Studios Books

Why hasn't someone thought of this subject before?!. Nobody ever thinks about dog compatibiliy based on astrological signs. People consider everthing else such as size, temperment, looks, but not personality compatibility. This book is a fast smart read that answers that question. I'm getting a Pug with a Gemini birthday. Let's go, breeder!!!
Phil S. Huntington Woods Mi.
P.S. The photos of dogs are terriffic,also!

I came across this book on myspace and thought the crazy dog lovers have really stretched it this time. As a sane dog lover and closet horoscope whore myself, I must say the concept of Dog Stars got me a bit curious. The photos on their myspace page are exceptional, I was sold. I was quite surprised by how closely this book describes my Cancer dog who is super sensitive, moody, cranky, loving and nurturing all at the same time.

I am a HUGE dog lover and my friend couldn't wait till Christmas to give this book to me. She dogsits for me frequently and knows my dog very well. I thought the book was cute and silly at first until I read my dog's chapter. I was floored! I have a weimie who happens to be a Virgo and it's him, word for word! The compatibility guide for us is also right on! This book is witty and hilarious, a dog lover's must have!

I received this book as a gift and am thrilled with it. It's unusual, fun and offers an eye-opening look at my relationship with my best friend, Koko. The photographs are beautiful. A great gift!

This fun book has the most beautiful pictures of dogs I have ever seen. The book is very informative and funny at the same time. It made me understand my dog's personlity even better!

My daughter loves this book. She plays the songs everyday. She now knows all the characters from Sesame Street. The pop ups are great but just a little flimsy.

My [...] son received this book for his birthday and it became a fast favorite. He loves to push the buttons and listen to the music. He also quickly found the "stop" button and likes to stop the music if he doesn't like my singing--then he laughs. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

My son received this as a first birthday present and still reads it everyday (7 months later!) The pop-ups are all torn, but he loves the music. This is one of his favorite books!

Elmo is everyone's favorite character come alive in this musically interactive book.

My 19 month old daughter LOVES this book! She spends more time with this book than anything else. I wish they would make more books like this. I would definitely recommend this book!!! Not only keeps your child busy but gives mom some quiet time. :)

This book doesn't contain a lot of jargon. It has pictures of how to do things and explains things in non-technical terms. Great for beginners but also useful as a refresher when you haven't used some aspect for awhile. Well laid out index so easy to find what your looking for. These people have done a good job. Hope they bring out another one more advanced.

I had no idea what the interface looked like or ANY idea about how to use 3DS Max; I just knew I want to learn how to do animations.

Well, I know this book isn't going to have me making 3D animation movies, but it does give a great insight into the program's basics.

Lots of hands-on exercises, just as I like. Lots of pictures too. The authors do an excellent job of spelling out the basics and telling you exactly what you need to do to complete an excerise. And, as you move further along in the book, they "neglect" to tell you how to do something they've already covered - just like a teacher would do in class. It forces you to explore, reread (if you don't understand a subject) and practice with the program - what you need to do if you're ever going to learn to use 3DS Max.

A very well written book about the basics of 3DS Max 7.

I highly recommend this book to the beginning 3ds max student. It was very helpful to me, as it explained more of the basics and gave more detail behind the steps. Also, the tutorials frequently used diffent tools to accomplish the same task. This showed how to use the graphical interface, quad-menus, toolbars, etc.

I found it the best of several books I bought to get my feet wet with 3ds max. It really helped with some of the basic lighting and material concepts. While, this book doesn't even begin to touch all the features of 3ds max, it was a great primer and I'm glad I read it.

This book is perfect for those just getting started in 3ds Max 7. There are a lot of easy to follow screen shots to accompany the text so it is possible to still follow along when you're not in front of your computer. It is written with plenty of step by step explanations of what you are doing and why as well as a great accompanying disk to help with tutorials. It even tackles some of the more difficult aspects of 3d modeling such as composition, the dreaded material editor (it even throws in a side bar about UVW unwrapping) and lighting. It is written with the beginner in mind and does a great job explaining concepts and procedures without insulting your intelligence. It may, however, be a little below intermediate users, it can be a great tool to brush up on fundamentals. I can't recommend this book enough for those looking to get their feet wet in MAX.

The book by Till & O'Connell is great for newcomers simply because it doesn't attempt to give you too much information but only what new users might need to learn the basics of max 7. I had never turned on max 7 and within a week I was amazed as to how much I had learned without having any previous experience with 3d softwares. This should be the first book you buy if you are starting from scratch with max 7.

The full-page illustrations in this book are simply stunning. The soft pastels blend with the glittering jeweltones, and the fantasy settings and gorgeous characters are sumptuously detailed. Each plate is a work of art and suitable for framing; believe me, if you have a color scanner/printer you'll be grateful. Notes at the end of the book inform us that the illustrations are reproduced from the original gouache paintings, and the pages are in heavy glossy paper.

There are four tales in this volume: The Firebird, Maria Morevna, Vassilissa the Fair, The Snow Maiden.

The pictures will take your breath away. The stories are charming and well translated (from an older Russian translated into French volume), but you will probably be too taken away by the glorious art to really pay much attention to the not-really-for-small-children fairy tales.

The illustrations in this volume are lush and expressive-- Baba Yaga is truly a sight to see. Boris Zvorykin's vivid imagination perfectly complements the stories, bringing them to life without overshadowing them. Of all the books I read as a child, this is no doubt one of the most memorable and most touching.

I grew up with this book, a gift from my grandmother, and the illustrations by Zvorykin and the stories are as beautiful as any I've ever seen. It is not for preschoolers, however--the language is appropriate for mid-later elementary school as is some of the content (think along the lines of Grimm's Fairy Tales). Plus the quality of the book is high enough (metallic ink, 6-color printing) that some may hesitate to let it be crayoned in. But so marvellous--a truly georgeous publication.

Like a fool over 22 years ago I gave my copy to my nieces my copy of this most wonderful storybook. The illustrations are some of the most imtensive color printing I've seen in many years, the stories are equally wonderful, and would be welcome in anyones' fine book collection.

I have had this book forever... The illustrations are beautiful. Highly recommend it.

From a Caterpillar To A Butterfly is a short book with a strong story that needs to be read by every teenager and mother. The author did a wonderful job of depicting and informing serious events that do occur in life. Somewhere while reading the book you may stop and just think back to some things u may need to think about or act on.

There was less than 5 grammatical and spelling errors, but it did not take away the message the author was trying to convey. Renetta Randle you did an excellent job and I look forward to reading more books from you.

this book was a very fast and easy book to read this author open her heart to allow us to feel her pain some of the same pain that a lot of young women has suffer thru but has been afraid to tell this book really held my attention. this author has suffered thru incest, abuse, and a lot of other things that some of us couldn't survive under the pressure of it all this is a series and now that i have read the first installment i can't wait to read the next book.i wish you nothing but success with your next book.

Renetta Randle
God always makes good out of bad is one of the apparent themes of Renetta Randles From A Caterpillar To A Butterfly. When you begin reading her story you immediately feel the love from her grandmother and mom. So much so that the kidnapping, physical and sexual abuse totally take the reader by surprise.

This book goes straight to the heart of every person irrespective of gender who reads it. It's written in such a straight forward manner it was almost too hard to complete. I guarantee as you read it you will cry, laugh, and feel the protagonist pain as she journeys through this thing we call life.

From A Caterpillar To A Butterflyis NOT for the faint of heart this is the raw truth. It will arouse sympathy and passion as the protagonist life takes unexpected twist and turns at the tender age of eleven.

This story makes me reflect on a childhood song: First comes a butterfly who lays an egg, out comes a caterpillar with many legs. I believe this book is our invitation to delve into our many legs...

From A Caterpillar To A Butterfly, was an extroadinary story from inside the mind of a woman who was badly scorn as a child. This story has opened my eyes and can open the eyes of others about incest, molestation and rape. I commend Ms. Randle for allowing me and others to look into her life that was riddled with pain. This book was a page turner. The events are relatively common to some. I think Ms. Randle is a powerful writer. This book was well put together and I can't wait until her next book. Much Success!!!!

Reviewed by D.S. White

From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly is a charming start of a series detailing the author's road to the beauty of butterflydom. First there's the egg stage (birth), then the larva or the creepy crawly caterpillar feeling of abandonment, kidnapping, physical and sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy and abortion. The content of this book exemplifies how abuse has managed to grab hold and stake a claim--women in denial.

I expect the subsequent books will deal with the pupa (the chrysalis phase), then finally the adult stage or emergence as a butterfly. I look forward to reading them.

About the Author:

Renetta was born in Grand Rapids, MI and moved to Flint, MI when she was 5 years old. She attended the Flint Public Schools graduating from Northwestern High School in 1979 and furthered her education graduating from Baker College with a Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration in 1998.

Renetta was blessed with two wonderful children, Cory and Stephani, six beautiful grandchildren, Arriyana, Ja'Kyra, Corionte', Corion, Samyria, and Arrielle.

Renetta has been employed by Hurley Medical Center for the past 23 years and is currently working in the Service Access Management Department as an Insurance Service Specialist.

Renetta is a faithful member of Higher Quality of Life Ministries under the guidance of Pastor Ronnie and Lady Deborah Wiggins. She loves the Lord with all of her heart and loves to share that love with others.

Key Positives:

- The book deals honestly and realistically with the author's experiences.
- It can be used as a tool to educate about the subject of abuse
- It is not a hard read, good for middle school and up

Key Negatives:

- Written as a narrative with no dialogue
- Typos and grammatical errors
- No picture index

My Rating: 5 stars

Recommendation:

Buy this book...

- If you're looking for a book that keeps it real about abuse without wallowing in it.
- If you'd like to support the author's ministry
- If you'd like to share it with someone you suspect is going through the same thing.
- If you're looking for a book for your discussion group.

I am currently planning a garden area for my back yard. I have bought a few books specifically on victorian gardening and design and although many were good, I felt that this book really touched on the feeling and the things that make a victorian garden special and unique. The author goes into detail on most aspects of gardening and how the victorians were able to get such lush, peaceful, and interesting gardens and out door spaces.

This book is much more than a "how-to" book on Victorian gardening. It provides insight into Victorian daily family life. Anyone interested in Victorian life or gardening will find it fascinating. Anyone interested in restoring or creating a garden for a Victorian home should consider it essential reading. It has been extremely useful in planning a garden for our late 19th century house. As a lagniappe, the book's appendices provide a wealth of additional information on Victorian gardening and life. This is a great addition to gardening literature, especially since there is so little information available on designing a Victorian garden.

This is an awesome book. I have started reading it, and can tell it will be a good summer read.

I read this book and was amazed at what I learned. It not only
told me about the way it used to be in the garden , but it also gave me so many ideas that I could use right now, in my own garden.
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone if you are interested in gardening or not.

If you own a Victorian home, or are simply interested in Victorian gardens, this book is an amazing resource. From period advice on everything from walkways, to drives, to historical shrubs, this is truly the first book EVER (at least that I have found) to advise the American homeowner on practical gardening matters for old houses. Easy to read, with great pictures, From a Victorian Garden is a must for anyone interested in period gardening! I loved it!

All my girlfriends and I do the activity in the book. I have gone through 57 days already!

As an elementary school teacher, I recommend this book for its delightful activities. The book's age range is "age 7 to adult" so it covers a range of activities. Some are so simple, it is meant for the lower age of the range, while the more complex ones are meant for groups or for the older readers. For anyone who has read the Gifted Girls books, this activities book ties in nicely. I disagree with one of the reviewers who suggest the book is just jumping onto the "girl" bandwagon. Obviously she has not done her research or kept up with any girl's readings since the Gifted Girls books has been around for a while and is even recommended on the reading lists at schools. There are plenty of activities that deal with developing self-esteem and social awareness in here. For that and its positive message, I give it 5 stars.

Cute book, but more importantly, the book does give you 365 days of activities to do. It has recipes, crafts projects, team-building exercises, community awareness projects, even self-esteem-building exercises. Generally, a pretty good book that balances these activities, while being a good companion to the fiction series (Gifted Girls) for girls, a series that has been around for years. I'm a parent and can be critical, but I found I enjoyed this book just as much as my daughter Sam.

I've reviewed hundreds, close to thousands of books, and I see the same thing in most books, be it large publishers or small publishers, best-selling authors, or new authors, I've always managed to find one or two typos. So, it is very very petty for a reviewer to trash a book based on finding a few typos in the book. As far as this book is concerned, I found very little. Now focusing on the more important issue - what does this book teaches - positive belief in yourself. This is combined with activities that help develop self-esteem and creativity. There are some detail instructions and recipes, besides suggestions on what to do. The fact that it ties back to the Gifted Girls Series is an added bonus. Young girls should get this book more for the message and for the activities. It is a fun book that is written, designed, and meant to be taken in fun. Highly recommended.

Becoming the best person you can be is a daily practice. Author Gow offers a daily guide full of activities that are creative and inspiring, and always fun. As teacher and parent, I'm using this to help me with any afterschool activities or group activities I have to supervise. Easy-to-understand, and creative, I especially like the Gifted Girls characters guiding you through the process. Unbelievably cute style. I'm picking up a few for my friends.

Trekking through the monster-laden wilderness, our Heroine--Agatha Heterodyne, Girl Genius--takes refuge in a traveling circus. Surviving a deadly attack by a slightly mislaid killer robot, the circus arrives in the community of Balan's Gap.

Ordered to provide a performance to the local tyrant/mad scientist, & wanting to avoid a long stay near the tyrant, the circus puts on "The Socket Wench (NOT a typo) of Prague", a play so naughty they are certain to get bounced out of town ASAP. (Tee-Hee)

{No actual vulgar material is portrayed in this quite teen-safe book.}

The tyrant likes it.(uh-oh.)

And wants Agatha, who was the female lead in this spicy play, to come to dinner at his castle (OH DEAR!).

There, Agatha is taken prisoner by the Tyrant & his daughter, a clockwork Cyborg. (HORRORS!)

What plot do they have in mind? (Gasp!)

What nefarious scheme is in motion gainst our poor heroine? (Gasp-Gasp!)

Who are the mysterious "Geister Daemon"? (GAAAASSSSP!)

And, can I stop laughing before I do myself an injury? Probably not, this is too damn good!

The drama is heating up, the humor is outrageous & the art is better than ever! The use of lighting to suggest mood is very well-done, & as always, character design is outstanding.

Way to go, Phil & Kaja! This series is the best thing you have ever put in print!

The Foglio's beautiful Heterodyne series continues with what must be the biggest cliffhanger yet.
Agatha's secret becomes known to more and more people, Lucretia is revealed as the Other, and then takes over Agatha's body.
It's impossible to imagine how Agatha can get out of this one, but we know she does. After all there is a 6th volume.
A peek at the GeniusGirl website is also recommended.

This is a great series, especially if you're sharp-eyed.

Is Baron Wolfenbach a hero or a villian? Well, yes. What about Othar T.? Well, about the same, only ... not. There's a lot for the reader to sort out, which means a lot of possibilities in the storyline, and the Foglio's seem to have gotten the hang of it.

The characters are extravagant but well within the bounds of high adventure. Countess Marie wields a mean frying pan. The Jagermonsters are the biggest, baddest boys on the block since Moe, Larry, and Curly--and they have a sense of humor, just like the authors.

The "steampunk" is delightful: airship castles complete with emergency escape paragliders, mechanical orchestras, pocket-sized robots and the true Napoleon of cats.

The artwork is first-rate, not only in the execution of the images, but in the way the images and the dialog reveal the story together. There are Easter Eggs: a character loses his composure--and his bag of candied fish. Agatha dismantles a clank (robot) and removes a giant 3-pronged plug marked with the letters "UL" and the red slash-over-circle (think NO LEFT TURN). The name and dates of The Greatest Spark of All Time should remind you of a -very- famous person from real history (don't think of toothpaste).

And best of all, there's a real plot. A backstory complete with The Villian's Beautiful Daughter. Also Mimmoths. (Gotta have Mimmoths.) A worked-out milieu (doctors wear forked beards. Why? We don't know yet.) A plotted plot, as bits of the story we've forgotten about take their places in the jigsaw puzzle. And that means that sometime, somewhen in the future, all the threads will resolve in a massive, ten-fingered chord with thunder from the pedals. At least they will if people keep buying the books, which I heartily recommend. (Did I mention that Agatha plays the Silverodeon?)

'Genius' describes this comic. It is some of the best writing I have seen in comic books in a while. The humor is fast, smart, and compelling. There is not a single cut-out or flat character to be seen. There is mystery, drama, science, action, explosions and more. A MUST read!

These books just keep getting better and better. If anything, this book is more interesting, with more action, than the previous four. Can't wait for the sixth book.

I have this calendar and have given it as a gift. The art work is excellent, moving and inspiritional. All important and lesser feast days are marked on it. A wonderful calendar for your home or work.

The fabulous masterpiece paintings, the inspiring Jubilee quotes, and the colorful and celebratory tone of this calendar add up to one real Jubilee gem. That's why I call it a masterpiece of masterpieces!

As one who has done lots of "calendar browsing" over the years, I've found this wall calendar to be one of the finest keepsakes for the Year 2000. Every month is a real treat for the eyes -- and mind, heart, and spirit. It has LOTS of neat elements thoughtfully included for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, celebrating two millennia since Christ's birth. Examples: Jubilee quotes, prayers, and verses; photographs of Rome and Jerusalem; special Jubilee days; various scenes with Pope John Paul II; and beautiful artwork depicting the life of Christ. And, if you're a fan of such Old Masters as Rembrandt and Raphael (as I am!), you'll LOVE the monthly paintings. One of my favorite months is February -- which includes a wonderful "Return of the Prodigal Son" painting (by Batoni) and a photo of Pope John Paul II embracing young children. As a Catholic, another feature I really like is the liturgical feasts, saints days, and holidays included throughout. Even if I weren't a Catholic, I'd buy this really special calendar for the Year 2000!

I've bought each edition of the pre-Jubilee "trilogy" of this calendar series -- and have always looked forward to the next year. When I saw the special Year 2000 version, I thought, "Wow, they've truly saved the best wine till last!" A lovely, lovely calendar.

Makes a really great Christmas present for this special year. Glad to have a gift that will last all year.

This is a beautiful black & white collection of photographs of Greece, mostly taken in the mid to late 1960's. These are 'true life' photographs; some deeply emotional, some merely depicting day-to-day activities, but all are wonderful. The whole collection gives the reader a flavor of the 'real' Greece. The photographer is a true artist and I would happily purchase any other collections of his work, sight unseen, if this collection is representative of his artistic vision (and I feel confident it is).

The black and white images show what every day life was like in Greece when Manos made these pictures. The pictures speak to the heart and show the darkness and light in life, which is what black and film does best. Manos obviously had to have been in Greece long enough to understand the people and their lives and his pictures show it. This is a book to treasure.

If it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then Manos' "A Greek Portfolio" speaks volumes! Mr. Manos has captured (thankfully!) a Greece that is now more or less gone. Luckily for us, he was photographing at a time before McDonalds became an everyday sight, before "Rooms to Let" signs dotted the landscape, before everyone owned a cellular phone. Even in remote and rural parts of Greece today, it is rare to find images, activities, and people similar to those seen in this book. As an anthropologist, I think this is a great ethnographic work; as a Greek-American I think this is wonderful "window" to the homeland of yore!

will love this book. It captures a time in our existence as human beings and particularly for those who trace their heritage to Greece that is unparalleled in art. These photographs, in your quiet moments of reflection, will warm your heart and soul, and for Greeks and those who love Greece, will remind you of the importance of history and the story told through art.

Consta is one of the best photographer/printers of the day. His willingness to not only capture the moment to convey feeling, but to take great strides in the darkroom to further his view is a rarity nowadays. This additional emphasis is evident in all of this Magnum photographer's work, but most so in "A Greek Portfolio". He uses a minimum of equipment, yet achieves a height of awareness in this monograph not present elsewhere. If one has the chance to see the original prints on display, do so!