By Subject Books

My husband bought this for me when he bought me Photoshop Elements, and it was immensely helpful! I am now very comfortable in Photoshop, thanks to the easy to follow instructions and visuals.

The volume's strong point is its voluminous visual to illustrate every phase of digital photography from equipment to printing paper. It also bridges the gap from optical to digital photography. Technical in presentation ... for the experienced phohtographer ...

A profusely illustrated with more than 1500 full-color photographs, step-by-step 'how to' guide for taking great photographs and then digitally enhancing them using Photoshop, "Digital Photograph" by Michael Wright is very highly recommended both for its comprehensiveness and for being so 'user friendly' in its organization and presentation. Covering Photoshop essentials in general, including Photoshop 7 and Photoshop CS in particular, "Digital Photography" addresses simple and complex retouching techniques, removing 'red eye' from images, cloning, hand tinting, restoring old photographs, photo montages, digital painting, adding text to images, special effects, storing images, creating photo essays, printing, file size, composition, color theory, bracketing, lighting, backgrounding, and so much more. "Digital Photograph" is a single volume instructional guide that is strongly recommended for anyone aspiring to enhance their photography through Photoshop technology.

More pictures, less words, better understanding! This book truly is a step-by-step visual guide for taking pictures, and then whipping them into shape in Photoshop.

This book is not about about how to take better digital photos. It's a book that gives step by step instructions on how to do numerous photo editing. If you're not experienced in PhotoShop, then I highly recommend this book. For a novice, it might be a good refresher for you.

One of the things I love about this book is it actually does give step-by-step visuals on the how tos. It shows you what the photoshop box will look like, tells you were to find the tools you need, etc.

If that's what you're looking for, then this book is ideal for you. As I said, if you're a novice, it's a nice refresher or quick reference book.

Recieved item on time, right when we were told it would arrive. Book in very good condition.

This Book seems to be a great tool; I have not had the opportunity to really get into it yet!I am sure I will enjoy!

This product has proven to be an outstanding reference for a teacher of any subject. If you're looking to elaborate on a concept studied in class, music is an outstanding way to relate to students. With the ease of downloading music, lesson plans may be materialized in a matter of minutes with authentic discussion to follow. It works beautifully with any unit. Additionally, the book is categorized for easy reference.

As the Video Hound's Guide is for movies, this book is for songs. It categorizes the songs logically so you can always find a song that relates to what you are teaching to help engage kids, help them connect the content to their world, and sometimes even teach content. (Maybe ask your school librarian to buy a copy if you do not wish to spend the money on it.)

Now in an updated and expanded fifth edition with over 14,000 songs added (and featuring over 35,000 songs overall), The Green Book Of Songs By Subject is a comprehensive and very strongly recommended, "user friendly" reference for looking up popular songs by subject. Basic topics such as Freedom, Rivers, specific states and cities, etc. are listed in alphabetical order; each listing is followed by appropriate song entries arranged by title. An especially excellent book for tracking down the title, composer, or publisher of popular as well as obscure songs, The Green Book Of Songs By Subject is a core addition to the reference shelves of academic music history reference collections, and would prove invaluable in the personal reference libraries of professional musicians, DJ's or music-writers who can't afford to waste time struggling to remember (or needing to track down) who composed, performed, or produced a given tune.

All of the images in this book are noteworthy; some are truly spectacular. The only thing that the various images have in common is that the images cannot be seen by an unaided human eye; the images span from the microscopic to astronomic. Considering the quality of the images in this book, it's too bad that the paperback version is so small (under 9x6). Given the quality of these images, the larger size of the hardback would have been well worthwhile the slightly higher price.

The pictures are beautiful, varied, and amazing. Looking at them I felt the wonder of being a human in the universe. This is completely sappy as a review, I know, but the photos are of wonderful things, most of which you can't see any other way than in a photo (because they would require special microscopes or telescopes or other equipment or an unusual place to stand to take the picture).

The book makes a good gift too.

This is a superb book. I'm 73 with a scientific background and still very active in my field. The book has also been devoured by my 3 teenage grandchildren. They have been fascinated. The photographs are outstanding. The brief text for each picture is well written, succinct, relevant, interesting and scientifically accurate. I found the introduction stimulating and thought provoking. It's a great book. I'm glad I found it.

This is a facinating book that both my husband and I could not put down. Highly recommended.

This book contains one of the best set of images I have ever seen. There are pictures of different subjects on a whole variety of scales and colours, which are fantastic design sources for many arty/crafty people who lack inspiration for various projects. Some images are unidentifyable and are impossible to understand without reading the blurbs - I spent a while guessing what some of the pictures were & quite often got them completely wrong. It's one of those books which make you realise that you are glad that you cannot see to microscopic levels, especially of bedbugs & flies etc..! Well worth getting & some amazing photography.

I teach an ESL class to immigrants and use this book constantly. My students like this book becuz of the pictures, conversation ideas at the bottom and translations in several languages. I've had to order books (in Spanish, Chinese, Korean) for my students who want their own copies. We love this book!

I'm very lucky to find this book, because it will helps me to learn English. But I think it's good also for everybody because the book teach us the correct name of the things that we need day by day.
It's my second by at Amazon and I'm very happy
Cordially,
Luzia

This is the kind of dictionary I needed. When you want to know how to say a concrete concept you will understand better if you use this picture dictionary.

Please review the book I ordered its call word by word picture dictionary, second edition

I was lucky enough to be in a situation where my adult ESL classroom had enough in-classroom copies for all students to use during classtime. I used this almost everyday. It's a fantastic way to teach new vocabulary, especially when you combine its use with other teaching tools, such as acting out motions. I often had my students use the books to quiz each other. This is a good resource, and if you can get enough copies for everyone in your class to share, DO IT!

A chance meeting with the artist has given me a new sense of hope. I shall forever cherish my signed copy of "Guided by the Angels" My husband and I were so drawn in to her vision that we purchased one of her original paintings entitled, "Keeper of the Lights". This book is a great and inexpensive way to have a glimpse at creation as seen through the eyes of a true angel here on earth, Mandi keep doing God's work and his light shall forever shine through you!

EVERY THING YOU WANT TO KNOW.

I simply cannot describe how this young girl's paintings make me feel. It is like looking into the face of God through an angel by the name of Amanda Dunbar. She is destined to attain greatness in her lifetime. Her angels speak so that we all can listen. It is time to heed the lessons by the child who is surely "Guided by Angels" Thank you Amanda for your precious, precious gift!

I simply cannot describe how this young girl's paintings make me feel. It is like looking into the face of God through an angel by the name of Amanda Dunbar. She is destined to attain greatness in her lifetime. Her angels speak so that we all can listen. It is time to heed the lessons by the child who is surely "Guided by Angels" Thank you Amanda for your precious, precious gift!

Amanda Dunbar has an extraordinary gift. To look at her paintings gives me a sense of inner peace and hope. I'm also amazed at the technique and vibrance of colour each one of her painting has. I would love to own at least one of her paintings. it would definitely be a valuable collectible and worthwhile investment. But for now the book is fantastic ! Keep up the good work Amanda!

I purchased this book after considering many watercolor painting books on Amazon.com and I'm so glad I did. It is beautiful in every respect. I also got one heck of a good price, too. This book has everything I wanted and more. Super concise and easy instructions and illustrations - just perfect for a beginner like myself. Every step of the painting is shown and explained. You just couldn't go wrong when using this book. I wish I had this book years ago because if I had, I would not have given up trying to paint with watercolors. Now I'm back and I'm going to love every step of learning with this helpful book. Gorgeous photos throughout. You will definitely be inspired!

An Excellent reference for beginning through advanced painters.

Everything needed to paint lovely floral watercolors: Selection of paper and paint colors; step-by-step sequence of demonstrations along with samples of completed "floral portraits".

If I were to own only one book of floral watercolors, this would be it!

I found this book to be very helpful in painting flowers with watercolors. Being new to the medium, this is a very valuable reference.

This book is on the top of my list of books I would recommend to learn to paint and draw flowers in watercolor, and I have a huge number of watercolor painting books to compare it to. It is also great for learning basic watercolor techniques, as the beginning chapter cover everything a beginner would need to know, but it is a book for watercolorists of all levels.

After the basic techniques and materials chapters which are outstanding in themselves, the student is given 26 beautiful flowers to paint, each with detailed instructions, and sometimes close-up views of exactly where the detail such as masking fluid goes, or where the next glaze goes, etc.. Each exercise gives the exact pallet you will need. The instructions are excellent.

I consider myself still a beginner, but was amazed at how beautiful my first flower turned out, and credit most of it to the teaching methods in this book. This book is among the very BEST OF THE BEST to learn from and also to enjoy the beauty of the paintings. I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. It's tops in every way.

Not all artists can teach, but Adelene Fletcher is definitely a teacher. One thing I like about this book is she tells you all the colours you will need to do each flower in the book, and then gives you some very good instructions in painting them. I have done the first two flowers in the book and thoroughly enjoyed her method of teaching. I am now looking to buy her Trees and Foliage A-Z book but Amazon cannot get it and the other suppliers I've looked at so far do not ship to Canada.

If you don't know what is portrait photography, or better, if you think you know what is portrait photography, you have to buy and/or read this grand format book !!
Emotion, beauty, technical perfection....certainly one of my favourites

Photographer Steve McCurry's images of Asian peoples and culture is renowned the world over, so it's especially pleasing to discover them all together under one cover in LOOKING EAST: PORTRAITS BY STEVE MCCURRY. Don't think you know Steve McCurry? Yes, you probably do - he's the photographer who captured the Afghan girl with the big eyes that appeared on the cover of National Geographic. More big-eyed and striking peoples are captured here, displaying the power of the portrait in cultural understanding.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Tremendous pictures by the one and only Steve Mccurry.
Big print size portraits, great captures.

I think this is the best collection and the best printing quality of McCurry's portraits to-date. These images are truly fascinating. I enjoy in particular those from Tibet.

This is a magnificent book full of stunning portraits.

McCurry has captured the soul of his subjects using simple yet finely tuned techniques of a master photographer.

Opening this large book to page 48 we see the Kuchi Shepherd from Kashmir, his orange beard jumps from the page while his sage blue eyes reflect the years.

The Afghan Girl is here too. Her blue green eyes tinged with ochre match her clothes and background so perfectly she appears to own on the page.

Of course I'm romanticising about these images. Most of these people endure hardships most Westerners can't imagine. McCurry went back to look for the girl many years later (a National Geographic documentary). He found her still poor and unknown. Her eyes were still luminous though, her humanity shining through.

This is what photography is all about - no fancy tricks or gimmicks, just letting the subject speak for themselves, to live on the page and in our memories.

Not only do the "twin authors" provide a first-hand glimpse into the world of "being a twin"...but through the plethora of inspiring interviews with "real-life" twins, they gave me the "real-life" gift of stopping to think of "being human!"

Not only do the "twin authors" provide a first-hand glimpse into the world of "being a twin"...but through the plethora of inspiring interviews with "real-life" twins, they gave me the "real-life" gift of stopping to think of "being human!"

It was refreshing to read a book about twins that wasn't all research and statistics. This book tells a short story about the lives of twins that are either famous or have accomplished something extraordinary or stick out in some other way. Notables are Muhammad Ali's twin daughter, the Hennessy's, Tamera and Tia (Sister Sister show), Mario Andretti and his twin Aldo and Jane Seymour's twin boys. Also the story of the Jim Twins (in every book about twins) and the famous Hensel conjoined twins.

Very interesting reading, and I agree it's a good coffee table book. I do think they should have more boy-girl and other fraternal twins sets represented though.

I liked this book enough. I was disappointed that it focused so much on identical twins and same-sex twins. (My twins are boy/girl...there is only one vignette in the book.) I haven't found myself reading it over and over. The pictures are lovely and the stories are fine. I give it a B or maybe B+.

This book truly touched my heart. I am a twin and felt that it honestly portrayed the many complex and deep emotions and issues that twins experience. I can't wait to share this book with my twin and family! And there are so many amazing people in the book. I didn't realize Muhammad Ali and Jane Seymour had twins. And how different each relationship can be, yet also have such commonalities. I absolutely love this book and find myself opening it up often to read an essay and look at the beautiful photos.

This book is for the Art lover, and fans of Betty Page. Each page has something to offer. I recommend this book for any collector of the arts. Well done!

One of the best books by Olivia with nice pics from his works focused on Bettie. A must for pinup lovers.

This book appears small and thin but contains a very large amount of amazing Bettie inspired works by Olivia. Included are a few pages of the progression of sketches to reach a completed work. The opening comments from Hugh Hefner are excellent. If you love Bettie, Olivia and especially both, you will love this book.

Olivia strikes again with another beautiful publication. Olivia's books are always printed on high quality, glossy paper which emphasize her stunning work. I am proud to say that Olivia and I have shared thoughts on Ms. Page. Olivia is a very generous and gracious lady and her paintings will always amaze me. I now own all of her books and trading cards.

Nice book, no nudity, which is fine, because I was looking for nose art for my airplane.

Painting The Word is a truly outstanding guide to Christian paintings and their meanings brings art and spirituality together in an inspiring coverage. More than a history of painting, Painting The Word discusses how Christian images reflected and influenced Christian civilization as a whole, with a universal quality delivering balanced messages. Color reproductions of significant classic Christian art works appear throughout.

As an ordained Anglican priest and the dean of Christ Church in Oxford, John Drury is by no means an accredited art historian but he is a trained artist and has a knowledgeable background in theology and New Testament exegesis. Depicted as "a book about how Christian paintings convey their messages" (p.ix), Painting the Word uniquely "extends" the "historically iconographical, or picture-describing, approach" to art by incorporating spiritual "meditation," in order to bring the reader through a "contemplative waiting process" of viewing Christian artwork (p. xi-xiii).

John Drury specifies that the purpose of the book is for the reader to take ownership of the paintings and receive `spiritual nourishment' from them. What originally began as `postcard sermons' describing artwork exhibited in the London National Gallery, has developed over time into the authoring of this wonderful book, which is full of photographic illustrations of European Christian paintings from the 14th to 18th century.

The author successfully brings the reader along on a spiritual journey through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Drury groups paintings under each key moment of the salvation story, starting with the Annunciation, to the Nativity, to Christ's baptism and ministry, and culminating with his death and resurrection. In this way, Painting the Word is entirely Christocentric, as it focuses on the sacrificial narrative of Jesus "from conception to resurrection" (p. xiv).

I question whether Drury successfully builds a connection between the artwork itself and the spirituality being conveyed by the artist, because Drury presents some very odd theological concepts throughout his book. I disagree with Drury's constant insinuation that the original painters understood the biblical scenes that they were depicting as "myths." For example, as Drury begins his discussion of paintings depicting the Annunciation, he states, "A dialogue between Mary and the angel follows. It can only be imaginary, but... it is held together over a respectful distance by their mutual regard" (p.41). Drury claims on the very next page that the "moment" of the Annunciation is thanks to the "imagination" of St Luke and St John. Is Drury actually insinuating that the dialogue between Mary and the angel was only a fantasy? Would the artists of the Annunciation paintings really see their portraits as depicting a mythical scene? If so, then a plethora of Christian artists from the 14th to 17th centuries must have believed that Christianity was nothing more than a "myth", as Drury repeatedly refers to sacred Tradition as "myth" throughout the book (cf. p.48, 89, 114). It is more likely that Drury is imposing his own view upon the reader rather than objectively bringing out the artist's intended spirituality.

A more detailed review is available on my website:
http://members.shaw.ca/angelamccormick

This book is without doubt one of the more beautifully prepared and printed books in my collection. Done by the Yale University Press in association with the National Gallery of London, virtually every page is a treasure. There are nearly two hundred full-colour-process reproductions of artworks throughout the text, and every page (not just the colour plates) are heavy bond, high-gloss stock that shows the ink and colour with vibrancy and depth.

John Drury spent a career at both Cambridge and Oxford dealing in matters of theology, ecclesiology, liturgy, and art. I discovered Drury's book while attending a course at my own seminary on the church and the arts, and kept finding myself frustrated at the rapid pace we would go through topics (a frustration I know the professor teaching the course shared - how does one do justice to 2000 years of music, architecture, and art in a mere 15 sessions?). I sought out supplemental materials to help fill out the outline, and Drury's text serves the purpose in many ways.

Drury states his purpose early in the text. `This is a book about how Christian paintings convey their messages. It takes on whole paintings. It is not content with just picking symbols out of them for identification. Composition, colour, contents (including architecture and landscape as well as figures) and the ways in which the paint itself is handled - all are treated as part and parcel of their religious meanings.' This is a holy and holistic approach.

Drury adopts a kind of picture-describing approach (one that he terms `historically iconographical'). This involves absorbing details while understanding context and material. This is the same kind of attention that worship requires (and indeed, the Eastern church has always had this kind of physical artistic interplay with the tradition of use of icons for prayer, meditation and worship purposes) - it requires an openness to experience and feeling while also benefitting from understanding and guidance.

Major artists and works studied in detail in this text include the work of Tiepolo (c. 1750s), the Wilton Diptych (anonymous, c. 1390s), Titian (c. 1510-40s), Duccio (c. 1310s), Filippo Lippi (c. 1450s), Poussin (c. 1630-50s), Rembrandt (c. 1640s), Piero della Francesca (c. 1450-70s), Caravaggio (c. 1600s), Rubens (c. 1630s), Velazquez (c. 1610s), Cezanne (c. 1900s), and others. Most presentations begin by showing the whole work, then proceeding to look at individual characteristics or highlights often pulled aside in side images or isolated for greater emphasis. The text and artwork is arranged in good pattern throughout the text.

Throughout his text, Drury makes a repeated call for care, meditation and attention to be given to the artwork as well as the response to the artwork. He makes that statement that we should stay in front of the images `longer than people usually do' - noticing in museums, art shops, churches and other places that people tend to shuffle past rather than give attention to the most stunning and sublime works of art. Drury draws in history, theology, philosophy, literature, biblical references and images, and other cultural and contextual references to make the experience of these works a full and profound one. This is not a book to be read quickly or glanced over lightly.

Drury includes a narrative annotated bibliography rather than a simple list; he provides both a general bibliography for the entire text as well as a selected bibliography for each chapter/topic.

This is a wonderful book, a great gift for oneself or for others. It is particularly good for those who want a deeper experience and understanding of the way in which art has and can interact and enhance one's relationship with Christianity and its message.

Reasoned analysis involves dissection of statements and dissection of images. The dissection is needed to detect evidence or to expose the lack thereof. The reason analysis of images is needed is that all of the images are not natural. They are iconic based on conventions (like language) and therefore Christian images are signs. The discipline to investigate them is not the neuropsychology of perception but semiotics, the science of signs. Here we have an excellent semiotic rhetoric of Christian images informing us of the meaning of the signs and the meaning behind the images given to us by an expert in both religion (John Drury is a priest) and in the history of art. The cross, the scourging pillar, the spear and the sponge on a cane -all these have meaning. Particularly interesting was Chapter three with the dissection of the different presentations of the annunciation by Duccio as compared to Lippi and Poussin and the biblical quotes that supported each artist's view of what happened and how it happened.

John Drury is an art historian who uses his vocation as a priest to explain the subtlety of meaning that lies hidden in the symbolism of religious paintings in London's National Gallery.

Anyone how has looked at such a painting but not "seen" it, would do well to read this wonderful book and share the insights that the author offers. Paintings that I would have passed by with scarcely a second glance, are revealed within a context of their time, with reference to their history, the world view of the artist, the common and uncommon symbolism employed and much else besides.

It gives the possibility of sharing a visual language that we have lost and enables us to understand what it is about a picture that we sense is great, without comprehending why that might be.

It is hard to think that anyone who has ever visited an art gallery could not profit from reading this book and has certainly given me the enthusiasm to go and look at the pictures for myself.