Themes Books

Stephen Mitchell's translation is a great intro to the Tao. Simple, a little convoluted at times and yet somehow straight to the point. I bought this illustrated hardcopy as a gift and keep a text version as my guide.

I have come to have a fondness and deep appreciation for Mitchell's work and choices of subjects. I bought this translation because of high praise for it hidden in one of Jim Harrison's poems. This version is, perhaps, the most readable of all I have encountered. Many people find it inspiring and that must be why it is such an acclaimed translation. Having dealt with a dozen or so translations and the texts behind them, I do note that Mitchell takes some liberties. His is a very idiomatic translation, which often reads better than word-for-word literalness, the latter often proving too wooden to be enjoyable or clear. And Mitchell might even omit a few phrases or add one here or there. But the spirit is all Lao Tzu. Also, the volume is full of the most exquisite ancient Chinese illustrations, making it the most beautiful of any of my Tao Te Chings.

Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way) has long been referenced by those who seek to understand the Eastern philosophy of the harmony of the universe. In simple, eloquent verse this collection of poems (though there are those who would object to the 'poem' label) the secrets to shedding the self with its attendant judgment, desire, and critique provide the guide for finding oneness with the cosmos.

Steven Mitchell is the translator of these ancient texts and his sensitivity to the poetic flow of the concepts and instructions enhance this version of the TAO TE CHING. And as if that weren't sufficient reason to make this your access to these ageless meditations, this book is an 'illustrated version', tastefully combined with old Chinese drawings and paintings that allow the eye to roam while digesting the moments of beauty of the words.

This book becomes a constant companion for those who look to make sense of the world and its chaos. If ever there were the perfect gift for the friends in your life, this elegant little book is surely one of the best. Grady Harp, March 05.

In this version, Peg Streep edits James Legge's 19th century translation. The editing is a major bonus, as it adds something
to the overall flow of the work. Here is an example of the poetry of the words: "Abstinence from speech marks him who obeys the spontaneity of his nature." Whereas countless other translations are well worth the read, the text in this edition offers something every bit as beautiful as the artwork that accompanies it.

If every philosophy or religion had a book like this, it would be much easier to appreciate and perhaps even enjoy the diversity of belief among humankind. Mitchell captures the simplicity and straightforwardness of the text, and what we get is a incredibly beautiful book of verse. Some scriptures and cornerstone philosophy texts try to argue their way into your head; the Tao, especially as translated by Mitchell and coupled with stunning artwork, effortlessly works to seduce its way into the core of your being.

When you put the book down, you may disagree with many components of the Tao's underlying philosphy. But during the short time you live between the book's covers, it is a joy to enter the rhythmic flow of the Tao and put skepticism on hold.

Being a semi retired photographer and a former medical tech. I say Ms. Olson hit the nail on the head. This book is an anthology of how women see them selfs and to awaken the people of the world that we all need to take time to appreciate our own bodies and when looking at others to look deeper than the surface and don't be so judgemental. The media has put pressure on both men and women that you must look like this or your not worth anything.
I have photographed both men and women clad an unclad and unclud (nude) when they get comfortable the radiate which brings out the inner beauty.
I would strongly suggest this book to people I know and anyone else that might ask.

This is a lovely book that will appeal to many, especially to women aware of or working on body-image issues. The wide range of ages (up to age 95) and body types, as well as each woman's text that accompanies the photo, help create the wide appeal. A photographer-friend loved how well the photos capture the unique beauty of each woman. The short personal vignettes bring up wide-ranging body issues including self-esteem, health, strength, and outer vs inner beauty. When the book arrived, my daughter (age 21) and I (55) looked at it together. We both found it amazing. The photos are art-quality, and the book contains such good messages that I leave it on display in the living room. Rosanne Olson has provided a great service (to both women and men) by turning her insights about beauty into published reality.

"I think if people are graceful and have some peace within them, then they are beautiful." Ellen, 52 (page 108)


Rosanne Olsen's book, This Is Who I Am is an absolute must read.* The pages are filled with women, each beautiful and courageous, and their thoughts about bodies and beauty. Every woman's story resonates in me. "I could have written that." "That was me." "That is me." "Will that be me?"

This book is a reflection of me. Of every woman.

I have yet to meet a woman who is completely in love with herself, her body, her being. The women in Ms. Olsen's book are no different.

And yet, their words are inspiring. Full of hope as they each strive for peace.

While each woman's words echoed in me, the most profound statement which sums up the theme of this book came from Jami, a wise woman at 19, "Perfection is a myth." (page 69)

Perfection most definitely is a myth. Beauty is found in the imperfections. In the wrinkles and cracks, scars and sags. It's in these "blemishes" that our uniqueness lies. Our uniqueness is what makes us beautiful. Each and every one of us.

Rosanne Olsen celebrates this uniqueness in the pages of this book. Her skill with the camera captured each woman's soul with gentleness and respect. The women glowed from the pages, making their words come alive. I could hear each woman speak to me, through their eyes, their expressions, their body positions.

I found myself talking to these women.
To Rae Ellen, 59 (page 56), who described her attempts to lose weight over the years, I cried, "You're beautiful just as you are! Stop the dieting cycle. Stop the yoyo!"
To LaRae, 25 (page 58), when I read, "Maybe I can inspire women everywhere to love themselves, no matter their size, naked or clothed," I shouted, "ROCK ON!"
To Susan, 48 (page 86), who wrote "It frustrates me that this is a lifetime challenge: the tongue versus the chin, the taste buds versus the circumference of my thighs." I moaned, "No! I refuse to believe that it has to be that way. I refuse to believe that one has to choose deprivation to be healthy."

The women in This Is Who I Am are powerful. Each is amazing. It is only fitting that Ms. Olsen chose to end this book with Maya Angelou's poem, "Phenomenal Woman." Each of these women are indeed phenomenal. I applaud their courage in showing themselves to the world - emotionally and physically.

I applaud Rosanne Olsen for her bravery. For showing to the world that beauty is inside each and every one of us.

Every woman should have a copy of this book. She then needs to share it with her children, grandhcildren, nieces, friends' children ... The photography is incredible and the personal reflections are poignant, timeless and moving. I purchased five additional copies as gifts. My only regret is I'm not in it!

That model on the cover, Dana, could you ever believe that she has doubts about her loveliness? Her brief blurb about herself sounds far less than certain about the incredible beauty of a perfectly ordinary woman like her. That is a crime and a tragedy, one that this collection confronts directly.

The models range from 19 to 95, with every decade between represented. Constance, age 80, peers back at the viewer with an elfin smile. Kia, at 37, stares off with a gaze that seems far older than her face and figure. Moods of the other models range in every direction. Emily, an archetype of blonde slederness, battles betrayal by her body as genetic lung disease takes its toll on her. Mothers and mothers-to-be bring children to the images they use to define themselves. Beautiful women from East Asian families talk about how they were too tall, or curvy, or tawny, or strong to be worth a second look back home - what a difference a continent makes!

Beauty does not mean being pretty, although the two do appear together some times. Instead, it's about the varied and complicated lives people live, and about the figures and features from every corner of the human planet. It's about all of people's ages too. I wish all women happy loves in their lives, however long they live. For that to happen, the woman and the one who loves her must love her look at every age, and after every demand on her body. This book is really about loving all those looks.

-- wiredweird

I want to thank Stephen Ashley for writing a book through the eyes of the disabled so that we can finally enjoy going to walt disney world with our families. The time taken by the author, obviously alot of time, actual experiences and accurate accounts of the different aspects of the park make this book a must have for anyone with a disability or going with a family member, friend or someone with a disability. This wonderful book will make walt disney world a wonderful trip which could not have happened otherwise.

Loved this book. Having Fibromialgia myself and with the back pain both of us suffer this book is just what we needed to plan for our trip.
We now have both ordered ECV's from one of the offsite rentals as recommended in the book. This is not only saving us money but lots of problems trying to get them from the limited supply at Disney.
Even changed the resort we planned to stay at and took their suggestions regarding room placement and calling ahead.
Also helped us determine which rides we can enjoy.
Highly recommend this book for anyone with physical issues that's planning a trip to Disney World.

I discovered this great book last Spring, and I love it so much I'm ordering the revised edition! Mr. Ashley does a wonderful job in explaining what to expect. On our last visit to Disney World, my sister, who has Down's Syndrome and isn't able to walk long distances, came along. This was our first experience dealing with a wheelchair at Disney. While it is very true that Disney World is probably the best place to vacation if you or a family member has disabilities, the amount of knowledge needed to easily navigate all the parks, shops, restaurants, and attractions is immense. Other guide books were helpful, but oh how I wish I had had this one then! It literally takes you through each attraction and park and tells you how to manage, not only with a wheelchair, but with other health issues also. We go back in January, and I'm looking forward to a much more relaxed and fun trip this time! Thank you Stephen and Sarah for sharing your experiences!

This book has lots of good suggestions for visiting Disney World with a disability. I liked that they had good descriptions of the rides so you can judge for yourself if the ride will be appropriate for certain disabilities. We had a great trip and used a lot of the tips in this book.

I book a lot of Disney World vacations for clients and bought this book as a resource that I figured I would use occasionally. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and scope of issues addressed within the book. The authors did a really good job of listing every attractions and describing elements that might create an issues for guests with various needs.

For example - you expect a book specializing in disabilities to address wheelchair access and loading proceedures. You don't automatically assume that it will mention that a musty smell might be an issue for someone with respiratory issues or that a strobe light might be an issue for an epileptic or a migrain sufferer.

Instead of using the book from time-to-time, I've found myself flipping through it regularly to help clients address a wide spectrum of issues - both mild and serious - and even to warn parents about frightening componants of various attractions. The book also has a lot of information for guests with food allergies.

This book will be a fantastic resource for the individual traveler but it is also a great ready reference for travel agents who really try to go the extra mile to insure a good experience for their clients.

Do not be deceived by its appearance. This is in no sense a "coffee table book" except that you will want to have it near at hand on prominent display. Credit Mark Vancil and Alfred Santasiere III with selecting and editing a wealth of information and photographs (most in vivid full-color) that create quite literally both a comprehensive biography and multi-dimensional portrait of Yankee Stadium. Various contributors provide individual retrospective analyses of these segments:

In "A Walk Through Time" (Pages 16-35), Santasiere allows the reader "to take a gander at the ballpark itself" " during an extensive tour (e.g. ushers, the press box, George Steinbrenner's office and its various collection of memorabilia, the stadium's "frieze," the playing field, the clubhouse, the manager's office, the dugout, and Monument Park. The quality of the photographs in this section comes about as close as photographs can to making the viewer feel as if she or he were actually roaming throughout the stadium in person. In this section and in all others, the crisp copy that accompanies the photos creates a context for each.

In "The Birth of a Ballpark" (Pages 36-75), Bob Klapich reviews the team's history since 1912 when its name was the Hilltoppers (the team's home field was Hilltop Park) and finished in last place. Renamed the Yankees, they later played their home games at the Polo Grounds (also home of the Giants), were also-rans from 1916-1920, acquired George Herman ("Babe") Ruth from the Boston Red Sox, and finally the franchise had a permanent home when Yankee Stadium was built. The opening day was April 18, 1923. Construction requirement included removal of 45,000 cubic yards of dirt, 800 tons of rebar, 2,300 tons of mechanical steel, 116,000 square feet of sod, 13,000 yards of topsoil, 950,000 three million board feet of lumber for the bleachers, and 284 days to complete. There are dozens of archival photos of various stages of construction. Also included in this section are "First Person" reminiscences such as those provided by Ray Robinson, Phil Rizzuto Mario Cuomo, and Ernie Acorsi, Regis Philbin, Michael Bloomberg, and Dan Quale.

In "Iconic Moments at the Stadium" (Pages 76-137), Klapich provides a retrospective commentary on Lou Gehrig's memorable farewell and then Babe Ruth's farewell eight years later, the 1928 game when Knute Rockne's Notre Dame team defeated favored Army 12-8 and won it "for the Gipper," Frank Gipp, Joe DiMaggio's record of getting a hit in 56 consecutive games (a record that still stands 67 years later), Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers (with a mini-commentary provided by Dick Young), arguably the greatest NFL game ever when the Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants in overtime for the league championship in 1958 (23-17), Joe Louis' defeat of Max Schmeling (1938) and Muhammad Ali's defeat of Ken Norton (1976), Roger Maris' 61st homerun in 1961 to break Babe Ruth's record of 60 in 1927 (with a mini-commentary provided by Phil Pepe), Pope Paul VI's visit in 1965, the Army-Notre Dame football game in 1946 (with a mini-commentary provided by Johnny Lujack), and Pope Paul II's visit in 1979 (with a mini-commentary provided by Edward Cardinal Egan). Once again, as elsewhere throughout the book, the photographs are stunning.

In "Yankee Stadium Baseball History" (Pages 138-185), Bill Madden reviews some of the greatest highlights of a history that is probably unsurpassed among Major League Baseball in terms of great players, great games, and memorable moments. The reader is briefed on "Home Run Factoids" accompanied by "First Person" observations by Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Jerry Coleman, Lou Piniella, Chris Chambliss, Reggie Jackson, David Cone, George H. W. Bush (whose son threw out the first pitch - a strike - during the third game of the 2001 World Series following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon), Derek Jeter, Paul O'Neil, Tino Martinez, Scott Brosius, Brian Cashman, Joe Torre, Dave Winfield, Paul McCartney, Whitey Ford, and Jose Pasada. I identify these contributors because almost all of them were directly involved in some of the memorable moments while playing or managing some of the greatest Yankee teams. Again, the photographs are superb.

In Section Four, "America's Amphitheater" (Pages 186-230), Ira Berkow takes a somewhat different approach as he reviews impressions of first visits to Yankee Stadium and favorite memories of it that are shared in "First Person" reminiscences by Bobby Murcer, Rich Gossage, the Rev. Billy Graham, Don Mattingly, Bill Clinton, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Lance Armstrong, Steve Richardson, Charlie Weis, Frank Gifford, Jim Brown, Don Shula, Sam Huff, Roger Clemens, Bob Sheppard, Alex Ridriguez, Bert Randolph Sugar (who also lists what he considers to be the ten most memorable fights), Angelo Dundee, and Ron Guidry.

No commentary such as this could possibly do full justice to the scope and depth of the text, nor to the quality and diversity of the photographs that are seamlessly integrated with the narrative. Perhaps the best way to express my appreciation of this book is to say that if it were only a text without photographs, I would rate it Five Stars and wish there were a higher rating available. And if it were only a collection of photographs with brief captions, I would have the same opinion when rating it. Thank you, Mark Vancil, Alfred Santasiere III, and your associates.

I gave this to my son for his birthday present and he loved it. Lots of pictures and historical data.

All true NYY fans will love this book. This "coffee table" book has great insight into the history of Yankee Stadium. The photography alone is worth the price of the book - it makes you realize what a tremendous part of baseball, and history, this stadium has been. The interviews and memories of many great Hall Of Famers and future Hall Of Famers are a joy to read. I highly recommend this retrospective on an American treasure. What a loss!!!

The book is a very excellent book; it is very worthwhile for N.Y. Yankee fans. I am glad that I have it.

Thanks again.

This book made a Great Father's Day Gift,my husband who is a Yankee fan
enjoys it.

I was very pleased with this book. I've been wanting to buy it in hardback and found it for 4 times less than at the bookstore.

It is a great family-friendly photojournalistic approach to catching America at home, no matter what 'home' might be.
Great book!

I have spent hours of enjoyment with this book....losing myself in faces and places unknown to me, yet at the same time hauntingly familiar. Rick Smolan has captured America at the very time when so many of us feel we are losing a connection to the vitality and promise of our country. But in every page and every essay, there are precious reminders of where our strength for the future lies...in America's people and in our homes an communities. Thank you, Rick Smolan.....

I have followed Rick Smolan's books for many years. This book touched me as few others have done. My Czech wife often seems to miss the diversity of the true America. I think all of us that have suffered these past 8 years where we might not have felt proud of our country can find something to feel proud of in this book. Here one can see so clearly and beautifully the diversity, the imagination, the love of family and friends that we who have grown up in America hold to be the true America. I shared this book with my wife who I think was quite surprised to see how many America's there are and to see what the true fabric of our society looks like beyond the slick magazines and endless TV glitz.

This is a book that you can give to someone who wants to see and better understand what America is truly about.

A beautiful and elegant celebration of american life at home.
The authors also offer a great way to personalize the outer cover of the book with your own pictures. Very cool!! Customizing the cover makes a great conversation piece for your home as well as a great gift for friends and family.

I love the warmth of this book. I travel the world and am disturbed by the misconceptions many foreigners have of us here at home. (I can't say I blame them with the present administration having devastated our reputation and the relentless negative news reports.)
I would love to share this book with everyone abroad. It paints honest, touching, personal, everyman images of true Americans in all sorts of everyday activities in their homes.
Whether as a gift to people abroad or enjoyed with friends and family, this beautiful book presents who we are as everyday people. Honest, simple, good, loving Americans.
Thanks to Rick and Jennifer.

Received it as a gift and it sits on my coffee table (always viewed by guests). I bought it for my stepdad who said "It's a great toilet book--I read an entry every day."

I purchased this as a gift for a friends 15 year old daughter (who has become a huge Beatles fan). When she opened it up, her eyes said it all...she absolutely loved the photo's and the captions for each picture. I thought it was literally one page/ picture for each day of the calendar year...so I went to look for June 15...and it wasn't there, but there were about 4 pages on June 8. So it does add up to 365 days and crosses the years from 1964-1970, but if you are like me and wanted to see what the Beatles were doing on your birthday, you might not get to find out. But it's a great book and a great gift.

Absolutely stunning! Beautiful and personal photos that covers all four with stunning acuracy.

This book is an absolute treasure and worth every penny of the steep price I payed for it.The pictures are large and extremely high quality and most of them are in vivid color.Another wonderful thing is the fact that they are in chronological order,almost day by day from the end of 1962 to 1970.This is perfect for students of the Beatles because it gives an accurate visual history of the band to suppliment all of the written histories.This leads me to another important point.Anyone with eyes knows that not only is the music great but The Fab Four were indeed VERY nice to look at!And I don't think you have to be a woman,as I most certainly am,to notice that!This book is alot of fun.Because of the date order you see that Paul is wearing the same shirt almost two days in a row on their 1966 American tour!Wonder what happened?! Didn't Neil get to the local cleaners?No clean shirts left?I bet Paul was less than thrilled.To see their clothing styles change every 6 months or so is also interesting.The pictures of the concerts are fantastic especially the color ones.Some of them are large closeups.It also includes some of Bob Whiticker's beautiful photos.He took some of the best pictures of the Fabs and I don't mean the silly Butcher shots.This book should be in every Beatlemaniac's collection.

Excellent book with hundreds of rare photos.
High quality paper.
Recomended.

Written by a hard core Blythe fan, this book contains many full color pictures of the Blythe doll in real-life settings. The doll becomes more interesting as you look at the pictures. While I am NOT a fan of the Blythe doll, this book showed me why so many doll collectors have found her so fascinating, leading to her being re-made in Japan and gathering many more fans through out the world. This book was a labor of love for the photographer/author.

I think I got into Blythe dolls after seeing so many of clothes and accessories made for them on etsy.com. I bought this book to get some ideas on how to dress up my dolls and I just thought it was so cute! Some of the outfits are really great and a few are just out there. Overall, this is a great book to flip through. I gave it 4 stars because I think it would be really cool if they showed us the process of creating the looks for these dolls.

This is a fine book. All of the images make you suddenly forget they are dolls; you start feeling like watching models displaying designer clothes.
If you like Blythe, this is a must.
The edition is excellent.
Mint item...!

If you love Blythe dolls -- or dolls in general -- you will certainly love this book. It's got really creative photos of Blythe dolls. Very imaginative and well-done book!

I own a Blythe doll, which just recently arrived here at home after a lot of research on my part. I know about face types ("superior and "radiant"), the different companies who are allowed to reproduce the dolls (which were originally released in 1972 for one year only, by Kenner), customization of Blythe dolls, and the best websites to read tutorials on that, and where to find outfits for my new, fantastic Blythe!

As you may have guessed by now I am a "reading-type" person! Because of this, I felt that it would be fun and important to also add the books which photographer Gina Garan had created, to my Blythe collection.

The way the story goes, Gina received an original Kenner Blythe doll as a gift from someone who felt that Blythe looked like Gina. Gina began taking her on photoshoots and practicing taking pictures using her as a model. Shortly Gina was never without her. Since that time Blythe has travelled the world with Gina, making each of them famous both in the fashion arena and in charity work as well. Many of the Blythes in this wonderful book are dressed by top couture designers, and were later shown off in Vogue Nippon magazine, ultimately to be auctioned off to support children's charities. How great! The introduction to this book explains how that came about and is written by Junko Wong, a lovely person who met up with Gina and really got much of the interest in the Blythe phenomenon to grow.

As a mother of two children with severe dsabilities (and five sons in total!), I am always gratified to read about events which raise money for children's charities of all sorts!
However, that is actually beside the point in one sense. This book stands on its own as an elegant testimonial to a fantastic, personality packed creation...the doll who is Blythe.

Blythe dolls have four different eye colors! What you do is pull a string on the back of her head to make her eyes click to a different color. She has two "straight ahead" colors, then there is one which looks off to the right, and one which looks off to the left. One of the "straight ahead" colors is what is called the "main color". In the case of my doll, it is described as a "mysterious purple" color. I love all of her eye colors and they do change her expression and personality. Add a collection of doll clothes, such as the great ones you can get through Gina's own website, www.thisisblythe.com, which I thoroughly recommend, and you will be having the time of your life dressing up your own doll, photographing her, if you enjoy that, or just..loving her.

If you don't want to spend the money on a doll, buy this book instead! Or consider this other book This is Blythe, by Gina as well, available here on Amazon.com . Gina has captured every expresssion, every mood, every situation you might imagine coming up in a doll's daily life. She has accomplished it in a thoroughly charming, beautifully photographed manner!

If you have never seen Paris, see it with Blythe as your companion! Feel like a day at the beach? Blythe does, too!

Quiet times, dress-up times, visits to foreign countries galore; you will have a ball with Blythe at your side. I totally recommend this book and would not be without it. I love my doll, and I love Gina Garan for rediscovering the treasure that is Blythe!

Ina Saltz, Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh (Abrams Image, 2006)

The idea of an all-text tattoo is brilliant. I can't believe I never thought of it. A lot of people, however, have, and Ina Saltz has made a project out of documenting these tattoos. The result (at least, up till now) is Body Type, a fine book of photography depicting these tattoos, with the expected short captions containing explanations by the owners of the tattoos about their reasons for getting them. (These are, at times, unintentionally hilarious.)

As enamored as I am of the idea behind the book, I'm not as much so where some of the actual photographs are concerned. Many of them are nicely done, but there are a few that just don't work; too dark, too light, too washed out, too something, depending on the photograph. Not a good thing in a book of photography, one thinks. Still, there are enough good photographs here depicting such an excellent idea that it's still worth your time. *** ½

This book has thousands of clearly photographed tattoos for inspiration, they may also serve as a "What not to get" sample.

If you are into typography, the personal meanings of words, or tattoos, this is an excellent book. The photos focus on the words, not the people wearing them, but the descriptions of the tattoos from the owners bring it back to the people. There are also a few discussions about typeface choices that show that at least some of the owners really thought about it.

This book is fabulous for all the reasons Ina outlines in her introduction. I was not prepared for it to be both philosophical and intimate. I love it. It is inspirational. And I abhor tattoos.

Although this charming little book is a quick read, it deserves to be returned to many times, to really admire and appreciate all of the unique, amazing, and well-done tattoos on display therein. In recent years, the old stereotypes of body modifications and the people who get them have been changing for the better. This book can only help in that endeavor. Far from displaying a bunch of bikers, criminals, delinquents, soldiers, and sailors, the type of people who are stereotypically associated with tattoos, these are people from a wide range of walks of life. Many of them are professionals and educated, and all put a lot of thought into these tattoos. And far from being the stereotypical fare of skulls, hearts, roses, and pin-ups girls, the tattoos themselves are also from a very diverse sampling.

The book was inspired by a typographic tattoo which Ms. Saltz saw on the subway one day, and after that discovery (which her subject happily let her photograph), she began seeing more and more tattoos that contained words, letters, and typographical symbols instead of the more standard traditional pictorial images. These people used a wide variety of typefaces for these tattoos, and sometimes even designed their own typefaces. I loved the ambiagram tattoos, the ones designed in a typeface that lets the word be read the same upside-down as it is when viewed rightside-up. People have gotten tattoos containing loved ones' names (very unique was the woman who got her blind lover's name tattooed in Braille on the top of the back of her neck), quotations from Shakespeare, the Bible, movies, songs (the story behind the 33 people who had the first 33 words of Holland's national anthem tattooed on them was a very interesting one, reflecting not only the diversity of the nation but also how much the Dutch love their country), popular quotations, works of literature, and other things which inspire them. One of my favorite word tattoos was the one containing the opening line of 'The Divine Comedy,' in the original Middle Italian, since I also find the opening lines of that long epic poem to be very beautiful, moving, and inspiring. The tattoos are also categorised into such divisons as love, self-love, self-expression, politics, religion, and personal beliefs.

Overall, this is a great small-sized coffeetable book full of great photography of a very unique subject. One doesn't need to have a tattoo or tattoos oneself to appreciate the photographs; I can't get a tattoo due to my religious beliefs, but I greatly admired all of the workpersonship and personal meaning that went into thinking up, designing, and executing these amazing tattoos, and even saw some I'd like to have myself if I were allowed to have a tattoo. I'd love for there to be a second volume, particularly because this one didn't include my own favoritest typefaces, Palatino and Bookman!

The photographer has really captured the feel of Ellis Island. A visit to the island is a must for people visiting New York. Whether this was the first stop for your ancestors on their arrival to the new world, or they came through other ports of entry, I think the general experiences were the same. All the feelings of expectation, fear, joy or the disappointment of making such a long journey only to be detained or turned back while in sight of the "promised land" are tangible in Stephen Wilkes' images.

As an artist, I purchased this after my artist friend showed it to me, to use as a guide for selecting particular colors and/or color combinations in abstract paintings. It is amazing that the light in the photos has been captured as it truly was--not altered or enhanced with SW to convey a particular mood. Everyone I have showed this to has been propelled to stop and look through every image in the book--it draws you in as you flip through the pages. The colors portray emotion. Content is one of a kind. Highly recommended.

I found this book to be stunning and thought provoking-I wondered about how frightened and angry immigrants must have been to be treated in such a way after what they went through before.

The pictures speak of the passing of time with such a quietness. One can only imagine the complete opposite when Ellis Island was a sea of humanity speaking and crying and hoping while glimpsing NY's famed skyline so nearby. So many hopes realized, so many unfulfilled.

I Love this book, the pictures are beautiful, the design and layout make the pictures and quotes very moving. As a photographer I admire the quality of the work, and the bright vivid prints. I love that most of the images are full pages, sometimes spread across two pages, with small text labeling the room, or part of the property. There are no frames, page designs, or paragraphs to take away from the imagery. For more information and details the photographer includes a section of thumbnails with descriptions, stories about the room, or the shooting conditions, or even bitd of history. The thumbnails and text are at the back of the book with an arial shot and map showing the layout of the buildings. It really helps to peice together the history of Ellis Island. The quotes including add to the emotion behind the images, and I like that they were on parchment paper, so that you can see the pictures behind it. The books are being enjoyed by me and my mother, who is very interested in the hostory of Ellis Island, while I enjoy it for the photography. Great book to own, everyone should have a copy.

If you're interested in Tibetan Buddhist iconography for whatever reason you can't go wrong with this detailed book. The author's original illustrations provide a wealth of examples of images in Tibetan art, and the text provides rich historical and doctrinal background for understanding why the symbols are important. Highly recommended.

Recieved the book promptly and in the condition promised. The book is an excellent source book. It does suffer from being without an index, for which the author apologizes. A source book without index is less than it should be. Still the images are excellent, and I assume the text is accurate. The author has spent a good portion of his working life in preparation: studying with Tibetan artists and craftspeople; and, becoming accomplished at rendering the brush drawings in an authentic manner. A good compaion book, especially as this does not have a index, is the "Handbook" by the same author

It's a more interesting and authoritative reference for this subject matter. This is due to Rinpoche being a qualified (I emphasise the word 'qualified') Lama and Tibetan scholar. Also at no point does Rinpoche compromise Tibetan Buddhism by giving away restricted information.

I love this book. Having found it a few years back at a tattoo shop in Santa Cruz, California, I was only able to look at it for a short time but I was able to gain so much knowledge as to the wealth of designs and deep meaning found in Tibetan art. This book stayed in my mind thereafter. Here it is a few years and a couple tattoos later and the book resurfaced on Amazon. Great price, great condition and prompt service. This book is great for one who has interest in Tibetan art and it's symbolic nature. The concepts are well articulated and with each 'type' placed into a different chapter it makes refrencing quite simple. If you are interested, get this book!

Great book, with lots of details. If you are interested in tibetan handicrafts, here you can get any tibetan design you can imagine.