Commercials Books

I LOVE THIS BOOK ABOUT FAERIES. I READ IT OVER AND OVER.
THANK YOU
PEGGY BOND

I've begun a bit of Faery book collecting and this was a great selection to sort of tie my many books together. The book is just like new and I saved quite a bit on the price. I am very faery happy!

The illustrations are hauntingly beautiful and the whole book just flows wonderfully. Really lets you feel as if you know all about the fairies...both good and bad!

This particular book is highly reviewed by many people. It is a love/hate kind of book. Either you love the story and lore, or you hate the imagery. If you want a book with a light hearted story and fluffy lore with beautiful pixies/faeries; this is NOT the right book. The ads for this book deceptively illustrated a different set of contents. So please check the negitive reviews too!

Alan Lee and Brian Froud's timelessly classic volume on fairies was published in 1978 to critical acclaim and instant popular success, making this enchanting book a must have for any child at heart. I know liking fairies is very girlie but I just can't help it! I love them oh so much and have since I owned Cicely Mary Barker's little "flower fairies" books as a young child. With its pencil drawings, numerous colour illustrations throughout and witty text the book is a pleasure to look at time and time again, one always discovers something new. This charming book dwells not just upon the innocent fairies but encompasses all the denizens of the world of faery from the sweet natured and gentle nature sprites to several of their much darker elemental cousins. Faeries is evocative of another era in time when people truly believed in fairies, elves, dwarves, brownies, hobgoblins and the like. Focusing primarily on the fairies and related creatures of The British Isles it is an eccentric and lovely journey into the Anglo-Celtic folklore of these green and verdant island nations. This collaborative effort by Alan Lee and Brian Froud is probably one of their most beloved books and one can immerse oneself in their imaginative world for hours, you really do lose track of time.

Although both artists careers have gone on to grander things like working as conceptual artists on big budget films and TV shows this first effort at the beginning of their careers stands as an enduring testament to their combined talents. The art of both men is quite different in style, character and tonal value but in Faeries they complement each other in an aesthetic marriage of shared vision and belief. Brian Froud after all these years is still thoroughly immersed in the world of faery with many books on fairies and goblins to his credit, like for example Good Faeries/Bad Faeries. He also went on to work in film as a conceptual artist, bringing his idiosyncratic and unique talent to bear on two of the late Jim Henson's fantasy films, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Alan Lee went off on a different course illustrating books on ancient myth and legend and perhaps painting his most famous book illustrations for the sweeping and elegiac novels of J.R.R. Tolkien. In recent years Alan Lee was hired to work on the film versions of The Lord of the Rings as the chief concept artist (along with John Howe) his work on these three groundbreaking movies gave them a credibility they might not have had otherwise.

But this wondrous volume is still for me one of their most outstanding achievements and although many such books were published in the 1970s, Faeries is definitely at the top of the heap. This sumptuous 25th anniversary edition of Faeries has eight extra pages with twenty new pieces of artwork and newly updated introductions so it is definitely a must have for the serious fairy lover and fan of the original book. I only ever owned the softcover of the original book... so when this special edition came out in hardback I rushed to my local bookstore and purchased it immediately. Mr. Lee and Mr. Froud implore us to believe in the world of faery once again, and to be honest in this sterile modern world it would be nice to believe it actually does exist. Sprinkle some fairy dust on yourself and go out and buy this entrancing book and bring a bit of glamor into your life!

This is the best commercial real estate primer I have ever read. I run a commercial real estate brokerage and this is required reading for all of my agents. I highly recommend it.

Jim Randel has written an excellant book on commercial real estate. I only wished that I had read it earlier in my career, I might have chosen to be in commercial real estate instead of residential. His candor, ability to talk about his mistakes, and full stories of his successes and failures is a great read, and motivational in the fact that it shows you how hard work, and being creative can pay off.

This is a great book for real estate investing--it's got the big picture and the nuts and bolts. As an amateur in the real estate market, who has an interest in a few rental condominiums in Florida, I found Randel's book an introduction to everything I didn't know and should have. He describes his own deals in detail so you can see all the angles, what works and what doesn't, when to buy and when to sell, how to manage properties to increase valuation and above all--how to make money. His methods are sophisticated, but his presentation makes them easy to understand. He makes it clear that real estate investment is not for the timid, but guides you with the principles you need to feel confident. Best of all, I'm a lot smarter than I was before, and with the market the way it is today, the timing couldn't be better.

I found this book to be a worthwhile read. I've had a lot of exposure to commercial real estate development and ownership, without much personal experience. The level of information was helpful for my needs and the book was an easy enough read. It helped give me another perspective to consider when evaluating commercial real estate investments.

Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur: What It Takes to Win in High-Stakes Commercial Real Estate At the urging of a friend, I attended one of Mr. Randel's seminars a year ago in the Washington D.C. area. I had just moved out of a career in the corporate arena (in banking, where I saw these types of transactions from the other side) and was looking to pursue other options for myself. I had read his first book a number of years ago and found it to be very informative. I found both his presentation and this book to be "top-notch" -- written to be understood, but not understated with respect to technical information and emphasizing qualities in the entrepreneur which are absolutely essential in order to be successful, such as: taking knowledgeable risks and knowing your customer -- hearing what they want in order to structure your deal to get it done. His examples are to the point and understandable -- and based on more than 25 years of valid, successful experience. It's impossible to argue with that! I highly recommend this book and look forward to hearing more from Mr. Randel in the future.

Clearly this book provides the basics on writing letters of complaint. Most of it is just common sense (not so common these days). If you treat business people the way you would want them to treat you, it usually works out in the end. I didn't find much new in it. The contact addresses are helpful, but then most of them can be found on the net.. and more current

Very insightful and useful. I have used some of her template letters for airline complaints. In the past, I used her writings for a labor complaint and got $18,000 from my former employer.

I wish this book was available in downloadable electronic form which will make it more useful in practice by cutting and pasting.

I have the book for several years and its contents have saved me time and money over and over again. It is rich in samples of real letters and complaints, with real cases.
I recommend to anyone that ever needs to write a complaint letter and/or need to reach government agencies.

Anyone who has made enough transactions with Amazon.com can tell you, Amazon.com has its share of foul-ups. And when mistakes (that are bound to happen from time-to-time) do happen, the biggest errors occur in their customer service department. For me, I know that I have written e-mail after e-mail complaining about RUDE, ERRONEOUS and downright FRAUDULENT communication emanating from the unskilled and unsupervised excuse for a customer service department only to have other unskilled, unsupervised hacks respond. I kept explaining that I was not seeking compensation, I was trying to complain about Amazon.com's customer service, but Amazon.com either doesn't care or doesn't have a mechanism to care. My e-mails which always started, please forward this to so-and-so's supervisor never were. I can't wait for the follow-up to this book. "How To Write Letters Of Complaint to OUTSOURCED INDIANS WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE AMERICAN CONSUMER WANTS TO BE TREATED!!"

I am a first time Greyhound adopter and I'm so glad this is one of the books that was a pre-adoption requirement. I enjoy how Cynthia is so in tune with these wonderful dogs and she gives you the info directly from her heart! They said any book by Cynthia Branigan is worth purchasing, so I'm going to buy her other book on Greyhounds next.

This book was such a help as the breed was new to me. I knew nothing about the personality of the breed or what to expect. This book will help any one interested in adopting a Grey through the first months and the life of the pet. The medical information is invaluble as these are things some vets don't know let alone the pet owner. The book not only assists you in knowing the breed before you bring one home, but can greatly assist you in deciding if this is the right pet for you.

this book is a must if you are planning to adopt a greyhound for a companion...great information to help you make the right decision to see if a greyhound is the right "new family member" for you and your family.

Great book -- if I only had one book on the subject, this would be it.

The narrative style made the book enjoyable for me to read (yet difficult to skim). The book offered me plenty of practical advice and opinion based on the author's experience.

The "dummies book" is has better illustrations, but this book wins-out for its consistent organization and easy readability. (I've also reviewed the Dummies book on Amazon in more detail: 3 of 5 stars).

This is absolutely the best book to read if you are interested in finding out more about greyhound adoption. The information is clear, accurate, and very well written. Consider this your greyhound "Bible".

I love Absolut ad's and have always wanted to get one. They are expensive new , so I got an used copy from an amazon seller. It came quickly and I flipped through the book for about 20 min when it arrived 2 days later. I love all the ads and they are all so clever. I might not get some of the modern art ones, but I love the city ones in particular. Anyway, I got this book for my new house and new coffee table book, I think it is one of the best hardcover coffee table book (marketing story book) ever.

Compulsory addition to the coffee table library. An excellent example of a clever, consistent, cutting edge branding campaign helping to position a generic product at the top of consumer mind. Absolut genius.

If you like the Absolut ads, this is a good book for you. It's what you'd expect - big pictures of the Absolut ads with explanations from the ad agency guys who made it happen. A fun coffeetable book.

Absolut is one of the best selling vodkas in the world and the advertsing for it is second to none. In this fabulous book were are told the inside story behind the marketing and selling of this tasty treat. The paper is first grade and the pictures are outstanding to say the least. Absolut original with a bottle looking like a Roman ruin is probably my favorite one but there are so many nice advertising ideas that have become stupendous posters. Absolute Enivironment is also a nice one. This is a good coffee table book and a nice gift for the person that likes vodka and to read.

This is a wonderful, informative, and beautiful book.
This book is about the Absolut Vodka advertising campaign. How it began, and what it is about. There are many beautiful, and breath taking images which makes you see the entire light of the campaign which looks so simple from the outside. Now, you get the inside looks and it isn't simple at all but an amazing experience.
WOW!!

The ilustrations in this book portray you to another book that perfectly capture the original paints.

I read Edgar Rice Burroughs novels as a teen and will never forget the impact of the Frazetta covers. His heros, the settings and the creatures were so wild and vivid; plus I think he definitely set my ideals of feminine beauty for life. This collection is a must for anyone who wants a good biography of F.F. along with some great reproductions of his best work.

Frazetta is great and this book is swell... however (as one other reviewer also experienced) the cover came off my book after I had it for only one week! I couldn't believe it! To credit of the publisher they did send me a replacement. I think I will buy the sequel now. Too bad it's only available in hardcover, but at least that way the cover is much less likely to fall off. As for the third book, it seems to be completely unavailable except to those who are willing to pay over a hundred dollars for it!

Words cannot describe the beauty and passion in Frazetta's work; This book is filled with amazing art, from the original sketches to the final product; Lots of personal photographs and insightful narratives help to make this a satisfying package, but the artwork alone makes this book a must have. From his early career doing comic books and movie posters, to the grand scale of his fantasy art, this is a book that is sure to excite any and all who have a shred of creativity within them. Totally inspiring book!!!

When people think of fantasy artwork, they might think first of those Conan and Edgar Rice Burroughs paperback covers, or a berserker warrior on horseback, corpses of foes beneath him and dripping weapon above him. People think of Frazetta first, whether or not they know it's him they're thinking of. He's also done recognizable work for Mad magazine, Little Annie Fanny for Playboy, posters for Peter Sellers movies, and lots more.

Frazetta has done plenty of work in ink, especially for a range of comics, but his oil paintings are best known and most heavily represented here. It's easy to see how he became the inspiration for an entire generation of fantasy artists, and probably well into a second generation, too. No one captures the rippling sinews of barbarian warriors like Frazetta does, or beasts, half-men, dungeons, jungles, and every other fantasy-scape that he's rendered. Above all, no one comes close to the lush, rounded figures of his female characters. They can be warriors and wizards in their own right, or eldritch spirits, or even savable maidens. Some, as in "Moon's Rapture" or the standing figure in "Rogue Roman", show a rich and womanly figure at rest, but somehow promising as much raw physical power as any man.

I recommend this collection to anyone passionate about illustration or fantasy art. Any one of his paintings can be an entire course of study for a budding artist. They can also be seen as powerful narratives in imagery, or as a jumping-off point for dreams of far-away worlds and heroic adventures.

-- wiredweird

Tim Harrower provides a very practical guide to newspaper design. The art of newspaper design tends to be very subjective, so this book lays down some facts and guidelines to put to rest some of the indecisive elements of design.

For a beginner, this is a book that will give you the confidence and understanding to conquer page layout.

The CD gives the novice an even more practical guide than the book can deliver.

One criticism is that the book is printed on light gloss stock and is spiral bound. I am not sure how it was survive rough treatment.

Brian Hurst

This textbook is awesome. I've never seen a better textbook. It lays everything out, and makes it simple to understand. It tells you what to do and what not to do in simple language and clear pictures. It's one of few textbooks worth keeping for future use in your career (provided you're going into the newspaper industry)!

When I accepted my first "real" job in journalism as a page designer for a local weekly I was struck by a horrifying thought, I really knew nothing about newspaper design. I had done it before for my college paper, sure, but this was the big time. I needed a refresher course and I needed it fast... Tim Harrower and this spiral-bound book came to my rescue.

Although it was first published in 1989, this book will be relevant as long as newspapers exist, even in this age of computer design. Harrower explains and shows why certain designs are good and bad and he approaches it in a situational, problem-solving format. For example, he explains what should be done when you have to design a page with no art, when you have butting headlines, or two horizontal photos etc. Harrower says that most page designers stumble into the job and from this point of view he explains what exactly, a good design is. This book will always be on my desk.

(I wish my publications professor used this instead of the worthless $105 monstrosity he made us buy (and that we never used by the way).)

So, after some mild freaking out followed by a lot of reading, I can start my new job with confidence thanks to this book.

I ordered the hardbound and got the spiral bound, a product worth $12 less. It was then that I discovered there is no way to express a complaint to Amazon: no phone number, no email address, no human help. All that is available is a maze of pre-written web help, none of which includes "credit my account $12, since I don't want to go through the hassle of sending this book back." What's up, Amazon? Don't you want satisfied customers? I spend literally hundreds here each year. This egregious deficit needs to be fixed immediately. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book.

I am an editor these days.
I came on this book quite a few years ago when I was a sub. It was recommended to me by an old hand in the newspaper game.
Without doubt, it is the single best aquisition I have made in terms of newspaper design.
In the places I have worked, I have been regarded extremely highly for my layout skills.
This book, with a little creativity, is the basis of almost everything I do in terms of layout.
If you are serious about the newspaper game, get it, study it and then apply what you learn. It will help our career enormously.

Wonderful book full of beautiful, mystical, magical photographs. Robert Vavra is one of the best in the business!

Remember when you believed in unicorns? This book is filled with such beautiful photography that you will forget you were told not to believe.

I have always appreciated Robert Vavra from the time I was first introduced to his art. But this particular book I have longed for about 23 years.
Beautiful, fanciful, and "fact"-filled book about a mythical noble creature that is loved so much, that few would dispute his existence.
Photos, illustrations and notes on each well-known type of unicorn is unsurpassed!

I first encountered this book when I was very young. I asked my local library to buy it and they did; and I kept checking it out again and again. Owning this book now is like looking back into my own childhood, at the dreams and the wonder I had for the world. It's beautiful pictures and startling art has never faded for me over time.

This gorgeous book is one of the finest unicorn books I own. It has great pictures and lots of unicorn details and a unicorn searching guide. It is worth buying if you like unicorns or photography. It is worth getting Unicorn of Kilimanjaro or the Calendar if you can find them as well. It is on my list of favorite all time books, and i see a lot of them as i work at a bookstore. By this if you or someone you love likes unicorns and give the gift of magic.

This is an outstanding book on a revolutionary designer. Wonderful photos, and "patterns" from the clothing. the only problem is Kirke never bothers to tell you what the scale is, so making these patterns is almost impossible. Her directions for making the patterns are laughable. The patterns are white lines on black. Why include patterns if you aren't going to put them in a usable form? There are people out there who can and have made clothing from this book. You will have to be very smart and well trained to do so. that said it is still one of the best books on a fashion designer I have seen.

Maybe Kirke will redesign the book with the pattern section properly done. Then the book would be worth more then $100.

This book is even better than I hoped. The photographs are stellar and for some designs - a bird's eye view of the pattern peices are included. Try to wrap your head around those non-conventional cutting techniques! I bought this for myself but this would be an excellent gift for someone interested in Fashion History, Fashion Design, Fine / Decorative Arts, etc. Super-Gorgeous book!

A great book on Vionnet's work and life. It has a lot of sewing patterns with instuctions from the WWI era to late 1930's; the patterns include day and evening dresses and frocks, capes and coats, slips and pajamas. Plus there a lot more pictures of Vionnet's clothing. The perfect gift for a fashion student. It is a pity that you do not hear so much about her.

This book is an absolute dream right through from the beautiful hard cover to the wonderful photographs, history and patterns. I am a Designer/Patternmaker and is the most beautiful book I have ever bought on fashion. Betty Kirke has put a lot of love and care into this treasure and any student of fashion, especially patternmaking and draping has to purchase this and learn a whole lot about bias cutting.

Madeleine Vionnet
A fascinating book on Madeleine Vionnet. Betty Kirke has plunged into the personal story, the career, but mostly the clothes, this avant garde fashion designer has made in the 20's and 30's. All young fashion designers should be grateful to Betty Kirke, the talented author of this book, who has given them the chance to study the patterns, the style, the technique of Madeleleine Vionnet.

Second Slice, The Art of Olivia is two books in one...sort of...about ¾ of the book is displays Olivia's paintings in portrait format. Flip it over, and the rest of the book is in landscape format...a flip book for adults! Olivia's second slice is every bit as filling and delectable as the first offering featuring 124 pages with 140 paintings in full color. Each of the two sections provides a detailed index with the name of the piece, size of the original painting, materials used, the name of the model, as well as Olivia's own commentary on her works. These comments are often as entertaining to read, as the paintings are to view.

The models used in this edition include Pamela Anderson, Rhonda Shear, Bettie Page, Julie Strain, and Sandra Taylor. The paintings of the saucy Julie Strain are some of my favorites in the book. With her long, kinky black hair, ample curves, and playfully wicked smile, Strain made a wonderful pin-up queen for the 1990's, when most of these pieces were completed.

Olivia experiments with many forms of style and color, which make for some of her most striking and exotic work to date. This is well displayed in "Zebra Lady III" as the nude, striped model (Rhonda Rydell) blends into and almost disappears into the striped backdrop. While not necessarily known for darker, gothic works, Olivia clearly shows she can compete with the best in that genre with works such as the female vampire on display in "Things that Go Bump in the Night" and the winged, horned "Banshee" which serves as one of the book' covers.

Flipping to the landscape side, the buxom blonde bombshell Shear is captivating in the painting entitled "Pomeranians" as she finds herself lying on the ground, covered in a wrap made out of those furry, little dogs.

Second Slice is another gorgeous collection of Olivia's works, all from the 80's and 90's. It is filled with gorgeous women and bold, sassy, and exotic colors and settings. Olivia continues to prove why she is at the top of her game.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Olivia was one of my favorite artist, and in my collection of Illustrations books she can't be absent. This new collection of paintings shows her skills to mold all kind of techniques.
A must have release.

Olivia is the Vargas of our time. As Vargas took the reigns from Petty, Olivia has done the same, and Just like Vargas went beyond Petty in terms of realism, and delicate beauty, Olivia De Berardinis has taken cheesecake to a whole new level. Every pose, expression, and little bit of body language is put to use. Every Shot is beyond what a glamor photographer would dream of. Utter Perfection on so many levels. There is definitely some of her art that pays tribute to Petty, and Vargas among other legends of pinup in many of her pieces in most of her books. This one is a collection that spans many realms, and genres as would only be appropriate in our day. (Frank Frazetta influence spans the universe) There are no pieces that are over the top goriffic, or Horrific works like Clevenger, but there is some definite influence from Fantasy art in a portion of this book. The cover of this book was also a cover on Heavy Metal Magazine of which Olivia did many covers for in the past. This book is like an homage to the beauty of the feminine and female form, as is all of her work. Mouthwatering is the only description I can give it. If your looking for extreme fantasy, or horrific, gorrific works go for Clevenger. But if you want to see the beauty of the female form that can only be described as: like looking into the eyes of an angel". Olivia's books will do you no wrong. This one is no exception.

For any female who has ever been embarassed by the pictures of the other publications that are not so tasteful in showing a nude female this is a book to check out. I myself grew up with a feeling of nakedness is not beautiful and felt that way until I was about 18. When one day someone showed Olivia pictures to me and opened my mind allowing me to see the real beauty of the female form. It is beyond words and as a young woman it allowed me to feel better about myself. As a reminder to myself of the beauty she brings out in a woman I have small tattoo of Heatseeker just below my waist.

Who better to draw women than a woman? Olivia De Barardinis is the undisputed queen of cheesecake art, that wonderful if ill-defined blend of sensuality, sexuality, humor, and glamor.

Although her style covers a wide range, each illustration depicts a lone model. Based on Olivia's notes at the end of the book, it sounds as if each woman's presence is just too big to share a page with any other. Each time Olivia paints, she captures something unique to the model, so two models might confuse the directness of the image. Other visual elements appear in her work often enough to form a recognizable ensemble: happily erotic poses, improbably high heels, and lingerie ranging from antique to futuristic fanatasy. Various of the paintings here show other influences, including Bettie Page, Klimt, Marilyn Monroe, Erte, and generations of other sensualists.

Olivia uses the last few pages to add notes describing the paintings. The text identifies each one by title (if any), year, medium, and usually the name of the model. In many cases, Olivia says a bit more about the woman depicted, the inspiration for the image, or something else to help the reader enjoy the picture - as if help were needed. Then, the last two pages let her talk about the creative process in each of her media, including watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and her trademark oil. I recommend this to anyone fascinated by Olivia's voluptuous, vivacious vamps and vixens.

-- wiredweird