Image Books

I was more than pleasantly surprised at this very well told and fully developed book. The best graphic novels are first and foremost great stories, and "Meltdown" really delivers in that regard. Unlike mainstream comics that limit their storylines to watered down melodramas designed to promote a franchise character, "Meltdown" is an introspective graphic essay that reviews a "superhero" life that is blessed, and wasted, and flawed, and ultimately very human.

Although the book is in a prestige format and the artwork is top notch (subtle changes to indicate differences in timing was a nice touch), Schwartz's story is more like a true indy that takes chances, and so as a whole the book is the best of all worlds. That's probably not the best idea for a mainstream franchise comic book series looking to cash in on future toy lines and Wal-Mart t-shirt deals, but it's a great approach for a well designed and thoroughly enjoyable graphic-based and story driven novel.

Highly recommended.

A smart, clever story with super spicy graphics that leads to a great ending. The type of graphic novel that will appeal to those looking for a deeper experience then the usual affair.

If you like action packed excitement with excellent writing and artwork - this book is for you. Great foward momentum to an exhilerating climax.

Here are images drawn by a young man destined to be one of the premier designers of our time. They were done in the 1960-62 time frame when Mr. Graves was a student in Rome. He traveled across Europe sketching, painting and photographing. His subjects were primarily architectural, but also included images that his eye could pull out of a scene that the rest of us would miss.

These two years, Mr. Graves says in the Foreward, taught him to experiment with media, style, even places to paint other than in his studio. This was two years of independent graduate study that in part gave him the background to go on to the success that has made him almost a household word.

These are fascinating drawings, often showing the essence of a point of design with only a few strokes. The next picture captures what an architect of centuries earlier designed in a Roman structure. Once in a while there's a photograph to capture a particular scene. All in all, a view of what a talented person sees.

Prior to creating post-modernist architecture and becoming a household name (thanks to Target), Michael Graves' career took him to the American Academy in Rome from 1960 through 1962. While there, Graves immersed himself in the architecture of Rome, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom which have been collected into a book aptly entitled "Michael Graves: Images of a Grand Tour".

The drawings within "Images if a Grand Tour" are grand themselves as they vary from quick pencil sketches to elaborate pen and ink sketches of full building perspectives, details, and partial cityscapes. All of the drawings exhume a certain elegance in their composition and mannerism despite the level of time and detail Graves may have paid to them.

Two important lessons can be drawn from the collection of Graves drawings. The first is that the importance of drawing to the representation of architecture - be it built or conceived - is unparalleled. The drawings contain gestures of ideas, form, etc. that Graves was highly interested in. This point is further reinforced with the inclusion of Graves' writing entitled "The Necessity for Drawing". The second lesson that can be observed from this collection is the emergence of Michael Graves as an Architect. Graves' noted architectural style evolves with his studies during those two years, and one can begin to see many of the forms and shapes arise from what Graves is immersed in.

Whether or not one may love or loathe the work of Michael Graves, "Images of a Grand Tour" is a superb collection of drawings that are worthy of note and worthy of owning.

In his newest book, Professor Brian Ambroziak eloquently displays the sketches, washes and images created by his mentor, Michael Graves, during his two year stay in Rome (having won the pristigious Prix de Rome). The most important thing about this book is that it is far from being a mere collection of work, beautiful though it is. Ambroziak asks us to look deeper into the work and search for the artistic conscience- for the connection between mind and hand that Graves exemplifies in his work. Looking at Graves' work while considering the education of the architect is an inspirational experience. I can imagine Graves' eye following the line of the horizon as he sketches the landscape of Rome- his pencil traveling carefully over the edges. In a similar way, Graves has a way of embedding architectural ideas into his drawings- they are not just documentation of a place. His "Theater of Dionysia" from Athens, the "Tempietto" from Rome, "Arch of Janus" on the Capitoline Hill, "La Rotunda" in Vicenza- every work in this book evidences the mental processes that Graves underwent during in his explorations of Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, Spain and the UK.
Attempting to understand the way in which architects think in terms of the connection between what they see and what they draw is vital to the understanding of architecture (and representation in general). I recommend this book to everyone, but especially to architecture students. There is much to learn from this work.

What an interesting book! But then if you have ever visited Michigan Memorial Park you would agree that it is also extremely interesting. The grounds are immaculate, and the building designs throughout the Park are just amazing.
Having the history of MMP in a book is wonderful. As mentioned in an earlier review, the Downriver Area is unique and this is one of the reasons why. Let's hope everyone has a chance to read this book and get a taste of Downriver and the the families who made it what it is. Thanks to to the Heston family, and more recently, Barbara, Kelly and Heidi for carrying on what their family began so many years ago, and also for keeping such a strong community involvement.

This book is wonderful. It brings to light many stories of families in the Downriver area as well as a great story about Michigan Memorial Park. Anyone who lives in the Downriver area or is a football fan of the University of Michigan should read this book. I think the author should get a "Thumbs Up!"

This book held my attention throughout the entire reading experience up to and including the very last page. I am hoping that this author will continue to write this type of book for many more cemeteries in Michigan and beyond. I appreciated greatly this writing style because it creatively yet accurately presented the lives of the people and their history along with the history of the cemetery where they now rest. I would encourage everyone to read Michigan Memorial Park

This author, Gail Hershenzon, wrote a book prior to this one called Woodmere Cemetery. It was also part of the Images of America Series. Woodmere was the initial book that started my interest in Michigan history via the history that is gleaned from the persons' lives that are buried at Woodmere.

Both of Ms Hershenzon's books are a reminder that history is a wonderfully respectful way of sharing memories by giving honor to those that came before us. These books also give a gift to all of us to learn from AND enjoy.

As someone who has grown up in this community, I very much appreciate the effort that went into this book. I am fascinated by the old ranchos and our founding families.

I also find it interesting in the context of how the Bay Area was settled and how it has grown.

Thank you, Mr. Burrill!

While celebrating the Cities 5Oth anniversary as a city, the Milpitas Historical Society worked throughout the the year to create a comprehensive view of the Milpitas Heritage. The book was completed just in time for the Christmas holiday and is a fitting gift for the Milpitas region to educate the locals and to honor it's heritage.

(Missing from the end of the book is this poem)

For people new to this region, and children who are being raised,
our book offers an answer to the question that they may raise.
Does the past really matter?
Do I know where I've been?
Is there any one to honor? And how could all this have been?

Seven chapters reveal the Milpitas heritage.
"In the beginning, " (Chapt. 1) reveals evidence of the unique natural history of this Bay Region.
Native Americans were stewards to a natural "Garden of Eden" and were the longest inhabitants.
"Historic Main Street," (Chapt. 2) documents the European pioneers that settled here and the old American ways of doing things. "It was a cash only store, but John Carlo would let the farmers charge until they sold their crops for that season." (on page 30)
"The Railroads." (Chapt. 3) The reader will be surprised to find Milpitas had three railroads. Two in town and a third built in the unique watershed located within the Milpitas Hills.
"Agriculture from the Water," (Chapt.4) The application of the water and a view of the historic breadbasket, that provided for the early pioneers is an important part of the Milpitas heritage.
"Main Street in the 50's, (Chapt.5) Humor at "the corner," explains the humility handed to Milpitas. Anyone can make a joke about another, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at himself. Just ask "The Man from Milpitas," (on page 88)
"The Ford Plant" (Chapt. 6) The influence of Ford in Milpitas rallied the town to incorporateand gave our City a birthday on January 26th 1954. A spirit and heart was forged and protected by the Milpitas Minutemen now exhibited upon our city's shield. So "Happy Birthday Milpitas!"
"Over the Tracks" (Chapt. 7) is a celebration of the last physical hurdle completed, so that Milpitas could become the metropolis which it is today. In this chapter we honor our heroes, our War Veterans and our leaders that have provided our goals. Truly, these are the good,
the great and the wise.
Noteworthy features found within the text include:

1. This book is the largest collection of Milpitas vintage photographs and descriptions ever assembled in one textbook.

2. A cohesive time line follows the progression of each chapter.

3. The quality and composition of the photos is consistent and pleasing to the eye.

4. The two comparative aerial photos depicting 60 years of change frame (sandwich) the book and are profound.

5. The text validates each photo offering a deeper appreciation for the significance and value of the Milpitas Heritage.

6. The book honors our heritage and supports civic pride and education.

7. The Milpitas Historical Society and its heritage can be seen.

8. This third publication complements the two previous text
written for and about Milpitas.

9. This text is published within a prestigious library with over 3,000 other titles throughout the United States.


10. Every community has its own unique story, and our book proves that Milpitas is no exception.




Three books have now been written upon the Milpitas Heritage #1 MILPITAS The Century of 'Little Corn Fields' By Pat Loomis ISBN 0-9678333-1-0 (Anecdotes from interviews published in the San Jose Mercury News 1983. Illustrated with 30 photos)
#2 MILPITAS FIVE DYNAMIC DECADES by Mort Levine, Tom Gilsenan
and Rob Devincenzi ISBN 0-9748858-0-0 (Fifty years since 1954 is reviewed and illustrated with 50 photos)
#3 Images of America, MILPITAS by Robert L. Burrill ISBN 0-7385-2910-9
(A picture book with captions illustrated with 140 photos.)

Having grown up in Milpitas, it was great to see the historic photographs of buildings and landscapes in this book.
The only minor error is in the breif explanation as to the meaning of the city's name. "Milpitas" comes from the Spanish word "milpa" which literally means cornfield. While the word mil is indeed "1,000" in Spanish, the "mil" + "pitas" explanation offered in the book is better suited to a fallafel restaurant, not this thriving Sillicon Valley hub! By replacing the last vowel with "itas," the word is converted into the plural, micro (term of endearment?) version of the original word (this is sort of a rule of Spanish). Etymology aside, all Milpitians and diaspora-Milpitians should own this book!
Thank you Mr. Burrill and the Milpitas Historical Society!

Finally, after 30 years, I found the perfect gift for my father-in-law who used to be a Milwaukee firefighter. He couldn't have been more touched and couldn't wait to show it to all of his retired friends. Will be shared and talked about for years to come.

Long known as a world-class aviation historian, former Milwaukee firefighter Wayne Mutza makes a second journey into the history of the profession and Department he loves. The results are again top notch. Where many authors of image-based histories fail to properly marry photos and captions, Mutza succeeds at making each element support the other to simultaneously deliver both social and technical history at its best. Whether for education, entertainment, or example, this is the book to take in hand and enjoy.

The newest addition to Arcadia's outstanding "Images of America" series, Milwaukee Fire Department by Wayne Mutza (who served for almost twenty years with the Milwaukee Fire Department before the hazards of firefighting ended his career) tells the story of the Milwaukee Fire Department from its origins as a volunteer group in 1837 down to the present day. Milwaukee Fire Department is not a strictly text history, but rather a photographic one, consisting almost entirely of black-and-white photographs from the past century and a half, each photograph sporting a brief caption detailing its origin. A treasury of visual history, steeped in pride, gratitude, and respect for the selfless and often heroic labor of Milwaukee's protectors against the ravages of fire.

If author Ronald Hayward was an investigator, he would be Sherlock Holmes. If he were an artist, he would be Michelangelo. Bringing both talents together in this monumental truth-seeking magnum opus, Dr. Hayward utilizes comprehensive literary research and painstaking analysis to paint for us a picture of what was, what is, and what can be. Only rarely does an author come along with such scholarship and expertise that is able, in layman terms, to enlighten those of us with a far narrower "self". For all of you who are searching for more truth in your life, or possible explanations for the mysteries of your existence, or even for a more perfect union, this book is a must read. And for those of you who aren't searching for any of these things, this book is a must read. This book speaks to the very core of our existence, to the epicenter of our idle brains, and to the deep dark recesses of our curious thoughts. Think no more, Ronald Hayward has done it for you and written it all down in this splendid literary work. The challenge to your intellect is profound. Like me, you will no doubt find it absolutely liberating! This book provides you with critical knowledge that empowers you to become one of the elite few to free yourself from the deception that has engulfed the Western population in intellectual slavery for the past 2,000 years. My only regret after reading this book is that I can't ask Homer for his reaction, nor Confucius, nor Jesus, nor Gibbon. But there is one profound figure who could add a lot of input. It would be one of the greatest events of our time to see Dr. Hayward debate this book with Jerry Falwell.

This is a well researched, clearly written book that has many characteristics of a scholarly work, yet it is easy to read. It sheds light on the various religious stories and the remarkable similarity among those comprising the legends of different eras and adherents. This book is for the open minded, inquisitive reader.

Dr. Haywards book "Mind, Self, and Spirit" is a must read for anybody who has ever questioned religion, the Bible, evolution or wondered how the history of the world has been shared throughout time. His conclusions are mind opening when you see the comparisons from mythology and numerology to many aspects of the Bible. It is a scientific look at the history of the world and how it has evolved into many beliefs that people follow today. A general knowledge of Christianity may help in reading this book. His toughts and views are shared in a manner that is both easy to read and understand. I recommend this book to any person with an open mind who is searching for answers to questions that we have been told to accept and not question our entire lives. Great book, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

As an avid reader, writer, editor, and writing coach, I am always on the lookout for literature that feeds my hefty literary appetite. Boring books and topics always irritate me and cause me to put the book down, never to be read again. However, when I read 'Miracles Do Happen,' something moved in me that I could not readily explain. I was so moved by it, I had to start studying about miracles for myself.

Wayne T. Jackson really makes the reader feel that receiving a miracle from God is a simple act that just takes faith. I was having a massive financial need, when I applied the principles in this book. I saw that need cleared and forgiven by the debtor. Today, I say with confidence that, 'Miracles Do Happen!' I highly recommend this book to show you what a miracle truly is and how to get your own.

I have just completed the book "Miracles Do Happen." ... Today I am a better person because (this book has) taught me how to exercise greater faith in looking at each and every situation to see Gods excellence in it. I've grown in the depth of His presence with increased wisdom, understanding, and desire.

This book has really been a comfort in my time of crisis! It has encouraged me and directed me in how to believe in the impossible for my personal situation. With real life testimonies of people who have had impossible miracles of healing and miraculous character transformation (including the author's own miraculous story), has given me faith to know that God still cares and performs miracles.

When I worked as a clinician I often felt frustrated that so many "psychologists" (with a degree that said so) were in fact neurologists, biologists, and physiologists, dealing as they did with psyche (which they called mind, or brain) in terms of its literalized mechanics: soul as circuitry, heart as pump, world as background to human concerns. What I could have taken heart (not the pump) from, and what Robert Romanyshyn provides in this book, is what he calls "a psychological reading of the historical appearance of the science of psychology." A psychological reading: a reading that takes psyche on its own terms and disassembles psychological empiricism into a series of working fantasies, a dream too often untended as such.

Using the metaphor of the mirror, Romanyshyn brings into his study a sustained reflection in which the reflected-upon and the reflecter transform one another. This mirrorlike dissolving of watcher into watched, which eludes captivity in numbers or in graphs depicted in psychology texts, cannot be called a property of psyche, for psyche is not a thing or a substance. "Between persons and things, man and world, subject and object, a story appears, a story which is expressed in terms of a way of seeing and speaking about the world. The story which appears is the appearance of psychological life."

What does a psychology offer when it has forgotten this storied quicksilver aspect of its subject? Automata; a subject without subjectivity; or as the author puts it, an animated corpse. Read a mainstream psych text and see for yourself: drives and their derivatives, but no person; mechanisms and libidinal hydraulics, but no soul. Spiritless schemata whose vocabulary might have been dried in formaldehyde before ever hitting the page.

As one of archetypal psychology's original thinkers, the author points out that behind the most "objective" observation lurks a fantasy, an image; and perhaps nowhere is this truer, and with larger psychological consequences, than in psychology itself. "Psychology, however, forgets this vision. Focusing on the events of physiology as the facts of psychology, it forgets that these events are primarily ways of seeing psychological life. Focusing on what it sees, it forgets how it sees. And in this forgetfulness what originally matters metaphorically is taken literally."

What always strikes me about Romanyshyn's work (see my review of his book THE SOUL IN GRIEF here at Amazon.com) is how vibrantly relational its own metaphors are. They image, connect, dream into each other, now at rest, now in motion, but never static or sealed in glass jars. Loosening itself from the customary constructs we bring to it, the world he paints for us shimmers into enactments, poetics, that dance around the details he shows us: the face in the mirror, the old man in the park. The style of writing reminds us of the worlds of difference between the imaginary and the imaginal, the spatial and the spacious, the mind and mindfulness.

Psychology the Science, so precise, so factual, and so possessed by physics envy and blind to its architecture of assumptions, moves in this book into psychologizing, from self-distracted noun to alchemically self-reflective verb.

Romanyshyn explores the assumptions regarding person, others, body, and world, that are the cornerstones of scientific psychology, anad he compellingly dissolves these in terms of the metaphors of our cultural history. In doing so her articulates the irreducibly metaphorical character of psychological life and opens the possibility of a phenomenological depth psychology. This little book is a classic in phenomenological psychology and metabletics. Its gifts are numerous, and it is essential reading for anyone concerned with the meaning and direction of psychology.

Of all the books I have read, very few so profoundly affected me so as to literally change the way I see the world. This is one of them, among a select few. I am amazed how Dr. Romanyshyn can write with such lucidity about ideas that are so profound and otherwise complex; it speaks to his essence as a teacher, who knows how to provide a perfect balance between the concrete and the abstract.

In the very beginning of the book, Dr. Romanyshyn begins with the example of looking in a mirror, and from there he unravels with apparent ease the basic assumptions of modern psychology, and in its place, builds the foundation for a different "psychology" that is concerned with "psychological life." Such a psychological life is profoundly metaphorical in nature--and yet unmistakably grounded in concrete experience.

Make no mistake, Dr. Romanyshyn's thesis, if taken seriously (as it should be) has widespread significance for what it means to understand, teach and practice the discipline of psychology. Psychology from the perspective of psychological life will be a psychology that is not reducible to a natural science, nor to philosophy, nor to literature. But, rather, psychology as a way of seeing comes into its own--and for the first time in the history of the discipline, would finally come home, in the sense that it would for the first time have its own identity.

Certainly, Romanyshyn is standing on the shoulders of giants: Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Sigmund Freud, Paul Ricoeur, Carl Jung, Martin Heidegger, Edmund Husserl, Wilhelm Dilthey, Michel Foucault, and many other thinkers in the history of the philosophy of the human sciences. But no one has quite synthesized and formulated psychological life the way Romanyshyn does so in "Mirror and Metaphor." I have no doubt that if Dr. Romanyshyn's text were to be read widely and carefully, psychology as we know it would never be the same.

It is a must read! Don't miss it!

Once again, gifted writer and illustrator George Ulrich has brewed his magic and created has created both a visual delight and a wonderful story for children. As in Spook Matinee and My Tooth ith Looth, Mr. Ulrich charms us with his vibrant illustrations and his gentle mystery of Mrs. Picasso and the story of the missing polliwog. His artwork is reminicient of Picasso, and his story introduces children to the transformation of beloved animals. Truly a wonderful book!

Mrs. Picasso's Poliwag: A Mystery is a sweet, clever, and enaging story that will delight children and adults. What makes it even more special are the amazing and visionary illustrations, done with perfection in the spirit of Pablo Picasso. The artwork tells its own beautiful story and will introduce children to one of the greatest artists of our time. As a former teacher, I have a sense of what children love, and I know in my heart that this beautiful book is a wonderful addition to the body of children's litearture we have. Adults too will marvel at the cutting-edge artwork.

My children, ages 3 and 5, love Mrs. Picasso's Polliwog. It is a classic "Ugly Duckling" story which wou;ld inspire any child. The illustrations are bold and colorful, evoking Pablo Picasso. I highly recommend Mrs. Picasso's Polliwog for any child aged 2 to six.

Most books on Multimedia either deal with specific applications of multimedia or offer an analysis of just one Multimedia standard, but this book establishes the fundamentals of multimedia signal processing, introducing generic concepts and then offering a more detailed analysis of the underlying mathematical concepts.

The language is simple and the author does not try to confuse the reader with technical jargon. The material on audio and video compression and various standards is especially intensive. The example programs in the MATLAB CD are well written and give the user a clear understanding of the practical aspects of digital filtering, compression algorithms and the basics of multimedia signal processing. I would strongly recommend this book to someone who wants to know the `whys' as well as the `hows'.

Most books on Multimedia either deal with specific applications of multimedia or offer an analysis of just one Multimedia standard, but this book establishes the fundamentals of multimedia signal processing, introducing generic concepts and then offering a more detailed analysis of the underlying mathematical concepts.

The language is simple and the author does not try to confuse the reader with technical jargon- a very good read. The material on audio and video compression and various standards is especially intensive. The example programs in the MATLAB CD are well written and give a clear understanding of the practical aspects of digital filtering, compression algorithms and the basics of multimedia signal processing. I would strongly recommend this book to someone who wants to know the `whys' as well as the `hows'.

It is not easy to find a textbook on multimedia for upper level undergraduate and graduate computer engineering students. This book has filled the need, and has presented an excellent and interesting introduction to multimedia in fifteen chapters. Although, it has been assumed that the readers have knowledge about discrete-time signals and systems, a chapter has been included to review basic transforms and filter theory, as well as to present advanced theories such as discrete cosine transform and wavelets. The signal processing theories have been explained and demonstrated with simple examples. A strong point of the book is the accompanying CD that contains MATLAB codes for all relevant examples. The readers can easily run these codes and verify the results of the audio/image/video experiments presented in the book. For those who are not familiar with MATLAB, the processed audio/image/videos for several examples are provided in the CD. These readers can just play the audio file or display the image to verify the subjective quality. Instructors should also find the Power Point figures and tables provided by the author useful.