Arts Books

This is a great book. I keep it next to my sewing machine and refer back to it often.

I checked this book out of the public library. After reading it cover to cover, I immediately signed into Amazon.com and ordered a copy to keep for myself. The book provides easy to read and understand directions for every step in the quiltmaking process.

"Heirloom Machine Quilting" is a book you will refer to many, many times. It will help the beginner as well as expert because it is full of helpful instruction, hints and examples plus learning projects to try. It will expand your mind!!!.

This is an excellent reference book on all types of machine quilting. Gives all of the tips and details needed to be successful at fine machine quilting.

I have many books on this subject among my quilt books but this is the one I would recommend most highly. Takes machine quilting to a new level for home quilters. Her work is done on your ordinary sewing machine and the book has detailed information on how to achieve the results we all want. Do yourself a favor and buy this.

Ish is a beautiful tale that emphasizes the age-old truth, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A young boy is unsatisfied with his artwork and continually tosses it into the trash because it lacks realism. All the while, his sister is retreiving the pieces of art and hanging them in her room. When he questions her about a drawing of a vase and remarks that it doesn't even look like a vase, the wise little sister says, "It is vase-ish..." Brilliant!

As a teacher in the Creative Experiences class, I use this book every semester to emphasize that drawings do not have to be realistic. I get great responses from students and we often gain a bit of community vocabulary as we refer to our own "ish-ish" drawings.

In an elementary classroom, I would share this story before drawing and I would make a point to explain that art is very subjective...it is not a requirement that everyone like a piece, just that someone likes it. In addition, the book contains ish-ish poetry. This would be a good thing to share for journal entries and venturing into poetry writing.

Although it's a children's book, it is truly a book for all ages. If you have ever limited yourself because of an internal or external critic, you will find solace and liberation in this book's simple yet profound message.

A gem.

this was a cute book about a little boy who loves to draw, and he draws quite a bit. one day his brother looks at his drawings and says that it doesn't look like what he was trying to draw. the boy looks at it again and agrees with his brother and he gets mad. i forget if he keeps drawing or not, but at one point he crumples up his 'last drawing' in frustration and swears to never draw again. his sister grabs the drawing and runs to her room. he chases her and when he goes in her room he sees all of his drawings. he asks why she kept them as they don't look anything like what they're supposed to. she replies 'well it looks vase-ish'. he looks around and agrees that it does look vase- ish. and continues drawing.
the guy's drawings don't have to be perfect. he draws because he loves it, not because he wants to make perfect pictures. it's sweet.

What a beautiful book for children. Gives them the encouragement to try - even if its not quite right - gives them confidence to draw whatever they want - I love the definition of 'ish'. A must for children.

If you have ever felt like less than a great artist this book is for you. Learn to embrace your inner "ish" as this simple book explains that art isn't about being a great artist, but rather to create art to enjoy the process and fun of it!

Its title is the best description of this book; you must try all possibilities that you can find inside.

This is a book for those wanting to see how metal reacts to various applications --- which are covered in some detail for the metal artist to try some of the procedues on their own. I was truly amazed by how simple variations for the process of Patination and Oxidation could produce such a varied coloration or patterns upon various substrates (metal). Who knew that by mixing ammonium chloride with tobacco will produce such an interested moss-evergreen color variation upon copper. Thus this book served as a great learning tool for me and allowed me to work metal without waste (particularly due to the cost of some metal these days) as the examples provided in the book gave me the confidence to move forward with my own designs. Each section is followed by wonderful gallery examples by numerous artists using the techniques described. Great ideas can be developed by reviewing the metal finishing techniques and observing the gallery examples. More info on how to actually do each technique would have also been helpful, but there is enough to enable every metal artist with significant knowledge of metal to move forward and proceed on some of the finishes described and maybe not fleshed out in the beginning of the section. So classify this book for intermediate or advanced metalsmiths...beginners can review this book, but please gain enough enough knowledge (at least for some processes) to aid in becoming bold enough to proceed. Some techniques are easy enough for beginners - the stamping, rolling-mill, polishing/matt/satin, press forming, and engraving. The other techniques - etching, patination/oxidation, casting, foil, granulation, enameling inlay, and chasing/repousse - are appropriate for those with more experience either through instruction, other book information, chemistry knowledge, and other methodologies.

However, I could only give it 4 stars since one of the most important issues was not covered in significant detail - safety. One page devoted to the subject (page 8) is NOT enough, particularly since some of the techniques are dangerous or at least require controlled conditions with appropriate protective covering of hands/eyes/clothing with stabilizing materials available in case of an accident (e.g. spilling chemicals).

This is a great book to envision the possibilities when working with metals and producing your own jewelry or fine art; and the price makes it an easy addition to your reference library.

I have lots of jewelry books. This is more of "class examples" and the like. It shows many ways to do textures, finishes, etc. and shows the finished product. It has saved me the time and expense of doing them myself. What a help!

I found this book well structured for me as a novice. It provides lots of beautiful examples of the techniques. I'll look for more detailed "how to" instructions elsewhere but this book is a great start.

Awesome book with great illustrations and techniques for many different finishes in jewelry making!! Get this one!!

I have a couple other Kindle guides and find this one to be the best! I have come to find that Kindles are not just for reading books. There are so many more uses that most people aren't aware of. The Kindle Cookbook has all the "ingredients" for these additional uses. This is a must for Kindle users!

I originally bought the kindle because I travel frequently and relished the thought of not carryinga bagful of books with me. I had no idea what the kindle was capable of until I read The Kindle Cookbook. The book is clear and concise and written for a general audience. If you really want to get the most out of your kindle this is a must have.

What a great help this book has been. I have used many of the recipes already and they all work wonderful. Love the step by step instructions as I am not fully techo-savy. It is well worth the price. Will use again and again. I love it.

I discovered David Emberson's book from reading the Kindle Discussion Group forum. I was reading to try to discover all those tips and hints that savvy users might share. This book came highly recommended and I see why! All the information is right here! And David presents it in easy-to-understand steps. I would unreservedly say that this book should be required reading for new Kindle users... and many experienced users, too, I suspect. (Is that you on the cover, David?!)

Great book for anyone with a new Kindle or if you haven't had time to figure out how to use your wonderful Kindle yet.

There is so much great information in an easy to use format on this ebook. Even though Amazon includes an instruction manual, there are many more things to learn that Amazon didn't include.

If you want to get the most out of your Kindle, this book is a must have!

A lot of info that a lot of people did not know about those little darlings. Very interesting, good reading, very well done. Thank You.

Excellent book....Leonard really digs deep to document and convey all things "Rascal". It's worth the purchase price.

Revised in 1992, Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann's "The Little Rascals" is a must for anyone who has enjoyed the antics of Spanky and the gang. The authors' exhaustive research and warm-hearted nostalgia is evident as they chronicle the history of these enduring comedy shorts. Along with biographies of the ever-changing cast and crew, the book offers a detailed critical analysis from the golden Hal Roach period (1922-38) to the sad decline at MGM (1938-44). It's the ultimate Our Gang celebration, with a treasure trove of rare photographs and publicity material.

I have been looking for this book for ages.Answers so many questions about all the Little Rascals.Some didn`t live long and very few are still with us.Being from Long Island I watched them on CH.11 on the Officer Joe Bolton Show every day after school.Kids today have nothing like them on TV.The facts in this book are fantastic and the pictures are great.If you love the Little Rascals buy this book.

The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang is the most comprehensive book available about the popular short series. Leonard Maltin, longtime fan of both Hal Roach comedies and the Our Gang series itself, writes both intelligently and lovingly about the series with the help of Richard W. Bann.

This book opens with a short history of the Hal Roach film company and the Our Gang series.

Then, it leads to a collection of all of the shorts made for the series including the cast, release date, and highly effective synopses and analyses of each short. These are listed chronologically and noted according to ownership and distributor and silent and sound. Some of the silent have been lost, but they are not neglected. Instead, Maltin has used reviews from the time period to give the reader a sense of the short and an idea of its quality. Opinions are used, but they are obviously separate from the factual information and are supported by facts. They add to the effectiveness of the synopses and paint a more vivid picture of the shorts that are unavailable. What is also unique about this book is the listing of the MGM shorts that are often regarded as the worst quality episodes of the series. Skipping these films, although understandable, would have made this book far less complete.

Next, the spin-offs and pop culture effects of the series are addressed, including the Saturday Night Live spoofs of Buckwheat and the cartoon versions of the show.

Last, the book includes a brief history of all of the major stars of the series and a few sentences about the more minor players. Sadly, this section needs to be updated because of the deaths of the cast members after this second publication. However, the information that is included is accurate and valuable, as much of it cannot be easily found anywhere else, especially interviews.

One must also comment on the abundant photographs utilized in the book including rare publicity stills.

Overall, this is a high quality history of The Little Rascals.

Ever wonder what it's like to be a Broadway performer? Well here's your chance...told through the mouths of over a hundred performers, you'll get the chance to laugh, cry and survive with these performers.

Many don't understand the heart-ache and sacrifices made by a performer. Many even think that Broadway is easy...but with each story you'll learn that is far from the truth.

If you want to be a Broadway performer or just explore the life of one this book is for you....

This book was recommended to me by a very good friend. Not only is it a humorous read, but an eye-opening one. This book brilliantly deals with the reality of professional theater right from the mouths of professional actors. If you are in the business, this book exposes you to so many things that aren't taught in school. It's a must read. If you are a theatergoer, this book offers a rare look into the lives of performers. This book is such a great reality check that manages to also be inspiring.

i love this book so much. i read it over and over again, because it always inspires me and just gets me so excited thinking about what my future could possibly hold! This book has so many great stories, and some are so hilarious I am constantly laughing out loud while reading this book! Honestly!!
I read the book because it makes me feel comforted when I get an audition rejection...and it gives me a lot of hope. i love it so much, and it is a big book with a great number of stories...so definitely get this one! i wish they would publish a second book!!

This book is very good and meets all my expectations.

Whether you are a theatre novice or Broadway veteran, this ambitous work is insightful, educational and fun.
On some nights, the theatre life is full of passion and wonder. However, many nights are spent in the hope of simply finding a job or landing a decent audition. Warts and all, this book is a must for anyone who loves a play or story. Enjoy and learn.

This is an extremely well written book. The visual examples provided are what sold me on it. I have been knitting for years, and still found useful "tidbits". I wanted to learn how to crochet and this book helped me do it. It's very methodically written, taking you from step to step, and it seems to be very complete in the process. Great for everything from starters to finishing a project.

When I opened this book I was very impressed by the clear, detailed photographs showing me how to knit every step of the way.
This book also discusses the qualities and uses of different types of yarn based on ply and fiber. One thing I found very helpful is that it tells you what all those care symbols on the yarn label mean.
The projects in this book are mostly tasteful and not hideously tacky like they are in so many other learners' books. Being a guy, I have a hard time finding a lot of good patterns that I like in general. There is a nice mens' sweater in here that I actually might consider wearing, and a hat that could be made for either a guy or girl.
After reading this book you will know how to read a pattern and all the basic, many intermediate, and some advanced stitches. You will also know how to fix your mistakes, make a buttonhole, shape your project, change colors, and how to join your knitted pieces together.
This book also features a small section (about 1/6 of the book) on crocheting, which I already know how to
do quite well. It does a good job of teaching you all the basics and shows how to do a couple stitches. However, it is not nearly as comprehensive as the knitting section. This is the only reason I don't give this book five stars. The only projects they give you are two scarves. I would say that if you are more interested in learning how to knit than crochet, this book is worthwhile, but I would buy another book to supplement it if you want to know more stitches and have a variety of patterns to choose from.
Overall, I would very highly recommend this book, and would give it four and a half stars if I could.

Very clear instructions illustrated by excellent photos. I think I got my money's worth because it teaches two crafts: knitting and crocheting. I taught myself to knit by reading knitting books and magazines but this book enhances my knowledge of knitting techniques because of the excellent illustrations. I used to crochet, too, but I've forgotten how because I haven't done it for so long, so I plan to refresh my knowledge of this craft by reading this book.

I got this book to re-learn how to crochet and learn how to knit for the first time. I learned crochet when I was about 8 and never continued it, but once I got this book I was able to pick it up within a week's time and have since become very good at it. The pictures are large and clear and show each step. The knitting section is also very good, though I didn't quite pick that up as easily :) There are sections on yarn types, basic stitches, and many sample patterns to practice each type of stitch. They even give you sample photos of a swatch so you can get a feel for what you're making before you dive in. I do think that yarn work is something that not all people have a mind for (just like painting or woodworking - while great hobbies, not all people will excell at them), but this is an excellent resource nonetheless.

An old knit-aholic like me has many books about stitches, knitting,etc.

This book is an absolute must in the library of a new knitter or an old one like myself. Beautiful illustrations/clear color photos showing each and every step, well laid out, everything you ever wanted to know about knitting. The back 25-30% of the book is equally great for crocheting, from starting out to finished projects.

This book has stitches and also patterns for many items throughout.
Don't regret missing out on getting this book!!!

I just recently passed the MRI registry thanks to this one book. I've been an MRI Tech for over 22 years and this book was very good in breaking down the Physics associated with MRI. The authors prove to the world that being a MRI Tech is definitely more than just "pushing buttons"!

I have an engineering background and needed to learn MRI for my job. I knew nothing about MRI and this gave an excellent overview. It talks about things at the proton level, data collection in k-space with frequncy/phase RF signals, to images with FFTs. It also talks about the electronics of the system and commonly used sequences. The colored tables and highlighted text makes things exteremly easy to follow.

Although this was a school requirement, I find it to be extremely useful and detailed.

I own many, many books on medical imaging, specifically MRI. This book encompassess the physics, sequences, imaging parameters, artifacts, contrast, and clinical application of these in very simple language with great illustrations. The authors have succeeded in publishing the best-written and most thorough of study/review books out there today.

This book helped me alot. I used it to pass my MRI registry and thought it was a hugh help.

The Munsters was one of the greatest shows on television. It brought together fans of both the old Universal Monsters and situational comedy. Why it only lasted two seasons is anyone's guess (even the author questions this perplexion).

This book brings together the history of The Munsters. From concept to filming to cancellation. It even features the continuing history such as the theatrical and TV movies, along with the reinvention of "The Munsters Today." It contains biographies of each actor, an episode guide/summary, and a brief biography of its arch nemesis, The Addams Family. Not to mention great photos too...

If you are a Munsters fan, then this is the holy grail. If you are a passing fan, then I still recommend this book.

P.S.-Pushing all debates aside as to which series was better (although the Munsters take the prize), I would like to see an Addams family book of this nature.

This was a terrific book and provided detailed information about the show that took a lot of research. It was equally as entertaining. I would highly recommend that Munster fans (young and old). Illustrations are wonderful.

WOW, what an incredible book. This is just everything you need and want to know about the Munsters TV show. It has it all and doesn't skip a beat. The things you will learn about the tv show is just awesome. Wanna know about the makeup? It's there. Wanna know about the cars? It's there. What the cast has and is doing? It's there. Get the point.

Let me also say what a fabulous job of how the book was designed. Color photos and behind the scene shots thru out the book. These are just some of the most spectacular photos on the tv show I have seen. Nice Rare stuff. You will love it.

What a remarkable update to Mr. Cox original book. This is definately a whole new book. Get one before you can never find one like this again.

A TRIP DOWN MOCKINGBIRD LANE is exactly that: a compilation of recollections from cast and crew that more or less leave a good feeling about the show and is akin to an album a family might collect in time for a reunion. There are no major revelations in this publication; stories are repeated throughout and must be fan favorites that folks enjoy being told again and again.

There are hints about Patrick Lily (better known as Butch Patrick) and his behavior on the set. There is mention of Fred and Al's constant bickering with the powers-that-were, but nothing concrete. Someday I would like to read a biography that would focus on Patrick's experience as a child actor. I do not believe he was born in 1953, he looks nine (at oldest) when the show first premiers. I think his age was lied about so he could get into makeup and be on the set longer than a younger child would have been allowed (I surmise this because he still looks no older than 12 in 1968 when he does "The Phantom Tollbooth"). Although I love "The Munsters" television series, and generally believe a good experience was had by all, I would be interested in reading Lily's story; I think we would find that his grandmother used acting as some use modern-day foster care.

As for this work, it is rare that a television series receive such a loving treatment: the color photos are vivid, the black and whites are brillaint, there are several trivia features that are fun, but would not have been thought of by a lesser biographer. It is a terrific keepsake for Munsters' fans and television adhearants in general.

Having recently acquired this wonderful book by author Stephen Cox titled "The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane", as well as the recently released Two Seasons of the classic series on DVD, I once again never fail to marvel at this brilliant and totally original series that ran from 1964-66. Part domestic sitcom, part tribute to the Universal Monsters of old, and part satire on the "then", state of society as we perhaps knew it, "The Munsters" were really one of a kind, a sort of ghoul's version of "Father Knows Best". Produced in what I still firmly believe was the most creative decade on television, the swinging 1960's, "The Munsters", entry into the television schedule was perfectly timed and this most unusual of families slotted right in with the fantastic and totally "out of this world", programming of the time that featured beautiful suburban witches, talking horses, multi-millionaire hillbillies, bumbling spies, and sexy Genies.

Stephen Cox's loving tribute to this classic series makes first rate reading, chock full of terrific and highly informative information and dozens of truly stunning photos never before seen that will delight the heart of any reader. It truly is essential in the book collection of any devoted "Munster", fan like myself. In a similar vein to his other writing efforts that explored such much loved series from the 1960's as "The Beverly Hillbillies", and "Green Acres", Mr. Cox here explores everything to do with the show in a easily read format. Everything "Munster" is here from the original ideas that formed the basis for the eventual series, to information on the series' incredible cast and production crew, to a detailed look at the show's lavish attention to detail in terms of sets, costumes and makeup. Discussion is also given by Mr. Cox on the still mysterious reasons for the show's cancellation after only two years and then examines the amazing after life of "The Munsters", that continues on as strong as ever after 40 years when many of the more "realistic", sitcoms that replaced it are now only hazy memories. In short it's the perfect book for "Munster", lovers and anyone who has a real interest in how television was produced in that golden decade of the 1960's.

A very cute book. The images are dated but cute. While I think that this book was meant for a younger child, my 6 year old is still excited by it. She thinks that it's great to have a baby book of her own to fill out!

This is a beautiful book that would be a great gift for any big brother or sister. What a wonderful way to encourage love for a younger sibling.

This book is really adorable. I can't wait for my 3 year old to fill it out with me. It has really great checklists and places for pictures for your older sibling to fill out.

This is a great product. I have been really worried about how my 3 year old daughter is gonna take being a big sister. She has been very spoiled her whole life. When we got this book in the mail she was so happy. I am only 13 weeks so she has plenty of time to wait until she can use the book but she thought it was really cool. I think this a good idea to keep them involved.

I bought this book for my three kids. It is actually for one child to fill out about the new baby. I have adapted it for all three kids to share. It makes them feel involved and adds to the excitement of the new baby. I think all new brothers and sisters should have this book.