Arts Books

I received a tip about this book from my daughter's preschool teacher. They use it for school and when I picked it up, I expected this to be a teacher's manual. It does have lots of education material and should be a class! My husband and I enjoyed the funny little stories and I really got some great tips on the kinds of toys to buy for our preschool daughter and her newborn sister. Already, we have more toys that we probably need but this is a great guide to help us as the girls get older and then ask for everything. It really helps you put a value on the dollars you spend on toys these days. This is a great book for first time parents to read before they start toy shopping. There is a great chapter about technology toys.

I can't stop reading this book! Each chapter is better than the previous one and there is SO much I learned about toys. I'm pregnant with my first child and my mom bought me this book as a gift. She told me that I need to know everything about toys now so I do not make the same mistakes as my siblings who bought way too many toys that my nieces and nephews rarely play with. This is an amazing resource for preschool and kindergarten teachers too and the best part is that this book does not dictate what toys are the best. The reader is left to decide that based on what the authors have taught you. It's really a parenting book and class all in one! They have a website too.... toytips.com lists tons of toy reviews based on research for you to review. I LOVE that! I've looked at other websites that have reviews and opinions of a few parents and their experiences with specific toys but this is so much better than that! Great find. Great buy! Thanks, Mom!

I am a pediatrician living in Ireland. A friend of mine in the United States told me about this book that he uses as a reference to help his patients with toy-related questions (categories of toys appropriate by developmental age, safety, etc.) He bought me a copy for Christmas. After reading this book, I realized that not only is this book helpful to parents but also to physicians. Toy safety and selection is not a course that is taught in medical school and this book is ideal for all pediatricians. I am familiar with other toy-rating and toy-suggestion books published and none come close to the detail and amount of research put into this book. If anyone is looking for a gift for their pediatician, this is IT!

I'm a stay at home dad who bought toys for my 5 kids this Christmas. I bought this book to learn how to choose and what kinds and types are better to buy. This book gave me the confidence I needed to figure out what toys were best for Lilly, Max, Zoe, Kate and Nick versus what they asked for (Xbox and Ipod, Barbie and My Little Pony) I made some good choices and I was pleased that they actually play with them. It seemed we have so many toys from last year that are just sitting in the playroom. I really like the chapter that talks about family board games. I never really thought about this before and now we play games every friday night (weeknights are out because of homework, ballet practice and swimming!) My wife thinks I am a genius and I'm never telling her this book helped me but I think it can help other guys like me so I felt compelled to write this review for all the other dads out there like me!

I read this review from Fagan (below) and have to add to it. I am an emergency room nurse and we see many toy-related injuries. Most could have been prevented. I think if parents took the time to understand the importance of buying age-appropriate toys and then took the time to play with their children, we might see less accidental injuries. I bought a copy to keep at the hospital for our health care workers who will benefit from reading this book. It's nice to see two authors who care so much about what they write about. Thank you to Ms. Marianne Szymanski and Ms. Ellen Neuborne.

I bought Transfigurations and Grey's earlier book Sacred Mirrors at the same time. Both are visually amazing and the print quality is excellent. I especially liked reading about Alex Grey's journey as an artist that is part of Transfigurations. It's not a path I would want to tread, but knowing about his life gives good insight and empathy into the aesthetics of his work. I'm very glad he met with Tibetan culture, which obviously has influenced him greatly, and helped him escape the dark trap of Euro-American nihilist existentialism

Transfigurations is a beautiful book that does an excellent job presenting the work of Alex Grey, one of the most important artists of our times. There is no artist quite like Alex Grey. For many years, I have used this book and an earlier Grey book, Sacred Mirrors, as a transformative tool both in my own life and helping others.

I bought this book for my son who'd asked for a coffee table art book
by Alex Grey, and he was happy to have received it. When it was under the tree unwrapped after Christmas, I took a look, and it's an interesting work. I'm not sure if it's in his room or if he took it to college; I'll have to look. If it's home, I can read more of it.

It arrived in beautiful condition.

Truly edifying, powerfully enlightening art of the nervous system (peeled open) and all its glory.

The universe is marvelous, indeed. Grey is a shining star.

Although my other books reviews are totally sarcastic this one is sincere. Giving TRANSFIGURATIONS five stars tells you nothing, it is my most cherished possession purchased from Amazon. Alex Grey is the most beautiful inspiring artist I know of, disturbing as well. For both reasons I get goosebumps each time I hear his weird kind of slimy sounding voice on the DVD and audio tapes that I also purchased. I find his whole dark side very intimidating and there are a couple of spots where the blur between holy and immoral is way to ominous for my churchy little, reactionary mind to consider but I'm sure that in his genius he is expressing things that, like all of his works, are simply way beyond my comprehension.

Even though I really like Grey's self-portraits as a boy, I usually skip past the first thirty-five or so pages to his more inspiring works of colorful anatomy charged with energy and connected to occult and mystical symbols of the spirit. I've always thought of these symbols as pertaining to aesthetics who live an isolated existence, however, for Grey's works they seem to be intimately associated with love, family, personal growth, and the journey through life.

I find his most beautiful works to be his oil on linen anatomical scenes of his family which include one of him and his wife embracing and another with both of them, eyes shut, in a moment of reverence with their daughter in which all three pineal glands are actively sharing an interwoven and upward spiraling rainbow of purely intelligent energies. Another is of his young daughter, as a toddler, who draws out a sphere from her heart encircled by a rainbow of noble and vital energy containing within it a Tibetan symbol of primal purity.

Alex Grey expresses better than anyone I've found how religious symbols from around the world are spun from the same spiritual desires and aspirations of people everywhere and are all equally divine.

Transfigurations shows Alex Grey's development through his life cycle from the dark cocoon of young manhood through his emergence as a man of tremendous knowledge and beauty expressed in fantastic colors and intricate and intriguing layers and details. He is clearly one who has made an incredible journey in life and easily ranks with all of the most famous and greatest artists in art history.

The Transformers Identification and Price Guide by Mark Bellomo is the greatest for the Transformers, More then Meets the Eye show every action figure created from Gen 1 and more. I have not seen a more detailed Transformers toy book with strenght, weakness, and more in one complete book. I recommend this book if you are Transformers More then Meets the Eye fan.

This is the best Action Figure guide I have ever seen. It is very informative and very accurate, the author even adds his personal take on most of the figures. And talk about bringing back old memories. I actually bought this book for nostalgic purposes and was very pleased. It was nice seeing all the old Transformers from the 80's in one piece. Makes me wish I knew what happened to all my old ones, man I'd be rich if I would have taken better care of them. Hope Mark Bellomo does a guide book for the rest of the Transformers. If you are looking for the ultimate 80's Transformers Action Figure guide, this is it!

I had heard good things about this author, and this guide, from reviews at other Transformer sites, so I bought it (it was also being sold for half price at amazon.com when I bought it). It was well worth every penny! It is very thorough and gives great details on each type of Transformer and each of the "lines of Transformers" that were made up to 1990. Each Transformer is also given approximate prices for what they are worth as well. Granted, the prices will change over time, but this guide will still be a worthy identification reference for a very long time.
I would have given it a 5, but there were quite a few grammatical errors in the book, but it won't affect your ability to understand the information.
My favorite part of the book is that the author appears to have had fun writing it, but takes it seriously enough to make it a very thorough reference guide. A must have for any Transformer fan, from beginner to expert!

This is a great book about the 80's transformers toy line. It has plenty of info on many transformers like their favorite motto to stats. If you are fan and/or collector this book is a must!!!

This is great reference guide. It shows all the Generation 1 Transformers (84-90). It shows all the pieces and a bio of each character. It also shows the value.
As kid I had over 50 of the originals and they are worth a ton of money. I use this book as a guide to purchasing used transformers at Ebay.
I wish he would come out of with with a volume 2 (92-07) which would show all the generation 2, Beastwars, Alternators, Universe,Cybertron, 07 movie, and classics. Which I think are better than generation 1.
Awsome book. I reconmend this book to all collectors.
Also check out the G.I Joe guide.

This book has it all when it comes to grammar. It teaches the parts of sentences and how to put them together to write a report, what is and isn't good grammar, and how to sound like you're not an illiterate; and, on top of all that, it offers exercises. I showed this to my boss who said she would buy several copies for the office so that staffers didn't make grammar mistakes. The author put this all together in one thin but rewarding book...worth every little penny you pay.

For years I wondered about when to say "good" and "well," or how to avoid double negatives, and a whole slew of other problem areas in grammar. Well, this book made it easy and simple. I highly recommend it. Nice job, Professor Hayes.

Whether you're in elementary or high school, being homeschooled, or run a business, this is the best supplemental text on grammar to have on hand. I learned so much from it in such a short period of time. It focused on all the grammatical problems we have when presenting or writing. I own a Ford dealership and have copies of this book all around the showroom and in each of my sales associates' office for use as a quick reference. I want my staff to sound educated and act with class. Speaking poor grammatically isn't the answer. Buy this book. I don't usually review or recommend books but I'm making an exception in this case.

Troublesome Grammar is one of the most helpful books I have come across to point how errors are unknowingly made in speaking and writing. This author hit right on the problems we all have, such as when to use well or better, which verbs to use for past tense, how to use hyphens and so on. This is worth the few bucks it costs.

I'm from Scotland studying here in the States. I saw a student on campus using this book to do an English report. I asked him to let me look at it, and, wow!, was I every surprised that someone was smart enough to wrap up all the grammar problems we face in one easy to read book. Thanks, Dr. Hayes. You made my work here at college easier. I hope everyone gets as lucky as me and finds this book.

If you are a writer, or an aspiring one, you NEED this book. 90+% of publishers don't take unagented material. This book will help you to find an agent, and help you to get that manuscript you've worked so hard on published.

I found the information in this guide to be extremely helpful in targeting and securing the right agent. The details that are provided, such as what percent of new authors the agency represents, the types of books the agency represents, and quotes which detail advice from the agents insured I sent my information to those who would be most interested. And it worked!!

You know you need an agent to shop your work, negotiate your contracts and get your manuscript into doors closed to unrepresented authors. Your next step is to add the "2003 Guide to Literary Agents" to your writer's toolbox.

Articles from industry professionals address the most common issues writers face: do you need an agent, how do you find the right agent and how to avoid bad agents. But these articles also walk you through the entire process of getting an agent - from what to do before you begin your search, all the way to knowing your rights before you sign a contract.

The heart of this book lies within the agent listings. Every year contact information, current needs, submission guidelines and contract details are 100 percent updated.

Besides agents who represent fiction and nonfiction work, you'll also find sections on script agents, independent production companies and independent publicists. Most agent listings also specify which writing conferences the agents attend so be sure to look in the writing conferences section to find the details on a variety of writers' conferences in the U.S. and Canada.

Your search for an agent is crippled without this guide in your arsenal. If you're serious about getting an agent to represent your work, the yearly "Guide to Literary Agents" is an absolute must.

I'm telling you, these Writer's Digest people really do it right. If you're looking for a literary agent, this is the place to look.

The book starts with articles about getting and working with an agent and interviews with reputable agents and editors. Do you need a New York agent? Should your agent suggest rewrites? Do editors like agents, or is their relationship combative? How can you tell a good agent from a bad agent? Do you even need an agent?

All of these questions and more are answered. You'll even find examples of successful query letters, synopses, and outlines. You'll learn the components of a nonfiction book proposal. All of the basics are covered.

Then comes the actual agent listings, divided into two sections: nonfee-charging literary agents, and script agents (both nonfee and fee-charging). Listings include contact information (including e-mail addresses), professional memberships (like AAR or WGA), what they did prior to becoming agents, number of clients, percentage of new authors, percentage of novels versus nonfiction books, genres they represent, preferred method of contact, recent sales, conferences they attend, terms of representation, and tips. There is also a key to let you know how open the agency is to new writers.

New in this year's edition is a listing of independent production companies and screenwriting contests. And nonfiction authors and novelists may enjoy the listings of publicists.

More than 600 agencies are listed. I've begun querying, and have already found several agents who responded positively to my e-mail queries.

The agents listed in this book are pre-screened and deemed to be legitimate, reputable agents. No more surfing the Internet and trying to guess who's legit and who's a shyster. If you find an agent through these listings, the book can pay for itself a hundredfold. It's a very worthwhile investment in your career.

If you are a writer, or an aspiring one, you NEED this book. 90+% of publishers don't take unagented material. This book will help you to find an agent, and help you to get that manuscript you've worked so hard on published.

This was a wonderful story, both entertaining and heart-wrenchingly honest. I've always admired Jameson Parker as an actor - I admire him even more as a man! Loved, loved, loved the book!

I am still in the middle of reading this but I have enjoyed so far and the dekivery was amazing it took less then a week to recieve it Lenore

You never would have known an actor from the 80's would turn out to be a modern day cowboy. Well, it seems that Jameson Parker has. You always wonder what happens to a person after a successful tv stint and now we know. The parts in this book that explain the shooting incident were intense. True, the wounds turned out not to be life threatening. Be that as it may, how would any of us react to looking down the face of a gun and watching as the bullet comes straight for us. I can understand where the PTSS would come in later in life. This book is recommended for anyone who wants a good read about cowboy life, life's ups and downs, stress, loss, ect. It is extremely well written and will hold your attention. Bravo, Mr. Parker. I already own Absent Friends and anxiously await further works from Jameson Parker.

I loved this book. I have been a fan of Mr. Parker since he starred in "Simon and Simon" in the 80s, and always wondered what had become of him. In "An Accidental Cowboy" I found out.

I commend him for writing about things that he probably would have rather forgotten -- his depression, his suicidal thoughts, etc. It is very hard to explain things you do not know yourself. And to open yourself up to total strangers, even when you don't have to look those people in the face, is especially difficult. Thank you for being so honest.

The stories about ranch life were very entertaining. Even people who have never been on a ranch before should find them fascinating. I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma, where we had cattle and horses, and I was caught up in the day-to-day life of the California cowboys. I will never forget this book, and I hope anyone else who reads it enjoys it as much as (most of) the reviewers here did.

I've read a lot of books, and while many of them may be fun to read, they are not always well-written. This book is both. I grew up on a farm and thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Parker's account of ranch life. His account is witty and fun to read, as well as being right on target with how cowboy life really is. At the same time, Mr. Parker has a wonderful grasp of the English language. His descriptions are easy to visualize and some of his comparisons are poetic as well as funny/heart-rending depending on what he is depicting. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and one that is worth reading a second time.

One of the funniest books I read all year. Timely, interesting and extremely original. Lord Whimsy is one-of-a-kind!

The human institution known as Lord Whimsy is tooo brave, too refined, too insightful for this epoch. A man of wit/ charm/ taste; Who could have predicted his astonishing insights amongst the garbage heaps peddled by the Amazon Empire? Huzzah! B-b-b-buy it!

the lord brings it home with this tome on tastelessness in america and how to combat it with dignified attire, prose and comportment. a must-read for all those seeking a return to what cannot come back, that is to say, 'civility.'

Wonderful, witty and a perfect guide for any young or young at heart Dandy. A welcome protection from the crass and dreary world of "reality tv", Paris,Britany and Nicole. An elysium

Imagine a book written by an early 19th century country squire and self-appointed dandy, musing on style and grace and the pursuit of butterflies. Imagine an English country version of a risible Proustian sensualist, becoming enchanted and then aroused by a work of art. This is the world of Lord Whimsy and his various and sundry thoughts and writings. An incredbile anachronism, full of humorous opinions on the pursuit of life dedicated to true beauty- - both in ones dress and in ones heart. It seems almost impossible that someone would write such a book in the 20th or 21st centuries. Each chapter is a self-standing essay on art, clothing, style, birds, bees, fantastic bicycles and life in the soporific langour of outer New Jersey pretending to be Dorset or Cornwall. I love this book, but someone said it is satire. I can't tell if it's satire or serious fun, as in "I am never more serious than when I am having fun." I await the opportunity, soon I hope, to meet his Lordship at one of his public readings. That will be something!

This is one of the books, that I've been looking for, everywhere, and when I found it at amazon, I didn't waste any time, in buying it.
The afghan patterns are all great, and worded so that we can understand them.
Thank You,

This book has a wide variety of patterns that are easy to follow and easy to make.

This crochet pattern book includes a wonderful variety of great patterns. Just purusing this book makes you want to crochet up every pattern inside...

This book has more beautiful patterns all in one book. Usually when you buy a book, it may have one or two patterns that spark interest, but I have never seen this quantity of unique patterns. I would recommend it to anyone who loves to create because these are truly creations.

This is the fourth "Afghans for All Seasons" book Leisure Arts has put out, and it is my favorite. I've made 4 blankets from it for gifts, and there are still others I want to do! The directions are easy to follow, using the usual abbreviations in all Leisure Arts books.

I love the wide variety in all the "seasons" books compared to other Leisure Arts books. From my sister in Houston to my brother in Detroit, I can find a pattern suitable for any climate, age, gender, etc. I must confess I chose different colors for each blanket than the book has (to match decor) but that was easy to do.

I also love the wide variety of sizes, complexity, and speed. I was able to make a large afghan for my tall brother very quickly because the pattern used two threads together. Another smaller baby pattern was perfect for my friend's new nursery. One pattern that they showed in a solid color was easy to convert to two colors. Still another I made for my mother was an easy, repetitive pattern, so I was able to take the blanket anywhere to work on without bringing along the book (much easier to just sit and chat without stopping to check the book directions!)

If you want to get just one book with a wide diversity of GOOD patterns, this or another of the "seasons" series is what I recommend.

This book's meticulous scholarship started a welcome trend for "shot-by-shot" analysis of moviemaking.

Psycho is known for many things, but among them is Hitchcock's determination to use techniques he learned from television production. For a creator and adherent of "pure cinema," this special discipline makes the movie all the more notable.

What a series of paradoxes. The famous shower sequence is cited over and over again as one of the best uses of cutting and montage, and yet classic 50s "two-camera" TV shows would never dream of this approach. Too expensive and time consuming.

The usage of black and white - again classic 50s TV - actually enhances rather than diminishes the horror. As with old-time radio, the viewer has to fill in the lurid colors of blood and gore with her own imagination.

The cover says that this film started a trend toward "psycho thrillers." I suppose that this is true, but it accomplished much, much more than is acknowledged by the mediocre films that followed.

What an intelligent, readable, informative book this is. Full of insights about the personalities of Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and all the other collaborators in this important and usual film project for everyone concerned. What struck me most about the book is the author's ability to blend his thorough research with a sense of the psychology and drama of what goes into making a movie. I'd have to agree with the reviewer who said that Rebello made reading this book nearly as entertaining as the movie itself. That's quite a feat. What I want to know is when will Mr. Rebello give the royal treatment to other Hitchcock projects as well as films by other directors.

I found this book to be just wonderful from start to finish. The research is painstaking, the writing smart and lively, the degree of film industry know-how is evident on every page. In fact, the book strikes me as one of the few I've read on Hollywood to suggest that the writer actually knows his way around movie sets and knows how films get made. This book has none of the absurd (and insulting) armchair psychologizing that mars other Hitchcock books and there isn't a dry or pedantic paragraph in it from start to finish. I thought I knew a lot about Hitchcock and Psycho until I read this book. A job obviously undertaken with love and wisdom, superlatively done by Mr. Rebello. I had the pleasure of hearing the author lecture on Hitchcock on TV in London and in Tokyo and he was the standout of the whole affair!

This book is about as in-depth as you could want, but very interesting and good reading. Stephen Rebello begins at the beginning with a rather revolting chapter about the psychotic killer upon which Norman was later loosely based. (Don't let your children get a hold of that chapter!) He then talks about the man who wrote the book "Psycho", and on to Hitchcock's discovery of the book and the making of the movie. There are chapters and sections on practically every aspect of the movie and the making thereof - cast, costumes, shooting, casaba melons, publicity, and the aftermath. At the end there is also a list of the entire cast and little paragraphs about what became of them after Psycho.

This book is very good if you are a fan of either Psycho or Hitchcock in general, because in telling about Psycho the author tells a lot about Hitchcock as well.

For the true fanatic, or just the curious, this is an immensely
readable account. Far, far more interesting and enlightening then
any of the turgid, pompous academic treatises on Hitchcock that
pollute bookshelves everywhere. As definitive a reconstruction
of how PSYCHO - or any movie, with a few exceptions - was put
together. However, I suggest Mr. Rebello is overdue for either
an update
(though this reprint's front and back cover is definitely an improvement over the original),
or a companion volume.
For the completists, I suggest:

1. More production and cast stills.
2. Saul Bass's storyboards.
3. Interviews and/or photos of Marli Renfro, the actresses
who provided the voice for Mrs. Bates, the diminutive woman
who stabbed Arbogast. Other cast interviews.
4. Documentation on PSYCHO's aborted CBS broadcast of 09/66
and its subsequent showing in 06/67 on ABC - the edits,
and when it was finally shown complete.
5. Information on the sequels, and Van Sant's "recreation".
6. Full descriptions of deleted scenes from the original.
7. Some of the less inflated analysis on its symbolism, etc.
8. Most importantly: a cue by cue evaluation of Bernard Herrmann's magnificent score, including its unused parts.

Ok, Mr. Rebello, make it happen.
Until then, anyone who is at all fascinated with how an American
cultural landmark came together, (Yeah, I know, like Hitchcock used to say, "Oh,it's only a movie!")
GET THIS BOOK!

This is my second copy of this book as I lost my first one since I take it everywhere. It is great just to pick up and turn to a random chapter. There is so much in here that I never knew about golf course design, and it really made me appreciate what goes into making a good golf course great. Tom Doak truly is a master of his craft.

I bought this gift for my nephew who is majoring in landscape architecture. From the moment he opened the gift, he began reading it immediately and couldn't put it down. That tells me this is an excellent book and one worth purchasing......

Quite simply the best-written, most useful book on the often confusing world of golf course architecture. Just as with any art, taste is certainly subjective. This book looks objectively at criteria used to appreciate this very exciting aspect of golf. An appreciation of golf course architecture is essential to understanding why certain golf courses appear mundane and even dull or uninspired to the uninitiated eye and yet are revered by connoisseurs. Tom has a very good style of written education that is rooted in his strong opinionation on the subject. He truly believes in himself and what he writes. This book can enrich the appreciation of golf for almost any player.

It's a pity that he doesn't have the ability to update his out-of-print Confidential Guide to Golf courses. Paired with this book one understands an erudite point of view based upon the well-researched and extremely deeply-rooted opinions of perhaps the world's most able golf course architect. Just as in the anatomical sciences of living beings, the golf course is a living being and one can study it. Today, Doak and his team are not afraid to take chances and think outside the box or at least deep into the archives, unlike virtually all other "top architects" of today to create golf courses that are fun to play for nearly all golfers - the ideal of his idol Alister Mackenzie.

Tutored by Pete Dye, he is the pick of the Dye litter and can write well to boot. He gives any golfer literate in the English language a heads-up on this exciting aspect of golf appreciation which escapes perhaps 90% of the American golf public. I was way deep into golf architecture before I got either of Tom's books, but they remain the two I recommend above all others because this book is so concise and the companion volume is so outrageous. Unfortunately you have to dig up a (very expensive used) copy of Confidential Guide if you are unfamiliar with the Doak scale because it isn't in here (10 point scale). Before Doak, everything above a 6 is a "10" to most people. (Basically it's a logarithmic scale in which 3 is average, 5 is "average good" and everything above a "7" is well worth going out of your way to see.) Everyone has favorite golf courses and understanding the theories of architecture and strategies will give a deeper, more meaningful appreciation.

At least this book can teach you what to look for. Your golf-stricken loved one will thank you for it again and again if he or she has not yet read it. Most people I know have read it multiple times after the first read in a single session.

Tom Doak as author and golf course architect never fail to amaze. He's the best when it comes to the game of golf.

I recently purchased this book, and since doing so, I have seen my scores go down. As a recent college grad, I had a lot of time to play golf this summer, and this book, with Doak's insights into how courses are not only set up to penalize the player, but to help them, can assist you into understanding certain aspects of the wonderful game that we refer to as golf. The diagrams and drawings make it easy to understand what is being described in the pages, and he also does a good job by making the book readable for those with little to/no knowledge of the game of golf. If you enjoy golf, and you want to both understand the courses you play on and lower your scores, than this is the book for you.