Arts Books

Beautiful photos and inspirations for creating "fairy" clothes. My daughter loves the book and has given it to two friends (10 year old girls) for presents.

You will be stunned by this book. Such beautiful art and creativity will provide you with hours of some very satisfying eye-candy! This is one of my favorites. I bought a few copies when it first came out for Christmas gifts! Everyone loved this book!

"Fairie-ality"..........it's so easy to be at a loss for words on this book, page after page of a beautiful collection! It is so beautifully done and illustrated that if you don't think "Fairies" have a wardrobe of their very own.... this will change your mind :). This book is a must have for all fairy collectors, little girls that dream of magic and also for those that just need a jump start for their own imaginations to take over. LOVE THE BOOK!!

Very pleased with the book. It was a gift. In as new condition, as described. Fast shipping. Best price I found anywhere. Thanks so much!

I would list this book a 10 if I could, It is truly an inspiration to the creative juices. Excellant in every department.
I would purchage this again and again if needed!

It's hard to justify $85 for a jewelry book, but this combines history, technique and art in one book. If you intend to work with jewelry professionally, or are a very serious jewelry student, it's wise to get this book. You won't get the step-by-step techniques, but you'll get enough background technique you'll be able to wing it, usually sucessfully. He covers the international world of jewelry, so it has everything from ethnic tribal to Danish contemporary, and all the stuff inbetween. I sit down with this book periodically to just enjoy the book, and I always find something 'new' I want to try. Many times I use it a reference for finding the basis of a technique, or a particular table that has the info I require. Whatever it is that I need, I can find it in this book. It's worth the $85 and you won't regret the decision.

This one expands on were he stopped with the first book. 19 chapter headings with a multitude of sub headings.

* The Message of Jewelry, why we wear ornaments
* The Means to Creation: working environment, facilities and implements
* Metal, the Jewel's Raw Material: Its origin, quality control and variety
* Basic Techniques: processing sheet metal without deformation
* Sheet Metal: Forming by deformation techniques
* Wire: The uses of drawn or extruded flexible filaments
* Tubing: The use of Fistular Forms
* Surface ornament with out heat: Metal removal techniques
* Surface ornament with heat: Metal fusion techniques
* Fabrication: Building fragments into units
* Casting: Methods of giving form to molten metal
* Natural Materials in Jewelry: Using natures valued nonmetals
* Stones and their setting: Inorganic minerals employed in jewelry
* Metal Finishing: Achieving desired surface appearance
* Metallic Coating Techniques: Changing the base metal's surface appearance
* Metallic Buildup: Electrolytic molecular creation of surface and form
* Coloring Metals: Achieving patinas through heat, chemicals and electrolysis
* Standard weights, Measures and Tables
* Glossaries, Bibliographies, Sources of tools, supplies and services: USA and UK

Around 800 pages of pure golden info, I have read and keep finding new and interesting things since I picked up a copy last year. I find this gift keeps on giving every time I pick it up. He goes into detail that others can only dream about.

This book isn't only for jewelry artists, anybody that is into the metal arts working or a collector. This will give years of educational enjoyment. It is truly an investment grade book of knowledge. I use my copy on a metals arts forum for answers to question from people that are looking for answers that can be counted to be correct.

This book is the jewelry makers bible. I cannot begin to scratch the surface of its value by lising content. It is a gem of a book (pun intended).

Oppi Untracht did the jewelry industry and anyone serious about learning jewelrymaking the right way, a HUGE service by compiling the information in this book and presenting it in clear and easy to understand language. This book must have taken years of research and editing to produce and publish. That, my friends who harp about price, is why this book is so high priced. It is not over-priced, it is aptly priced. Think how much the Oxford English Dictionary costs- [...]
it's just words, why so expensive?!

You could learn a new technique or factoid every day for a year from this book and then start all over again and learn even more.
This book, however, is not for teaching silver or goldsmithing, gem setting, etc. It is not a how-to book at all. It is a reference book, like the ones that the library won't let you check out because they're too valuable.

If you are serious about jewelry making, fine and art jewelry- not hobby craft wire and bead stringing- put this on your wish list. You'll be thrilled if someone sends it to you for a birthday or holiday gift. If nobody will kick for it, save your nickles and find a used one, reclaiming the silver from spent pickle solution and making solder from scratch never goes out of style.

Jewelry Concepts and Technoloty by Oppi Untracht is the must reference text for the jewelry artist. Untracht provides historical reference for styles and techniques, clearly explains how various techniqures can be utilized by beginners, advanced art jewelry students and professionals. If that is not enough, the visuals and historical references stimulate the imagine.

This book was purchased to replace a book lost out of our Mineral & Gem Society library. We have many master gemologists and geologists in the club and each speaks highly of this book. It's full of basics but also provides information for the advanced jeweler. Highly recommneded.

This book is like watching a documentary on the life of Freddie Blassie, it doesn't read like a book, you feel like Blassie is talking to you.

It's amazing that a man that went out of his way to make people hate him somehow managed to endear himself to the public the way Freddie Blassie did. He's the man that you love to hate.

The stories in this book are often told from the point of view of Blassie and then features a quote from another aquaintance so you get an outside opinion on the situation.

Overall it's just exciting and often hilarious stories from a truly outrageous performer and athlete who was there at the birth of television and had some great runs with Regis Philbin and Andy Kaufman.

It should be noted that this is not a kid-friendly book, it has a lot of "colorful" language and stories.

Buy and enjoy, I know I did!

In mid 60's, a Japanese elderly lady was shocked to death when she watched TV where Freddie was bititng Rikidozen on his head. This was a real story. He was a real villan in Japan. But we knew that his wife was a Japanese, he likes Japan. We like him very much. "Vampire Blassie" forever. Review from Tokyo.

All you really need to know about me is the names of my five idols: Stan Lee, Stan Laurel, Gomez Adams, Steve McGarrett and Freddie Blassie (hmmm, they are all to some degree fictional--that's something I'll have to bring up in therapy).

Anyway, this is a thoroughly enjoyable and quick read that recounts the well-known events of Freddie's life and spills some beans about him and other wrestling superstars, too. I suspect that it's very heavily ghost-written but what the heck...and if it's cliche to call someone an original, then what the heck again--if anyone deserves it, it's Freddie Blassie.

He did it all: wrestle for real, for "real"; act on the Dick Van Dyke Show and an Andy Kaufman movie; make popular recordings; advise Muhammad Ali. And not too long ago he worked on this important book, which belongs in any Sports library, or bookstore department.
Following in the timeline, in Georgeous George's footsteps, or better put, on his (pause) heels, he overshadowed the original icon of TV Wrestling, with his decidedly unorthodox approach. He used more "dirty tricks" than Nixon in '72.
When he retired from competition, he became one of the most villanous Managers, whose candor was never appreciated: he would openly admit on Interviews, and in the presence of his proteges, that he remains in the game for the watches and rings. He'd then counter this admission, by showing his self-deprecating side, by pummeling himself with a folding chair. (Just as he filed down his own teeth in his prime of his career).
Blassie takes you back to a period in Wrestling when the stars were believable; when they drove themselves to matches.

I too grew up in Southern California. To kids my age, Freddie Blassie was as big a sports personality as Don Drysdale or Roman Gabriel. Only Sandy Koufax had more elevated status, and was spoken of in hushed reverential tones.

Even though Blassie usually played the heel, I always stood by him. When he was a "good guy," I was in heaven! His rants with John "The Golden Greek" Tolos were priceless, and have never been duplicated by modern wrestlers.

This book was wonderful! I literally couldn't put it down, and read it in one enjoyable sitting. It really was a "no warts" look at his life. I was surprised to read that people took his work so seriously that he was stabbed several times.

Rest in Peace Freddie Blassie. There'll never be another like you!

I started to read this excellent book by David Morrell and then I stopped and read three of his novels: "Testament", "The Fifth Profession" and "The League of Night and Fog". Then I resumed reading this book about the business of writing and the technique.
David Morrell is a charming and interesting writer. I have read nearly every book there is on writing and David taught me many things I have read no where else. He also seemed like he was on my side, a fellow writer. I was sad when I turned the last page and that was it.

While David Morrell may be best-known for writing "First Blood" and the subsequent Rambo novelizations, "Lessons..." puts him on the map as a world-class professor of writing. He used to teach in the University of Iowa English Department that was located below the Iowa Writer's Workshop offices. However, his instruction here is contrary to that of most college creative writing workshops, in that he adresses writers of all genres (not just "literary" writers) in this book. For that reason, "Lessons..." will be of particular interest to thriller, science fiction, horror, and other genre writers looking for instruction outside of the university structure. If you enjoy this book, you should also check out Stephen King's On Writing and Strunk and White's The Elements of Style.

Mr. Morrell's first chapter alone was worth the price. As a yet another baby boomer with a laptop, I've written two novels without fully understanding WHY I toil creating fiction. I know now the reason I write--the one thing. What a satisfying feeling to finally understand what keeps me motived and in sync with my inner drive. His other chapters are also excellent, good stuff and well written. Buy the book.

Russell Traughber
Irvine, CA

Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing, by David Morrell, is an insightful blend of writing tips and biographical information from the author of First Blood, the novel that introduced the world to the fictional character Rambo.

Rather than attempt to cover all aspects of the craft, Morrell addresses a dozen or so specific subjects, many using First Blood to illustrate specific points.

Morrell begins with a question he asks his students on the first day of class: "Why do you want to be a writer?" Other chapters well worth reading include viewpoint, research, description, and dialogue.

Some of the chapters were less interesting, with little information not already addressed in numerous other fiction-writing books. But even these chapters are worth reading because of the biographical content.

No recaps or exercises are included at the end of the chapters, but an index is provided for easy reference.

Bottom line: Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing is both fascinating and informative.

Morrell wrote some of the books that were so mind-enhancing that I wanted to infuse my books with that much meaning. "The League of Night and Fog" and "Covenant of the Flame" were both action-packed thrillers that had a resonance of historical events that shaped an unseen undercurrent of our times. "Assumed Identity" "The Fifth Profession," and "Extreme Denial" hold up as examples of espionage fiction at its best. And my favorite, "Double Vision" has haunting tone that reminds me why Morrell is a master in my short-list. He continues to bring out stories that make you think from rare perspectives.

"Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing" confirmed my appreciation of Morrell's craft. He discusses where ideas come from, how to extract the significance of your own experience and explore the depth of your ideas. His counsel on holding conversations with yourself is valuable advice on how to keep writing when you don't know what to write. Morrell's perspectives come from a solid career in the business. I always consider his novels a great place to look for a well-told story. So, when I read his "Lessons..." it's with a sense of having a famous-friend who happens to be an author sit and talk about the mechanics of a common interest. His insights are fresh and grounded in well-earned experience.

Morrell's "Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing" is right up there with my favorite how-to manuals on writing. It is a worthy edition in the club of Sol Stein's "On Writing," and "How to Grow a Novel," Bradbury's "The Zen and Art of Writing," Lawrence Block's "Telling Lies For Fun and Profit," and "Writing the Novel from Plot to print." A solid, practical addition to the Writers Digest series of nuts and bolts manuals for anyone driven to sharpen their craft.

A personal note to David Morrell: Thanks for letting me sit in on your class and over-the-shoulder consultant. You're an inspiration to me. I hope to sit in as a colleague some day.

A truly wonderful book to peruse through for those who practice pencil sketching. The artist is simply outstanding and his style is right up my alley. I flip through these pages for mere minutes and want to draw for days on end.

Alan Lee's work is amazing and to get some background information about his artwork is a treat. I wish the book was a little bigger and thicker.

What a beautiful collection this is. The afternoon it arrived, I wandered again in Middle Earth, lost in Alan Lee's art. But most wonderful, it seems to me (who came to the movies from many readings of the books,) is that as I looked at these drawings they recalled not just scenes from the movies, but returned me to the tactile pleasure of discovering this world as I first had found it --in Tolkien's books. I love both the books and the movies. Now, when time constrains, I don't have to choose between the two. Thank you, Alan Lee.

this book is awesome!
it's like looking into Alan Lee's Sketchbook as its name indicates.
the renderings are beautiful. any Tolkien fan will appreciate this as a wonderful companion to the books, as well as any one interested in fantasy art and drawing!

If you're looking for the film's information literally, this might not be what you want. But, if you're looking for a trip into the cretive process that brought Tolkiens masterpiece to life, you might like this one.
Alan Lee is a wonderful artist, his drawings are really impressive, and in this book he shows how he created his version of Tolkien's world, trying to be faithfull to the autor's ideas.
There's plenty of drawings and sketches from all parts of the story, and the text explains how and why they were developed to the movie's scenes.
I loved.

I purchased this book hoping for information for my book proposal. I was not disappointed. This book has valuable information and I am happy with my purchases.

If you have started to look for a literary agent, buy this book first. If your proposal has been rejected by agents, buy this book. I thought I had read good proposal books until I read this one. Follow it step by step, chapter by chapter, and your book proposal will look quite differently than what you wrote before. After reading this book, I re-wrote my entire proposal, because the suggestions in this book gave me a better understanding of what I wanted to write, and how to convey my vision of my book to outside parties. If you are having problems outlining your book, defining your chapters, writing a query letter that will impress an agent in the first two sentences, buy this book. How To Pick The Best Tenant Jump Start Your Book Sales: A Money-Making Guide for Authors, Independent Publishers and Small Presses

The position of an aspiring writer, trying to break into the published market, is not an enviable one. Here's a fairly common scenario: writer spends a year or two writing his book. He pours his heart and mind into the manuscript, and once it's done, he starts sending it out to publishing houses. Responses aren't immediately forthcoming; it's a big manuscript, so it tends to sit at the bottom of busy publishers' to-do lists. Finally, if he's lucky, he gets a response - someone actually wants to publish his book. Only they want a lot of it changed, to make it more marketable.

It doesn't have to be this way; there's a better process to follow. You start with a query letter; a short letter of a few pages outlining the idea for your book. Since it's short, publishers are likely to read it much sooner. You get replies sooner, too; to the people who are interested, you send a full-blown book proposal - explaining in detail what you want to write, who will buy it, outlining the book, and providing a sample chapter or two (preparing this proposal is much, much easier than actually writing a whole book).

If a publisher likes the idea, you can be extended an offer, including a cash advance for the book. If something needs to be changed about the concept, it can be done before you've actually written the whole thing. Basically, this process means much less work, and getting paid for your work quite a bit sooner.

In "Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write", Elizabeth Lyon explains in detail how to go about putting together a book proposal that a publisher will read and like, so that you will be offered an advance to write your book. If you want to make your living as a writer of books, you absolutely must have Lyon's book on your reference shelf.

My first book was self-published - that's a route that you can take to completely circumvent the approach to publishers; you can learn more about that in Dan Poynter's "Self-Publishing Manual". My next book is more suited to go through a publisher, and Lyon's book is definitely going to be one of the tools that I use to get the project going. Highly, highly recommended.

Danny Iny
Author of "Ordinary Miracles - Harness the power of writing and get your point across!" (ISBN 1-4116-7252-6)

Whether the glue is poor quality or another problem with the paperback spine, I really wish this much read book had held together better. From one to a few pages, to chuncks of pages, have separated.

That said, the book is completely informative, with numerous examples and step by step directions. Explanations help shape the user's thinking about how to develop their book proposal. I wish the writer covered the proposal in order, but I understand her reasoning for covering sections out of order.

The book doesn't give much help about how new writers can pad their "About Author" and beef up their personal selling points when they have never been published.

Overall, the book is packed with useful info.

I have bought other books on this subject and this is the most useful and most logically organized.

Ted Kooser has written a poetry manual for amateur and professional poets who are interested in improving their writing craft. His suggestions can be easily implemented. As a poet I've read many books on the writing craft but this one rates in my top three. There is more to writing poetry than to jot down the words the pretty Muse whispers in one's ear. For those serious about becoming better poets, this is the book for you.

This excellent no-nonsense book about writing poetry also manages to be inspirational. In clear and compassionate prose, Kooser addresses real issues that poets struggle with, such as the fine line that exists between gushing sentimentality and the resonant expression of real feelings, the subject of one of his 12 chapters.
Kooser provides wonderful examples to illustrate his points, giving us the pleasure of reading good poetry while we learn to write it. He also provides vivid images as metaphors for how writing works and how readers read, transforming glass bottomed boats and ham cubes into tools for crafting poetry.
Laced with humor, this book feels like a casual conversation that you want to return to again and again.

The author introduces his book saying it contains "my favorite tools for tuning up the poems you write". From discussing the poet's "job description" to the necessity of writing clear understandable poetry, from how poets should serve the poems they write to the necessity of having an imaginary reader in mind, from the importance of titles and opening lines, to cutting out unnecessary words, from ryhme to writing about feelings, writing from memory, how best to use anecdote, fine tuning similes and metaphors, and to a most inspiring chapter dedicated to "detail", this book guides readers to writing (and reading) poetry with greater sensitivity.

Among the many tools for fine tuning, the author sheds light on the connection between the specific choices a poet makes and their outcome, revealing ways in which a poet could manipulate such choices more consciously to achieve the desired results.

Throughout the book, the author quotes numerous poems to demonstrate his meaning, many of which are striking, some unforgettable. While some of the examples are from his poetry, he draws heavily on the work of other contemporary poets, enlarging the scope of the book to include many other voices and visions than his own.

Although deep insight permeates its every line, the book is written in clear and accessible language and a delightful sense of humor. The author possesses the gift of instructing with a light touch, revealing a great deal of information, while staying out of the way, a feat that requires a delicate and artful balancing act that is the mark of a true guide.

This is not an intense workbook to poetry nor a rigid list of rules to follow. Rather, it is a gentle conversation with the author that pleasantly guides you along the finer points of writing poetry.

Interspersed with kind humor, we read sample poems that illustrate various aspects of poetry from voice to how to submit for publication.

It reminds me by its simplicity of "Elements of Style" by Strunk and White.

You might wish after reading it that it had more details and specific exercises to help us develop the poet's skills, but he references a few other works that provide more detail if one is looking for it.

I consider this a enjoyable read that opens up one's eyes to the beauty and nuances of poetry.

Ted Kooser has written a treasure for the beginning poet. The example of the ampersand on pg. 66 is the type of information beginning poets need to hear from accomplished, critically acclaimed authors. To have the insight of a poet laureate who does not withhold any trade secrets, but Kooser lays it all out there for the reader. Tips on what to avoid, like sentimentality, and explanations of the whys and wherefores of rhyme. A necessary book for the writer's library.

The Ranma 1/2 series is one of the all time best manga series I have ever read! Just the idea of a boy changing into a girl with a splash of cold water sounds fun to read! The characters are unforgetable and hilarios! Ranma has too many fiance's though. ;D
But Ranma 1/2 is a funfilled adventure in Japan with a boy that turns into a little black pig, a tomboyish girl, and a lot of fighting.
Martial arts is the biggest priority in Ranma 1/2.
So if you want fun, read Ranma 1/2 by: Rumiko Takahashi. You'll love it!

I bought this book at amazon.com and it was so entertaining I couln't put it down ryoga turning into a pig, getting a crush on akane, no sense of derection not knowing how to skate he is begging to be one of my fave characters and makes want to by even more ranma I am telling you this book is sure to make you feel better about yourself ranma himself even gets in trouble from akane because of him. Read it I'm sure you will love it.

This is the first Anime/Manga book I've ever read. It was a pretty good book. I read it though without a break. The storyline was interesting, but I found that it got dry in a few spots occasionally, and made me chuckle a couple times. I am looking forward to reading the sequel tomorrow, to see if the storyline twists, or there is more "action". It was not a disappointing read by any means though.

this book is just as good as the first book except possibly a little more romance.
by now ranma and akane are always going at each others necks but in the end they always find a way out of the hardest spots.
laugh out loud funny a action/adventure/romance(very little).
not reconmender for younger children(ranma when in female form runs around topless and yes it shows most to all parts)
but any way this is a amazing book and i would recomend it to almost any one at all.
Bye Bye
from: mewme
IT ROCKS

Rumiko Takahashi struck comic gold with "Ranma 1/2," the story of a guy who turns into a girl whenever he gets touched with cold water (and you'd be surprised how often that happens). The second volume picks up where the first left off, and Takahashi was obviously hitting her stride in this series.

Directionally-challenged Ryoga Hibiki makes it to the Tendos' home, and brawls with Ranma out in the yard. Turns out that Ranma accidently knocked Ryoga into a cursed spring -- and now Ryoga turns into a cute black piglet. As if this grudge weren't enough, Akane adopts the piglet, whom she names "P-chan," which drives Ranma into a frenzy.

Problems continue when Akane is injured before a martial arts gymnastics competition, leaving Ranma (in his female form) to take her place. The only problem is, it's against Kuno's psychotic sister Kodachi -- who loves Ranma as a boy, but loathes him as a girl. No sooner has Ranma dealt with that crisis than another combat challenge pops up: To get Ryoga/P-chan back from a ditzy ice skater, Ranma and Akane will have to learn martial-arts ice-skating. But Ranma's lessons take an unpleasant turn when he gets his first kiss... from a boy.

The boy-turns-into-girl-when-splashed-with-water shtick sounds like a one-off gimmick. But Takahashi shows new ways to get creative in the second volume of "Ranma 1/2." The stories flow a little faster and a little more smoothly, now that she's introduced the characters and their peculiar problems.

She also starts ideas that continues throughout the series -- sticking the words "martial arts" besides all sorts of activities, and having characters fall into various cursed springs. But she doesn't lose track of the personal relationships, such as various characters competing for Ranma and/or Akane's affections. One comic gem involves siblings Kuno and Kodachi, who are unknowingly competing for the same person in different form.

The characters have also changed a little. Akane no longer loathes all men, and is rapidly becoming a good partner for Ranma. Ryoga -- who apparently craves any form of affection -- falls in love with Akane after she cuddles him in his pig form. And obviously Ranma is starting to like Akane -- otherwise, why would he care if she cuddled Ryoga?

The "Ranma 1/2" series took off after the first volume, when Takahashi stepped up the pace and took her martial-arts-romantic-comedy to new and strange heights.

I loved this book! It has amazing photos and stories and tells all about each of the girls different walks of life. I loved it! Geri was always my fave and now I think I understand why she left. As one of her quotes goes "I'm a restless person and I'm not satisfied yet. I don't know what I'm to do yet but something else has to be coming my way." I think that was an amazing and brave thing to do so Cheers Geri!

I may not be a big book reader for my spare time, but I can tell you this is the best book I have ever read. I love the Spice Girls, and Ginger was always my fav, and to find out more about my favorite female in the world, well, is awesome. she is such a cool person and a great writter! I was talking about it at school once, and one of my classmates came up to me, and wanted to read it. she agreed, this is a good book! she couldn't put it down (as I couldn't, either!). it explains a lot, and fills in the holes as why Geri left the Spice Girls. this is her whole life story, and you also get to learn even more about the Spice Girls than you probably knew from before! oh, and if you have her solo album, you might not understand some of her lyrics- but once I read this, and listened to it again, the whole album made sense, and I could relate everything back to her book. it's awesome. a definte for spice girl fans.

Great book for all Spice Girls fans. It tells the real story, with in depth about their feelings and about their family, too

This book is wonderfully written. The Spice Girls are brilliant recording artists and now they're brilliant authors too! I definately think you you should read this if you're a Spice fan and even if you're not, you'll still enjoy the book. It is a real attention catcher. Tou won't be able to put your book down! Spice Up Your Life by reading this!

This book is undoubtedly the best book I've ever read. It tells the story of pop music's biggest phenomenon, the Spice Girls. Learn about Mel C's hundreds of awards, Emma's early modeling career, Victoria's many hair styles, Geri's Girl Power!, and Mel G's cute side. If you love the Spice Girls, this book is definitly for you. Also check out Geri Halliwell's new book If Only. Girl Power!

This book is easy to get lost in. The art has alot of stuff in it to absorb.

This book is filled with incredible art by Alex Grey. The only problem with the book is the fact that it is listed on Amazon as a HARDBACK and it is not. This is no fault of the artist but Amazon should be sure to correctly list their products.

I bought this for my fiance because he LOVES Alex Grey and He LOVES TOOL. He absolutely loved the book and actually I DID TOO!!! If you are a fan of either or (Alex Grey or Tool) it's a MUST BUY!!!

the images of sacred body - energy currents are incredible! Nowhere else will you find this kind of anatomical imagery. This is an incredible book. Alex Grey is a genius!

Alex Grey's art is unique, provocative, visionary and striking. The anatomical detail, overall composition and beauty is uplifting. While this type of art may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is undeniably creative and powerful.

This book is based on a series of paintings that are approximately 6'0" tall. They were meant to be used as a mirror for an individual to experience different aspects of themselves. In other words, to serve as a lens for a different perspective on what it is to be human. In general, the book proceeds from an outline of the body made up of elements, through the skelton system, blood vessels, nerves, etc. What is unique is that it goes beyond this to subtle and causal realms based on the experience of Alex Gray and the testimony of various mystics. It is meant to evoke awareness of these more subtle dimensions and even in book form could be used for meditations.

This book also contains images of Jesus, the Boddhisattva of infinite compassion and other enlightened beings. Again, these are meant for contemplative experiences where you look for these energies in yourself as part of a contemplative practice. There are also some beautiful images of a couple kissing, making love, a small family, etc. These latter category of images are similar to the cover in that they represent the various spheres of Being from the gross body through the spirit.

This book is on the large side, is printed on very high quality paper and contains a lot of color plates as well as contextual information. It is a bargain at the price it is being sold and some of the text is written by Ken Wilber.

If you are not familiar with Ken Wilber's work, either Kosmic Consciousness or A Brief History of Everything would be a great place to get started. Either of these resources will help you to appreciate Grey's art in more depth and understand what he is trying to achieve.