Watson Books

Christie's Art Nouveau by Fiona Gallagher focuses on the decorative arts of the Art Nouveau period - furniture, jewelry, silver and metalwares, sculpture, glass, ceramics, and posters. It is written more as a history of the period rather than a philosophical interpretation of the style. The emphasis is on identifying the artisans (mostly European) and their work. The book covers more of the artisans that I have found in any other book. Lovely photographs interpreting the Art Nouveau style makes this book an excellent choice for a general audience. Collectors, scholars and appraisers will appreciate the detailed information. Absent are the details on how to identify and which pieces are reproduced. No values are given.

Baroque pearl combs, artglass detailed with pewter, enamelware, jewelry, pottery and other art nouveau treasures are thoroughly explored in this handsome volume by Fiona Gallagher. Plenty of color pictures and information that collectors will find valuable. This is a very reasonable price for a book of this caliber.

"The Christmas Dove" is a beautiful and compelling depiction of the early experiences of Jesus and His earthly family. The reader gets a sense of what life was like 2000 years ago, and also gets a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of Jesus' parents, who slowly begin to realize that their beloved little boy is far more than He seems. This book personalized Jesus' early life for me, and helped fill in the gaps between the Biblical accounts of His birth and later events. God's hand was upon Carol Watson when she wrote this book!

"The Christmas Dove" is appropriate for all ages; each short chapter would make a nice bedtime story for small children, and it would not lose its appeal to the oldest reader.

"The Christmas Dove" is a beautiful and compelling depiction of the early experiences of Jesus and His earthly family. The reader gets a sense of what life was like 2000 years ago, and also gets a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of Jesus' parents, who slowly begin to realize that their beloved little boy is far more than He seems. This book personalized Jesus' early life for me, and helped fill in the gaps between the Biblical accounts of His birth and later events. God's hand was upon Carol Watson when she wrote this book!

"The Christmas Dove" is appropriate for all ages; each short chapter would make a nice bedtime story for small children, and it would not lose its appeal to the oldest reader.

This was my first ever book/kit in the area of cartooning. After a few weeks of study and practice I had already written and illustrated my first children's book! Some of the categories include: how to draw the cartoon head, how to draw the cartoon body, the cartoon animal, marrying expression to dialogue, advanced techniques, original comic strep jokes and character suggestions, draw your own comic strip sample grids, and animation, (plus many sub-categories) this book will keep you interested, busy, and will turn even the coldest of hearts soft for cartooning fun! I highly recommend this!

christopher hart is a person to admire!!! his kit is very good and essential for every cartoonist.

This is considered by many to be Cicero's magnum-opus of his career. Whether it is or not is a topic of debate. What is outside the jurisdiction of debate is that it is a landmark work in the history of oratory.

In it Cicero details the various oratorical techniques which should be employed by the master of elocution. Such topics as eloquence, delivery, word choice and accessability of diction are discussed. Each view and counterview is presented by a different interlocutor, in the Platonic tradition. We even have none other than Julius Caesar lecturing on what Nietzsche would call the "uses and disadvantages" of invoking humor during serious orations. One of the primary issues which comes under consideration is the level of erudition of the orator. Should the individual be well versed in sundry fields of intellectual endeavor (such as the philosopher, perhaps?)? Does the ability to invoke virtually any academic pursuit aid in getting one's point across? Or, does this only lead to a person with an overly and unnecessary pedantic approach to oratory - one which stocklists various irrelevant points to the topic at hand? If so, is it better for the speechmaker to be less well rounded in his studies, and instead focused solely on the subject matter of his parlance? Cicero takes the question up at great lengths.

Within the dialogue myriad allusions are made to such household names as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pericles, Isocrates, Democritus, Hesiod, Demosthenes, Cato the elder, Anaxagoras, Valerius and Scipio Africanus, as well as a multitude of less well known names which would be recognized only by the most learned classical scholars. A general knowledge of Greaco-Roman history up until the time of Cicero is highly recommended before engaging this text.

The second part of the book is entitled "Brutus; or Remarks on Eminent Orators." This is supposedly taken from a conversation which Cicero actually had with Brutus and a few other mutual friends, in Cicero's own words "in a private lawn, near a statue of Plato" (p. 268). In it Cicero extols the great Roman orators of the past and (as in "Orators") extends his criticism against the sophists. He also pays homage to his own teacher: Molo of Rhodes. One comes away with nothing less than an awe of Cicero's vast knowledge of the history of elocution.

This book is a must read for philosophers, scholars of antiquity, lawyers, politicians and all others who own the task of swaying the opinion(s) of the masses. Oh, and by the way, it's a pretty good read for those who aren't interested in any of that stuff, too. 8-)

Cicero provides us all with an opportunity to discover what matters when stepping up to the podium in academic or public debate. Throughout this carefully translated book lies the wisdom of the ancients which all of us in public and private life ought to consider... "the means by which the minds of men excited or calmed" (On the character of the Orator:47) or how to use the power of metaphor so that..."but bring some accession of splendour" (on the character of the Orator:237). For anyone studying law politics or discourse this is the book for you.

I am thrilled to see that Rue Morgue has added this book to their offerings. The Flaxborough books are well-plotted, with three dimensional characters and deft handling of clues. They are also very witty social commentary that is as fresh and convincing now as when they were written.
This book is the first in the series, and it includes the intelligent Inspector Purbright, his amazingly innocent helper Love, and a collection of villagers and townsfolks who provide a parade of human foibles. The details of the story, from descriptions to dialogue, are to be savored. The story is very funny, but never at the expense of the plot. Watson plays fair with the clues, as well.
I hope we will see the rest of the series republished in the future, to be enjoyed by a new generation of readers.

Colin Watson's Flaxborough novels are one of those discoveries that readers should treasure. The vein of serious mysteries intertwined with humour had been richly mined by the likes of John Dickson Carr and Edmund Crispin already when 'Coffin, Scarcely Used' appeared on the scene in 1958. Over the next twenty-odd years, readers would be treated to eleven more outings in the Norfolk town of Flaxborough, each of them slightly more odd than the previous one.

Crime in Flaxborough is met by the resolute Inspector Purbright. In 'Coffin, Scarcly Used', Purbright must determine how the naked body of an electrocuted citizen arrived in a most undignified position on a local electrical pylon. His investigations among the eccentric and somewhat perverse inhabitants of Flax. will reveal that if an accidental death looks somewhat too bizarre to be believed, then it may very likely be murder after all. Watson's talent for creating unusual names and situations for odd characters with shadowy motives, paired with what must have been a most distinctly English sense of humour, set this novel well ahead of most contemporary offerings - forty years ago, and today.

This Black Dagger reprinting of the 1958 Eyre & Spottiswode first edition would be an attractive offering even were it not the only book of Watson's currently in print either in Britain or the US. If you enjoyed 'The Moving Toyshop' by Edmund Crispin or 'Landscape with Dead Dons' by Robert Robinson, then this will most likely be your cuppa too. Highly recommended.

Enchanting illustrations of objects and activities from Virginia's colonial days educate very young children about both the alphabet and history.

This book would be a wonderful gift to prepare for a visit to Colonial Williamsburg. Imagine the fun of searching out the items depicted! The beautiful illustrations definitely make this book worth purchasing.

Highly recommended.

This hardcover book is absolutely darling! Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a different common object which would have been found during Colonial times such as A for Anvil, B for Bird Bottle, C for Cannon, D for drum. A brief description of the item and how it was used is also included in very simple terms which youngsters can easily understand. The illustrations are gorgeous featuring two small children, who are appropriately dressed in Colonial garb of course. This is a great book for preschoolers and would be especially relevant for a supplement to a homeschool unit study on Early America.

Though usually demonstrated in colored pencil, these are excellent for any colored media: dry or oil pastels, acrylics, aquarelle, oils, gouache, and so on. Following them will get you to stretch your skills: even if you are in an "orange period" you need to play with the other stuff occasionally just to remember why orange is fascinating by comparison. Especially valuable when you are feeling stale: start where you last left off, or start all over at lesson one. Each time you do them, you do them differently, and you learn new things.

What a great resource for artists of all levels to develop and improve their skills. I have searched extensively for a step by step program to help me become skilled with colored pencil. I love the format which gives an instructional narrative about an aspect and then gives a drawing assignment to direct the artist in an effective exercise to develop the skill. It breaks down the vast (and sometimes overwhelming) body of information into bite sized pieces for the beginner and progresses on to challenge an intermediate to advanced student as well. In all fairness, I must say that I am writing from the perspective of a relative beginner. I don't know exactly how advanced one would need to be to outgrow this book, but I think it would last all beginners and most intermediate students quite a long time! I found the author's illustrations very helpful and the displays of her own work is a feast for the eyes. I wish there were more of them. All told, this is a wonderful book of clear lessons and great assignments.

Brent Watson has been an inspriation from the first time I met him. His love for life, family and friends encouraged me during hard times in my own life. In this book he tells of the people and trials in life that has made him who he is today. It is a story that makes the reader wonder how he kept going. Once you pick up this book it is hard to set it back down. It is written in such a way that a novice to advanced reader can enjoy it. Any reader will be blessed to get a glimpse in the life of an amazing guy with a heartfelt story to tell.

Knowing the author on a personal basis made this book an even more interesting read. The amazing structure of a family filled with love and yet smiling through the hard times is truly a tribute to the amazing strength of faith! I hate that I never had the chance to meet Michael, but the Lord blessed me more than anyone will ever know by allowing me to know Brent. There is so much power and strength in his smile that you have to smile back and realize that life really isn't that bad. Even though some of the stories were familiar, I still couldn't put this book down. Congratulations Brent, it's time you shared yourself with the rest of the world!!!!

This is a terrific book on using rubber stamp techniques to decorate your home. It shows how practical and creative stamping can be for things other than just making cards. The projects are artistic have a sophisticated look and for the most part they are not too cutesy. Though sophisticated looking, with a little time and patience all the projects are fairly easy to create.

The book starts out with stamping basics such as masking, embossing, purchasing supplies and even making your own simple stamps. Principles of color and design follow. Stamping on various surfaces such as paper, wood, fabric, pottery, glass, clay, metal and leather are next. Then it is all put together in decorating your rooms. There is great information on assessing your room, making samples and working with patterns as well as creating borders, wreaths, and painted floors.

Over 15 projects follow including chest of drawers with elegant swirls, butterfly embossed velvet throw, lemon wall vine, paper mache bowl with leaves, orchard mini-chest and leather portfolio. My favorite project was the gorgeous Africa theme mica collage table. There are excellent step-by-step instructions accompanied by clear demonstrating photos for all the projects. A large photo the finished pieces as well as a complete materials list is also included.

A few patterns and a resource directory are located in the back. This book is a great source of inspiration and ideas for decorating and makes the perfect house-warming gift for the stamper in your life.

This a book that puts you in control of the look you want with decorating projects. Whether you are working on placemats or living room walls, there are ideas for making your own stamps out of everything from polymer clay to foam to natural objects.

Looks range from cute country to modern and mica flecked. Photos are very clear and the processes in the projects are described in detail. A source directory is included.

Bob and Maggie Gordon's The Complete Guide To Digital Graphic Design is a profusely illustrated "how to" guide filled cover to cover with full color photographs of computer art and detailed, practical instructions for creating similar wonders in the comfort of one's own study. Designing specifically for print, advertising, packaging, signage, exhibition, the Internet, or multimedia are all covered in this superbly presented instructional book for computer artists of all skill and experience levels.

This is a precious guide for all designers: it covers many fields, from multimedia to web to package design, with a lot of photos. Maybe a bit technical in some points, but very useful. In certain points you may find yourself asking "well, what's so new about that, I knewed it!", but then I ask you: "are you sure? or you just find that this book tells you how the story goes and suggests you all those basic principles you are supposed to know and you didn't notice?"
Moreover, this books covers mainly digital design, but it has sections and ideas useful for ANY designer.
If you're looking for a comprehensive guide, THIS IS IT!