Studios Books

The perfect book for anyone who is a little cynical about Feb. 14th. Awesome present for college/young adult age. Madison tells it like it is about the horrible chocolate, the high expectations and those damn conversation hearts. Deffinetly something I will read every valentines day!

I'm an extremely romantic type who will probably never marry, have children, or even have a serious boyfriend. According to a test in this book, I was almost the type who "cries at TV commercials", who should've put the book back and gotten a refund. Thing is, I borrowed this book yesterday from the Flushing Library (Queens, NY), and I've almost read all of it.

Bennett Madison's book is full of tongue-in-cheek (almost) advice about rethinking Valentine's Day's meaning, and, failing that, landing a "V-Date" for that fateful day, and surviving that date. He also includes advice about Valentine's Day gifts and cards (no stuffed animals, says he!), and other paraphernalia.

From my POV, the first two chapters, "Where Did Our Love Go?" and "Rethinking Valentine's Day", should be taken seriously. His very first line in Chapter 1 is, "Remember when Valentine's Day was fun?" He gives the same advice that I received from a college counselor nearly 30 years ago: basically, to expand one's definition of love beyond the narrow confines of romantic coupling. Similiar to the book Unplug the Christmas Machine, this book challenges the reader to recall the childhood enjoyment of the holiday and recognize when and how "it went wrong".

I supposed I have a love-hate relationship with V-Day, though I mostly love it. After reading I Hate Valentine's Day, you might teach yourself to love it, too, or keep hating the day--your choice.

If These Halls Could Talk : A historical tour through San Francisco Recording Studios.



Heather Johnson , a well known writer for Mix Magazine and many other recording media related publications, has produced an extensively researched, factual account of the history of the recording studios and the creative people involved in the creation of the San Francisco recording scene.



Starting in the post world war II era , San Francisco has inspired a plethora of musical innovators of many genres: jazz and blues by Dave Brubeck , Herbie Hancock and Lowell Fulsom, the "San Francisco Sound" of the Grateful Dead, the Beau Brummels, and Creedence Clearwater, the funk of Tower of Power , Sly and The Family Stone and rock by Metallica ,The Dead Kennedys and Joe Satriani to name just a few. Presently, the impact of contemporary bay area musicians continues unabated.



Without the local recording studios, much of this music would have gone unheard by the world at large. From the top drawer studios like CBS (later the Automatt) ,The Record Plant and Wally Heiders (later Hyde Street) , to mid level studios like Different Fur and Coast Recorders, on down to "street level " studios like Funky Jacks and Tewksbury, the recording scene was ( and is) alive with personalities and recording projects. Ms. Johnson has done an admirable job of illuminating the struggles and triumphs of the many studio facilities, their founders, and the engineers who have contributed so much to this rich musical fabric.



Illustrated with dozens of photographs , Johnson presents an entertaining , educational, and historic tribute to the studios and the people who shaped them. Although the San Francisco recording scene was never as big as New York or Los Angeles, this book provides an insight and historical perspective that validates and preserves their history.



Hopefully, she will continue to write similar histories for other recording scenes. Chicago, Nashville, Detroit, and of course New York and LA all seem like fertile ground for such an endevour.



A well written , highly recommended, and thoroughly enjoyable book for anyone interested in recording, and the creative process of music making in general .



Dan Alexander

really a special book that traces the golden years of music (in other words - recording studios in the San Francisco Bay Area) during the 1960's and 70's and beyond. if you want to know where the Dead recorded American Beauty or where Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young recorded Deja Vu - this is the book for you. But besides these hippie classics - you get behind the scenes stories of SF punk bands recording their LPs as well. The book does mention what kind of equipment was used in certain studios or on certain records - but it's MORE about the people, the music, and the building/locations of the studios themselves. very well researched and written. the author interviewed alot of the people involved firsthand.

I know that the detail about this book says its for junior level reading, but I'm 20 and absolutely love it. I'm not going to take the time to tell you about the story itself, seeing as it IS Dracula through and through. The illustrations in this book are amazing. True, there aren't a million of them (and more would be fantastic), but the artist's renditions of Dracula are like none I've ever seen. The mood of the novel is reflected perfectly within the paintings. The point: BUY THIS COPY OF DRACULA! and bring it home...FOREVER! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

"Dracula" was not the first vampire novel, nor was it Bram Stoker's first book. But after years of research, Stoker managed to craft the ultimate vampire novel, which has spawned countless movies, spinoffs, and books -- and here, his immortal story is enhanced by the creepy, jagged art of Jae Lee.

Real estate agent Jonathan Harker arrives in Transylvania, to arrange a London house sale to Count Dracula. But as the days go by, Harker witnesses increasingly horrific events, leading him to believe that Dracula is not actually human. His fiancee Mina arrives in Transylvania, and finds that he has been feverish. Meanwhile the count has vanished.

And soon afterwards, strange things happen: a ship piloted by a dead man crashes on the shore, after a mysterious thing killed the crew. A lunatic talks about "Him" coming. And Mina's pal Lucy dies of mysterious blood loss, only to come back as an undead seductress. Dracula has arrived in England -- and he's not going to be stopped easily.

"Dracula" is the grandaddy is Lestat and Jean-Claude, but that isn't the sole reason why it is a classic. It's also incredibly atmospheric, and very well-written. Not only is it very freaky, in an ornate Victorian style, but it is also full of restrained, quiet horror and creepy eroticism. What's more, it's shaped the portrayal of vampires in movies and books, even to this day.

Despite already knowing what's going on for the first half of the book, it's actually kind of creepy to see these people whose lives are being disrupted by Dracula, but don't know about vampires. It's a bit tempting to yell "It's a vampire, you idiots!" every now and then, but you can't really blame them. Then the second half kicks in, with accented professor Van Helsing taking our heroes on a quest to save Mina from Dracula.

And along the way, while our heroes try to figure stuff out, Stoker spins up all these creepy hints of Dracula's arrival. Though he wrote in the late 19th-century manner, very verbose and a bit stuffy, his skill shines through. The book is crammed with intense, evocative language, with moments like Dracula creeping down a wall, or the dead captain found tied to the wheel. Once read, they stick in your mind throughout the book.

It's also a credit to Stoker that he keeps his characters from seeming like idiots or freaks, which they could have easily seemed like. Instead, he puts little moments of humanity in them, like Van Helsing admitting that his wife is in an asylum. Even the letters and diaries are written in different styles; for example, Seward's is restrained and analytical, while Mina's is exuberant and bright.

Jae Lee has done work for other creepy, grimy stories like Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series. And those shadowy, sharp-edged pictures are well-suited for this story; a few are in muted colours, but most are black-and-white. Lee creates chilling portraits of the looming vampire, his brides, ships in the mist, and Renfield eating a giant beetle; the most shocking is a bloody-mouthed Lucy clutching a baby.

Intelligent, frightening and very well-written, "Dracula" is the well-deserved godfather of all modern vampire books and movies -- and arguably among the best.

I really enjoyed "International Country"! Not only are the photos breathtaking, the book gives us a broader sense of country style. It infuses primitive with rural...& takes us to Spain, Italy, etc. This is by far the best book I've seen on country decor!

If you like the informality, ease and practicality of country style decorating but find you branch out a bit, adding new ideas to your old favorites, you'll love this book. Amazingly, diverse treatments from far flung areas as Britain and France prove that they can blend with traditional American country styles. The 400 full-color photos in the book offer inspiration for those who prefer to get their ideas from pictures or demonstrations and there is also detailed information on how to achieve each style - from wall treatments to furniture and accessories.

Extremely practical guide to protect our most valuable asset--our children! This book is a quick read, but you wouldn't want to miss a single page. It not only helps one to protect the kids, but also offers great insights for reducing spam, unwanted content, and unwanted visitors. This is a "must have" for parents, and a "great have" for everyone else!

The Internet Survival Guide Series "Protecting Your Family" is a terrific little book. Although written primarily with the family in mind, the advice and practical tips can be applied by anyone who cares for his family, friends and business associates. I'm buying more copies just to give as gifts. James Christiansen is a father with three children. His care and concern for his family is evident as he writes the material in a well-organized and easy-to-read style for all ages. Our children can be negatively affected as the use of on-line social networking increases. I learned that sexual predators are targeting our children. I've been sharing a lot of this information with my son because he just got his own laptop and is not under the protection of our home computer. The author gives lots of real life examples based on his extensive experience in the information security arena. You can tell that he wants to protect his wife and children and he gives you all the tips and advice on how to accomplish it for your family. This book is filled with a tremendous amount of practical information that can be used to prevent your family members from falling victim to predators when they use instant messaging and spend on-line time in chat rooms. Even music file sharing sites present potential for allowing someone to have access to the important and private files on your computer. I'm really impressed with what I've learned from this book. I also have the other two companion books in the series called "Protecting Your Financial Information" and "Protecting Your Home Computer." I keep all of them right next to my computer for daily reference. I highly recommend this book!!

What a great book! I am a grandmother who loves the computer and I have 5 young grandchildren who also enjoy my computer. We mostly use my PC for email, pictures and games. After reading this book I found that there was a lot that I did not know, and have been applying the things that I read in this book to securing my PC and feeling safer for myself and my grandchildren. I do intend to buy the other 2 books and can't wait to see how much more I can learn and benifit from Mr Christiansen's knowledge!

The Internet Survival Guide Series "Protecting Your Home Computer" should be purchased and read by anyone who uses a computer! I was totally amazed at how much practical advice was given and how much I didn't know about making my home PC safe. I'm embarrassed to have been using my home PC for so long in an unprotected state. I'm just lucky that nothing serious ever happened. Ignorance was bliss until I read this book! I also read the author's other two books in his series called "Protecting Your Financial Information" and "Protecting Your Family." I feel so strongly about all three of these books that I'm buying more copies just to give as gifts. Check out the table of contents of this book before you buy it and you'll see that it's packed with important information, vital to the well-being of your PC and your on-line experience. Every page is packed with helpful figures and there is a checklist at the end of every chapter. The author gives lots of real life examples based on his extensive experience in the information security arena. He tells some pretty funny stories about his neighbors' unprotected wireless networks and how he helped them to be more secure. If you want to setup a network in your home, he gives you step by step information on what to get and how to do it. He warns of the dangers of freeware and gives great advice on websites that do reviews of these products. This book is filled with a tremendous amount of practical information that can be used to protect your family computer. Once I read the book through once, I immediately started a more detailed read again and started applying the principles listed. I'm really impressed with what I've learned from this book and my PC is about as secure as I can make it. I keep all three of the books in this series right next to my computer for daily reference. I highly recommend them!!

I am a Virginia landscape painter and have kept this book close at hand in my studio for many years. While I do not paint like Richard, I nonetheless pull this book out out several times a month, for inspiration or information or just to look at how he has handled various problems of light and color. As noted in another review, this is not a step-by-step book, but rather a beautiful record of the process of one dedicated painter that will inspire and encourage.

This book really isn't for "Sunday painters" or beginners. There's very little on technique and not a single trick for churning out cute landscapes. What it offers is image after image of suberbly crafted landscapes, images worth studying again and again. His handling of values, and the subtle variations of hue, temperature, and intensity within each value shape, are absolutely masterful. Clearly, he practices what he preaches: landscapes which blend artistic invention with an acute observation of what exists in the landscape. There's not a lot of text in this book, but like his landscapes, what he writes is succinct, intelligent, and well worth taking to heart. As I become a better painter, this book offers more valuable instruction, not less.

This is one of the most sort after books on Ceylon. It captures the essence and beauty of the island as very few photographers have been able to do. Many recent photography books on Sri Lanka have been published in colour, but none show the shades of light as these b&w photos. A wonderful coffee table book, if you can get hold of a copy.

This book is so rare and so precious that if one were to come across a copy in a used bookshop (which is the only place where one could realistically purchase this out-of-print book) one should not chance it on a coffee table. The photographs are of such an excellent quality, and Mr Beny has been able to capture the real essence of the island which has the alias Serendib. Particularly striking is the photograph of the line of Buddhist monks setting off on their search for alms - this really captures the mood of those who have devoted their lives to tranquility in a country which at present is anything but tranquil. A rare and delicious treat to be savoured slowly.

I bought this book after reading John Roderick's book 'Minka' which came out in September this year. 'Minka' is all about the loving restoration of a 200 year old Japanese farmhouse. Having been fortunate enough to live in Japan for 3 years from 1997 til 2,000 and having visited several minka while there,I loved this book for its inspirational delivery. That book then lead me to this next book 'Japanese Country Style' because it is written by the Japanese architect/art dealer who was responsible for moving the original minka in the first book. It shows all the minka he has been responsible for lovingly rescuing, restoring and adapting to modern day living requirements. I am planning a trip to Japan specifically to visit some of these wonderful buildings. They have spirit and beauty.

Enjoyable reading. The author lovingly describes how he relocated and remodeled a selection of traditional Japanese farm houses that otherwise would have been destroyed. The descriptions of each house includes anectodal notes as well as beautiful photos of the houses interiors & exteriors. Thank goodness there are people who are interested in preserving a nation's cultural heritage.

Colin McDowell's peek into the wild world of Jean Paul Gaultier is both long overdue and well worth the wait! From his earliest childhood memories to his 2000 couture show and all points inbetween, McDowell reveals all in the same manner Gaultier designs his collections--with wit, irreverence, and style! This lavishly illustrated book has pictures and sketches (sadly, not Gaultier's own) from his most famous collections, including some rare and unusual ones. Photo coverage starts in heavily from around the 1989 collections, but earlier eighties collections are glimpsed here and there throughout the book. McDowell punctuates with notable quotes and images of Gaultier's influences, from pin-up queens to Physique Pictorial, from the great couturiers to street fashion. Smartly written and solidly designed (it even has Gaultier's nautical stripes in the end caps!) this book is a MUST for all Gaultier fans and admirers. It explains, in vivid detail, how he became the fashion icon that he is today!

Although it took 25 years after Gaultier first started designing under his own name for someone to dedicate a book to him, it was well worth the wait. McDowell, as with his book on Galliano, does a lavish job on Gaultier's life and designs. The book is packed with runway photos and details about some of the collections. My only complaints about the book (and they are very minor complaints): McDowell goes into over-detail about Gaultier's life, especially up to 1976 when he first started designing his own label, making for slow reading for half of the book; a few of the photos are mislabelled with the wrong collection (mostly the couture photos); and although there are some great runway photos in the book, a lot of Gaultier's show-stopping designs in the past are not represented, and there aren't enough photos from men's collections. A great book though!