Robertson Books

Robertson Davies's "Tempest Tost," first volume of the Salterton trilogy, opens in a deceptively quaint Canadian city, with two cathedrals (one Catholic, one Anglican) and one university. Still waters run deep, and quaint towns run weird. While it's not Davies' best work, it's still entertaining and quite amusing.

An amateur production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is being put on in Salterton, under the guidance of Ms. Valentine, and a seemingly random assortment of people arrive to audition. The usual problems -- revealing "arty" costumes, warring auditions, simmering rivalries, and some rare old books -- crop up, with a few extras in the bargain.

Hector Mackilwraith, a prissy, aging teacher, joins because of his crush on the beautiful heiress Griselda Webster. But Griselda is flirting with womanizing soldier Roger, who's romancing her to gain a sense of class, and is worshiped by the colorless Pearl. The relationships and mistakes they make come to a climax as the "Tempest" begins to storm...

Anyone who's watched "Midwinter's Tale" knows that putting on a play is never a picnic, and it's even worse when there's internal tension and weird actors. There's a sense of the fantastical around "Tempest Tost," even though nothing really fantasy-like happens. His tone is less barbed than traditional satire, but no less amusing or insightful. His style is a good combination of the more formal styles of the early twentieth-century and the more streamlined style of more recent times.

Where the book excels is character development. The plot really has no beginning or end; it just stops after awhile. The characters just border on parody, with fussy teachers, effusive "bad girls," gypsy philosophers, slick serial womanizers, precocious teens, pompous professors, and more. Humphrey Cobbler, who is a sort of gypsy philosopher, is the most vivid and engaging guy in here.

The characters are very multifaceted, like real people. Roger is an expert portrait of a human Ken doll who feels no need to be anything else; Griselda and Freddy are the slightly fickle but kindly daughters of an eccentric; the Torso seems like she'll be a pain at first, but is revealed to be a diamond in the rough. Hector, with his stalkerlike obsession with Griselda and odd brand of sexism (he considers a girl who has been kissed to be no better than a hooker) just gave me the creeps.

"Tempest Tost" was Davies' first book, but while it hasn't got the polish his later works have, it's still a solid and smooth read. Highly recommended as a modern classic.

A brilliant, brutally honest, yet affectionate satire of the excentricities and insecurities present in old small-town Victorian-remnant Canadian Anglo-saxon culture...those of you among this set: you know who you are! Required reading for an Ontarian or a Maritimer born in the early 1940s, or for anyone who has ever known, loved, or worked closely with one. The story revolves around characters putting on an amateur production of Shakespeare's play "The Tempest," and although I found the ending slightly anti-climactic, I really haven't laughed so hard in years!

Far from fluffy. Tilting at "The Tempest" as Davies does in this early novel is brave, or foolhardy, beyond measure. Extremely acute human beings are only occasionally profoundly generous. Do NOT forego the pleasure, even if you imagine you might balk at play within play. Davies came to novels by way of his love for theatre. Everything begins here, most remarkably his unique ability to write charming lively characters of both sexes, all ages, many orientations. In "Tempest-Tost", five or six rise to the level of presiding spirits. Plus the gnarled final effort of Shakespeare is tweaked/tickled/refreshed to a very nice renewal. Grand. Sharp without ever descending to mean. You can't meet Valentine Rich or the sisters Freddy & [Im]Patient Griselda (Gristle to Freddy) anywhere else. First in the Salterton. Read it.

An early novel (actually the first). Light touch with Davies's brand of situational and character-based humor. Comes off like deep PG Wodehouse, which is certainly no insult. I wish a few of the characters had been returned in following books - I like the precocious daughter especially, and her foil and co-hort, the grumpy gardener.

I agree with the above reviews. This delightful book was written by a green Davies -- not yet in his prime. The thing for you prospective readers is to do as my Canadian literary guru had me do. Start with this book, this trilogy and read chronologically. Then you get the double pleasure of reading good literature and admiring the author's development. As for wanting to read more Davies after this -- it's a given.

Another one of Lucy Maud Montgomery's entertaining short-story books. Each story will have its twists and turns, and the author brings such amazing personality into each of the characters that you will not want the outcome to come in anyway that they, the characters themselves do not.

If you're already an 'Anne of Green Gables' fan, you'll love these short stories. Each one is unique and is about different residents of Avonlea and its' surrounds. Laugh out loud with some - they're every bit as entertaining as the 'Anne' books themselves.

Don't expect to find too much of 'Anne' herself in these stories though. She often gets a mention, but no more than that. These stories are about other residents in Avonlea and are great for giving extra depth and fullness to the novels about Anne. 12 tales in total - I loved them all!

This book is an endearing collection of short stories. The first time I read the Anne series at age 10, I refused to read this book because it wasn't about Anne. However, at age 21, I have grown up and recently read it. Read this and become enmeshed in other Avonlea lives. Also, look forward to references to our favorite heroine, Anne Shirley! I promise you won't be disappointed!

"Chronicles of Avonlea" is a collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery, "In which Anne Shirley of Green Gables and Avonlea plays some part, and which have to do with other personalities and events." First published in June of 1912 when Montgomery had published "Anne of Green Gables," "Anne of Avonlea," "Kilmeny of the Orchard," and "The Story Girl," it is my understanding that the author revised some of these stories to work in references to Anne and Avonlea, which would make them more palatable for her growing audience of readers.

This volume contains my favorite Montgomery short story, "Old Lady Lloyd," which is actually set in Spencervale. The title character is thought to be rich, mean and proud but is really only the last that is true. But then she hears of the plight of young Sylvia Gray and Margaret Lloyd finds there is something more important than her wicked pride. Montgomery does some nice twists with what is basically a fairy godmother story. "Old Lady Lloyd" also provided the basis for one of the first season episodes of the television series "Road to Avonlea," as did the comic romances "Aunt Olivia's Beau" and "The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" from this volume.

Although "Old Lady Lloyd" is a love story of sorts, many of the dozen stories found here are more traditional romances. "The Hurrying of Ludovic" is about Anne Shirley's plan to help the ironically named Ludovic Speed to hurry up and ask her friend TheodoraDix to be married. "The Winning of Lucinda" and "The Courting of Prissy Strong" follow suit as well, although with Montgomery's wry sense of humor coming into play. But another strong theme in these stories starting with "Old Lady Lloyd" is the love of music, which comes into play in both "Each in His Own Tongue" and "Little Joscelyn." "Old Man Shaw's Girl" fits into neither camp, but is one of the better stories here as well.

This collection was followed by a second, "Further Chronicles of Avonlea," and if you take these two, "The Story Girl" and its sequel "The Golden Road," then you have the four books that served as the basis of various episodes of "Road to Avonlea." But if you are a fan of Montgomery's writing then you already know that even in her novels she often worked in various short stories and might even have come to the conclusion that she was better at short stories than at novels. Still, for those who found seven Anne books to be far too few, this collection is the first place to turn to find her in other stories.

every story is enlightening! it helps u stay in a good mood after reading! it teaches u about love! and yes...i like it very much!

The book is slim to start with, and page after page is devoted to reproductions of cards -- something anyone can see by visiting the nearest drug store.

Information about contacting greeting card companies is so scant as to be almost useless. For example, only a quick mention of query letters.

The section on self publishing is 4 partial pages long, with yet more samples of art work.

The book is so padded with fluff and white space that it's [not good]. I read it cover to cover in 40 minutes, and that included looking at the dozens of pictures.

Recently my husband purchased a book by Jeanette Robertson entitled "Painting Greeting Cards for Fun & Profit".

For many years, I searched the local library and bookstores for a book on this very subject. The only library books on this topic are extremely outdated, and the bookstores in our area only carry books that deal with card-making as an originally-collaged craft, not as an artform that has the potential to be reproduced and marketed. I enjoyed Ms. Robertson's book immensely, not only because I learned valuable painting techniques, but also because it offered some rare insight into how greeting cards can actually be marketed and sold.

In an age where an increasing number of people are turning towards using their personal skills to marketable advantage, it is great to know that there is easy-to-understand, helpful reference material available.

"Painting Greeting Cards for Fun & Profit" is one of the best art books I have in my collection. I sincerely hope that more of these books will be available on the market in the near future.

J. Slack Winnipeg, Manitoba

I recently reviewed this book and am very impressed with how much the author has included in a very succinct way. I especially appreciated her section on card company profiles which illustrates a variety of styles desired by different companies. To know about and request card company profiles is a significant help. I also felt that her step-by -step approach is most useful and easy to understand.. I would find this book an excellent resource as well as a great tecnique book.

I recently purchased this book and I feel that it is the best book that I have ever read on the subject of greeting cards. I was very disappointed with the reader that found so much wrong with the book. It appears to me that the fluff just might have been between her ears. The book contains all that anyone needs to know about creating and selling greeting cards and is done in such a way that the average person can easily find a way to create and market cards. Five stars from me..... Sally Bloss, Fayetteville, New York

As somewhat of an "insider" to the development of this book, I nevertheless feel compelled to praise both it and its author. After having been inspired and motivated by Jeanette and her Watercolor courses here in Central New York, I applied my improved skills towards actively marketing my art. An important part of my business is selling greeting card reproductions of my original watercolors -- all personally designed, assembled and marketed. I thank Jeanette for her encouragement and enthusiasm in this pursuit. And now, she shares this with anyone fortunate enough to read her book. Enjoy and create!

The Paris, France of Janet Flanner's time was quite different then. In between World Wars, Paris probably thought it was on the rise of maintaining the role in attracting the finest artists, writers, and cultural elite. The American expatriate artists flocked to Europe because of the dismal great depression. Janet left before the great depression with another divorcee, Solita Solano. Janet and Solita lived modestly in Paris. Janet would eat at Cafe Deux Magots with the likes of Ernest Hemingway. Janet foresaw Hitler's evil long before anyone else. Janet loved Paris unlike every other city. Paris is quite a feminine city by design. It's pretty and it attracted the likes of lesbian expatriates Natalie Clifford Barney, Romaine Brooks, Rene Vivian, Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Sylvia Beach, Adrienne Monnier, Djuna Barnes, Nancy Clare Cunard who were all friends with Janet during this time. In Europe, people like Janet were accepted and tolerated especially in Paris where it was fashionable. Women like Janet and others got to be in control of their destinies. Although the 1920s were simply a time of sexual revolution, the great depression probably was the main reason for many Americans to go abroad. Anyway, Janet was a remarkable writer who worked out every word and sentence before sending it to be published. I would love to have lived in Paris between the wars where being a woman wasn't crime if you weren't married.

Flanner (nom de plume: Genêt), a former New Yorker essayist and who lived in Paris for many years, describes the cultural and social life of Paris in the 20s and 30s. She pens wonderful glimpses into what Parisians were thinking, feeling, and doing -Parisian ways of living, wine, and art. C'est magnifique.

There are rare pleasures in reading, one of which is stumbling onto a 'new' author. Ms Flanner could craft a detailed word picture almost with a single stroke of her pen. She wrote what she saw, actors, authors, lives and deaths of Knowns and Unknowns. She was there at the events, both great and small in a Paris she knew well and obviously loved. She is able to give the period between the wars a flavor and texture that makes it live and breathe. In some ways it is a gossipy diary, in others a police blotter, a literal whos-who of the literary scene of the time. Entries vary from a few pithy lines to several pages, ranging from light and humorous to somber and serious. And all extremely well written.

Janet Flanner's dry sense of humor, combined with her keen reportage, make this a great read on your flight to Paris, or to just pick up and read now and then. The historical perspective and insight is priceless.

I've sat in front of this book for a week, barely making a dent in it. Flanner purports to tell the story of French culture, but succeeds only in revealing that she is a socialite concerned only with the deaths of famous authors.
The book is organized into one-paragraph snippets summarizing the latest death, of Lindbergh or Monet, for instance. However, instead of reflecting the culture of Paris in the era, Flanner simply summarizes the lives of her subjects. Her description of Monet ends, as do many, with a count of how many people attended his funeral.
Simply put, the book reads like the journal of a socialite who is out of touch with common culture. It is not interesting neither literarily or historically.

I read Salvation for Sale while trying to understand why in the world a missionary with whom I was working had such a low opinion of Pat Robertson. Her husband had been murdered in the Children's Home her husband founded and she alleged three of Pat Robertson's Middle Television employees were responsible for instigating her husband's murder. I thought pain was clouding her perception of Pat Robertson, of whom she was highly critical but I had never researched his work, ministry etc. until compelled to do so. That led me to write Call to Courage! a book about my own conclusions. My perceptions are different than Gerald Straub's as mine are Biblical evaluations but they are no less critical. I sympatized with Gerald Straub's struggles to make sense out of his experience. Few things in life are more unsettling than a major spiritual upheavel.

I can add very little to the long review below, and the shorter all-caps review had a good point in that the more moderate and decent religions don't seem to attract many converts.

The main part of the book is the author's attempt to come to grips with his own experience and conversions. However, the paperback edition was released with an update in which the author refuses to mince words about Pat Robertson. The author discovered a recording of Pat Robertson declaiming with relish over the holocaust to come in 1982. The author was outraged not only at Robertson for the speech, but also at himself for having listened to the speech years earlier without noticing anything wrong.

Now, it would be wonderful if more people who listen to talk about apocolypse and mass slaughter with joyous rapture and thrills would suddenly wake up and wonder with horror what they were thinking. Also, note that Robertson is a False Prophet.

I couldn't help but to be moved when I read this book. I was once a conservative Christian, and I cringe when I remember how I once defended people like Robertson. Fortunately, this period of my life was confined to my early teens, and by nineteen I had abandoned my belief in Christianity. I suppose that I now have a "won't get fooled again" attitude towards religion in general and Christianity in particular.

But, as this book shows, it can happen to anyone. The author was once caught in the fundamentalist quagmire. His formerly agnostic wife is apparently still a Robertson employee. Even Bob Dylan became a pulpit-basher for a while. It can truly happen to anyone.

Salvation For Sale allows us to see the inside of Robertson's fundamentalist multimedia empire. As would be expected, Robertson rules his fiefdom with an iron hand and twitching paranoia. Any setback is attributed to the Devil and his satanic henchmen (i.e. liberals). The Bible is the literal word of God and must be obeyed to the letter; unless, of course, you're speaking of those parts about turning the other cheek. Like nearly all of his tele-evangalist contemporaries, Robertson is a militant who sees Satanic conspiracy in everything. And, unlike his religion's namesake, Robertson seems to feel no moral conflict as the financial elite (to which he belongs) hoard the wealth and the poor scrape by. After all, social programs create a dependent society and are the work of the Devil.

Salvation For Sale doesn't dwell entirely on Robertson, however. A good part of the book deals with Straub's own questions and conflicting emotions with his faith and beliefs. He no longer adheres to literal interpretations of the Bible, and he apparently no longer believes in Hell or divine retribution. Like most of us, he accepts that life doesn't consist of black-and-white certainty. It's incredibly confusing and more rewarding if you accept it as such.

This is really less a scathing indictment of Pat Robertson than it is of fundamentalism in general. Mr. Straub is actually still a Christian, although of an altogether different bent than what he once was. With fundamentalism, it becomes apparent how Robertson and those at CBN saw everything as an "us/them" issue, where they were always believed to be in the right. The anecdotes of CBN staffers leaving tracts in the homes of "unsaved" Catholics or with everyone from passers-by to toll-both attendants were telling. When one believes they're always in the right, they'll justify anything. Look at Pat's "Diamond Mine" ventures with Mobutu Sese Seko (...).

Overall a very quick and informative read.

THE ODD THING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THERE'S VERY LITTLE DISCUSSION OF FINANCES AT ALL. HIS OWN PERSONAL STORY IS A BIT BORING BUT HIS INSIGHTS ARE WORTH READING ABOUT. HIS CONVERSION FROM RELIGION TO SECULAR HUMANISM IS A GOOD READ ESPECIALLY FOR EXCULT MEMBERS. OF COURSE IT IS WORTH NOTING HERE THAT THE " CIVILISED RELIGIONS" EG. EPISCOPALIANS, REFORM JEWS , ETC., DON'T SEEM ABLE TO ATTRACT A PARTICULARLY BIG FLOCK, OR A COMMITED ONE FOR THAT MATTER. NJUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.

In this 305 page book the author gives an insightful look at the culture of the old East Germany as it has been changed after the reunification of Germany. Characters are presented representing the ones who enjoyed their old isolated lives under communist rule and are contrasted with persons who follow the capitalist ideologies. The time period of the book is the winter of 1999 and the scenes reflect that troubled time in the reunification process. This is a pleasure to read for those who have traveled in Germany in Berlin and the surrounding countryside. A familiarity with the locations and cultural atmosphere certainly enhances the pleasure. However, a map of Berlin and the surrounding area certainly would be a help to persons not very familiar with the locale. Another source of pleasure for me was the view into the mind of an American movie director, specifically how he has to be able to imagine all he ideally wants and then to try to reproduce that ideal with the fallible humans at hand. The narrative of the book wanders in and out of reveries by the principal character Dixon Greenwood as his imagination works with a story that he has to direct as part of a German television series.

Ward Just's leading men are likely to be middle-aged to elderly gents of some renown who favor Borsalino hats -- hats under which some intriguing ruminations are to be found. "The Weather in Berlin" finds our man to be an accomplished Hollywood movie director in Berlin to spend time at an institute. His renown is based largely on a film he shot in Germany several years earlier, and this gains him acceptance into a group of filmmakers shooting episodes of a highly popular sort of period soap opera in a house near the institute. The book has to do with this relationship, which occasions a discussion of the shooting of his notable film and other things of concern and interest to Germans and filmmakers.

The author writes so well that it's easy to forgive the improbably high quality of dialog some of his characters utter. What is presented as extemporaneous conversation often seems a bit too insightful and well edited. Notable is a scene in which a 15- or possibly 20-year-old village girl who claims little knowledge of films reels off a concise and astute summary and evaluation of Werner Herzog's "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" during a casual chitchat with our director protagonist. Of course, this is his recollection of a conversation from years earlier, which might excuse its literary quality.

I'd almost given up hope. With so much fluff out there, I finally read a story about a middle-age adult who isn't wading in gore or reliving his adolescent sex fantasies. He actually has complex thoughts, a complex life, and moves in communities of people with opinions. A great book. How did he ever get it published?

There's a big hole in the center of this book where the personality of the protagonist ought to be. It seems that the author, after having spent time in a German think-tank and needing to mine some gold out of it, hobbled together a novel from his impressions of Berlin, to which he added an incredibly thin plot revolving around the crisis of his 60ish film-making hero. The writing is very, very pretty, but not always clear. Sentences don't just run on but run amok. Everone talks alike. The action, what there is of it, is poorly motivated. There are numerous digressions, while seeming essentials are absent. The saving grace is what one learns about political and cultural thinking in today's re-unified East Germany.

The Weather in Berlin offers a tight portrait of post-war(s) Germany and strangley, current day Hollywood. How are dreams realized and at what expense? How different is the psyche of a director or a dictator within their self-generated worlds of audiences/volk, leader and led?

Explore the subtle words and beauty of this fine novel. The Prussian past is really not that far from Hollywood and Vine.
Well worth the read and well worth the work.

I have a lot of vegetarian cookbooks but recipe for recipe this one never fails to succeed. The ingredients are simple, the instructions straightforward and the results can't be beat. The author primarily uses tofu, seitan, tempeh and lots of other recipes that use beans, pasta, etc. She has a chapter on one pot meals which is great when you want to keep things simple. The only thing I don't like about this book is the title. The recipes are so outstanding that this is really a gourmet book but you'd never know it from the title!

I was disappointed to see that this book was not advertised as a solely vegetarian cookbook. Though no egg recipes seen so far, give this a miss if you're looking for a guide without all the dairy references

If you have some tofu, tempeh, or other meat alternative in your fridge and you're not quite sure what to make for dinner, this book is perfect. The recipes are all extremely flavorful and most are quite simple to prepare. Most recipes incorporate easy to find ingredients, but the results are outstanding. I highly recommend this book for new and old vegetarians alike.

The title of this book is somewhat misleading, there aren't 365 tofu recipes in the book. While there are some very tasty tofu recipes, there are just as many recipes that use tempeh and seitan.

I was enthused about this book when I bought it, and have been pleased with how the recipes I tried turned out. However, I have to take issue with the use of the word "Healthful" in the title, because some of the dishes contain too much oil and other fats to be considered healthful in my book. I still managed to get good results while using less oil, etc. than the recipes suggest. The recipes are good, but if you are watching your fat intake, be forewarned.

This is an excellent astrology kit. I've owned two of these kits already and it never fails to disappoint. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to acquire a complete set nowadays as it appears to be out of print. What a shame.

Judge for youself. Refer to page 10 of "Book one: How to Cast a Horoscope" in book one of the Astrology Kit. Your horoscope will be judged on the position of the sun and the moon at the time of your birth. From there, you fill in all the conjuctions and aspects of the other planets for additional readings. But the author states that you can not know the position of the moon unless you know the exact time of your birth! Such as 9:43 a.m. If you don't, you will have to guess among three sun-moon horoscopes as to which is yours! Good luck. Now if you do know the exact time of your birth, you won't have to guess ONLY if the time of birth was not early in the day (let's say between midnight and 3:00 a.m.) or late on that date (let's say between 9:00 p.m. and midnight). Then you are to choose between two horoscopes based on which one you are most alike. Since I know that I'm a highly intelligent and loving saint, this wasn't hard for me (JOKE!). But that still leaves the odds at 25% of missing. And many of the aspects and conjunctions will be based on a very possibly erroneous moon sign. So you will be just be having fun and be giving a bad name for astrology in the process. Simply put, if you can't obtain the exact time of birth, your chances of being right are 1 in 3. And if you do know the exact time, it's 75% in your favor. You can do better. Buy Suzanne's White "The New Astology". And if you want to go deeper, get one of those exact time charts. I did a woman's astrological chart whom I met on the internet. She turned out wonderful according to "The Astrology Kit" (we are to date soon). Using this kit, I now wonder if she will slice me up into little bity pieces and stuff me in her mailbox (joke, lol, hiccup). Good luck future astologers of America.

I have used this system for the last 6 years and think it is the absolutly BEST that I have seen for chart interpretation.

While you do need to know your time of birth to get the most out of this kit, if you plan to get the most out of any astrological reading you need your time and place of birth to determine the exact location of the planets. That said, this kit is wonderfully detailed, but also very simple to use. My friends and I had hours of fun casting our horoscope and then reading our personality traits out loud to see if they fit us. A great introduction to the complexities of astrology.

The kit includes an easy to use astrology chart and instructions on how to cast a horoscope. Sun signs, moon signs, conjunctions and aspects of a chart are all included. It is amazing how accurate the personality readings are! My friends and I have played around with analyzing our bosses, boyfriends, and husbands! What a kick! Even if you take all of this with a grain of salt, as I do, The Astrology Kit makes casting a horoscope enjoyable and fascinating. I highly recommend this book.

I bought this item from my son's wish list as a gift, so I personally don't know how to rate it.

First - What's wrong Jaw Line? Did you not get accepted to Art Center or were you rejected by Industrial Light & Magic? You're not even a blip on the radar of these artists until you do something worth recognizing so please indicate where your book is on Amazon or keep your envious mouth shut.

Now, on to the review - The book is comprised of some of the better artists working in film and entertainment design today. Please keep in mind, this book is a nice reference tool for artists looking for a way to keep motivated and learn a few things along the way. I agree, there could have been more sketches and character development, but I'll take this for what it is - a pleasing reference tool for those of us who obviously haven't reached Jaw Line's impeccable talent.

Enjoy the fine work.

An interesting book as these artists are now moving on in their careers and we see the results of their work in film and other entertainment.

You should definitely get this book if you want to learn how far self-promotion can take you. Or alternately, you could save your 30-some-odd bucks and just take this review to heart.

I bought the book to keep around as inspiration--printed out jpeg's just don't cut it and they don't last, right? I also bought it to check out what my competition was doing out on the Left Coast, sort of to light the fire under me.

Well.

The book is printed nicely, and I felt that a lot of the text was pertinent and interesting. The images, though?

Well.

The bulk of the book (the first part) is the seven LA guys showing off their work, and a lot of it. Some were pretty ok, but there are several guys who may be experienced, commercially viable pros, but whose work blows. I mainly found the best images to be in the "and friends" part, which is the second half of the book where various other guys get an image or two displayed.

There are some nice visual pauses that come from z-brush and sculpy images, but there are just too many instances of very high-tech high school art. There were no Craig Mullins, Dussos or Syd Meads in the bunch, it's safe to say.

So, take the tip: even if you suck or are abysmally average...promote, promote, promote--and one day, you too can get seen!

I bought this book on a wim. The title and the size of the book led me to believe it would have some descent sized pictures and would be a good collection of original ideas. I wanted something that would inspire me to work harder on my own work. And that is exactly what I got.

I am quite pleased with this book. It is worth the price. There is a good variety of subjects, some that impress me, some that don't. But all the work is skillfully done. There is little in the way of artist comments or direction on how to achieve the effects they achieve, but that is the way I like it. This is more about the work. More text would mean less space for artwork. The artwork is mostly digital, however, there is an appropriate amount of sketches, too. The last few pages have information on the artists and their websites(if an artist has one).

I am disappointed there aren't more sketches or character designs. Most of the work is mechanical or environmental. It needed more character designs to balance it out, in my opinion.
There are some artists I didn't care for, subject matter I didn't care for(the concept cars for one), but nothing irritating or offensive.

The wide range of subject matter means there is something for everyone in this book. I gave it four stars, mainly because it doesn't contain more of the type of work I'm interested in. But if I could give it 4.5 stars, I would. It works great as reference material and is a good addition to any digital artists collection.

I have had a difficult time encouraging my 11 year old son to read independently in his free time. Since purchasing two Hardy Boys books, he has not been able to put them down. Both books were hardback and look beautiful. I will keep them in our library for our other sons too.

Frank, Joe and Chet head to Los Angeles to track down a ring of car thieves and to find a rare, valuable coin stolen from Chet's cousin, Vern. I would rate the book average to good; although, it proved to be much better than I had thought it would be.

The Hardys track down a missing coin in this book. It's a great book for kids, it's action-packed and has a neat coin in it.

This is an educational, action packed book. I recommend it to any fan of the Hardy Boys series.

This book is educational - it taught me about the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, which does exist like it was described in this book. It's interesting and action packed.