Instruction Books

Great book. Was recommended reading for a college class. Class or not, excellent book. A must read for all pilots.

It's a very good reading for flight enthusiast, simple yet complete; not so good for aviators or flight ground school. Only drawback: the cd is very poor, since its contents are little more than the book figures. A short index of turbine airplanes could be more up-to-date and more detailed.

Very informative book, a must have for any pilot transitioning from pistons to turbines. Each chapter gives precise details of what the airlines would ask you about systems etc...

If your looking for a good way to learn about turbines and advanced flight principles, this is the book!! It covers things ranging from a turbofan engine to pneumatic systems to flight controls to FMS systems! Great book to be pre-studying for that airline spot!

This is a great product and I highly recommend it for anyone that is transitioning to turbine equipment, weather it be turboprop or turbojet/turbofan. This easy-to-read book made it easy for me to understand the new equipment that I'll be transitioning into. I read this book right before i started ground-school for my type-rating and I was surprised at how much easier it was for me to grasp the material... The ASA version is the same as the hard-cover version which sells for $25-30 more and the material is the same... There is a cd included that is excellent because it has animated examples of the material in the book.

Even if I didn't have 3 of my own jouranl quilts in this book I would still give it a 5 star rating! I see something new every time I pick it up. It's been a huge inspiration to me and my on-line yahoo group, Fiber Art Traders, [...]. Bravo Dawn for a job well done!
Normajean Brevik, Fiber Artist and Writer

I've really enjoyed this book so far, and will be using it for the examples when I teach a Art Journaling workshop coming up. It's mostly pages straight out of artist's journals, but at the beginning has a few pages of questions and inspirations to get you started in your journaling process.

...and you will see different things in the pages each time. I am one of the lucky artists in this book and I am amazed at the results. To put this much work together from so many artists had to be tough. My favorite aspect is the fact that there is so much diversity. Each artist bring their own voice to their work and it bounces off the other artist's work to create a harmony of color, shapes, images and words. ... Wow maybe that was a little too tooooo....but I want to convey that this lively book is a real treat to look at and a good source of inspiration for what ever art you do or enjoy. Great job Dawn. Thanks for including my work.

I teach art journaling to middle school children of many abilities. I cannot tell you how wonderful this book is, so delicious with the variety of entries. They were so excited to see it.... I found each group gathered around me to get a better look.

I know the artwork, writings, styles of presentation, colors, and excitement from this book have influenced the young writers/artists I teach.

The children love it.

How does a reviewer "Rate" or "Review" another artists' ART?
This was a difficult task for me, because as my 1st sentence stated, it's quite difficult to rate an Artists' personal Art.
Basically, it's like trying to evaluate a person's inner soul!

This book is so well photographed & so detailed and colorful! Dawn DeVries Sokol has done a beautiful job at displaying all the entries that she received while organizing this book of 1000 Journal entries.

The other amazing thing is that the entries that Dawn received were from all over the World! Therefore, it is so interesting to see how a journal writer is different from all others, and yet also the same, in that "we" (as a community of human beings) express ourselves in common ways as people! This book expresses this point very well---the soul of a person.

Dawn stated in her Preface that she chose not to categorize each Chapter by theme. But rather, Dawn chose to show the Journal entries as a continuum. In this way, Dawn has displayed the worldwide entries in a spiral fashion, rather than in a linear fashion...thus, each entry spiraled from one to the other.

Some Journal entries are sometimes "dark", sometimes sad, and sometimes happy. Such is life.
All are introspective.

When I read this book, I first of all went through each entry to look at the colors and artistic points. Then, the second time I went through this book, I looked at each Journal entry more specifically (often with a magnifying glass) in order to absorb the pages more thoroughly.

All in all, this was a very insightful experience, not only into the souls of the Artists and writers, but also into my own soul.

This book has the most awesome animal drawings I have ever seen. The fact that they are wood engravings is more than remarkable!

A present for my daughter-in-law and the illustrations were incredible. She is an artist and will make good use of this book.

Wow - the enormous numbers of animal life is astounding and the book clearly shows this. Unfortunately the images are quite dark and the book is very thick (you get your money's worth - image-wise), so scanning them for use in various artistic media is difficult. Therefore, I bought two of the books and plan to cut one of them up (that hurts to say for I treasure books of all types). This way I can control the scanning and modification using software to bring out details and highlight an image to my satisfaction. And finally, the classic images are impressive and I applaud the author for his selection of animals from all realms of life on earth.

Used several of these drawings in projects. Books like this are great for those of us designers who aren't the best freehand drawers.

This is just packed full of brilliant illustrations of birds frogs fish girafee spiders butterflies you name it , throughly recommended for any one who loves botanical illustrations or engravings , really good source material for artists or designers.very nice book but rember it is a paper back not that that matters to me.

that comes with a teaching guide. The guide that is at the end of the book is worth it alone if you want to teach your child to think and understand what is on the printed page.If this book is too pricey, get these teacher-authors' companion book for just $8.95 Life's Little Lessons: An Inch-By-Inch Tale of Success...which is really a bargain.

Every parent of a 3-8 year old and teacher should have this on their bookshelf. A fabulous story about self-esteem along with a fabulous reading guide at the end that shows us how to teach out kids reading.I've read this to my 4 year old grandchild at least 5 times and used the guide to discuss the story. These authors also did the same with [[ASIN:1578863368 Life's Little Lessons: An Inch-By-Inch Tale of Success]. Buy them both. You won't be sorry.

Pricey but well worth it. I found another book by these author-educators that also has a reading guide to start the youngest child on learning to read.Absolutely invaluable. Additionally, it is an outstanding storybook to share with children up to 8 years of age with beautiful and heartfelt messages every child will enjoy. Splurge...you will be glad you did. Also check out "Life's Little Lessons: An Inch-By-Inch Tail of Success."

I can't recommend this book (written by 2 teachers) highly enough. The teaching guide at the back of the book is fabulous for parents and teachers.Filled with 10 pages of questions, activities...to begin teaching young children reading skills. I have been using it with my 4 and 6 year old- they love it- I'm about to buy a new copy-it's so warn. What a chance to participate in their reading experience, develop a love for reading and get them ready for school. Buy it with the second in the series Life's Little Lessons: An Inch-By-Inch Tale of Success- this one is a real bargain at $9.95.

An outstanding book for parents to share with children up to 8 years of age.The beautiful and heartfelt messages along with the funky illustrations will be enjoyed by all. But most of the reading guide that shows and instructs parents how to teach their children reading is invaluable !!!

Ina Saltz, Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh (Abrams Image, 2006)

The idea of an all-text tattoo is brilliant. I can't believe I never thought of it. A lot of people, however, have, and Ina Saltz has made a project out of documenting these tattoos. The result (at least, up till now) is Body Type, a fine book of photography depicting these tattoos, with the expected short captions containing explanations by the owners of the tattoos about their reasons for getting them. (These are, at times, unintentionally hilarious.)

As enamored as I am of the idea behind the book, I'm not as much so where some of the actual photographs are concerned. Many of them are nicely done, but there are a few that just don't work; too dark, too light, too washed out, too something, depending on the photograph. Not a good thing in a book of photography, one thinks. Still, there are enough good photographs here depicting such an excellent idea that it's still worth your time. *** ½

This book has thousands of clearly photographed tattoos for inspiration, they may also serve as a "What not to get" sample.

If you are into typography, the personal meanings of words, or tattoos, this is an excellent book. The photos focus on the words, not the people wearing them, but the descriptions of the tattoos from the owners bring it back to the people. There are also a few discussions about typeface choices that show that at least some of the owners really thought about it.

This book is fabulous for all the reasons Ina outlines in her introduction. I was not prepared for it to be both philosophical and intimate. I love it. It is inspirational. And I abhor tattoos.

Although this charming little book is a quick read, it deserves to be returned to many times, to really admire and appreciate all of the unique, amazing, and well-done tattoos on display therein. In recent years, the old stereotypes of body modifications and the people who get them have been changing for the better. This book can only help in that endeavor. Far from displaying a bunch of bikers, criminals, delinquents, soldiers, and sailors, the type of people who are stereotypically associated with tattoos, these are people from a wide range of walks of life. Many of them are professionals and educated, and all put a lot of thought into these tattoos. And far from being the stereotypical fare of skulls, hearts, roses, and pin-ups girls, the tattoos themselves are also from a very diverse sampling.

The book was inspired by a typographic tattoo which Ms. Saltz saw on the subway one day, and after that discovery (which her subject happily let her photograph), she began seeing more and more tattoos that contained words, letters, and typographical symbols instead of the more standard traditional pictorial images. These people used a wide variety of typefaces for these tattoos, and sometimes even designed their own typefaces. I loved the ambiagram tattoos, the ones designed in a typeface that lets the word be read the same upside-down as it is when viewed rightside-up. People have gotten tattoos containing loved ones' names (very unique was the woman who got her blind lover's name tattooed in Braille on the top of the back of her neck), quotations from Shakespeare, the Bible, movies, songs (the story behind the 33 people who had the first 33 words of Holland's national anthem tattooed on them was a very interesting one, reflecting not only the diversity of the nation but also how much the Dutch love their country), popular quotations, works of literature, and other things which inspire them. One of my favorite word tattoos was the one containing the opening line of 'The Divine Comedy,' in the original Middle Italian, since I also find the opening lines of that long epic poem to be very beautiful, moving, and inspiring. The tattoos are also categorised into such divisons as love, self-love, self-expression, politics, religion, and personal beliefs.

Overall, this is a great small-sized coffeetable book full of great photography of a very unique subject. One doesn't need to have a tattoo or tattoos oneself to appreciate the photographs; I can't get a tattoo due to my religious beliefs, but I greatly admired all of the workpersonship and personal meaning that went into thinking up, designing, and executing these amazing tattoos, and even saw some I'd like to have myself if I were allowed to have a tattoo. I'd love for there to be a second volume, particularly because this one didn't include my own favoritest typefaces, Palatino and Bookman!

My roommate owns a cat so I bought this book as a gift for her birthday. She let me borrow it when she was done and I have to say, I learned a lot of cats! The book is very informative but very easy to read. The witty illustrations that accompanied it was just perfect. I also own the Dog manual and enjoy it greatly myself!

If you are looking for an informative book that is easy to read and comprehend, and enjoyable, this is the one for you. It covers practically everything to owning a Cat!

A funny and great book for the first time cat owner, or anyone who loves cats.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

I read the book from cover to cover - it's an easy read for an informational book. I used it for a good overview and also have a more detailed "reference" book that I refer to if specific problems arise with my cat.

I picked this book up because I am a cat lover. When I started reading the book I found myself laughing as well as learning things I never knew about the care and training of my cat. It is formatted to read similiar to a automobile manual, which I thought was very humorous as well as a neat way to organize the information. I think it is a great guide for anybody who wants to learn more about the care and detail of having a feline friend.

I have come accross many cat books, dog books, and dog or cat books that are written in a funny style. This is one of those rare books that actually manages to succeed in everything it aspires to!

Not only is this book recent (2004), inexpensive, and hillariously written and illustrated, but it has all of the basic information a cat owner would need in an extremely USEFUL format. Man, how I wish I had this book when I first got my cat! It covers all of the questions other books could easily overlook, such as how to hold a cat, proper grooming, socialization, etc.... The format is just so... organized, it's easy to get an idea of where everything is, and the funny mechanical manual format is brilliantly integrated so that it does not interfere with either readability or clarity.

The only deficiency of this book is the lack of detailed medical information. This is not a bad thing in itself, though, as it allows for a shorter, clearer book. I would strongly recommend you to also purchase a veterinarian-written guide to cat health that covers all of the common medical problems. This would allow you access to information about vaccinations, what qualifies as an emergency or needs veterinary attention, and at-home solutions to medical problems without constantly questioning your vet. Such books include "Guide to a Healthy Cat" by Elaine Wexler-Mitchell, DVM (great, recent, inexpensive book - the only lack is that it doesn't go into as much depth as it should because it tries to be easy to understand), "Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" (a classic, in-depth book about almost every problem you might face - but not very up-to-date as it was written over 10 years ago), or "The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats" (excellent in so many ways, but does not go into problems not treatable at home except to tell you when to take the animal to the vet).

For a die-hard Peanuts fan, this series is a must-have!

This series is going to be a regular drain on my bank balance for the coming decade, as that is how long it is going to take Fantagraphics to finish publishing this collection, if they stick to their published schedule.

Be warned: The Sunday strips are not in colour unlike the Calvin & Hobbes and the Farside collection in which even the black and white strips are printed on colour pages. This quite pisses me off...

Finally, a Peanuts collection in chronological order and nothing left out. It's going to be a long wait indeed...

I've always thought of creating a bookshelf of hard cover with all my favourite comic strips, when I could afford them... Calvin & Hobbes, Farside, Tintin, Asterix & of course Peanuts.

I have the first two, and I'm on my way with Peanuts... It's going to be a long and interesting 11 years...

There was a time when the newspaper comic strip was HUGE. In the early 1900s, the success of a newspaper was in part due to the comics it featured. That era has long since disappeared, and it often seems that the comic strip is a neglected relic. There are still some good comics out there, but they are getting rarer and the newspapers treat them with less and less respect, cramming many onto a single page that used to hold just a few.

Where does Peanuts fit into all this? Well, it is the most popular comic strip of all time. Does any other strip have anything close to its legacy of movies, TV shows, plays, books and merchandise? And happily, it is deserving of its success; it is arguably the best comic strip ever, and certainly one of the top ten or so. As a result, it is not hard to see why the newspapers continue to publish old strips years after its creator, Charles Schulz had died. They don't stop printing it or allow another artist to take it over. The comic strips overall are a pale shadow of what they once were, so repeats of Peanuts can prosper because nothing new can replace them.

Volume 4 of the Complete Peanuts is where the characters are really beginning to show their full development. We have Lucy, the champion fussbudget and Linus, her philosophical brother with a dependence on his security blanket. Schroeder is the budding musical genius. Patty, Violet and Shermy are mostly supporting characters at this point; they will be eventually replaced by other characters (but not in this volume).

The two key roles, however, are those of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Snoopy is up to his usual antics, pretending to be a vulture, grabbing at Linus's blanket and relaxing in his water bowl. He also starts his practice of lying on top of his dog house, although his first attempts are not all that successful. Charlie Brown is, well, Charlie Brown, the ultimate loser who the Fates themselves conspire against. Kites won't fly for him, pens constantly smear and if, by some remote chance, his baseball team is doing okay, they heavens themselves will open up and rain out the game. His "friends" are often cruel to him (with the exception of the benevolent Linus and the aloof Schroeder). In a way, the main theme of Peanuts is defined in the very first strip (in volume 1) when Shermy says, "Good old Charlie Brown...How I hate him." This seems to be the way the whole world thinks of this hapless character.

Peanuts may seem to some to be just an overrated strip, but I don't think that's so. It may be overly merchandised, but the comic itself is a cornerstone of the genre and one of the most influential strips out there. This volume again shows why Peanuts is one of the all-time greats.

Here the Peanuts gang becomes familiar, as they start hitting the usual topics that would develop and blossom over the years. Every one of the main characters has secured their place, and Snoopy starts his development into the multi-faceted character we know and love.

Probably the best thing about the book is that we watch Charles M. Schultz modify and mollify his characters. In 1957, quite a few of the Sunday cartoons show Lucy becoming too much the bully, abusing her younger brother viciously without cause and causing no end of pain to Charlie Brown. During 1958, Lucy develops a vulnerability and Linus becomes more an actor, sometimes getting back at his sister and sometimes causing his sister's temper tantrum (it's easier watching her blow up when she has a cause). Schultz could have blown things with Lucy, but with a few modifications between her and Linus, a balance is made that makes things more interesting.

Now, here's to next April, and 1959-1960.

Everyone's favorite beagle comes into his own in this fourth volume of the best-selling COMPLETE PEANUTS series. Snoopy covets Linus's security blanket, indulges in imitations and impressions,joins the baseball team and, toward the end of the book, he even--an epochal development!--starts sleeping on the roof of his doghouse.

Of course, fans of Schroeder, Lucy, Linus, Patty, Pig-Pen, Shermy, Violet, and Charlie Brown will also find plenty of hilarious strips to enjoy as well including several hundred that have never seen print in book form before today.

I don't know if I am musically hopeless, but I certainly have never gotten much out of a harmonica. In a few short lessons with this book and tape, I was able to play "Oh Susanna" in straight harp (accent on the blow notes) and was on my way to playing single notes, "cross harp" (blues, accent on the draw notes) and riffs.

The little harmonica that comes with the book is a 10 note key of C Hohner. It is surprisingly sweet-sounding and a very good little instrument. That impressed me; I imagine once I get better at this I will still be happily playing on it. The harmonica has a protective plastic case-- the whole thing is no bigger than a candy bar. The slim paperback book is well-illustrated with a back section of quite a few straight harp folk tunes that you can play even if you don't read music. The tape is pleasant--plenty of blues guitar to jam with, and many example riffs that are the backbone of learning basic blues. The tape is also invaluable for hearing what a single note, a "bent" note, and the wah-wah sound effects are like.

If you want to teach yourself or your kids a musical instrument with not a lot of money or musical knowledge, this little kit might just do it for you.

When I wanted to learn blues harmonica I started asking around and searching the net. Everyone pointed me in the same direction. They told me Jon Gindick is the undisputed champ when it comes to harmonica teaching materials. And they told me to get this package. I got it, and couldn't be happier. The only thing I knew about music is that I liked it. Jon takes you through step by step from how to hold the harmonica, to basic music theory, to bending notes, and other techniques to get that blues sound you seek. Jon is clearly interested in getting people started on their way to a playing successfully. And the book is quite entertaining. Finally, getting a book, cassette, AND harp for this price is unbeatable. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Yes, I am a piano-lessons-dropout. Never could play a musical instrument, but now I am jammin' with a blues guitar! I practice along with the included instruction tape in the car and my commute is just a blast. It did not take long at all to get addicted and there is plenty on this tape to keep you busy for a long time. I imagine that I will eventually outgrow this 'first-timer' tape and get the intermediate instruction, but it will last you a lot longer than you think. It's fun to play along with the tape over and over again -- each time hearing yourself get better! I used the book just once to get started, went to the tape, and stayed with the tape ever since. The first time I heard the cool riffs on the tape, I thought "That is SO cool. I would love to play like that!" Now I am doing it! and coming up with my own variations. My plan is to get a tape that is 100% guitar (no instruction) and show my friends my jam session! I'll hedge my bets and make sure they enjoy a few drinks beforehand.

Incredible, and what a deal for so much fun. By the way, when I bought this, [they] said it's a book and instruction tape. When it arrived it also had a harmonica (Honer Pocket Pal). This is my thrasher, throw-it-in-the-glove-compartment harp. Based on recommendations I found on the web, I bought a quality harmonica that's solid for beginners and can support you to intermediate levels (Lee Oskar Major Diatonic, Key of C). It plays very well.

Musically Hopeless No More. By studying Jon's books, Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless and Rock n Blues Harmonica, I have learned how to play with a band in 9 months. Gindick speaks the language of the people while carefully teaching you the basics in a way that is interesting and fun. Since Jon recommended that I learn from as many people as I could, I have scoured the blues "how to" literature. Gindick's books are my favorites.

This method really worked for me. Whenever anyone asks me how I got started with the harmonica or says they are interested in playing, I send them right to this book. The lessons are easy to follow and the tape is a great way to start to learn how to play.

I picked up this book/tape about six years ago and am now playing in three bands. A contemporary Christian band, a blues band and a classic rock. The book is fairly humorous and keeps your interest until you are ready to use the tape alone. This is the only training I have in how to play harmonica. You'll enjoy it.

I got it, read it, was familiar with alot of it, disagreed with some of the writer's judgements, but I judge this book to be down right decent and interesting to anyone who finds the title intriguing....
Go ahead and order this publication,if your instincts tell you to do so... I will bet at least 50 percent of the contents you will find of value to you, if even they are only a reminder of stuff you were taught ages ago in art school.
It's a good refresher book of your own art education, even if you do not agree with the author's point of veiw, at the very least, he picks up on things that get your attention, and you can re-define your own sense of design and what it means to you personally as an art/object maker.
I found it to be a pleasurable publication,and am glad I bought it.I may pass it on to a friend,but not for a couple of years...

Great book. Easy to understand and use.Great for anyone yearning to learn about design in the 3d aspect.

This is a great reference for any artist or art teacher. I learned design as a freshman in college. That was about 20 years ago. Design is still a very important part of what I do especially since now I must teach it. This book will help any artist improve her/his work. It will also enable teachers to better instruct their students in the elements and principles of design. Highly recommended.

As a beginning student of design, I've been looking at a number of texts. This is the best I've come across so far. The concepts are presented concisely and in a well-organized format. The illustrations are superb, drawing from a number of crafts, media, and styles. The tone is friendly and encouraging. Recommended highly!

This book is a very good choice if you are looking to broaden your horizons in design. There are lots of pictures for examples, and the text is easy reading.

I have always wanted to paint & draw but never knew or learned the techniques. This book has everything. What brushes to use what kind of paper, what kind of pencils to use, how to make your own frames, how to use color pencils, etc. The book is paperback as indicated above, and it has great pictures and is enough depth for a beginner (like myself.) Highly recommended!

This book has great information on a lot of topics! I use it in a few ways. As a practicing and selling artist, and it's a good place for ideas, inspirations and technique brush-ups. I also teach community art classes and it's great when I need project ideas, or even need to refresh myself or teach myself techniques for a certain class. This would also be a great book for a budding artist looking for an area of concentration.

This book is a great book for children and adults who want a basic introduction to art mediums. DK always does a good job of describing and it is an enjoyable read.

DK books are always a "best buy" when it comes to bringing clear, concise information on how to do almost anything.

The book is in wonderful shape! My daughter needed it for a college class so the price helped her out a lot. I am an art teacher and was very impressed with it. I told her when she is finished with it she needn't pay me back...just give ME the book.