Arts Books

Explore the world of handmade tiles with this beautiful resource book. Various techniques are also discussed.

Thsi is a tile maker's bible. I find it thorough, helpful and ful of ideas and how tos. I recommend it to those who wish to explore the proces.

Frank Giorgini writes a great book! This is a well laid out book with good instructions and fabulous ideas. It provides excellent technical knowledge and inspirational images. I come back to this book time and time again to renew the creative ideas. A must for all ceramics lovers.

This is a very informative source for anyone interested in exploring handmade tiles. It addresses several techniques. I was especially interested in the press mold section of the book. Pictures and dialogue are clear and concise. There are a lot of images for inspiration. But what do you expect from Lark Books! They always put together great resource books. Enjoy!

I purchased this book as a gift and decided to buy one for myself. It is a great reference book for anyone interested in making their own tiles.

Reinforces the unconditional love between a parent and a child in a cute little rhyme. There have been times when my own kids have gone through one of the same things this kiddo goes through, and I quote part of the poem to them---for example "I love the way you act so brave when you fall and hurt your knee" or "and even though it may not show, i love you when you're bad." My kids love it, and I mean every word when I read it to them.

This book is so sweet. It makes me stop and appreciate all the little things about our boys that can drive us crazy.
"Even when you lose your shoes, I love you just the same," she says, and the picture shows a little boy in his church clothes with his pants rolled up like he played in the creek. I love cuddling with my little boys and loving on them while we read it.

Our 4 kids absolutely love this book, so do I! :)- This is a frequent request! What a cozy book!

I bought this book sight-unseen as part of Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion. When it arrived, my first thought was that it was way too sweet... "Oh Gag!" came to mind. However, I pulled it out a few nights later and read it to my baby girl at bedtime and liked it. I pulled it out again the next night, and the next. It quickly became one of our favorites. It is an especially nice way to end a day that didn't go so well - too much whining, too much stress, too much everything - this is a nice little book to share at bedtime to calm down, slow down, and relax.

My son thinks he is the boy in this book. This might be in part because I like to insert his name in the title and question that is asked in the book: How do I love you ______? I like to end with I love you ____. We own the board book version and it is a bedtime favorite. Our family discovered P.K. Hallinan (who does his own illustrations) when we purchased a copy of A Rainbow of Friends. Hallinan has written and illustrated several children's books; another of his books, similar to How Do I Love You? (though not quite as good) is ABC I Love You - this book has a brother and sister in it, so I can read it to my son and daughter together, and they can both be in the story. :-)

Every few years I re-read this book as my music career grows and I find new ways to use the expertise she has gathered here. The book is a pleasure to read, with clear writing, fine organization and listings of valuable resources and contacts. Highly recommended!

I originally won a consultation package with Geri Goldstein and only had one phone conference with her. During our meeting, I also ordered a copy of this book. Since I have received this book (two years ago) I have not had to call her due to the extremely vast amount of knowledge already contained in her book!! Every time I have another question that I would think of asking her, I open this book and find the answer and much more. This is the most intricately detailed book on self promotion that I have ever acquired. I still have not covered all the ground this book contains?! I highly recommend this book to aspiring artists, agent and managers.

My friend recommended this book to me a few years ago - it hasn't been far from my office desk ever since. This book is not only filled with clear, good advice and hundreds of helpful quotes and stories from all kinds of people in the business, it's also well-organized and enjoyable to read. The author breaks things down to their essentials, dealing with the big questions about being your own boss, along with the thousands of little details. I haven't seen a book that beats this one for its subject. If you want the real information about how it's really done, get this book.

I really liked how indepth this book is. If you can stand to read it all (it is long), you will have a good understanding on how to approach club owners and others in the music business. I like this book and use it with the Guerrilla Marketing book by Bob Baker and $100,000 in Music by David Hooper to really make my gigs great. Club owners love my group because I come in professional and then go out and bring people in to the show. These three books will help you big time.

This book has everything you need to know about booking yourself. Are you ready to work and make things happen? Get this and "How I Make $100,000/year in the Music Business" by David Hooper and you will have all you need to make a really good living on your own.

If you are looking for a "how to" book on performing various mural and faux techniques this is not the book for you. This book will mainly concentrate on more of the legal and business side. After reading this book you will feel and think "Wow I can really make a living off this". I would highly recommend it for anyone considering opening a business or service in this area.

The book provided a down to earth explanation of the process for starting a mural business.
This extended from the practical aspect of actually doing the artwork to the potential pitfalls of running a business, including overload (problems with subbing work out), dealing with customers, taxation and all the other things someone who is good at artwork may forget to consider.
Well worth the read.

How To Start A Faux Painting Or Mural Business by Rebecca Pittman is a book that appears to consider every aspect of starting this kind of business. This is about the decorative arts, and this kind of thing has been needed for so long in all of the Fine Arts. This is not a book about generalizations. It is so impressive regarding: The details of setting up this business; how to dress; the briefcase or carrier; proper etiquette in every kind of situation; how to bid; preparing and securing the client. There are quesions and information regarding: Working conditions; the steps for presentations; assessing the environment; bidding; negotiating; several methods for estimations; landing commercial jobs and home jobs; dealing with contractors; subcontracting free lance artists; taxes; ceilings versus walls; and homes and commercial sites. There are salient points regarding what constitutes plagiarism, as well as motivation and goals. There are useful forms; sample contracts; sample commercial and sample home contracts; invoices; record keeping; and ledgers. In addition to several business forms, there are references for further reading. This is an excellent book for starting a faux painting or a mural painting business.

Is your question, "After reading this book, will I be able to start and run a successful business doing decorative painting"?

My opinion? This book follows through on what it promises! The focus here is learning how to start a business in Faux Painting/ Murals, and make money in the Decorative Arts Trade. This book gives facts, and proven successful business practices and technique, needed by Right Brainers, Artists, and those blessed with Creative Genius. If you need some help with how to go from being a hobby artist, to making real money with your talent, Rebecca has written your instruction manual. This book will save you time, money, and a ton of first time business owner headaches!

Rebecca's book (manual), puts Art and Business together in an easy to read format. It can springboard the Artist/ budding Business-Person into starting a viable business with their artwork.

I found this book easy to understand, well written, clear, and to the point. It will appeal to Artists who want to take their Art to the next level; start a business, market your art, and make money selling it! Don't we all want to do what we love and have the money follow? This book can make it happen for you!

I have been painting murals and doing faux finishing, decorative paint, etc. for 11 years myself, and this is the first book that isn't laden with pretty pictures...it has the nuts and bolts of a business. When I started out professionally in this business I was 19 and had no idea how to run a successful business. Sure, I could paint anything I was asked, but that's not how you become a success, alone. Understanding the labor and customer service skills required, the marketing techniques and time management, those are the pitfalls of many artists, like myself. I learned the game as I went, but I made many mistakes. Reading this book gave me some clarity on my own business issues, and gave me some insight on how to tackle them. Most of us looking into purchasing this book are talented artists of some sort, usually people like us aren't the type to run a business too well, until you learn the ropes. Ever heard of a starving artist? WIth this book you will no longer be one!

What a great book! It's a fast read, and a fun read too! As a Cairn Terrier fan this was a must a read and it was well worth it. I'd recommend it to anyone that's a fan of both the movie and Cairn Terriers(any dog actually) everywhere.

As a child, my favorite movie was THE WIZARD OF OZ. For Chirstmas ,I received this wonderful book that is all about the famous "pet-actress" named "Toto". (Yes, Toto was actually a little female dog named Terry,not a male , as most people would think).

Anyhow, this book is all about the tiny Cairn Terrier "Toto" (Terry) and how she came about becoming one of the principal characters in the movie.

The photos are just amazing also. My favorite photos are the behind-the-scene photos showing Toto "acting" in the actual movie, just as the trainer was in the background giving Toto her directions. Sooo cute!

If you are a dog fan, or a Cairn Terrier fan, or a Wizard of Oz fan, you'll love this book.

I, Toto is a delightfully well written book by Willard Carroll about the life of Terry, a Cairn Terrier who became famous in movies. The book is based on a scrapbook Willard Carroll found that documented the life and movie career of this well trained dog; and the book is primarily set up to look just like a book typed on an old typewriter--written, of course, by the dog itself.

The book starts with the story of how Terry was born, adopted and eventually given up by her owners because of her troubles with housetraining; and we learn how Carl Spitz professionally trained dogs to perform in movies. Spitz, an excellent trainer who worked with many dogs, wound up training Terry professionally. Spitz used both kindness and discipline to train his dogs, including Terry, very well; his talents are obvious when we consider that Terry (aka Toto) appeared in at least fourteen major motion pictures including The Wizard Of Oz.

Carroll cleverly writes the memoirs of Terry, or Toto, in the first person as if the dog herself had written the book. This provides the reader with an extra slice of humor when Carroll writes about things that happened on the sets of pictures or in Carl Spitz's training camp for dogs. Carroll does an excellent job of getting readers to be charmed out of their trees by Terry who eventually becomes renamed Toto for the sake of her career. A movie star dog has to consider Hollywood politics, after all!

The book is filled with wonderful reproductions of ads for the movies Terry was in; and we see numerous publicity shots from movies including Bright Eyes with Shirley Temple and Terry as Rags the dog. Of course, we get plenty of stills from The Wizard Of Oz and there are very nicely done "hand written" asides to the reader that also appear to be written by Terry. The result is a charming look back at the life of Terry, the dog who became Toto and enjoyed great movie fame--and treats along the way!

Overall, classic movie buffs will enjoy this book; and people who love The Wizard Of Oz will appreciate this book very much since so little was known about Terry before Willard Carroll wrote this book. The book is well written and a real page turner; it grabs your attention and never lets it go.

Great job, Willard Carroll!

Since my all-time favorite dog star is Toto, this book was easy for me to love. However, once I began to read, I found it to be something extra special. I, Toto is a mood lifter as well as an interesting piece of Hollywood history. Beautifully written in the first person, I, Toto will captivate the heart and mind of any dog lover.

A must read for any Oz fan as well as dog lovers of all kinds. I never knew how many movies Toto was in, and the Oz trivia was really fun, too. It was very cleverly written from Toto's point of view. I actually laughed out loud at some parts. Don't pass by picture captions and comments on the sides of the pages. It's all worth reading! Not bad for a dog no one wanted!

I thought this book was a good start in learning how to sell your art. You do have to take action, but there is some luck involved as well. This gives you the action part. I am a professional artist already, but I am going to use the tips from this book to make my art career even better. For one thing I plan to stop procrastinating :^). If you'd like to see my work, check out www.wworcesterart.com

Alyson did a great job on this book. A must have for any artist. Invaluable. Laura K. Aiken

Combines conceptual strategies with practical advice. I highly recommend this book for self-employed artists of all kinds.

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is beginning a career, or would like to increase their art business. Very informative,it will get you excited about the business end of art!

I LOVE this book and I am not an artist. The tips and techniques that are shared in this detailed and well researched book are amazing and will help anyone that needs to market themselves. I launched my blog and have done really well with it using the information Stanfield provides in the book. One of my marketing mentors advises to check out what other people in other industries are doing. If you only do what everyone else in your field is doing you will have a hard time standing out. Not being an artist I found this book to have fresh new ideas and concepts with new twist on things I already had been doing. I haven't taken it off my desk since I got it. I keep referring to it and using it over and over.

There is a sense in which the book 'If You Find the Buddha' is a sort of 'where's Waldo?' hunt. Sometimes the images of the Buddha are very prominent; sometimes they are almost imperceptible. Sometimes there are several Buddhas; sometimes there is only one, and even then, just in shadow. Some Buddhas are large; some are small. Some are in intentionally religious or holy settings; some are in everyday positions, such as above a diner's cash register. Even more ironically, the image of the Buddha can be found on the tag of a rifle-toting soldier, or in rows of figurines, each bearing their own price tag.

As the writer comments, the figure of the Buddha is ubiquitous in many parts of the world, and not uncommon in other parts of the world. East and West alike have a share in the presence of the Buddha in this collection, and peoples of all races and conditions of life are shown in relationship here. Perhaps the most surprising element is the touch of the common and the ordinary - in much the same way that pictures or figurines of Jesus or the Last Supper or various saints might adorn the homes, the Buddha similarly is incorporated almost unconsciously into the everyday life and work of people. It becomes part of license plates, nametags, lawn ornaments, golf equipment, and more.

There is a foreword provided by Jeff Greenwald, an author of several books perhaps best known for his travel writing. There is also a brief essay by Jesse Kalisher, who writes of his transformation from a person who lived inside of set boxes (offices, car, apartment, television) to someone enlightened enough to seek the whole world. He recounts his encounter with a Buddhist monk, Pat Panom, with whom he shared his interest in this project, and how his life had come to this point.

This is not a religious text - well, not a religious text per se. It is not a manual of Buddhism, with exegesis, systematic interpretation, description and such. In some ways, however, it is a great expression of Buddhism - I am reminded of a sermon of the Buddha which consisted simply of him holding up a flower. If a picture can speak a thousand words, and open up a thousand worlds, then this book is indeed a religious text, albeit not in traditional Western sense.

The photographs are stunning in quality and composition, all the more remarkable for being 'typical' and 'mundane' subject matter in many cases. The collection as a whole places the pictures in an interesting context that makes for enlightening and enjoyable reading.

This marvelous coffee table book has been sitting on my shelf far too long. Visually witty, engaging and just plain fun to look at Jesse Kalisher's pictures from around the world finds Buddha in various shapes. It's colorful and the only complaint I have is that I would have liked to have a bit more text discussing the circumstances of the photos, where they were, when, what inspired Kalisher to take and pick the particulary pictures he uses in this book.

The sixteen page introduction is witty,intelligent and I could have used more of it throughout the book. While I'm visually driven I also am text driven--words are important to me, their meaning and how we use language since it shapes as much about how we see the world as what we see. Jeff Greenwald's text would have been perfect to illuminate these things in brief chapters discussing each section of plates.

Regardless this is a terrific book and those that enjoy coffee table books that actually LOOK at the pictures and become lost in the details will enjoy the variety of photos included in this book from throughout the world. My apologies to Chronicle Books for taking so long to review this.

This small, oblong book hides a lot of treasure. Jesse Kalisher, who grew up on the Upper East Side of New York City, traveled to Viet Nam and photographed street scenes that show the image of the Buddha from the sacred setting to the profane. From a tattoo artist engraving an arm to a glitteringly gold temple, the Buddha image, familiar as Uncle Sam or a crucifix, is shown in startling settings.

The photography is good "journalistic" style, and it's a great look at life in Viet Nam. I've spent quite a bit of time in Southeast Asia and I was very nostalgic paging through the book. But if you dwell on each photo for its own content and not its postcard quality, a message seeps out.

Kalisher's work has been on exhibit at the Field Museum as wel as residing in permanent collections of other museums across the US. I think he has a lot to say in his photos.

Perfect gift book for a yoga devotee or a person influenced by Asian philosophy and culture. Highly recommended.

I'm not really qualified to evaluate the quality of photography in this or any other book. When I sit down and try to review a book of photography such as this, I basically ask two questions: can I see what the photographs are supposed to be showing me, and is there a concept that ties all of them together? If You Find the Buddha makes it rather easy for me in this regard: obviously, there is some representation of Buddha to be found in each photograph, and the whole point of the book seems to be an inspirational one, as it's a veritable signpost helping point readers in the direction of their own individual paths toward enlightenment and a sense of purpose in life.

Jeff Greenwald's Foreword and photographer Jesse Kalisher's introduction are no less enlightening than the photographs themselves. In comparatively few words, they give the reader a good feel for who Buddha is and what he represents, while also tearing down some of the veil of misunderstanding that separates many Western minds from this traditionally Asian way of life. I feel rather stupid to even admit it, but I had always assumed that Buddhists worship Buddha - they do not, for Buddha was a supremely enlightened soul but never a god. He even forbade his followers from making any images of his likeness - a fact which is somewhat ironic, giving the ubiquity of Buddhist statues and icons all over the world today (Greenwald explains how this came to be). Another little insight I picked up here has to do with individual reactions to different religious icons. Seeing an image of Jesus turn up unexpectedly doesn't exactly put you at your ease; for a Christian, such a sighting is the equivalent of a "straighten up and fly right" moment. In contrast to this, the Buddha normally engenders a calming influence on just about everyone. Even as a Christian, I feel a sense of reverence (which is not the same as worship) and otherworldliness when I see a Buddha statue. I believe that is the very thing that rests in the heart of this book.

The gorgeous photographs that make up the bulk of this book are impressively diverse, capturing images of the Buddha in all shapes and forms. If you're like me, you tend to think of Buddha only in terms of the large golden statues typically found at holy sites, but this book shows us that Buddha is basically everywhere. Many of Kalisher's photographs do come from Buddhist shrines in several Asian countries, but the most arresting inclusions capture images of normal life in America as well as Asia. For example, you'll find the Buddha in an impressive sand castle, in yard ornaments, in small statues sure to draw tourists' eyes, on dashboards, in clothing patterns, and even in a Thai sex market. Having spent the best years of my life in Chapel Hill, I was especially interested in a significant number of photographs from that city (now the photographer's home) and some of its neighbors. A few of the photographs did prove to be a challenge of sorts to me (Where's Buddha?), but that actually just encouraged me to pay more studious attention to them than I probably would have otherwise.

Certainly, If You Find the Buddha gave me a better appreciation for Buddha and the type of thinking he represents. I suppose many a reader will see the title of this book and ask: what does happen if you find the Buddha? That is something you have to answer for yourself (and this book only starts you on such a spiritual path), but I think most individuals will definitely take away something of value from Kalisher's photographs.

A delightful collection of images from the lands where Buddha's philosophy is part of daily life. Kalisher has a good eye for content. His images range from the intimate close-up to a distant perspective where the viewer must pause to probe the surroundings to perceive the item of interest. The item may be a tiny statue or graphic representation. Sometimes it seems wholly out of place. That, however, only demonstrates how important the Buddha is to the society. While it may not dominate, it is always present. The reality of the Buddha in these societies and the photographs are intimately matched. Kalisher has the ability to capture them with charm and grace. That he shares them with us is almost a personal favour.

We are given more than a hundred images of the Buddha. They may be giant close-ups in a temple, or centred in a wide-angle view in a restaurant. One watches over some elderly men at a game, while another is a medallion set in stark contrast to a soldier's bayonet-bearing rifle. Sitting on a high shelf, the Buddha keeps guard in an apothecary's shop. Still another helps a guitarist find his muse as he practices. What is significant about this wide variety of settings is that in none is the Buddha disjointed or disconnected .

Even the format of this collection is proper for the subject. While in the West we've become suffused with "coffee-table" books that present us outsized images, this collection is set in an appropriate framework. Kalisher's images and Greenwald's text may be slipped into a purse or briefcase for easy retrieval. The large books are designed to overwhelm our attention. This book follows the theme of that what the Buddha teaches must be sought. It cannot be forced or implanted in our minds. Only one flaw can be attributed to this collection. Designed for a Western market, the identification list at the back of the book might have included more descriptive material. The locations are gratifying, but the circumstances would be informative. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I bought this book for an art teacher friend who uses it constantly in her high school classes.

I bought a copy for my seven-year-old step-daughters and packed it for a long car trip over Labor Day weekend. The girls giggled wildly while pouring over the artwork and the questions they posed, and then spent a good long time working on their own "What if..." questions and accompanying illustrations.

A fine picture book all around!

Working with kids is great...yet if you don't keep them occupied at all times my job description would be zoo keeper, not Elementary Art Teacher! At first, Sarah Perry's book "If..." served as a functional time filler. I knew the kids would get a kick out of the wonderful images! I introduce the book and the kids are still a bit restless and and not totally convinced that the art teacher is reading a book. Isn't that the librarians job, they think as they roll their eyes. I open to the first page and read,"If cats can fly..." their heads turn and their rolling eyes become transfixed on Perry's beautiful illustrations. I turn the page and by now the audience is silently screaming for more!!! By this time the students' teacher has come to pick the kids up from the art room, but instead of lining up the class, she has pulled up a seat to listen in on the fun! Nine times out of ten, when I am finished sharing the book, the students ask me to read it again. The kids walk out of the classroom with a smile on their face and their imaginations zooming!!! Parents stop me in the hallways to speak about the delight their child experienced when I was reading the book! I give the credit to Sarah Perry! Thank you Sarah...this functional time filler has become an imagination can opener!!!

This book is so beautifully illustrated and the ideas it presents are really fun. We got it as a baby shower gift and it immediately became a favorite of my husband and mine. Now my 2-year old loves to pour over the illustrations and giggles at the silly ideas. It's a book that I know she will keep into her adulthood.

My grandson who is almost four loves this book. He packed it to bring back to Me Me's when he spent the night.

The book, "If" is a great one for teachers to teach the trait of Ideas. Wonderful illustrations!

For the most part, I really like the "Pimsleur Method". It gives the listener a sample dialog, then expounds on it with additional vocabulary. But what's real good is that throughout the lessons, there are quick reviews of
vocabulary that's already been introduced in previous lessons. Each lesson is about 30 minutes long.
This is a real good technique to reinforce what you've learned while continuing to build on what is being
taught in each lesson.
The only thing I wasn't not totally happy with is the speakers in the lessons often don't give clear enough
pronunciations of words. On several occasion I thought the speaker was pronouncing a word one way
only to find out later that they were really saying something else. I downloaded these, so I didn't have
the benefit of a book or study guide that comes with the CD when you buy it.
But aside from that little problem, I really recommend this product. Not just the Italian, but their courses
for a variety of languages are all really great.
What's also great is that, unlike other language instruction aids I've used, these don't get boring.

I bought all 3 German Pimsleurs when I moved to Germany a year ago. Within 6 months I was prattling away in Germans and people here didn't believe I didn't speak a word of it before I moved here.

Now I'm dating an Italian and have picked up this first Italian with every intention of going through the series. This is the best way to get a basic grasp of a language. Comfortably, in a way that makes you feel that you can speak and add vocabulary, rather than merely reciting set phrases like a trained monkey.

Would I do this if I was only a tourist? Don't know. My boyfriend is now using my German one (with me translating the commands into Italian from English) and he's thrilled that he's learning to understand and speak German. For me, Italian is my 6th language, but German is his first foreign language. It works. If you follow it, it works. It won't teach you everything, but it will teach you the framework you need for understanding how to parse and manipulate a language you are learning. I spent 5 years with French, 5 years with Russian and 2 years with Arabic in classrooms and NEVER ever felt as comfortable with those languages having only classroom grammar drills. Let's face it, you didn't learn your mother tongue in a grammar book, filling in worksheets. You learned it by people saying things to you and making you interact with them.

Pimsleur is more like teaching a man how to fish than feeding him a fish dinner... it all depends on what you want then, doesn't it?

I just completed Pimsleur Italian I and I'm very pleased with it. I am now beginning Pimsleur Italian II.
The course is not perfect but it is far superior to all of the other audio courses I have tried or examined. As somone familiar with earning theory, I absolutely agree that Pimsleur duplicates the same language acquistion method we use to acquire language as children. I have, however, some suggestions for gaining the most from the course.
1. Get a good dictionary, a verb conjugation book and look up words in the lessons so that you can write them down. Aural learning is great but accompanying visual learning it is even better.
2. After listening to each lesson a few times, write them out, in sequence, on 3x5 cards and use them as "drill flash cards" (I put the English on the front and the Italian on the back and fill each card up with as many phrases as would fit). This is a bit of work but also extremely helpful for forming a Gestalt. My wife and I drill each other using the cards and it is a nice change from the CD's.
3. Since Pimsleur does not systematically or comprehensively offer those specific phrases and nouns that tourists need (e.g., helpful travel phrases, helpful in-hotel phrases and objects like "pillow," "soap," etc.), as you go, put such phrases together on "Extra" 3x5 cards and commit them to memory. This is easy within the context of the Pimsleur method because you will already be learning how to put sentences together--one of Pimsleur's strengths.
4. Each lesson starts with a dialogue. After a few listenings, be sure to write the dialogue down in sequence so that you can read aloud along with the CD. This combination of aural and visual learning greatly enhances your ability to cope with the speed with which the speakers on the CD speak the language. I found at times that ther speed was so confusing it sounded like they were using words that had not yet been introduced or included in the lesson under consideration. However, once I figured out and wrote the dialogue down (using the forward/back buttons on my CD player to re-listen multiple times) it all came very clear and my ear improved dramatically.
5. Don't expect to learn each lesson after two or three listenings. We listen to the lessons at least 10 or 15 times each. We also, for the first few times through a new lesson, hit the pause button after being asked to translate a phrase from English into Italian in order to avoid the pressure resulting from the short space of time they give you to come up with the answer-translation. We found that we could, after a few listenings, dispense with the longer pause as we learned the phrases.
6. Finally, I suggest that you wait until you've learned all the lessons before bothering with the reading practice. You can do the reading at the end because the reading is not connected in any meaningful way to the lesson that precedes it. The reading is useful however, because it helps you to read and pronounce more accurately.
In summary, I'm very pleased with the Pimsleur approach and plan to buy and study Pimsleur II and III.
Incidentally, I called Pimsleur and asked them if they sold an addendum transcript booklet of the disks but was told that such a transcript flew in the face of their theoretical belief about how one should learn a language. While I don't agree, I admire their integrity. They could sell a ton of such transcript booklets if they so chose.

From an Italian teacher's perspective, I highly recommend the Pimsleur series. If you're serious about learning Italian, I do think they're the best. And the reason is because they get you to repeat the phrases over and over and over again. Learning a language takes time, but if you need some essential expressions before your trip, they also offer an Instant Conversation series, which is a lot shorter than this one.

The important thing in learning a language is repetition, and you'll get plenty of it with these CDs, as well as learning correct pronunciation.

Remember the first time you hear a song? It takes time to learn it, doesn't it? Well, imagine learning a song in Italian.. it takes even longer, but with some patience, you too will be singing the language of love!

As far as books go, you may end up using a combination, but I do like the Living Language Beginner's book a lot.

Definitely join a course in your area - there's no better practice than to practice in a group! Perhaps you can ask if a community college has it as a continuing education program - although you won't have big problems with the language in the bigger cities, Italians do appreciate if you know at least a little bit.

If instead, you're planning on visiting Southern Italy, or the countryside, you definitely want to know some Italian (if you want a vacation, and not an adventure, that is!).
I hope this helps! Grazie & arrivederci!
[...]

Pimsleur Italian I is the most effortless language program I've ever encountered. The program introduces new material at such a gradual pace that it's barely perceptible. I was astounded, however, at how much I had learned by the end of the program. Before starting Pimsleur I read a few pages from an Italian grammar book and was completely overwhelmed. After finishing Italian I, I reread the grammar material and, although Pimsleur rarely presents grammatical rules explicitly, I was able to infer them to such a degree that not only did the grammar seem manageable, but it felt more like review.

beautifull book a number of people at my life drawing session have seen it and want a copy

Was absolutely delighted when we received this book. This is an artist who is so ripe for a reappraisal! Waterhouse managed to pull off a genuine and moving romantic vision. The writing is thoughtful and spirited. The reproductions are first rate. Can't imagine anyone would fail to love this one.

Philip Koch
Professor of Fine Art
Maryland Institute College of Art

This is the best book I have found on J.W. Waterhouse. Not only does this book talk about the painter's life, but more importantly, each of J.W .Waterhouse's paintings are described in very full detail (eg: OPHELIA).

I was so intrigued by reading about Waterhouses' pictures, because the author of this wonderful book (ie: PETER TRIPPI) elaborated in great detail about each work of Art, by contrasting and comparing Waterhouses' paintings to other famous paintings and sculptures (eg: Bourne Jones from the 1800's, and also many famous Italian 1400-th Century Artists) .

The author has attempted, (& with great success, I may add), to show how Waterhouse was influenced by past Rapheaelite Artists and also by some of the other famous first-phase Pre-Raheaelite English Artists.

Each synopsis, of each Waterhouse painting is quite amazing and like no other interpretation that I have read on this famous late-Pre-Raphaelite Artist.

The repro-photos of Waterhouse's works are amazing, -----showing such wonderful details and colors.

If you are an art lover of paintings that can take your breath away, and pulling you int it than John Waterhouse is a must for your collection. He is such a great artist and this book is so incredible you want to devour it. He is one of the greatest artists of his time that I would recommend this book because it is affordable and wonderful.

I received this book quickly and with no delays.

Would love to have ordered the hardcover for a coffee table book but this one does just fine for the cost and over-seas shipping it would have taken for the hardcover. Lots of information on J W Waterhouse and great pictures. It even has some of his less known works and pictures that you can't find prints for. A true keep sake and treasure for those who are interested in this artist and his time. Oh, and a few of the house guests, students, have even asked to borrow the book. First table book to have created some interesting conversations.