel like all your pupils have dried up and you can't possibly gawk anymore, but you just do.

The book is sort of divided into sections, but the reader (or watcher) won't pay too much attention to that except for the divisions for the Hollywood and Barbie section. You've got funky fonts that pop out at you from this unknown corner you never knew was there; you've got these curvaceous paragraphs shaped like a woman's body; and you've got so many other things that I couldn't possibly explain to you until you've bought the damn book. So buy it already.

My only complaint is that the "Hollywood", "Barbie", and his own fashion line sections are too brief. How can you possibly fit more than forty years of glory, fashion, and Bob Mackie into just over 150 pages?

It ain't nobody, but Mackie. Get it for yourself! You will never, *ever* regret that decision.

Wonderful book! Such gorgeous pictures and I loved the Bob Mackie story too. My only complaint is that it just wasn't long enough.....hoping for a sequel.

This survey of the fashion and fantasy of fashion designer Mackie examines his many contributions. Mackie created works for popular television as well as film and stage: Unmistakably Mackie considers his life, fashion designs and revealing outfits. Plenty of color photos of actresses in full outfit abound.

I bought Unmistakably Mackie after drooling over the book for nearly a year. It is beautiful, it is entertaining, it is over the top, it is history. It is also a fine education in costume design and fashion illustration.
I have other books that feature Mackie's unrivalled fashion illustrations, but here I can see and almost touch the finished costumes that made Cher and Carol and Ann-Margaret. I can finally analyze how they are made.
Please, don't wait to buy this wonderful book. and it is well worth getting a new, pristine copy of this treasure.

WOW! WOW! WOW! Unmistakably Mackie is a fabulous fashion book! This is by far my favorite book! The photography is stunning. The creative type layouts are imaginative. The sketches are wonderful. Anyone interested in costume &/or fashion design will LOVE this book writen by Frank DeCaro ("Style over Substance" columnist for the NY Times).

As a designer & illustrator just starting out, I find no end of inspiration in this book! The sketches are delightful and the outfits are always immaginative. (Looking at the photos & sketches, I found out I can draw Cher too!) :o)

Before reading this book on Bob Mackie, I had no idea the extent of his influence. I just knew I liked his designs. Now he is undoubtedly my favorite designer. (I want to do what he does!) This man has done everything...from his own ready-to-wear fashion line to Broadway, television (Cher and Carol Burnett), movies, ballet, an opera, Vegas and Barbie! If there's something he hasn't designed for, I'd be surprised.

I heartily recommend this book!

My mom was born and raised in Northport and I bought the book for her. We spent many summers in Northport and Leland, staying in the old cabins of my mom's family and hiking up and down the bluffs. My cousins and I have very fond memories of Leelanau county and this book brought it all back to me and especially to my mom. It's a wonderful book.

This is an absolutely wonderful book about Leelanau County history, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and northern Michigan tourism of days gone by. It's a must have if you vacation up north and would make a very memorable gift for those who visit that area. I highly recommend it. I wish a book like this existed for the entire west side of Michigan.

The sand I tracked onto the floor of my father's Buick Roadmaster wasn't from Leelanau, but the images of Michigan's beaches, summer homes and lake culture make this beautiful book much more than a history of someplace you may not have been. Vintage Views of Leelanau County will connect with anyone who remembers when family vacations were taken with the car windows rolled down and eyes peeled for Burma Shave signs. Hey! After swimming let's go get some ice cream!

This superb collection of views from Leelanau County is a delight for anyone who has spent summers in northern Michigan. It's rich with hundreds of beautifully reproduced real photo postcards, supplemented with maps, early tourist ads, and an informative text constructed from Byron's and Wilson's research and excerpts from travel literature.

"Vintage Views" is a must for Leelanau County lovers and postcard collectors alike. You'll spend many enjoyable hours with this book, traveling from the comfort of your favorite chair.

Everything about VINTAGE VIEWS OF LEELANAU COUNTY is a spectacular journey. Anyone with a nostalgic bone in their body must view this book? For me, it "conjured" up so many memories of vacations to resorts where being with family and enjoying the area was the "why" you were on the trip.

I cannot thank the author and amazon enough for getting this book to me...it is a holy treasure I look at each day...the art is exquisite and brings one closer to the Mother of God.

I am not Catholic, but became interested in Mary after observing in society, and within my own heart, a longing for the divine feminine. The vivid accounts of her visitations around the world and the beautiful artwork are both fascinating and comforting. This gorgeous volume is a feast for the eyes as well as the soul.

She is the Mary of Jesus as well as she is everyone's Mary. See her here in all colors and incarnations.

Finally, a lovely and loving book about the numerous apparitions of the Virgin Mary over the past several centuries. This volume will be a welcome addition to the library of any Marian devoté, as well as an informative primer to those unfamiliar (or misinformed) about the nature and varieties of both the apparitions themselves, as well as those who experienced them. The authors also show how the visions continue to be of interest and value to modern-day persons. An excellent selection of photos of many home-made shrines is included, demonstrating how the Virgin Mary attracts even the most lowly. What most of the shrines lack in artistry, they more than make up for in charm. Another nice addition is the variety of cultures depicted. Even though I am a very well-read Catholic, there were several apparitions that I had never heard of. I really enjoyed this book. I only wish it were longer and more comprehensive.

In their new book Visions of Mary (Harry N. Abrams, December, 2004, hardcover, 144 pages) authors Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua have collaborated to present a stunning look at the image of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Moving beyond the trite "coffee-table art" approach, DiPasqua and Calamari share an eclectic and broad ranging composition of pictures, ranging from statues of her international apparitions to simple home shrines. As a compliment to the outstanding photography and artwork that fill its pages, Visions of Mary includes comprehensive reference material written in an engaging style.

I loved this book. It opens our eyes to the world at large and the needs in it. The pictures were beautiful and very informative.

You would be hard pressed to find somebody who has ever heard David speak and still is not doing anything to support his efforts or the efforts of others involved in the fight for Sudan. Those of us who are lucky enough to know him and hear him on a regular basis know of his passion and heart, but those who are not lucky enough to have seen him, buy this book and gain understanding about the situation in Sudan.

Please know that the cheaper you buy this book, however, the less money actually goes back to helping the people of Sudan. Do your research to find out how you can do more to support Silent Images or other causes dedicated to Sudan.

Really enjoyed this book, it's photographs and stories, but most of all knowing that 100% of the proceeds go to the charity!

I went to college with David and this book shows all the passion for life and warmth he shared with all of us. It is hard to find a book that can move my students as much as it moved me, but this one did. His pictures tell a story and it is one worth telling.

I found this book in the photography section of our local bookstore. It was hard to sit and look at the photos, read the stories and not cry. I really enjoyed how he ended the book with the children having fun. What an eye opener to what's going on in Sudan. Thank you!

It's a beautiful book but I would have liked to see all of his work and not just a small part of it. The book could have showed more of his earlier work, like "The Family Tree" and a few other that were very successful paintins and sold out as print. I had to buy the book "Song of Creation" to see 15 of the paintings that were missing in that book.

For the fan of Carl Brenders, this book is a must although it is not complete. I hope he will eventualy publish a book with full reference to his work and in larger size. I don't mind if it would cost 100$ or more.

Carl Brenders is one of the most amazing artists in existence when it comes to realistic animal paintings. His work is so fine and detailed that it would be easy to mistake one of his pieces for a photograph. Being a fan of realism, I can't help but love his exquisite paintings. This book contains over fifty beautiful pieces, depicting a wide array of North American wildlife, including bears, deer, foxes, raccoons, wolves, cougars, squirrels, many species of bird, and more. Each painting is accompanied by its title, dimensions, media information, and year of completion, as well as a few paragraphs explaining the inspiration for that particular piece (written by Brenders himself). With some he has included preliminary sketches, all of which are fine drawings in and of themselves. The margins are large and there is plenty of "white space" (but not too much) so that the pages look balanced and uncluttered. At the end there is a short biography of the artist, discussing his childhood in Belgium, how he came to love animals and nature, his schooling in art, his career as an artist, and a little about his technique. This book would be a terrific coffee-table item or gift idea for any lover of wildlife art.

If you love wildlife art that shows every hair, whisker or feather of a wild creature and every blade of grass, leaf or branch in the "background", Carl Brenders is your man. His work is technically brilliant and acutely observed, resulting in paintings that are more real than reality.

This man can draw! There are a few pencil sketches included in the book. They are a little looser than his impeccable paintings and they appeal to me more than the paintings.

So much art is a matter of taste - I am awe struck by the patience Brenders must possess in order to produce these images, but I personally prefer a more spontaneous approach. I subscribe to James McNeill Whistler's view: "To say of a picture, as is often said in its praise, that it shows great and earnest labour, is to say that it is incomplete and unfit for view." Brenders manages to achieve a fusion of "great and earnest labour" (he must take months to do each painting!) and creative excellence. That's the only reason why I give a four- and not five-star rating! It's just a little TOO slick for my taste.

The layout of this book is clean and fresh, allowing his detailed paintings lots of white space. Accompanying the paintings is a brief commentary from the artist. This text reinforces the artist's absolute love of his subject.

Carl Brenders is a fantastic artist. I had his calendar hanging in my office and people thought his drawings were photographs. This is an excellent book of his works.

If you are not a collector of wildlife paintings or limited edition fine art work yet, you definitely will be after you see these images. Many people belive these are only photos. Carl Brenders captures so much detail in his paintings, most are fooled who do not know of his works. From the finest feathers of a golden eagle's head to the glass-like eyes of a Canadian Lynx to lichen and moss on rocks and trees.
I have been an art dealer for many years and still am in awe at his paintings and prints. It is truly amazing that someone has the ability to represent wildlife in such a way.