Commercials Books

This books contains mostly low rise building, stadium, and stores in Europe that shows exordinary variety of materials used in exterior skins. A eye opener that give a glimps of the recent development of curtain wall design and the creativity involved in solving various problems. Each case contains at least horizontal and vertical sections drawings with materials table and background introduction of its functions, and some has enlarged photo of particular features which is useful to study how it was constructed. While in some cases I wish more close-up pictures were given, but at least for the most part it was more useful than most of architectual books which only offer overall view of the building and it liveup the name 'in detail' which I was looking for.

A must have for all architects and those interested in how buildings come together and the importance the skin plays. As specially when trying new materials.

There was a time when there was no question as to what the outside skin of a building was going to be, glass alternating with metal panels. Something monolithic looking like the UN building.

Now significant advances in materials, architectural design, creative use of conventional materials like shingles, concrete, or sprayed on foam are producing building where the skin becomes more than just what you see.

The book is organized into two main sections. The first third or so is used to describe the general changes that have been taking place in the general area of building skins.

The last two thirds show where various treatments have been used in actual buildings. The buildings vary from tiny, micro houses to athletic stadiums, stores to factories.

This is European publication. Most of the buildings are in Europe, with a few from Japan. They represent the most significant advances in design I have seen in a long time.

Great examples of innovative building skins with good details.
Highly recommended for architects and architecture lovers.

I cannot say enough about the quality of this entire series, and this book is among the best of the set. Few architecture books are of this high quality; one usually expects some level of editorial compromise; either we get lightweight analysis and documentation with beautiful photographs, or you get overly complex, teched out stuff that doesn't understand the fundamental concepts. Or it's just bad architecture. But this entire series, from the quality of the writing, the great beauty and clarity of the drawings, and finally to the aptness and excellence of the finished architecture; it represents the new state of the art. Buy the whole series, but start with this one and "Building Simply", which I'll rave about separately.

As a graphic designer, I get so flustered when I see the same old CD covers now: a photo of the artist or band, and their name scribbled on top, or a really un-inspired text treatment, most likely using some wretched Photoshop tool like, alien skin or eye candy- blech! Perhaps modern day CD's skimp on the design work of the covers because they are so much smaller now. But back in the days of LP's and 45's art was generously splashed on covers. Full-colored, stylized and oh, so hip! Each one fit to be framed and displayed. "In the Groove: Vintage Record Graphics, 1940-1960" effectively chronicles the history of this long, lost art-form in a picture-book style. I say picture-book, because of the lack of background information on many of the pieces, in fact there are quite a few pieces that are listed as "unknown designer", how unfortunate! Some poor old designer dedicated his or her life to creating some stunning art to attract music lovers' eyes to this or that particular record, and now they're the "unknown designer". Eric Kohler did his best grouping together styles of record graphics, so seeing the evolution of style was very nicely mapped-out. Nice quality paper, nice printing... would've been nicer in hardback. Still, this is one of my favorite books!

I liked this book so much that I bought a copy for my record-collecting boyfriend and a DJ friend with a varied and ecclectic vinyl collection.

When I thought of record cover art, I thought of those fantasy-styled "YES" covers, or the metal band covers of the 80's. I had no idea about how many cool vintage record covers were out there.

The book focuses on covers from 1940-1960. You'll find many jazz, swing and vocalists represented here. The reproductions are excellent and the variety is impressive. While most covers are reproduced in 3x3inches, quite a few are refresented as full pages which is about a 9-inch square. It is organized by artist and record company, showing you how the artist's style influenced the cover.

I highly recommend it for record collectors, vintage enthusiasts, graphic designers/illustrators and those who love old things. It made me miss the 12-inch vinyl covers all the more and has inspired me to track specific albums down. CDs can never match the emotional connection that vinyl did.

This is a fantastic book for album cover designs. But as I was warned, the glue on the binding really does gives out after the first reading. But the content is so incredible, it's worth purchasing this book...just be sure to handle it carefully so you don't loose your pages.

Being a music lover, I've never been partial to one type of music only--I have a passion for everything from rock to classical, pop to country, even from jazz to techno. Something in all of these styles intrigues me. And how intriguing is this incredible book by Eric Kohler. I never thought I'd "get into" a book dedicated solely to album covers from 1940-1960, but I was wrong. The music lover in me kicked in, and I found myself fascinated with the glorious color photos, the revealing and well-researched text, and with the artists themselves. This album cover artistry really has diminished with the advent of the much-smaller compact disc (which is a truly disappointing fact), but Mr. Kohler's book rapturously captures the vividness of the times, the artists, the moods, and the music of those two decades. It took me back to the time when I myself used to stare at the covers of my records for hours while playing them over and over again - this classic book uncovers that wonderful feeling inside you once more. And to top it all off, Mr. Tony Bennett himself writes an introduction that's both classy and sentimental. This is a great book for any music lover with a coffee table -- and an open mind towards how art has influenced music (and vice versa) in so many ways.

Mr Kohler presents two hundred and fifty covers (from his large collection) which he rightly thinks show the best of album design in the early years of the LP. He features eight artist/designers who created some of the most distinctive work in cover art. Two of them are my favorites, David Stone Martin who gave Norman Granz's Clef label some beautiful cover illustrations (twenty are shown) and Reid Miles who created the east coast look to Blue Note Records. Unfortunately only four of his covers are shown but you can see dozens more in the two books by Graham Marsh: The Cover Art of Blue Note Records and The Cover Art of Blue Note Records, Vol.2. The other six designers range from the unique illustrations of RCA's Jim Flora to the work of Swiss born designer Erik Nitsche and his semi abstract work for Decca. Record companies are also featured and you can see the beginnings of the Capitol Records house style, I think they were the only major company to produce consistently well designed covers with excellent photography and typography.

Though all these covers are interesting to look at I don't think too many work as complete design units, that is image and text complement each other, mostly they are images with text added later. One cover that I like is on page eighty-one, it shows a file-card box and the albums title, 'Guide to Jazz' is typed on a card which is resting against the box, the tabs of the other cards have musical instruments on them, a simple creative idea that works. Strangely the designer is unknown.

I doubt you will see as good a coverage of the early years of the LP as this (well produced) book but have a look at this title that concentrates on jazz covers from the fifties and sixties, Jazz West Coast: Artwork of Pacific Jazz Records. It has dozens of examples of creativity on paper twelve inches square, somehow CD covers just can't compete with that.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer image' under the cover.

Krazy and Ignatz are unique in the history of the comics and highlight the Golden Age when "Little Nemo," "Maggie and Jiggs," and "The Yellow Kid" were right up there with this strip, George Harriman's salute to wit, whimsy, and the English language. Did I mention Jewish and Italian dialects from New York City? Anyhow, language and imagination all worked together in a desert landscape with Turner skies above and some of the most marveous comic characters walking the sands below. Who else but Herriman could do a daily comic--for years--about a cat with a bow around its neck, a cat that was either male or female depending on what happened in the life of the reader that day, a cat in love with a mouse whose only aim in life was to bean the cat's head with a brick, then to be arrested by Officer Pup! It's the stuff that dreams are made of but, unfortunately, those dreams have faded away.

What can one say about Geo. Herriman's "Krazy Kat"? The wonderful, colorful world of Coconino County is captured beautifully in this all-color Fantagraphics collection of Sunday pages. Geo. was a true poet and his words and art join together (like Chinese calligraphy/poetry/painting) to create an self-contained universe of wonder, humor and all-too human foibles and desires. Let's see - Krazy (cat) loves Ignatz (mouse); Ignatz despises Krazy; Offissa Pupp (dog) loves Krazy but Krazy is unaware and Offissa Pupp's love is unrequited. It's all so krazily wonderful I really kan't deskribe it!!!

It's probable that anyone considering the purchase of this book is already familiar with Krazy Kat, but just in case...

The entire strip is based on a love triangle, with a gender-ambiguous cat (Krazy) that is in love with a mouse (Ignatz) who is irritated by the cat and throws bricks at his/her/its noggin. The cat takes the bricks as a sign of love, however. A dog (Offisa Pupp) is in love with Krazy and tries to protect him-her-it from the mouse and the bricks, frequently jailing the mouse.

The strip has a fairly small cast of characters, mostly animal, and the goings on take place in front of ever-shifting landscapes. The effect is surreal: from one panel to the next, two characters could be talking without much change in their positions and posture, yet the background changes completely. The art is probably a love it or hate it proposition. It is scratchy and might resist some readers' esthetic sense. On the other hand, I know many people who automatically exclaim "I love Krazy Kat!" and the art is part and parcel of their appreciation. At any rate, the price of this full-color book is low enough to take a risk. Personally, I love the art: Herriman conveys surprise, movement, force and speed better than most or all of the comics masters, including Caniff, the superhero artists, Uderzo and possibly Hergé, with an apparent ease and simplicity of line.

Complementing the art is a patois (especially Krazy's) that is, at times, sheer poetry. The title of the book is drawn from an utterance within. There are deeper messages, such as the law of the excluded middle, or some gentle jabs at our lack of color blindness or cultural references that can slip by us because they are from an era now 70 years old.

There are two introductions. One of them, "The Kolors of Krazy Kat" on Herriman's complex ethnicity, is particularly apt in this, the book of the strip's first color Sundays. The other is by a fellow named Bill Blackbeard, whose efforts have saved portions of this and other strips from oblivion and in some cases from outright destruction. His work has rescued an important part of our cultural heritage.

In addition to the introductions, there are photographs as well as reproductions of beautiful Herriman water colors featuring his characters and backgrounds. The book was put together very conscientiously - even lovingly.

Krazy Ignatz is the sixth volume of the Krazy Kat reprint series - but it's the first volume to appear in full color, representing the comic strip's color appearance in June 1935 after being a black-and-white Sunday strip. The new color format has been digitally cleaned for sharp appearance - better than the original strips - and harvests a wealth of Krazy Kat and non-Kat materials from Herriman archives from 1935-36. Krazy Ignatz is a 'must' for any KK fan.

Many comic strips rely a lot on variations on a theme. The classic example would be Peanuts. There were dozens of Peanuts strips that involved Charlie Brown trying (and failing) to kick a ball that Lucy was holding. Even though the idea was the same in each, the execution differed from strip to strip. Years earlier, the same could have been said about Krazy Kat; how many different ways can a mouse attempt to hit a cat with a brick? As it turns out, many ways, each interesting in its own way.

For those unfamiliar with Krazy Kat, the three main characters in the strip are Krazy Kat, Ignatz Mouse and Officer Pupp. Krazy loves Ignatz, who in turn, dislikes Krazy. In fact, Ignatz is constantly beaning Krazy in the head with a brick, an act that Krazy interprets as one of affection. Meanwhile, Officer Pupp loves Krazy and hates Ignatz, constantly arresting the mouse for assault. (While Ignatz and Pupp are definitely male - Ignatz is even married with children - Krazy's gender is much more indeterminate, occasionally referred to as male, sometimes female, but usually left completely uncertain. Personally, I think of Krazy as male, but mainly so I am consistent in what pronoun to use.) Of course, just as not every Peanuts strip involved kicking a football, not every Krazy Kat strip involves Ignatz's efforts to obtain a brick and throwing it at Krazy, but usually the idea is at least lurking in the background.

What makes Krazy Kat special? It's hard to describe exactly. It is certainly different from any comic strip around nowadays: it has much less of an emphasis on punchline humor and instead relies on pure absurdity (or should I say "kraziness"). Even in its time, Krazy Kat was mainly successful due to the patronage of William Hearst, as well as the praise of such well-known figures as e.e. cummings and Walt Disney.

This particular volume covers the Sunday strips of the latter part of 1935 and all of 1936, the first period in which Krazy Kat was in color. Despite some obvious errors by the original publishers seventy years ago - such as times when Ignatz is blue or green - Krazy Kat works as well in color as in black-and-white. There are supplemental materials as well, most notably an essay on Krazy Kat's creator, George Herriman, the controversies regarding his racial background and how it was reflected in his work. Although interesting, you can skip this stuff if you want and go straight to the comics: Krazy Kat is kompletely kaptivating!

This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other kinds of laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provides the most up-to-date criteria for the design of sustainable type of labs. It also gives a unique process for the analysis of needs and the determination of what type of building should be acquired for each set of circumstances, in the context of strategic master planning. It is an excellent tool for architects, engineers and project managers, as well as for those who commission, operate and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.

As an architect who is actively engaged in the planning and design of laboratories I found this book to be an indisposible resource. Mr. Dahan's knowledge of what makes a good lab work comes through on every page.

This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provides the most up to date criteria for the design of sustainable type of labs. It also give a unique process for the analysis of needs and the determination of what type of building should be acquired for each given set of circumstances, all in the context of strategic master planning. We feel here in our laboratory that it is an excellent tool for architects, engineers, and project managers as well as for those who commission, operate, and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.

This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provide the most up to date criteria for the design of ustainable type of labs. It also give a unique process for the analysis of need and determination of what type of building should be acquired for each given set of circumstances, and that in the context of strategic master planning. We fell here in our laboratory that it is an excellent tool for architects, engineers, and project managers as well as for those who commission, operate, and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.

This book not only provides state-of-the-art technical information related to laboratory design such as layout, mechanical & electrical systems, air quality, instruments, special purpose labs, etc. but it also deals with information useful in the planning process for a new facility which should be valuable to lab users. I know of no other source for this type of information. This book virtually provides a step-by-step guide for providing a laboratory facility.

This is the BEST book for learning statistics for business or a more advanced course in econometrics (i.e., dealing with problems presented by economics data, such as heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation). If you haven't taken a probability and statistics course immediately before the intermediate econometrics course, you MUST get this book and do as many of the exercises as possible. If you're starting a job in consulting, you MUST study this book before you start your job. The text and exercises rely on EXCEL. I've been teaching this stuff for 20 years, and I didn't really learn the "Data Analysis Tools" in EXCEL until to taught a course with this book. (And the author actually answers email!) The rate of return on this book is about 1000%, i.e., for $40 your lifetime earnings will increase over $4000 (not including the time you put into studying EVERY page). Just do it!

business statistics and at the same time learn how to use Excel statistical features, buy this book.

Neufeld's emphasis is very much on using the power of Excel as a "tool" to convey an good understanding of the statistics. And having recently tried to brush up my Statistics using the traditional text book approach...

So, if you're one of those who likes to really understand what's going on you'll like this book.

I'm going back to school and really needed to brush up on my statistics. This book did the trick and I'll use what I learned from it for the rest of my career.

This is one of the best text books in Business Statistics that I have come across which not only is theoretically excellent but also helps you master Excel. I think this author should seriously think of adding some more chapters like Conjoint analysis so that it is helpful to PhD students like me.
On a whole, an excellent text book for all graduate students. A must for all graduate business students.

I think this is one of the best books on this topic available. I have purchased many in an effort to merge statistical knowledge with the Excel application. While Excel is a powerful tool it can be tough to figure out how to harness all that power. It is an expertly written, no-frills book. The author clearly knows how frustrating most of the other Excel books on the market can be so he takes great care to walk you though the steps to success. A one star hit for a few noticeable things missing. One topic I really would like to have seen is creation of boxplots (very tough to do in Excel). A minor issue though because this book is loaded with great infromation and step-by-step approaches.

It is a bit pricey at [$], but I think well worth the price. If you can find it second hand then all the better because there is no data or sample disc included. I usually find the lack of a disc for such an expensive book annoying; however, there is a web site for you to download the data files referenced in the book so everything makes sense. As the title suggests the focus is business statistical applications. Bottom line: great book.

The best wish list ever! Everyone should have these toys at least for once in a lifetime.

I was very happy with the book. But, Amazon takes too long to ship products. It arrived several days after I expected it and therefore missed Valentines day. I just ordered some perfume through amazon March 3, it shipped on March 7 and not scheduled to deliver until March 20. I order lots of itmes on line and Amazon is the slowest vendor .

Compiled and edited by Anja Oriol, Luxuary Toys is a beautifully illustrated, 219-page, coffee-table showcase of things that only the fabulously wealthy can afford: Gulfstream private jets, Ferretti and Wally yachts, Ferrari and Bentley cars, and more. Very little text introduces these photographic galleries, but the writings that are present are in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. The majority of Luxury Toys is devoted entirely to vibrant, full-page color photographs and some technical specifications charts. For those who do not have millions of dollars to burn, Luxury Toys is an incredible showcase of high-priced and lavish vehicles, and the next best thing to visiting expensive auto, boat, or plane shows.

Small boys and big boys wants the same things : TOYS. It's just the price that change depending on the age.

This book is fantastic. I found also a site where there is a lot of very impressing luxury tous : http://www.europaluxury.com

The luxury as a way of living is an exquisitely illustrated book, which explores the universe of some expensive top of the line products, whose acquirement and enjoyment use to afforded by a select minority; ferretti and Wally yachts; Aston Martin; bentley and Ferrari; Gulfstrema private jets; Cessna Citation x, Jaguar xKR, Porsche Carrera GT are just only a few examples of sumptuous playthings of the affluent shown here - a set of golden dreams objects - that many would desire but few can afford. Your imagination will fly and ignite as well as your information scope around these "toys" designed with first-rate technology, impeccable refinement and top-flight design that conform an important place into the sweet life.

What a marvelous book! I grew up in a bicultural home in Monterrey, N.L. Mexico, so I am familiar with these Mexican calendars. Although I do not remember having one of these calendars at home, I remember visiting homes that had them. It was fascinating to learn about the talented artists that created them. However, it was sad to see how early on the commercial world was trying to set standards of what a "beautiful woman" should look like. Never the less, these calendars are an important part of the Mexican culture and history. I hope these unrealistic standards are changing - in both Mexico and the USA! (PS - Although there were a few mistakes, the Spanish translation was well done.)

Nice texts abouth the authors, and a lot of good images about the mexican pinups, very influenced by the american ones, but dressed in traditional mexican outfit.
I'm interested in the pinups subjet and that's what I loved from this book. Another good feature is that is bilingual!

very well written. interesting historical account of artists and their methods and subjects. have never seen a greater accumulation of beautiful images, colorful-exiting-romantic portraits. full of 'old time' detail and glamour. hard to put down.

This book is a compilation of the many important roles Mexican women have played in history through the use of calendar art. The photos are colorful and demonstrate the diversity of Mexicanas. What a delightful way to teach the history! This book will surely be appreciated and enjoyed by art lovers, history lovers, women and men alike.

I highly recommend the picture book on Mexican Calendar Girls. The author really did her homework and touched on an aspect of Mexican Popular Art that played on cultural symbols. From La Adelita to La Malinche and even the venerated Virgen de Guadalupe, this artwork found in kitchens, neighborhood tienditas or bakeries evoked an idealized Mexico and its various viewpoints of womenhood. These images are the cultural equivalent of the Norman Rockwell paintings that evoked an idealized North American culture to generations. Angela Villaba hit a homerun with her book as far as my family was concerned. I gave it to my mother who is an educational advocate for multicultural education here in the Southwest and she could not put the book down.
Sergio S. Guerrero Jr.
El Paso, Texas

This book is really about what America once was and could be again, perhaps. The author tipped his hand a few years ago when he wrote a genuine masterpiece of a coffee table book, THE MARTINI. Like that book, a delight to read (and as beautiful designed by Tom Morgan as PAN AM is), this book is about an aspect of American elegance that seems to have been replaced by a crude kind of arrogant upscale consumerism. But on a simpler level this book is just about the sheer joy of luxury travel in a time when the world was much bigger than today, and a white shirt, a bow tie, and leather shoes not considered the mark of the White Male Oppressor. Today we live in the age of tourism; this book celebrates the Age of Travel, which ended in the years after World War Two. Since when did a dozen airplanes -- production of the last clipper model B314 built by Boeing was a mere twelve -- inspire nostalgia like these? Like Elvis, Pan Am was purely American, and one of a kind.

Growing up in the Pan Am family, I have nothing but fond memories of this great era. This book has helped me relive those memories. 30 years later, this airline would be the reason I would become a professional pilot myself. Those were the days when flying was more of a luxury then a convience. Men dressed in suits and women in their best. It was an age of glamour that again can be enjoyed through this book. Thank you

A wonderful compilation of Pan Am history. A godsend for Pan Am fans like me.

Pan Am, An Aviation Legend is a must for anyone who considers herself or himself a romantic and a traveler by air, in the 20th century.

The book is loaded with vintage photos of early aircraft landing in the tropics, of founder Juan Trippe and longtime Pan Am advisor, Charles Lindberg, as well as art deco brochures and jet age memorabilia. The juxtaposition of fabulous pictures, creative and original advertising art and lucid prose makes this book stand out in its genre of coffee table books.

The author captures with great style the legend of Pan Am from the heroic pilots and their engineering feats (e.g. the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean) to the best flight attendants in the world. Anyone who traveled internationally after World War II will remember how wonderful it was to be served by the elite of the airline industry.

If you miss the romance of traveling to far away places, this is the book for you. Pan Am, An Aviation Legend faithfully salutes our memory of Pan American World Airways as the airline that with panache transported us abroad.

Whether you are American or European or Asian or South American or African my guess is that your experience with this book about Panamerican World Airways ("The World's Most Experienced Airline") will be one of nostalgia. Pan Am brought us together. It truly contributed to making the world a smaller place.

We the extended Pan Am family, employees and passengers will revere this book as a fitting tribute to Pan Am's pioneering spirit.

Pan Am, An Aviation Legend will be on most prominent display in the home of all of us.

Glad that Pan Am is coming back as a deserving legend in aviation as well as a legend in world history. As a daughter of a 38 year veteran Pan Am pilot, I melted when I saw this book on the shelf of a book store the other day. I immediately bought it just for the face value but then when I took it home and read though the book, I found a beautifully and respectfully assembled book of Pan Am history. This book gives Pan Am the due admiration of the "World's Most Experienced Airline"...Forever....

I am Jael... and I'm so thrilled with the overwhelming success of my first book, _Perceptualistics_! This book, packaged and designed so beautifully by Paper Tiger, contains not only wonderful samples of my illustrative work through the last twenty years, but the "now discovered" Perceptualistic pieces, that I've been painting throughout my entire lifetime. I thank everyone who has supported this, my first publication, and encourage you to keep traveling within your mind. Dream your dreams of worlds and journeys that are real, but perhaps as yet unexplained. Nurturing, personal, comforting realms in which to retreat, are very much needed for us in this world today. Jael

"Perceptualisitics" is a magnificent gift to the reader. But beware, you "won't find a banana in the middle of each painting..."

That quote captures the essence of a Perceptualistic painting, if such an exercise is even possible. There is nothing literal about these paintings, and a casual observer, expecting to "see" a clearly defined image or a pictorial story in them will be challenged. And that, dear reader, is exactly why you should own this book and drink in the intoxicating visions it contains.

But let me segue for just a moment, for while the Perceptualistic paintings alone are an experience that will engage and enthrall you, there is so much more to this book that make it a compelling "must have."

It is eminently readable. John Grant's prose is both succinct and lyrical, and his biographical rendering of Jael invites one into her world in a way that is palpable and enjoyable. Rarely does one find oneself wanting to finish the text in an artbook before viewing the illustrations. Reading about Jael through Grant's eyes and ears made me want to know more. If there is a shortcoming here, it is because one finds onself wanting an even more intimate and extensive portrait of the artist.

Jael's paintings, regardless of the genre, are superb. Those seeking to view her Science Fiction and Fantasy illustrations will not be disappointed. Her work is among the best in the field and begs comparison to no one. Jael stands among the pantheon of "great ones" in the SF&F area.

However, dear reader, Jael stands alone with her Perceptualistic paintings, and she stands on a lofty plane indeed.

Each Perceptualistic painting beckons the viewer to explore. That exploration might be an inner vision, a transporting to another world or level of awareness, an opening to endless possibilities and insights. In a way, these paintings are gateways to perception, and that perception may change with every viewing. Can you think of any other artist who can offer you such a journey? I cannot.

I thank John Grant for his warm and vibrant words, obviously written with much caring. I thank Jael for this incredible gift to the public, and for opening her heart and her life, if only for a glimpse, to those of us who can only dream of such creativity.

Final thanks must go to the publishers, not so much for having the boldness to go beyond the trite and conventional nature of many "artbooks," but for recognizing creative genius and giving the world an opportunity to share in it.

Jael is a genius. Her genius comes from the heart, the dwelling place of all true genius, and that is a wondrous gift to us all.

Open your heart and prepare to expand your universe, dear reader, and buy this book!

As a former webmaster for the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, I had the pleasure of working with Jael to produce one of ASFA's Chesley brochures. This led to my becoming her webmaster. Until that time I thought she was a very talented illustrator having only seen the images that she has painted for covers and interiors of science fiction and fantasy publications.

While putting together her webpage she introduced me to examples of artwork that were unlike anything I had seen with the SF/F genre. These images cannot be considered illustrations. They are more than that as they evoke emotions and thoughts that transcend the physical plane; transporting one into higher planes of existence and depicting mindscapes of such vast and incredible beauty that the mind finds itself at a loss for words. These vistas can not be described. They can only be experienced.

With the publication of this book everyone can now own reproductions of these of these pieces of 'Fine Art', painted by one of the finest artists alive today. A must own book for every collector.

I've been familiar with Jael's super illustrations for a long time, but nothing prepared me for this book of her work, which concentrates largely on her fine art -- fabulously imaginative paintings that have almost all never been seen in print before. It's nearly impossible to describe them, because they don't obey any of the inhibiting rules that other fantasy artists tend to adhere to. This is a real breakthrough book, and the kind you'll want to buy extra copies of to give to your most special friends. It's lovely!

This book may be your only chance to see an extraordinary body of work from fantasy and sf artist Jael. Well known for her bookcovers, Jael (who goes by only her first name), had been doing an series of personal works over the last 40 years while she fulfilled the demands of motherhood and a busy artistic career. Not abstracts, not realistic paintings either, she calls them "meditations" or "journeys". They are unlike any other major paintings done in the 20th century; and while this book is beautiful, it doesn't do the original works complete justice--I had the privilege of seeing a couple first-hand, and they are stunning. Since Jael considered these personal works and "too odd" for public consumption, she had never publicised them before or even kept good track of the occasional times when she would sell one of these amazing works. The reproductions on page 40 and 54 hint at the splendor of the originals, but many of the illustrations of the perceptualistics were re-created from small slides, though Jael herself worked to restore them to something close to the original. The text is also delighful, since Jael has had a long, interesting (and rather inspiring) life. My hope is that this book will inspire a sequel, and that some of the owners of the perceptualistics will come forward for new scans of the treasures they own.

I can't say I'm overly well versed in composition, namely because most books on the subject are so dense. But in Picture This, the author has found easily understandable way to show the basic fundamentals of art.

Rather than teach composition with diagrams drawn over old master paintings like some books, Molly Bang uses simple bits of paper to demonstrate how shape, color and placement can affect the mood of a picture. And once you understand these principles, it's easy to see how they can be applied to more complex artwork.

Bang's pace is very deliberate. Every change to her construction paper compositions is well documented and explained. It's that simplicity and directness that allow her to communicate such a large amount of knowledge in only 96 pages.

And don't let the short page count and the fact that this book is recommended for grade schoolers fool you. This is a book every artist should have her shelf.

Don't be misled by the simple pictures and storybook style into thinking this a just a book for children. I have given this book to several adult friends, including some who are professional artists. We all learned something from Molly Bang's clear and compelling explanations of the principles of visual composition.

I love this book and using it for teaching basic design ideas...a fellow teacher uses it in Psychology! The simple story of Little Red Riding Hood serves as the basis for discussion how line, color, shape, etc. work in art. Such a great idea...wish there were others of this type. I will be using it to teach the elements of art in Art History this fall.

Using the story of Little Red Riding Hood this book is focusing on the basic principles of composing images.

Reduced to the maximum and using simple colors and arrangements of basic elements like circles or triangles, the drawings as well as the short, precise text within this book are pointing out, how simple and complex arrangements within pictures work, transfer obvious (and hidden) messages, how philosophy and psychology witin pictures works. Therefor its a book telling the story why pictures may lie, may influence, may manipulate an observer even though obviously just showing "reality".

Whether you are taking photographs, drawing or designing - this book is a absolute must! A photo/image tells more than thousand words - here you will find the answer how and why. Great to read and watch, easy and fast to understand - even though dealing with a most complex matter.

Finally a personal statement and hint for an esthetes: if you like to possess a book with an outer shape and appearance that promises, what the contents keeps, than you have to buy the nice hard cover version instead of the cheaper soft cover version - it will pay off for sure.

This book is amazing...the illustrations are simple, clear and compelling and the narrative approach to understanding the art elements and principles makes this rather dry topic into a fascinating tale. I have purchased several copies of this book for friends and plan to use it in my middle school art classroom.