Themes Books

I bought Transfigurations and Grey's earlier book Sacred Mirrors at the same time. Both are visually amazing and the print quality is excellent. I especially liked reading about Alex Grey's journey as an artist that is part of Transfigurations. It's not a path I would want to tread, but knowing about his life gives good insight and empathy into the aesthetics of his work. I'm very glad he met with Tibetan culture, which obviously has influenced him greatly, and helped him escape the dark trap of Euro-American nihilist existentialism

Transfigurations is a beautiful book that does an excellent job presenting the work of Alex Grey, one of the most important artists of our times. There is no artist quite like Alex Grey. For many years, I have used this book and an earlier Grey book, Sacred Mirrors, as a transformative tool both in my own life and helping others.

I bought this book for my son who'd asked for a coffee table art book
by Alex Grey, and he was happy to have received it. When it was under the tree unwrapped after Christmas, I took a look, and it's an interesting work. I'm not sure if it's in his room or if he took it to college; I'll have to look. If it's home, I can read more of it.

It arrived in beautiful condition.

Truly edifying, powerfully enlightening art of the nervous system (peeled open) and all its glory.

The universe is marvelous, indeed. Grey is a shining star.

Although my other books reviews are totally sarcastic this one is sincere. Giving TRANSFIGURATIONS five stars tells you nothing, it is my most cherished possession purchased from Amazon. Alex Grey is the most beautiful inspiring artist I know of, disturbing as well. For both reasons I get goosebumps each time I hear his weird kind of slimy sounding voice on the DVD and audio tapes that I also purchased. I find his whole dark side very intimidating and there are a couple of spots where the blur between holy and immoral is way to ominous for my churchy little, reactionary mind to consider but I'm sure that in his genius he is expressing things that, like all of his works, are simply way beyond my comprehension.

Even though I really like Grey's self-portraits as a boy, I usually skip past the first thirty-five or so pages to his more inspiring works of colorful anatomy charged with energy and connected to occult and mystical symbols of the spirit. I've always thought of these symbols as pertaining to aesthetics who live an isolated existence, however, for Grey's works they seem to be intimately associated with love, family, personal growth, and the journey through life.

I find his most beautiful works to be his oil on linen anatomical scenes of his family which include one of him and his wife embracing and another with both of them, eyes shut, in a moment of reverence with their daughter in which all three pineal glands are actively sharing an interwoven and upward spiraling rainbow of purely intelligent energies. Another is of his young daughter, as a toddler, who draws out a sphere from her heart encircled by a rainbow of noble and vital energy containing within it a Tibetan symbol of primal purity.

Alex Grey expresses better than anyone I've found how religious symbols from around the world are spun from the same spiritual desires and aspirations of people everywhere and are all equally divine.

Transfigurations shows Alex Grey's development through his life cycle from the dark cocoon of young manhood through his emergence as a man of tremendous knowledge and beauty expressed in fantastic colors and intricate and intriguing layers and details. He is clearly one who has made an incredible journey in life and easily ranks with all of the most famous and greatest artists in art history.

Best Read. John Annerino's CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST. -Tucson Weekl

CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino features the author's photographs of towering red rock and rushing waters. -Travel-Holiday Magazine

CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino. A stunning overview of the "inverted mountains." -Summit Magazine

For people who love the West, especially those who seldom leave the concrete road, this book provides unbelievably beautiful pictures and stories about gorgeous places in the wilderness. -Rocky Mountain News

Foremost are the photographs. I would call Annerino's canyon portraits the best of a really good lot, even over big-time large-format photographers. While the large-format works are stunning artistic studies of light and color shot with impossibly huge f-stops, Annerino's canyon photographs give expression to the phrase "wearing one's heart on the sleeve." His photos have an active passion that others lack. Anyone who knows him will say he is among the "hardmen' to tackle the Southwestern mountains and canyons, but that he is definitely the most sincere in his passion for place. Perhaps, because of this he lacks a calculated commercial view of the places he photographs. His images also record his own passion, creating compelling and unique photographs. More than any other contemporary outdoor photographer, Annerino's photos mirror his love of the land's people. In the text, Annerino portrays canyonlands people as part of what makes the places special. He has a deep affection for past and present native peoples, but unlike some Anglo North Americans, Annerino isn't a lost 20th century soul. Rather, he seems to have a straightfoward and genuine admiration for native people, and has learned a great deal about them. His research on each canyon's history is impressive. Annerino writes with an immensity commensurate with his subject. His style is old-fashioned, evoking an older, more grandiose era of writing of explorers like Powell and Pattie. While many modern writers seem bent on infusing themselves into as much of the story as possible, Annerino's style is not so full of himself as full of the intensity of his canyon experiences...Annerino is at his best when he writes about Mexico, especially the Big Bend passage where he talks about the injustices served the Mexican across the river at the hands of our national park there. An optimist who sees great things in the canyons, Annerino neither ignores nor dwells on the obvious problems facing the West like pollution and development. And fortunately, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is not a treasure map guidebook to these areas. -Desert Skies

This calender is for those that love all types of dogs. Not only are the pictures of the animals great, but the quality of the calendar is superb. The prints are on heavy constructed paper and are supported by the plastic holder that lets you easily view each day. For each picture there are wonderful quotes from famous, non-famous, and anonymous dog lovers. Finally, enjoy the double sided prints by simply moving each day from the front to the back. Make sure they stay in order because in the middle of the year you must flip the stack of pictures. Dog Page-A-Day calendar reminds and instructs on when this should be done. It is simple and fun. A great interactive calendar for the young and old. Have fun fellow dog lovers.

I am very pleased with the quality of this product. The transaction went smoothly and I received the calendar sooner than anticipated.

EVERY YEAR I BUY THE DOG PAGE A DAY CALENDAR AND EVERY DAY YOU JUST TEAR OFF THAT DAY AND SOMETIMES I WILL SAVE IT. THIS YEAR I ORDERED THIS ONE BY MISTAKE. IT IS QUITE LARGER CALENDAR AND YOU HAVE TO SAVE EVERY DAY AND TURN THEM OVER TO CONTINUE THE CALENDAR. THE OTHER PAGE A DAY CALENDAR IS NOT AS INFORMAL AND I JUST LOVE IT. SINCE THEN I HAVE REORDERED THE OTHER CALENDAR.

Not as entertaining as dog a day but still high quality and a valuable product.

This calendar as well as the Cat Gallery calendar are traditional holiday gifts in our family. Every year we have several requests for one or the other. I believe I bought 6 this year! I start getting requests for this back in October/early November. It is the gift that keeps on giving all year. This Gallery edition is far superior to the regular page a day calendar; its' photographs are outstanding!

Koalas: Moving Portraits of Serenity is an impressive book and was obviously a labor of love by its editor, Joanne Ehrich. I am amazed each time I look through the extensive collection of superb photographs. The organization, excellent presentation, and informative text make this a captivating book that you will cherish. Once you get it, you probably won't be satisfied putting it in a bookshelf because it is such a beautiful book to display.

With its wide appeal and outstanding quality, this book makes a great gift! It will be especially welcomed in any home where there are children, but it will be loved by people of all ages. If you have a child or grandchild in school, check the school's library--if they don't have this book, buy an extra copy and donate it.

Browsing through the pages of Koalas: Moving Portraits of Serenity and finding this many photographs of one of the cutest animals on earth is pure magic! I, along with my children, have always been intrigued and fascinated by these unique creatures. This marvelous work is the end product of drive, knowledge, photographic genius, vision, and sheer talent. We will display this book on our bookshelf with pride. Its inception is breathtaking. This book is richly deserving of success.

The 315 photographs by over 100 different photographers are grouped in chapters on various aspects of Australia's koalas such as feeding, types (three), and life cycle. Photographs within each chapter and overall have also been ordered to illustrate the koala's movement along the ground, up tree trunks, among branches, and in some cases with a young koala clinging to a mother's back. In keeping with this, some of the pages have several side-by-side smaller photographs in which the koala's sequence of movements stand out especially. Besides offering an opportunity for viewers to enjoy numerous pictures of the always fetching, cute-looking koala, the work has the aim of presenting a broader picture of the koala to publicize environmental threats to it. Koalas are so gentle and congenitally slow-moving and approachable because with "no natural predators in their distant past, [they] have underdeveloped adrenal glands and therefore did not develop the same flight-or-fight mechanisms" of most other animals. This is but one of the little-known facts found in short introductions to the chapters of this book largely of photographs.

With hundreds of magnificent photos as well as superbly written and very informative text, Koalas: Moving Portraits of Serenity is a sheer delight. The amazing talent of the writer, Joanne Ehrlich, come shining through. Her deep love for these wonderful animals is evident on every page. The book is a treasure, reminding us that we share the planet with many creatures that deserve our continual appreciation and respect. This is an extremely inspiring book.

-Andi Bruno, Yoga Instructor And Meditation Teacher

Foreword by Deborah Tabart, Afterword by Jack Hanna

In America we have come to see the koala (commonly called a koala bear) as a cute, fluffy bear found in Australia. We see it as quintessentially Australian.

But the koala, technically speaking, is not a bear. As it has a pouch for its young it is technically of the marsupial family. Most marsupials are found in Australia, a good number in South America, and the Virginia opossum the only marsupial found in North America. Usually we think of kangaroos, another Australian animal, when we think of marsupials.

The koala also seems to be a laid-back, relaxed animal. It photographs well because it doesn't scare easily. Is this because the koala had no natural enemies? Of course it's trusting nature dooms them today-many Australians have not seen a koala in the wild.

This book is primarily a photo book featuring koalas. Brief text tells us about the koala, it's land, and it's habitat. There are three types of koalas in Australia and each is described with photos so the reader can tell the difference as they are pointed out in the book. In addition is a brief history of the koala and its habits. The enigma that is the koala is even found among the aborigines in Australia. The myths of the aborigines is filled with koala references-I imagine if these stories were gathered in a book you would have a "koala coda." Since koalas rarely drink any water at all, aboriginal folklore suggested that koalas have a knack for stealing water.

This delightful and colorful book brings to our attention the need to preserve the koala for future generations. With scintillating photos and crisp text the reader will come away with a greater appreciation og these serene animals--and a sense of wanting to do what's right to save these precious beings. With a gaze that only a koala can give, how can you not have it in your heart to buy this delightful book and enjoy the many pictures and brief descriptions of the cuddly koala?

I like this book because you can learn how to illuminate a body. I think is a good book, but some of the pictures are bored and they have no force, otherwise it will be a really good book with 5 stars.

Its just a book to know how to lighting, not to see really good pictures, it is by your own.

Nearly 450 pages packed with great images and how to get them. A must for serious figure study photographers. Highly recommended.

As with all Rotovision books, this one is excellent value. More than 450 pages of helpful diagrams, descriptions, and beautiful photographs. Highly recommended!

This is actually a cookbook for lighting setup, which you can learn the terms, the equipments, and posing as well. If you not familar to studio light, you also can know it from some pages on this books. I put it on my desk already, which I can flip it when I need..!!

This is without a doubt my favorite book on nude photography. Its not that it is full of whitty text, or even step by step how to. In fact, to recreate the look of some of these images will require some practice and patience. What I love about this book is how it inspries you with every page.

The pictures are top notch, and the diagrams will help you understand how the shot was performed. I've taken with me on shoots when photographing nudes and shown the model what I am trying to achieve. When I'm in the mood to just flip through a book on photography, this is the one I grab. If I have a shoot sceduled, I flip through to gleam ideas.

If you shoot nudes, want to shoot nudes, or just like looking at classy well thought out nude photography, you have got to buy this book.

Tim Skipper
Vision Photo Image
[...]

I happened to find this paperback version on the bargain shelf at Borders for $5, and I made the decision to buy it just on looking at the first photograph alone. Impulsive? Yeah, but I don't regret it at all. I just bought this book tonight, so I haven't actually read it yet. However, just looking at the photographs was mesmerizing. There are some really incredible trees out there in the world and I think the author has done a great job of capturing some of them. If you don't come across this book on a bargain shelf somewhere don't worry, it is well worth the price that Amazon is asking.

As I recall it, I first saw this book in 1996 or 1997 at the Midnight Special Bookstore in Santa Monica before they closed. The photographs of the trees were the most breathtaking photographs of trees I had ever encountered. I didn't buy the book then, but I remembered it for a long time afterward, and then my husband gave me a copy of it for Christmas a few years ago.

What I particularly like about this book - beside the photographs - is that it contains a Gazetteer at the back which tells the reader where the trees are located, what page they are pictured on, what kind of tree they are and whether they are accessible to the public, whether they are part of the Forest Enterprise or whether they are part of the National Trust. It also gives the reader a designation for Champion trees with full measurements. This is very handy and has saved me from having to pull all this information together myself.

My husband and I are going to be in Surrey this summer and we are looking forward to paying a visit to several of the trees mentioned - in particular - the Crowhurst Yew (pp. 120-21) and the Tandridge Yew (pp. 22-23) located in the churchyard at Tandridge in Surrey. These are probably the most spectacular. There are also several others at Kew Gardens which we are hoping to visit (tulip tree p. 61, hybrid strawberry p. 67, chestnut-leaved oak p. 71, maidenhair (Ginko), p. 83, Chinese wisteria p. 151, as well as the Knap Hill weeping beech p. 155, at the Knapp Hill Nursery in Surrey).

The introduction is very poignant. Pakenham recalls his encounters with trees which prompted him to create this book. He recalls a severe storm in Ireland in January, 1991, which toppled 12 out of 19, of his 200 year old, 100 foot high beech trees which once inhabited his garden - "all had been good friends to five generations of our family." "Why had I not looked at them more carefully before?" he asks.

This is an amazing book from the stunning photographs to the detailed stories about each remarkable tree. It is also scattered with beautifull 18thC etching of illustrated trees that refer to the tree being discussed.I found this book quite beautiful. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about trees. Or to anyone who is looking for great photograhic reference as I was.

Pakenham's Meetings with Remarkable Trees and his Remarkable Trees of the World are portraits, not just pictures, each book documenting the impressive presence of sixty venerable trees from around the world. Pakenham groups them by their histories: Natives, Travelers, Shrines, Fantasies and Survivors. Each is a testimony to the majesty of Nature's creativity, diversity and adaptability.

Pakenham shares the unique history of each of these outstanding personalities, in the context of its species and its struggles for survival - ever threatened by man's over-cutting and under-husbandry of these irreplaceable resources.

Inspirational!

If you need a gift for a nature lover or photographer that you really like, this is the book for them. And get yourself a copy while you're at it.

Briefly, the author takes wonderful photographs of trees that affect and inspire him in Great Britain. Included with each tree is a history of the tree and facts and vignettes associated with the tree. His camera-work is impeccable and if you've ever tried to photograph a whole tree you will recognize the talent and work that have gone into this book.

The writing that accompanies the pictures is compelling and interesting. The author has obviously done his homework.

You can lose yourself for an hour at a time, or you can put this on your coffee table and get compliments from your guests, but have one in your library where you can get inspired and calm at the same time.

Poortvliet provides an unexpected delight in his telling of the Noah's Ark story through the prism of his youth and memories. The drawings are remarkable in their humanity. He has created a book that is a must have for adults, particularly animal lovers, and children to share.

One of the most beautifully illustrated books ever. The artwork is superb and the narrative sublime by someone who appreciates the design in nature. I cant imagine anyone not really treasuring this book, for young and old alike.

The illustrations in this volume are amazing. I love the format. It's much like a personal journal with sketches to enhance the artist's viewpoint. I will definately consider purchasing everything that is available by this author after seeing this beloved work of art.

I have had the larger, original version of this book for thirty years or so, and I wanted to get it for my grandson's fifth birthday. Unfortunately, the larger version was no longer available, but this one filled the bill nicely. It is a perfect size, and it has perfect content for bedtime stories. Plus, none of the excellent pages was left out. Rien Poortvliet is a magnificent artist, and a thoughtful one, at that.

AWESTRUCK is the only word to describe my reaction to this magnificently beautiful book! It is a huge collection of Poortvliet's master quality artwork in a stunning coffee table book. The thoughtfully executed art gives evidence of the artist's heart toward the subject matter. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

This is a book for all the pug lovers out there...I enjoyed all the pictures and stories about people just as obsessed with pugs as I am. Highly Recommended.

Pugs are a unique breed and if you like Pugs or know someone who does they will LOVE this book! It is gorgeous with many great pictures of Pugs all over New York. It doesn't have much information on the breed but that is not the point of it, its a small coffee table book with some lovely anecdotes about Pugs. I am away from home at uni so when I miss my Pug I flip through this book!
I definitely recommend it!

I purchased this book few weeks ago and it is already one of favorite pug books in my personal collection. I am a friend (instead of being called a master or an owner) of several pugs since I was about 8 years old. Now two of them are living with me. Pug is an amazing creature and I have been trying to make others understand why I feel what I feel about pugs. This book is a wonderful way to show others the amazing Pug world!

This book contains pics of pugs. Pugs are perfect. Need I say more??

Nice book about and for people who pamper their Pugs. Not intended to be a "useful training tool" (I don't know where the reviewer below got the impression that it was supposed to be..!) but just a cute fluffy book about a select group of upscale NYC pugs and their eccentric owners. Photos and more info of "Pug Hill" in Central Park would have been nice (but perhaps too common?). Makes a good mini-coffee table book or x-mas gift for your uppity Pug pals.

Absolutely stunning photography, the kind of book people will pick up from your cofee table and become engrossed in. Makes a fabulous gift for someone even remotely interested in the sea/scuba diving ect...The accompanying DVD is worth the price alone. Great addition to any one's home, and the best gift book you can give

As a diver, I have long said that it is sad that the experience of being within coral reefs can't be communicated by photography, film and video. Well, that was before "reef". What a truly rewarding experience it is to repeatedly view and read this wonder. And, it's comparatively inexpensive for such a large high quality publication, too. I also like the fact that part of the proceeds from sales go to the Coral Reef Alliance for saving our planet's threatened coral reefs. Buy this book for yourself, your family and the local schools and library. For me it really is that good.

If you love scuba diving then you will enjoy this book. It includes a beautiful DVD with great music as you watch the fish.Informative pictures and expression of reef and the living creatures contained there. Very enjoyable.

I checked this book out from the library, but now I want it for my OWN! The pictures are beautiful and the DVD is a great bonus.

This book is more than I expected. And the bonus was the DVD. Soooo many U/W videos are poorly managed, filled with backscatter and murky green. This was obviously done by people who wanted to produce a book and DVD which stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Clearly worth the price.

This is really a must-have. Very detailed in a clear and direct language. Excellent for every level of watercolor painters!

This is a really great book on watercolor. It is full of wonderful tips and explanations of how to achieve many simple to advanced effects. It also explains why certain colors are better to mix with others for the results you want. It is also amazingly readable. I set it by my reading chair and I am drawn to pick it up and read just for interest. I am learning so much. FYI- I have lots of knowledge about art, but am a beginning to intermediate watercolorist.

This book offers great advice on landscape painting so, If you've wanted to paint plein air with watercolors, this is the book for you.

This book contains valuable techniques for the creation of landscape features in watercolor. It is perhaps a bit overwhelming for the absolute beginner, but for anyone who has a little experience with watercolors and is motivated to improve, it's a great book!

This has some great step-by-step lessons for creating different effects in a landscape watercolor. The only criticism I have of it is the drab coloring in many of the examples.