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Although I have quite finished it yet, I can highly recommend this book. If you are serious about learning to master studio lighting--both the hows and whys--get this book. You won't regret it!

I have a copy of each edition of Light Science & Magic. It continues to be a resource that I return to over and over again. The book's strength lies in that it offers the principals of lighting, which can be applied to a variety of subjects. It is not a "here's how I shot this particular picture" book. If you understand the principals, you can adapt the lighting to suit your subject and your artistry, and not just try to copy what someone else has done. Regardless of whether you have a ton of lighting equipment or use only existing light, there's information in this book to help you use the light better, more efficiently, and to the advantage of your subjects.

Most of the book is an easy and practical read, building each subject based on what has been covered earlier. Admittedly some sections are more difficult, but are well worth the effort. Just take your time. The education you will gain will reward you many times over.

This isn't a traditional "inspirational book" with lots of beautiful photos that we all wish we had shot; the authors deliberately keep each picture as simple as possible to make the concepts clear. But it WILL give you the skills to get out there and shoot those beautiful photos for yourself.

I was skeptical. Based upon the pages of the book that one could see via Amazon's "Look Inside" I thought there would be little new for me here. I was wrong. This book is quite unique. It covers light and its use as a photographer might be concerned with it from a more scientific viewpoint than any other photography how-to book I've ever seen. One might categorize this book as an applied science book textbook. Not to worry though, this is not a tough science textbook, it's a "physics for poets" level textbook (no hard science or advanced math involved at all). Advanced photographers may know a lot of the material in this book from experience but Light, Science and Magic brings a careful scientific/mathematical perspective to explaining how light works (and with good/relevant illustrations throughout). I learned quite a few things from this book (i.e. issues regarding shooting white-on-white and black-on-black and issues regarding various types of reflections) and think most photographers, through advanced and professional levels, will also. It might be too much for someone just starting out in photography unless they have a strong science or technical background (they should probably wait until they've mastered the basics of photography first). Kudo's to Thom Hogan for recommending this book via his website.

After reading many raves about this book in the photo forums, I finally had a chance to read this book. Why did I wait so long? I have many books on lighting in my library. This book has helped the most. It has changed the way I think about light. It has expanded my vision on how good a photographer I can become.

The book is technical, the book talks about the science of light. It could bore some to be sure. If you don't want to read words like "absorption" and "refraction" don't bother with this book. But if you are taking product shots and you need to be better, order it today! If you need to know how to deal with reflections, and making metal, or plastic, or glass look good in a photo, this is the book. It's not about portraiture lighting, but I can't imagine a portrait photographer not benefiting from it.

This book will stay in my studio. I totally recommend it for yours.

Review of Focal Press publication Light, Science & Magic by Neal Brown for Fairbanks, Alaska Apple Mousse club

An early statement in this book echoed my experiences with film as I took pictures of aurora in the mid-1960's.
"A camera that shot 35-mm film, the primary tool of generations of student photographers, was probably the worst way to learn! By the time the students got the film developed and printed, they had forgotten the subtleties of the lighting, they had photographed; it was much harder to see what they had done wrong."

It is much easier to learn from your mistakes right away now, with modern digital cameras because they allow you to see the picture within seconds after it is made.

A contrary idea worth thinking about is "A digital camera is also a computer; for this reason the camera maker can program the camera to alter the image without the foreknowledge or consent of the photographer! This is often a good thing because the camera decisions are usually right. The bigger problem is that it is harder for the student ot know whether what's happened, for better and for worse, is because of the camera's decision or because of the photographer's decision. You may make mistakes that the camera fixes, costing you a learning experience; or the camera can make a mistake and you innocently blame yourself for it."

The two statements above in particular intrigued me right from the start to read this book carefully.

Light: Science and Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light to allow you to think through the lighting you will need, and can afford, to take the pictures of unusual things like black on black, white on white, metal, glass. There are detailed examples and photographs in this book showing you what happens when you use a spotlight or a diffuse broad light, or when you use polarizer or not. Ultimately it is not a "how to" book, for the examples are universal examples of problems you run into.

The essence of this book is to learn to carefully evaluate several elements of the light you are working with, or in the light you are planning to add to make your picture look better. Though it sounds simplistic, the reality is that when you take a photograph you need to think front and center about the fact that you are photographing light that is reflected from your subject. A complicating factor is how the texture and color of your subject affects how that light is reflected.
Lastly, revising but essentially repeating a statement from a reviewer copied on the Focal Press web site that I concur with, the authors, while assuming that you know little about lighting, they present the topic in a non demeaning manner, and advance each topic very quickly.

I strongly recommend this book to those photographers who want to get detailed pictures of items like jewelry, antiques, paintings, and portraits.

I came away from reading it knowing I won't remember all the detail, but I will remember where I can go to learn the detail I need when I need it.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/06)

"Fine Dining Madness: The rules & realities of fine dining," should be required reading for everyone that dines out. John Galloway writes about his personal experiences in the restaurant business from the restaurant employee angle. From his experiences, I learned a lot about what not to do if I don't want bad things happening to my food. Since I am a pretty considerate diner, I always felt that I was relatively safe from waiter or chef retributions; however, I learned that dining with rude guests can result in both of us getting food that has been tampered with. There are acquaintances that I will never dine out with again. As a matter of fact, after reading this book, I would like to invite some of them over to dinner and do what some of the waiters have probably done to my food just because I was with them.

While the stories are entertaining, I also learned a great deal about dining etiquette, not just how to treat restaurant employees, but also useful information about subjects such as ordering wine. Galloway does the reader a huge favor by providing a lot of useful information in a format that is totally enjoyable to read. Galloway also talks about diners
who earned top respect and treatment from the staff, a lot of it is based on their behavior and not all of it involves how much they tip. There are some heartwarming stories about dining guests who earned a great deal of respect from the staff. To Galloway, decorated war heroes ranked highly, and this was justifiably so. He includes some historical facts that help highlight the importance of what these people were involved with.

Galloway also talks about the colorful personalities that he dealt with on a daily basis, either being his co-workers or being the guests, several of which were celebrities, including President Bush. Galloway's recollections tend to be hilarious. He uses his dry wit to make comments that instantly will make you laugh out loud.

I highly recommend this book as a gift to people who are rude restaurant diners. Hopefully, they will recognize themselves and make some needed changes. I also recommend it to people who enjoy a good, humorous, non-fiction book. The subject matter is not typical, so it will be a fun change for them. You will just have to read it for yourself to see what I am talking about. Enjoy!

After reading this work of art, to say the least, I am officialy gonna quit reading all together, cause every other book will be a complete waste of time. I'd be better off reading this book over and over again and sharing with my friends by giving them out as Christmas gifts.

OMG, This book blew me away. Most books lack depth, but not this one. I was shocked to learn what I didn't know about restaurants.

FINE DINING MADNESS is the total journey though upscale dining: from mega-celebs and U.S. Presidents served to cocaine, hookers, the Mafia, and some of the most evil people imaginable. This book has class, history, and teaches even the most novice diner how to get the red carpet treatment.

If I didn't like this book enough already, the author gives all of his book earnings to helping wounded veterans, every penny. He is also working on a memorial for those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan; a great, great idea.

The book, WAITER RANT, is also worth a look, but FINE DINING MADNESS is the master. Thank you Mr. John Galloway.

I purchased this book based on the recommendations I read here. I have to say I was disappointed with this book. Considering how everyone here raved about it, I thought it was going to be this fantastic book. It just did not live up to the reviews. There were some funny parts and the first couple of chapters with the "rules" were enlightening, but it wasn't worthy of 5 or even 4 stars, in my opinion.

Loved this book!

It's a hilarious look at the restaurant business from a waiter's perspective. The author recounts his restaurant war stories with anecdotes about patrons and waitstaff alike. From celebrities, call girls, mob bosses and crazed chefs, to all forms of addiction, wine insights, imperative tipping protocol and other useful information, Galloway shows readers how to get the maximum value from their restaurant dollar. This book is a must read for anyone who dines out, aspires to a better life, or ever wanted to know what was happening behind those swinging doors (hint: three-second floorsteak).

Great book, geared more toward after the little guy or girl is born, but some good stuff for "dad prep" leading up to the arrival also. Really good information and ideas for after the baby is born and definitely written for guys, I'd recommend it.

I bought this book based on the recommendation from a parenting website and would recommend it to any new parent. It covers the important issues and cuts straight to the point instead of giving a lengthy background about why you should or should not do something.

My wife ended up reading the book as well and said it was better than all the "mother" books she has read.

Amazing book if you are a first dad, lot o scientific facts, and essentials guides.

Be Prepared reminds me of the Boy Scout Handbook only with humor as an added bonus! (Probably by design). This book is the perfect nuts and bolts manual for early childhood rearing packed with answers to the questions you are almost certainly already asking yourself. Great practical advice and light of heart to keep first fathers from freaking out. It gives you the real scoop on the major things you should know and keeps you in perspective. I highly recommend this book if this is your first baby, as it is mine. One caveat though, it is a from-the-day-of-birth manual and does not cover the pregnancy term. If you are looking for advice during the pregnancy, you will have to look elsewhere.

I received this book as a gift, and it's my favorite "how-to" book for new dads. Not only is the advice rock solid, but the drawings are wonderfully funny. (I especially enjoyed the good-bye salute to the breasts.) The only thing I would change is the section about the rectal themometers--the forehead scanners are the new go-to for temp taking. Buy this book for yourself or a new dad in your life, you will be happy you did!

Really funny. I love calvin and hobbes. This is a great comic book with a lot of really funny and deep strips.

I'm not sure what's going on with this shipment, but I still have not recieved this book yet and my son's birthday is almost here. I'm very unsatisfied, I've even emailed the seller and have not recieved a reply. Please advise me on how to get my money back.

for anyone who has, was, or is missing out on childhood schemes, this is THE book. simply said watterson had the emphasis to keep the spirit of a kid in the sunday comics. with all the flaws, genius plans, adventures, logical illogicality, and imagination that goes along with it. we all remember a 'moe' in our lives whether from grade school to the boss we work for (yes,I mean 'them') we all had our best friends, real or imaginary that we'd play or argue with. we all had our doses of trouble whether we were the cause of them or not. and likely we were all like calvin at one point or another. or perhaps the illogical, persuasive, but well meaning hobbes. Bill does a wonderful job of capturing the unrivalled imagination of an 'old school' kid I applaud him for reminding us how to think like a kid again and to look at the humor of even the most desperate sources of trouble. the commentary through out the book is just as informing as humorous. letting us into the character's mind and Bill's as he carries us through the years of his strip.

I love Calvin and Hobbes. The characters appeal to the child in me. In addition, I love to look at the cartoons as well as read it, because it is drawn extremely well. Often, comic strips are too two-dimensional and the characters don't do much except stand there and spew speech bubbles. The illustrations (and angles) are dynamic and shows the cartoonist thinking about how best to illustrate his ideas. The reading part is rewarding as well, because it is not filled with cheap jokes, but shows a genuine development of characters. The characters are endearing. They are developed through actions, not speech bubbles accompanied by lifeless characters. This book comes with little stories that gives us a glimpse of the cartoonist as well as the cartooning industry. A great book for fans.

I really enjoy reading these books - great way to spend a weekend or relax.

What a profund array of life-forms in the sea rich and dazzling in all i,ts beauty yet it is this commonsense info bible handbook that has people helping to be smarter in choosing to select the most respected viably effective speciesmen for keeping in a retail water-moving pump glass tank for responsible maintaince.

I am an experienced marine aquarium hobbyist of some 10 years. I found this book to be fantastic. I have learned many new tricks. The author is also big into conservation and gives tips on how to avoid endangered or improperly gathered animals. I'm very satisfied with this purchase.

I usually don't comment on things, but this is one of the better books geared towards beginning hobbiests. On the whole, well written and easy to follow, a must read if you plan on starting a marine aquarium. I've been involed with the hobby for the better part of my life and still took may things way from it.

Excellent book for someone new to Saltwater. Gives excellent detail on how to start a saltwater aquarium and maintain it. Better than other books. This book actually spells out the levels the PH, Nitrate, Nitrites and Ammonia should be and how to maintain them in addition to other important aspects of a saltwater aquarium. I highly recommend this book to those new to the hobby.

I enjoyed this book and it is beautifully put together. However, it lacked a lot of detail when it came down to building the system. Yes - there were a lot of detailed diagrams but that was for one rudimentary system and for the plumbing only. It didn't really discuss alot when it came to chioces of fish communities, light systems, setups, etc. What it does do it offer a lot of information but you will have to do quite a bit more research to make an informed choice. I highly suggest getting Palletta's "New Marine Aquarium" book first, this one second.

This reminds me of FRIENDS and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. It is funny, current, sassy and engaging. The writers have a snappy dialogue and I REALLY enjoyed the 'courting' of Nora and Thomas. A super fast read which I recommend to all readers!!!

This is a great, fun read! As a guy, I wasn't sure what to expect -- but I LOVED IT!! Very accessible for the lads out there and deceptively wise to boot. Colette Freedman and Hilary Leigh Gross are absolute rock stars! Highly recommend this one!

a friend gave this to me...nay, forced it on me...and i was reluctant to read it because i'm a reluctant internet dater and believe me, Lordy, there is nothing funny about internet dating. in fact, the idea of it fills me with despair, but maybe i'm over-sharing. so, much to my surprise, 'tennis dates' was exactly the tonic i needed--humorous, witty, smart, clever--all the things books are supposed to be (and i still hold, internet dating is not). so, lesson learned: listen to friends and their book choices; ignore their dating advice.

Really enjoyed this book! Topical, solid, fast-moving, and funny. I felt I knew these characters -- recognized traits of people I know, not to mention myself. Read it in a quiet coffee shop and encountered stares during the laugh-out-loud moments. Lots of staring going on, as there were several. Great read!

Okay, I confess this book found me and I probably wouldn't have picked it up myself, but I have to say, I had fun! I'm not in the dating world anymore but if I had to go back there are some good pointers here. It's very amusing and is a quick read.
If you were Man enough to watch and enjoy Sex in the City, then slip this little number between the pages of your Maxim and have yourself a giggle.

I think my remarks are echoed in a few other reviews, but 'll repeat them again: I was expecting a little more.

I knew going in that this was going to be a collection of previously published comics. No problem. But I thought there'd be more to it than that. Some comentary or some exposition, but there was pretty much nothing. A few lost strips, which were lost for good reason (the published strips were nearly universally better). This wouldn't be a particular negative: the work that's here is good, but it's just disapointing because after the book came out, the comic only produced another 20 or so comics before going into what seems like a permanant hiatus.

To anyone considering this book now: know that you can always view the comics for free online, and the almanac might serve you better. Otherwise, this is a nice coffee table style book to have (if kids and parents aren't coming over)

PBF can pretty much be summed up like this: Either you get it (and love it) or you don't (and are confused.) Any fan of PBF will love this collection.

This book it completely funny, from the first strip to the last, and the extras to boot. I received this book as a gift, and read through it entirely within a couple hours. I have been reading the strips on the site, and being printed in book form is amazing, because now it lets me share the hilarity of PBF with all of my friends!

The book itself is a very nicely printed hardcover, so the pages won't bend easily. There is a red ribbon bookmark, which is convenient to mark your favorite page and show your friends. Also, the book comes with an extras section that includes strips that Nicholas Gurewitch didn't think met the standards of PBF (though some are on the site) as well as others.

I did not find any order to the strips, even compared to the site, but that doesn't detract from the book at all since there aren't any continuing stories anyway. The pages have a nice glossy look, so the comics stand out well, and they are printed in a decent size (about the size of newspaper comic strips), so you don't miss anything in the background.

If you are a fan of the site, then you must purchase this before it's too late, and if you've never read the PBF comics before, I suggest you pick this up because there are very few of these comics that won't make you laugh out loud.

I love this book. I met the artist and he showed a group of people at my school this book, so I had to buy it. I think it's going to be out of print soon, so get it while you can. There is some issue with copyright laws.

As an avid reader of the comic I loved having an excuse to finally purchase this book. It now sits on my coffee table along with some other magazines and picture books, to add a little awkwardness when guests visit.

Tommy Tomorrow is a genious! His comics do an amazing job of summarizing just what's wrong in politics, while making the situations incredibly humorous at the same time. Very highly recommended.

Ruled by incompetent right-wingers for the last 8 years, liberals like me need an injection of humor. Here we get it, with sharp sarcasm from Sparky the Penguin. Funniest part is when Sparky, the leftist Bush critic, get hits by a toilet and becomes a Republican for about 50 pages. I highly recommend this book to anyone depressed by the current state of America and needing a good laugh. Thank you, Tom Tomorrow!

Tom Tomorrow has done a fantastic job of putting humor into a political situation that one would think impossible to find humor in. "Hell in a Handbasket" is a further example of Mr. Tomorrow's ability to mix biting political satire with the funny bone. He can cut through much of the non-sense that is allowed to float around out there and make that hypocrisy painfully evident. God, I hope he gets some joy out of his own writing and cartooning, because I would very much hate for him to disappear from the shelves. Buy this book if you are leftie, just to keep the insanity away. Buy this book if you are a winger, just to cure yourself of the insanity.

This book is a must read for all the Limbaugh-listening, neocon, Bush-backers out there! Every page is filled with poignant scenes of the Bush administration. The real humor lies in the irony involved--the jokes are so "tragically true" that they make you snicker, rather than laugh. My fellow Bush-BASHERS will agree...the book is a capsulized summary of the darkest period in American politics. Hope you learned your lesson--next time, vote for Democrats!

Let's face it: outside of wealthy oilmen and Halliburton stockholders, there haven't been that many people who've benefited from the Bush years (which, as of this writing, continues to be at its nadir of popularity). Of course, one other group that has benefited are political cartoonists, who should be grateful to Bush and company for providing so much material. There are few better at working with this material than Tom Tomorrow in his comic strip, This Modern World.
Hell in a Handbasket is the title of a collection of his strips from late2002 into 2005, a period when Bush was still doing okay, but the strips point out the signs of rot that would soon become evident to others: the distortions necessary to get us into the war in Iraq, the incompetence once the invasion took place, the advocacy of torture and the branding of any dissenters as sympathizers with the enemy. (As you might guess, I'm not much of a Bush fan.)

Democrats and the political left, however, do not get off lightly either, as Tomorrow appropriately takes them to task for their willingness to accept the lies and corruption and not put up any sort of real resistance to the run up to the war. All of this is done with a sharp humor and an interesting, rather static style of art with characters that often look like they're out of some 1950's educational film.

Obviously, if you lean to the right, you probably have a different view of Tomorrow, and probably consider him (and me) as folks who hate the troops, support terrorism and want America to fall. Of course, that isn't the case, and in fact, Tomorrow actually embraces the virtues of the country and calls to task those who damage it. This Modern World is really a patriotic lament for the U.S. that has been going, well, to Hell in a handbasket.

This book is incredible. You will be laughing out loud. The more U.S. history you know the funnier it is. I highly recommend this book for anyone. It is a great gift for a student of U.S. history as they will learn to appreciate it more the more they learn.

I first read this book when I was 12. I next read it... probably when I was still 12. I'm not one to read and re-read books, but this one will always be an exception. If Jon Stewart's "America" uses humor to expose the dysfunctional state of our country in the 21st century, Barry uses laughter to show how we got to this pitiful point. Buy it and read, then re-read it every other year or so. It only takes a couple of hours, and it never gets old.

I just recently finished a college-level history class, so I was well brushed up on my US history. That's half of why this book is so hilarious - I know what really happened, and Dave Barry makes very funny spins on it. He has the capacity to make the bleakest parts of history look absolutely histerical and silly, and for that, I give it my highest recommendation.

I've read all of Dave Barry's stuff, novels too, and this is, hands down the funniest thing you'll ever sink your eyeballs into. It stays on my bedside table where I can get a little twisted history fix now and then. Read it, re-read it and read it again.

Dave Barry's "Dave Barry Slept Here" is a hilarious pseudo/satire-history of the United States. Anyone familiar with Dave Barry's wit from his columns will immediately recognize the same wit unleashed on so much of our history that we have heard, if not necessarily really learned, throughout our lives.

Dave Barry writes like a high-school student - intentionally, of course. He attributes great advances to "technology," isn't interested in the Smoot-Hawley Tariff so he skips it because it sounds boring, and decides that every important event in American history happened on October 8th so that he doesn't have to remember any more dates (even the Fourth of July happened on October 8th, 1776). And he ends every chapter with hilarious "discussion questions" that are just as funny as the text.

I've read and re-read this hilarious book, and it's great to just pick up and start reading in the middle whenever you need a good chuckle. Anyone who likes Dave Barry, enjoys American history, or is interested in what three-word sentence you can rearrange the letters in "Spiro Agnew" to spell (hint: the first word is "grow") should read this book and enjoy!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R25G2QNLYOQ13X The author in a brief video promo for the book and as an extra: Brian reads one of the humorous stories of language learning in Mongolia.
There's a Sheep in my Bathtub
There's a Sheep in my Bathtub

I have been acquainted with Brian for several years now and also have met many of the characters in the book. In fact I have visited the scene of this incredible story. What God has done there will melt most anyone. God's work is stunningly beautiful and He has blessed Brian with a rare experience coupled with a storytelling gift. Not only will you be drawn into the story, you will - without hardly knowing it - come away trained in basic church planting principles. I recommend this book to anyone called to the mission field and to anyone called to support and care for missionaries.

Quote-leftThis brilliant book should be better known and utilized. One one level, it is a very gripping account of missionary autobiography -- carrying the reader along, the author almost always succeeds in making the reader *feel* as well as mentally comprehend the story. For that alone, it is worth reading -- to experience a thick slice of a very adventurous family's life in seeking to understand and obey God's will for them, often in circumstances beyond what many reading it in English, have ever or are ever likely to experience. The story of Brian Hogan and his family will be an encouragement to all who peruse these pages.

This volume goes beyond even a very good missionary biography, however, in that Hogan interweaves his story with an understanding of *principles* of church-planting that simply *must* be understood by anyone seeking to establish a multiplying community of Jesus followers anywhere in the world -- principles which he learned from acknowledged mentors such as Dr. George Patterson.

Highly recommended for interested individuals as well as for students in relevant training programs.

Hey Brian,

I just finished your book!! Loved it!! It was so touching and heartfelt. Most of the Perspectives teachers books were great but they were more about information and following God's call for missions, which is great and very important. But your book was just a brilliant testimony of you and your families journey as an apostle, both the joys and the deep hurts. And I about lost it when I read the last part where the guy tracked you down in California and revealed God's plan for Jed's death, i was in a coffee shop full of folks and it took all my will power not to weep. God truly is amazing. I liked the way you got the idea for the title, even in the capital you still had to butcher your own meat, that rocks. I know I am biased on this book cause I want to work in Mongolia too. But is was a great read man. I don't know if you remember my conversation in Fort Smith but I know I want to work among the nomads and ride forever along the open steppe. So keep me in your prayers.

Peace, love, and harmony
Eric

And may Papa bless you and your family!!!

As well as a trip down memory lane (countries visited, YWAM days when this story was happening, and other 'triggers' in the book) I found this story to be very encouraging.

Although I live in this "world" of church multiplication, and thus the book was not a knock me over unique tale, I did find the story astounding in how our amazing God took a weak group of people and some impossible situations to bring about such a "by the book" church planting movement. That was perhaps the one feature that left me with my mouth open!

Many reading this book will no doubt be left with the hunger and thirst ... "Me too! Jesus, me too! Send me somewhere and do something so beautiful and so mighty through me!" I pray that many will be mobilised and will be used similarly among the world's remaining unreached peoples!