Average customer rating:
- TMI (To Much Information)
- This debut raises the bar of American Fiction a bit higher!
- Paradise Lost
- Bleak, mostly unrewarding.
- uncompromising and masterful
|
The Second Life of Samuel Tyne
Esi Edugyan
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Historical
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Psychological & Suspense
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0060736038
Release Date: 2004-08-03 |
Book Description
Haunting and atmospheric, this debut novel portrays the heartbreak, hardship and moments of surprising grace in the life of a man struggling to realize his destiny.
A young man of astonishing promise when he emigrated from Ghana in 1955, Samuel Tyne was determined to accomplish great things. Fifteen long years later, he’s an insignificant government employee who hates his job when he unexpectedly inherits his uncle’s crumbling mansion in Aster, Alberta. Despite his wife’s resistance and the sullen complaints of his thirteen-year-old twin daughters, Samuel quits his job and moves his family to the town. For here, he believes, is that fabled second chance, and he is determined not to fail again.
At first, Aster seems perfect -- to Samuel, the formerly all-black town represents the return to a communal, idyllic way of life. But he soon discovers the town’s problems: a history of in-fighting, a strict town council and a series of mysterious fires that put all the townsfolk on edge. When his daughters cease speaking and refuse to explain their increasingly strange behaviour, Samuel turns more and more to the refuge of his electronics shop.
As his ambitions intensify, the life he has struggled so hard to improve begins to disintegrate around him, and a dark current of menace in the town is turned upon the Tyne family.
Customer Reviews:
TMI (To Much Information) .......2005-03-04
This book was to long and drawn out. The author went into way more detail than I needed. The author was to descriptive and use a lot of "million dollar" words. The book has lots of slow parts this is not a quick read. Sometimes I would have to read the pages two and three times to make it stick. I found myself bored and daydreaming while reading this book. It was page 235 before the book became a "page turner".
This was a bookclub selection. The book was a very good discussion book. We really tried to understand every bit of what the author was trying to get over.
The ending was not clear who was left standing...it left you to make that decision.
This debut raises the bar of American Fiction a bit higher!.......2004-12-06
I applaud Esi Edugyan for raising the high bar of American Fiction just a bit higher with this debut. This novel about an eccentric family legacy pitted against an arduous culture makes for an astonishing read. Even though the author uses a narrative that often tells more than it shows, she clearly makes up for this with an intuitive character dialogue that makes the second chance at life for Samuel Tyne ominous!
Paradise Lost.......2004-12-05
We all dream of a better place. Be it the Garden of Eden or Thomas More's Utopia, the idea of a safe, sane, and just world has always captured the human imagination and striving for it has shaped human endeavor.
Esi Edugyan's debut novel, The Second Life of Samuel Tyne (HarperCollins, anticipated publication 2004), chronicles one man's pursuit of his personal heaven. Fifteen years after his immigration from West Africa to Canada, Samuel Tyne is stagnating in a dead-end government job and foundering as a husband and father. When he inherits his uncle's Alberta mansion in the town of Aster, he moves there over the protests of his wife and twin daughters. Settled by former American slaves who fled to Canada, the once all-black Aster is fabled to be the place of second chances. But the Tynes encounter a much different reality. A mysterious arsonist is terrorizing the town and, as Samuel's daughters become increasingly unstable and aggressive, the hostile eyes of Aster all turn towards the Tynes.
For a first novel, penned at the age of 25, Edugyan's work is impressive, exploring as it does our deepest desires for community and a chance to fulfill our truest dreams. With an elegance unexpected in an artist so young, the author plumbs the tragedy of a paradise just shy of fulfillment and ponders whether our actions create our nature or if our nature determines our actions.
In many ways, Samuel's story is a brilliant vehicle for these questions. To have imagined a utopia unrealized may be worse the inability to imagine it at all. Edugyan seems, almost inadvertently, to have tapped into the idea that the capacity for such fantasy is the source of human misery and madness. However, at times, she skims the deeper issues like a flat stone skipping across the surface of a pond, as though she doesn't trust her own instinct to let the story take her where she wants to go.
Edugyan's style is hypnotic and mythical, reminiscent in some ways of Steinbeck in her striving for a sweeping human fairy tale. The drawback is characters that are often shallow and lacking specificity. The outlines are there and quite compelling, but the details which would allow us to access the soul of the Tyne family and the people of Aster are missing.
As a result, the tragedy of the novel is almost farcical in proportion. As their lives unravel, the novel's tone takes on a futility that surpasses the capriciousness of life itself and devolves into random, even pointless, destruction that fails to be moving precisely because the characters themselves are inaccessible. The Tynes' world doesn't just fall apart; it collapses in on itself to the point of silliness.
Still, like much debut work from fledgling artists who have the chops to become important novelists, Edugyan's first title is worth a read. Despite its flaws, it's an engaging and solidly-written tale from a fresh new Canadian voice.
Bleak, mostly unrewarding........2004-11-17
Samuel Tyne is a novel with multiple themes, from the cultural conflicts of an African couple settling in an Alberta town, to the blight of dealing with psychotic children. Esi seems to delight in making situations just a little bleaker than they might be in real life: thus Samuel, while working for the Canadian government, has a father-son set of bosses who are bizarre without being in any way humorous. Sometimes the novel is very alive and engrossing, mostly it is bleak and unrewarding. The two most interesting and well drawn characters are secondary characters: the Tyne's white "friends" in their small town. Incidentally, there is nothing mysterious about the ending, as a reviewer wrote, it is quite clear who committed the crime.
uncompromising and masterful.......2004-06-08
Praise comes cheap in the literary world and Edugyan has been so highly touted by the likes of the New Yorker and Joyce Carol Oates and the Globe and Mail that one can't help but be suspicious. I picked Second Life up thinking, "Great, just what we need, another important new voice." But this truly is an astonishing first novel. Despite its "gothic" elements it is never anything but literary and uncompromisingly so - do not buy this book if you like Stephen King, you will be disappointed. The ending is not "obscure" but rather "mysterious"; a crime is left unsolved but the emotional turmoil surrounding this is addressed with a terrifying delicacy. And that is really what the novel is concerned with, it seems - not who did what to whom at precisely what moment, but how it is possible to go on in the face of failure and loss. The book is funny and heartbreaking and very wise and it is in the end about all of us. While Samuel Tyne is a black man and living in Canada and while the novel addresses this, the book is not about "race" at all and to suggest otherwise seems to me a misreading of the book. It is no more a novel about blackness than David Adams Richards' novels are about whiteness (in fact this novel made me think of Mercy Among the Children). Edugyan is interested in the human condition, in the hopes and failures and potential for redemption we all share. I was blown away.
This is not "beach reading." Buy the latest Margaret Atwood or Maeve Binchy if you have an airplane to catch. But if you want compelling literature by one of our future stars, read this.
Product Description
8 tapes. 11 hours playing time.
Average customer rating:
|
Second Life of Samuel Tyne
Manufacturer: VIRAGO (LITT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GRRHXK |
Average customer rating:
- Low calorie pulp fiction
- Conan the School Teacher
- A whale of a tale
- Conan vs beings from other planes
- A lesser Conan book from one of the better writers
|
Conan and the Amazon (Conan)
John Maddox Roberts
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Roberts, John Maddox | ( R ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
( R ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
-
Conan and the Grim Grey God (Conan)
-
Conan and the Gods of the Mountain (Conan)
-
Conan and the Emerald Lotus (Conan)
-
Conan and the Death Lord of Thanza (Conan)
-
Conan The Gladiator (Conan)
ASIN: 0812524934 |
Book Description
Roaming the hills of Brythunia Conan comes face to face with a legend--Achilea, once Queen of a tribe of savage women, is a consummate warrior, as fierce as she is beautiful. Together they set out to uncover the riches of the long-lost Janagar, a mighty city that stood tall for five thousand years. It was abandoned by its people, who fled on one strange night, never to return. Treasure hunters beware! Deadly horrors are waiting for Conan and Achilea deep in the bowels of Janagar.
Customer Reviews:
Low calorie pulp fiction.......2007-09-15
Fans of Stormlands series author John Maddox Roberts will enjoy his contributions to Tor's Conan franchise, even this rather pedestrian installment. The plot is a like the well worn grip of a serviceable broadsword. It is familiar and predictable, but capable of sustained action.
Much of the novel is dedicated to showcasing Conan's superhuman endurance and stealth skills and the supporting cast is kept small in order to bring attention to the Amazon queen that joins Conan in caravan duty. It won't ruin it for you to tell you in advance that the lost city is found, the love interest is saved, and Conan once again finishes an adventure with less gold than when he started. What makes the book entertaining is the detail he gives Conan's world and his knack at effectively capturing Conan's life philosophy and those of the characters around him.
A good book to read and doze off with at the beach.
Conan the School Teacher.......2006-09-25
This is the first Conan adventure I have read where several times I wished Conan would just shut the hell up and fight! Roberts puts him in situations where only he knows the right way to handle, and he endlessly explains why, why, why. I pictured the supporting characters turning to each other and whispering, "does he always talk this much?"
Achilea the Amazon is a great character, but she isn't really fleshed out or used that well. And there is zero sexual tension between them, which is a missed opportunity. Jordan's Karela would have made mince-meat out of her. At least Conan gets three days of serious romping with her in the end.
The tale itself is oft clumsily told. An example is when Conan and Achilea run a scouting mission and get caught in a sandstorm. When they finally arrive back at the camp, we have to hear the entire narrative of what had happened there from the old man. Roberts could have easily juxtaposed each narrative on the other, creating more tension and action rather than telling by flipping back and forth.
This book sort of reminds me of Roberts' Conan the Champion, which was a similar lame, "road movie" plot with not a lot of tension and action. Conan is never in any real danger in this one, not that we ever doubt that he will win the day, but better Conan writers have put him in more interesting jeopardy than Roberts. I'm beginning to think that Conan the Valorous was Roberts' one hit.
A whale of a tale.......2006-04-14
Another fun read from John Maddox Roberts. What I like about his Conan books is the way he captures the on-the-road feel that Conan should always have. JMR also writes with a smartness that adds a little welcome weight (not too much) to a subject matter that is essentially whimsical. I would recommend this to any fan of fantasy fiction.
Conan vs beings from other planes.......2004-12-16
Conan is hanging (or hiding) out in neutral city of Leng when he mets exiled Amazonian Queen Achilea. Shortly afterward they and some other loose warriors are employed to escort twins through the brutal deserts in the south after a lost city supposedly filled with treasure; but Conan scenses something wrong. But with few other options present, he accepts. They travel until they finally get to the city of Janagar. All find it odd that the city has been deserted for thousands of generations, but has absolutly no damage or ware to it's walls. Eventually they are captured by the less than human inhabitants of the forgotten city, and from there uncover it's dark secrets. I really liked this Conan book. Yes, it had all the standard pulp fantasy elements like sword fights and sex. But it's ideas on the magick and the supernatural are a lot more involved than usual. In fact they have a lot more in common with H.P. Lovecraft's ideas of the Ancient Ones than usual (although none of the Cthuluh gods are mentioned, just similer origins). Usually I am not too crazy about Conan's woman compainions, but Achilea is pretty interesting; there is more depth to her than you would imagine. I also liked her compainion Jeyba, a small Dwarf (a race not often seen in the Hyborian age), and Conan's friend Kye-Dee, a Hyrkaian master archer was an entertaining side kick. There were a few things I noticed that took me out of the story, though. Conan wasn't really explored; I know Conan books weren't really meant to be character studys, but a little more fleshing out would have been nice. I wasn't too crazy about how at the end it we never got to see the actual destruction of the city. There were a lot of misspellings at the end and sentences that started with lower case letters, but that is nit picking. This is one of the better Conan books that I think fans will enjoy.
A lesser Conan book from one of the better writers.......2004-03-04
John Maddox Roberts is one of the better authors to take on Robert E. Howard's legendary creation Conan the Cimmerian; he writes well and seems to have a good grip on the personality of Conan. However, this last (so far) of his Conan novels ranks as one of his lesser efforts. Perhaps he had grown tired of the character after ten years and eight novels.
The plot has Conan joining forces with the exiled queen of the Amazons, Achilea, on a mysterious quest to find a lost city deep in the deserts. It isn't a terribly original idea, although the city of Jangar has some surprises in it more in line with Michael Moorcock's Elric books than Robert E. Howard's Conan. Roberts writes with skill, but the story moves too slowly, with very little action in the first two-hundred pages, most of which is a weary trudge through uninhabited lands interrupted with long speeches about the history of Jangar from various characters. Considering the promise of the title, the sexual sparks that should fly between Conan and Achilea never develop to much, and they spend most of the novel at arm's length. The ending arrives far too abruptly as well, although the coda is actually quite touching and the closest that Roberts gets in the book to approaching the true feeling of Robert E. Howard's Conan.
There are a few exciting sequences, such as a fight with a giant crocodile in a flooded arena beneath the lost city. (I can be a real sucker for the simple pleasures of big monsters.) Conan trying to escape from inside of a giant idol while being chased is also a tense read. But otherwise, "Conan and the Amazon" is a lot of walk and talk. Read some of Roberts's earlier Conan work, like "Conan the Valorous." Or better yet, just stick with Robert E. Howard's original stories in the now available "The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian."
Average customer rating:
|
The lost world
Arthur Conan Doyle
Manufacturer: Permabooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
ASIN: B00085YUW6 |
Average customer rating:
- Not worth your time
- Not as good as the first Fantastic Voyage
- Not as good as the first Fantastic Voyage
- Who says 'marginal?'
- Sequel to the novel/movie.
|
Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Asimov, Isaac
| ( A )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Paperback
| Asimov, Isaac
| ( A )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Fantastic Voyage
-
Nightfall (Bantam Spectra Book)
-
Nemesis
-
Robots and Empire
ASIN: 0553273272
Release Date: 1988-07-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Not worth your time.......2003-09-21
I could not believe that this is indeed a book by Asimov and double-checked a couple of times. It is barely scientific, totally lacking logic and the finale is very predictable. I figured out the "surprise" ending in the first half of the book. The characters get developed during the book only to be completely shattered at the end. I really feel that I've waisted my time reading it.
Not as good as the first Fantastic Voyage.......2003-01-26
As the previous reviewer points out, the first Fantastic Voyage was not Asimov's story, but merely his novelization of the movie plot. So Asimov decided to write his own story on the same theme. Unfortunately, his was not as good as the original.
Asimov had an enormous ego (if he was called "The Great Explainer", as the previous reviewer notes, I wouldn't be surprised if I were to learn that Asimov gave himself the title). He often bragged about the huge volume of output from his typewriter. The problem is that quantity does not equal quality, and much of his writing wasn't worth much. This book falls into that category.
Not as good as the first Fantastic Voyage.......2003-01-26
As the previous reviewer points out, the first Fantastic Voyage was not Asimov's story, but merely his novelization of the movie plot. So Asimov decided to write his own story on the same theme. Unfortunately, his was not as good as the original.
Asimov had an enormous ego (if he was called "The Great Explainer", as the previous reviewer notes, I wouldn't be surprised if I were to learn that Asimov gave himself the title. He often bragged about the huge volume of output from his typewriter. The problem is that quantity does not equal quality, and much of his writing wasn't worth much. This book falls into that category.
Who says 'marginal?'.......1999-07-30
To what pressure did Asimov bow in writing this book other than his own? And, incidentally, this is no sequel to the first Fantastic Voyage. There is no mention of anything from the first novel here. Asimov's first Fantastic Voyage was not his own: he merely novelized a movie, and was never satisfied with the end result for all of its scientific and otherwise flaws. II is a much better example of Asimovian sicence fiction: totally cerebral, and I like that at the end of the plot, there was no "getting the girl," as one sees all to often, even in Asimov's novels. The victory here involved no sexual liason of any sort-- it was merely that of a scientist having his views validated by grueling experience. There is too strong a tendency in many novels, especially in science fiction novels, to present the attaining of a woman's affections as the "prize" toward which the male hero works and eventually succeeds in getting. Here there is the setup of that, but in the end no actualization. Asimov presents enough scientific notions throughout this book to spin any reader's head, and more than one is are presented a little too didactically. But Asimov could not help it. In the end he was the disseminator of scientific knowledge that earned him the distinction "Great Explainer."
Sequel to the novel/movie........1997-05-11
Asimov bowed to pressure to write a sequel to his highly acclaimed Fantastic Voyage. Unfortunately, as it is with many non-series sequels, this novel is rather flat compared to his original.
If you like medical related sci-fi or thrillers, than this is a book you should buy.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic service, Book in perfect condition!!!!.......2006-05-19
This is the first time that I have not purchased a book directly from Amazon. I can not say enough about cellar of books. After I placed the order, I received a email informing me of the expected arrival date. I was also asked if I had any questions. The book arrived in superb condition right at the expected time. Living in Hawaii, many are hesitant to ship things here without additional cost often those cost are not discussed up front. This did not occur. Even as the book arrived there was a note from the owner with full information for contact.
Very Nice Recipes.......2001-09-05
However, I find many of these recipes to be too much bother or too fancy to mess with when cooking for two kids. I'm afraid I just prefer plain, easy stove to table cooking and this book was not what I was looking for.
Gorgeous pictures and good directions as well. Everything I have tried has turned out well.
Marvelous Buy!.......2001-03-10
This is a high quality paperback, 8x11, glossy paper and beautiful photographs. The book is recipe oriented with a bio and sometimes a picture of the B&B where the recipe originated.
For those of you who like brunch entertaining, this is a treasure trove. I confess brunch is my absolute favorite way of entertaining guests for all the usual reasons. It is easy to assemble, relaxed and not much work. Oh yes, did I say "not much work?"
The recipes are not for the calorie counters nor cholesterol impaired. This is not a drawback, as planning a brunch menu can always include some items for all appetites.
A simple recipe that was much praised is from the Big Horn Mountain B&B, Big Horn, WY (edited - serves 4, but no problem doubling or tripling) Creamy Scrambled Eggs
8 eggs, ½ Cup milk, 2T butter, 8 oz. cream cheese cut in ½" cubes, 1T fresh chives, 1t chopped fresh parsley
Melt butter in lightly oiled skillet. Beat together everything except cheese and parsley. Cook over very low flame (cooking process should take 30 minutes average). When eggs begin to set, run a spatula carefully underneath, letting uncooked mixture flow to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces and continue cooking. By the time the eggs are set, the cheese will be melted. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Ms. Murphy is faithful about listing B&Bs from all 50 states. However, as B&Bs go in and out of business with alarming rapidity, I would check carefully before setting off for the one of your finest imaginings. Ms. Murphy's own B&B in Rhode Island sounds like the one of your dreams, fresh flowers and all!
Paperback is nice.......2000-07-25
I bought the paperback, surprised by the low price, and was pleased that it's large (8 1/2 x 11) and full of color pictures of both the food and the B&B rooms: it must be just like the hardback except for the cover. A great value, even if nutrition data (calories, fat, etc.) are not included and it's slightly dated (1991). Can't wait to try the recipes - they look great.
One little problem.......2000-01-05
I came on site to buy the book, which I intend to do. I borrowed it from the library because I found recipes in it for Christmas morning for the family. The egg and sauage breakfast casserole was great. The skier's toast gave me a little problem. Part of the recipe is a syrup out of karo, brown sugar and half and half which is placed in 13x9 pan,when I placed it in the dish mine turned into caramel..I made it again and put a little water in it and did not cook it that long. It worked this time. It was delicious. I got rave reviews from the family, but I still wonder about that receipe. What was my mistake? Or is something missing from it. Otherwise the book is great and I'm going to buy it right now.
Book Description
Drawn from the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Color & Fire: Defining Moments in Studio Ceramics, 1950-2000 accompanies a major touring exhibition on the history of ceramic art in the second half of the twentieth century. Illustrated with more than 250 color photographs, Color & Fire explores the roles of key artists and the major stylistic movements they developed during the decades of pioneering innovation.
Based on the premise that the history of studio ceramics can be regarded as a series of breakthroughs or milestones, Color & Fire highlights the moments when talented artists came together to produce work in clay that challenged traditions and promoted aesthetic freedom. In the early years of the twentieth century, pottery was primarily mass-produced in factories, where specialists in wheel throwing, glazing, and kiln firing worked under a system of divided labor. In the 1930s and 1940s, ceramists such as the renowned team of Gertrud and Otto Natzler began to perform all of these exacting functions-from mixing clay to firing kilns-in their own studios, creating one-of-a-kind pots, breathtaking in design and construction. Since that time, ceramic art has followed a metaphorical journey from the earth to the air, as concerns with utility, materials, and techniques have given way to abstract conceptual considerations.
In Los Angeles in the 1950s, Peter Voulkos and his students upset the traditional values of craft pottery and the Bauhaus- inspired "form follows function" doctrine by creating nonfunctional, oversized, off-kilter vessels with cracks and holes, along with massive Abstract Expressionist monuments. In the 1960s in northern California, Robert Arneson and his students shattered taboos against clay as a sculptural medium in the oversized, off-kilter vessels with cracks and holes, along with massive Abstract Expressionist monuments. In the 1960s in northern California, Robert Arneson and his students shattered taboos against clay as a sculptural medium in the hands of potters with their radical, irreverent, and satirical "Funk" pieces. Today, no longer confined to the decorative arts or other craft categories, ceramic artists around the world explore an unlimited range of influences, styles, and ideas, engaging in a graceful and inventive dialogue with centuries of ceramic tradition.
A celebration as well as a valuable art-historical survey, Color & Fire: Defining Moments in Studio Ceramics, 1950-2000 showcases the finest works form the unparalleled collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Accessible to the novice as well as to the enthusiast, the book includes essays by Grechen Adkins, Garth Clark, Jo Lauria, Rebecca Niederlander, Susan Peterson, and Peter Selz.
Customer Reviews:
The History of the modern American Ceramic.......2000-12-23
"Color and Fire" is based on the collection of the exhibition at the Los Angeles in 2000. This book collected the wonderful picture of the unique clay objects that created after 1950. It introduces the development of the American ceramic from 1950 to 2000. Every one who involving in the ceramic should have the book on hand for reference. It is a good book for People who want to know the history of the modern American Ceramic.
Average customer rating:
- How Not To Make a Prize-Winning Quilt by Ami Simms
- A fun read
- Hilarious and Helpful!
- A must read for all quilters
- Attention New Quilters!
|
How Not to Make a Prize-Winning Quilt
Ami Simms
Manufacturer: Mallery Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Quilts & Quilting
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Textile Arts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Invisible Applique
-
How to Improve Your Quilting Stitch
ASIN: 0943079055 |
Customer Reviews:
How Not To Make a Prize-Winning Quilt by Ami Simms.......2005-09-24
If you're a beginner you won't really understand this book but buy it anyway!! After you've made around 10 quilts then read it!! Then you'll "get it"!! Very funny!! Ami Simms' humor keeps you reading from start to finish!!!
A fun read.......2003-10-24
This book was cute and as a beginner quilter, I understand it perfectly. Its an adventure to say the least! From misinterpreting patterns to taking up the diningroom with a quilt stretcher is all things we can relate to.
Hilarious and Helpful!.......2000-02-25
This author is just flat out funny while throughly communicating how to avoid common pitfalls in quilting, how to do it right--or what to do after you run out of beds. She clearly has passion and deep knowledge of her craft. This is not the only book you'll need to get started, but I think it's probably a must have for someone in the beginner to intermediate range. Or someone who wants to compare nuggets of advice with another quilting nut.
A must read for all quilters.......2000-02-18
This is a great book for begining and experienced quilters. As soon as I started reading I was sure that Ami Simms wrote this book for me! She writes about all of the little mistakes quilters make and how they do things to save time, but instead diminsh quality. I laughed throughout the whole book, and recommend it to anyone who knows too well the problems of being a beginning quilter!
Attention New Quilters!.......2000-02-02
This is an awesome book! Any person who appreciates quilting will have fun reading this book! Every new quilter MUST READ this book before they run to the fabric store. I only wish that I'd read it years ago. I laughed so hard at Ami Simms' vivid descriptions of "How NOT to Make a Prize-Winning Quilt" that I could hardly contain myself. She verbalized every thought new quilters may have had about their own quilting experiences. I am NOT a great quilter and after reading her book, I've come to appreciate my first (utility) quilt because I had quilted it for the love of it and not it's technique. Now she's given me inspiration to work on my technique.
Average customer rating:
|
The Imaginative Book of Home Decoration
Metamorphosis , and
Metamorphasis
Manufacturer: Atrium Publishers Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Design & Construction
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Decorating
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 8481852252 |
Book Description
Decorative examples of well-designed spaces. Penthouses, lofts, working areas, bathrooms, rustic & country spaces, kitchens, bedrooms.
Average customer rating:
- Using Book for Graphic Design begin class
- A complete disappointment
- Excellent Primer on Design
- The perfect starting point.
- Coherent and Accessible
|
Basics of Design: Layout and Typography for Beginners
Lisa Graham
Manufacturer: Cengage Delmar Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
| Criticism
| General
| Regional
| Themes
| Women in Art
General
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Arts
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Typography
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Job Hunting & Careers
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Guides
| Job Hunting & Careers
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Desktop Publishing
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Business & Investing
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Computers & Internet
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Complete Guide to Digital Photography 3rd edition (A Lark Photography Book)
-
Adobe InDesign CS Classroom in a Book
-
The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type
-
Graphic Design Solutions, Third Edition
-
The Non-Designer's Design Book
ASIN: 0766813622 |
Book Description
Read the Prose. Study the illustrations. And apply what you have learned to design your own pages. It's easy with Basics of Design; Typography and Layout for Beginners! This heavily illustrated, compact guide is ideal for readers with no graphic design or art education background who need to create first-rate visual page designs. Entrepreneurs challenged with designing their own business cards, and administrative assistants suddenly put in charge of producing newsletters and fax cover pages, are just two examples of readers who benefit from the information in this primer. Its uniquely conversational tone - combined with numerous "before" and "after" illustrations- provides everything needed to design pages as effective as those of professional designers. Part One introduces readers to important design principles, as well as how to use color and images to add impact to designs. Part Two concentrates on the basics of typography. Part Three features a number of common design projects of the variety frequently assigned to non-designers (.., company business cards, fax cover letters, graphical and statistical reports, and more). To further aid readers, each project is accompanied by a brief listing of some of the special considerations involved in that type of visual page design. The final chapter of the book lists useful design books and resources for readers interested in advancing their typography and layout skills.
Customer Reviews:
Using Book for Graphic Design begin class.......2006-02-23
There are just enough illustrations. The chapters are setup in a way to support teaching a begining Graphic Design class. Exercises, a mini quiz and examples are built into each chapter-subject of good basic design.
Book lays flat when going through the pages and the binding should hold up through many page turning days.
A complete disappointment.......2005-10-25
The book contaings a whole lot of reading but very little illustration. I do not understand how the author anticipated to convey design, layout and typography by writing about it only. A book like this must be full of illustration. To write about design without illustrating them is an oxymoron. I would definitely not recommend this book for beginners.
Excellent Primer on Design.......2005-09-28
This book takes you through the basics of the page design process, focusing in each chapter on one of a number of themes such as contrast, repetition and alignment (and several others). I'm not an expert but have designed pages off and on for some years and this book was a breath of fresh and inspirational air. It is clear, useful, has loads of examples and, above all, it had an instant impact on my page designs from CV to web page to software interface to data sheet. Highly recommended. As comparison, I bought another book at the same time on typography, didn't learn a thing about design, and set it aside having suffered pages of historical theory.
The perfect starting point........2004-09-13
There is not much mistaking the purpose of this book judging from the title. It is for beginners, and it delivers admirably. Graham takes the reader step by step and in a very systematic way through the basic tenets of graphic design. Each chapter deals with a specific aspect of design and how the reader can use it to communicate more effectively. Graham gives plenty of examples of what to do as well as what not to do and the text is well illustrated, though it could have used more examples in color. That is a small criticism though and one that does not really detract from the book in any way. The beginning designer will come away from this book with a firm foundation in design and with skills that they will utilize for the rest of their career. If you are looking to learn about graphic design then this book is the perfect starting point.
Coherent and Accessible.......2004-02-19
A friend of mine recommended this book as a solid introduction to graphic design. The author, Lisa Graham, covers the principles of design effectively and even throws in some unexpectedly funny explanations that really make the point. For example, the beginning of the Balance chapter is hilarious and made me realize that a page really can make a person feel weird, if it isn't designed using the design principles. Once I read that balance chapter, I realized that many of her illustrations also were surprisingly humerous, and reveals what must be a delightful sense of humor.
If you buy this book, keep in mind that the humor is used to support the points Graham makes, and is not the sole focus of the book. This is after all a design book and makes some serious and informative points.
Perhaps what is most effective about this book is the thorough explanations she gives on why a design works and why it doesn't work. This is a refreshing change from many other introductory design books that I looked at where the primary focus of the text seemed to be to show off pretty pictures. Pretty pictures are nice, but WHY do the designs work? WHY don't they work. Basics of Design tells you why, and in such a wonderfully understandable way that you remember, and easily apply what Graham teaches.
Good job Lisa. When are you going to write more books on graphic design? I'll be sure to keep an eye out for more of your work!
Book Description
The graphic design equivalent to Strunk & White's The Elements of Style
This book is simply the most compact and lucid handbook available outlining the basic principles of layout, typography, color usage, and space.
Being a creative designer is often about coming up with unique design solutions. Unfortunately, when the basic rules of design are ignored in an effort to be distinctive, design becomes useless. In language, a departure from the rules is only appreciated as great literature if recognition of the rules underlies the text. Graphic design is a "visual language," and brilliance is recognized in designers whose work seems to break all the rules, yet communicates its messages clearly.
This book is a fun and accessible handbook that presents the fundamentals of design in lists, tips, brief text, and examples. Chapters include Graphic Design: What It Is; What Are They and What Do They Do?; 20 Basic Rules of Good Design; Form and Space-The Basics; Color Fundamentals; Choosing and Using Type; The World of Imagery; Putting it All Together?Essential Layout Concepts; The Right Design Choices: 20 Reminders for Working Designers; and Breaking the Rules: When and Why to Challenge all the Rules of this Book.
Customer Reviews:
A Visual Treat.......2007-10-11
From the design elements of a unique placement of page numbers in the margin to very colorful representations of design elements, this book is well-worth the price. Far to often, other books attempt to explain color rendering and shape meanings without investing in professional demonstrations of the concepts. The mechanics of type, the texture of form and space, and composition strategies are well presented. A veteran graphics designer will find this book a refreshing creativity stimulant, and the new designer will find this book a genesis of ideas. I reach for this book whenever I need some brain/eye design candy.
Ok, the book was not perfect. My technical communication background is the source of my quibble with the author's choice to use a light gray type in the body text against a white page. When the reader struggles with the difficulty of the read, there is a reduction in the transfer of information. It is as if to say, look only at the color because all the information is in the graphics - yet there was good information presented in the body text.
just perfect.......2007-09-14
timothy samara just gathered a bunch of useful and important information in one book, making it clear, well explained and very very well organized. great for anyone who's running away from "just visual reference" books, and want to take more from a book than just copied (or "inspired") ideas.
Next best thing to going to design school.......2007-06-28
As a graphic designer with little academic preparation in the field (my college major was in psychology, supplemented by a handful of college-level art classes and several continuing education classes in Adobe software & printing technologies), I rely heavily on books for my continued growth and education. Over the past few years, I've amassed a rather large library of graphic design books. The vast majority of my collection falls into one of two categories - either "technical" (dealing with software & printing techniques) or "eye candy" (fun to look at and good for inspiring a new idea now and then, but not suited to actually improving my design skills). Timothy Samara's books are one of the few exceptions. I actually *read* his books and learn a great deal about design from them.
Design Elements is the best primer on graphic design I've encountered. It starts out with 20 rules for good design, while readily admitting that rules are meant to be broken, once you fully understand them and can break them *deliberately*. It goes on to cover the topics of form & space, color, typography, images, and layout. Finished examples are combined with simple thumbnail "studies" that illustrate the concepts quite well and provide you a springboard for playing around on your own. The textual portions are concise and well-written.
I heartily recommend this book for anyone seeking a serious, concise overview of all the major elements of graphic design - whether you're a student or a seasoned professional looking for a good reference book/refresher. Yes, there are books out there that cover each of these topics in much greater depth. But for what this book attempts to do, it does amazingly well.
Straight-forward and informative.......2007-05-25
I have found this book very informative and it is written in a very straight-forward manner. Tim Samara highlights the important "rules" of graphic design, gives many examples to illustrate them, and, like the title says, helps you know when to break them. I highly recommend this book to every beginning design student.
Customer Reviews:
Instant Open & Use IT!!.......1998-06-04
The author shows design proposals, for Classic and Modern layouts. All proposals are explained in details, with demonstrations step by step, and examples in a Mac formatted floppy (in PageMaker). Very usefull for graphic arts students and professionals, for design their pages or just knowing how it works. Humberto Emilio Massareto - Press Producer and Computer Graphic Teacher at FAAP University
Average customer rating:
|
Basic Desktop Design and Layout
David Collier , and
Bob Cotton
Manufacturer: North Light Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Typography
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Web Graphics
| Web Design
| Web Development
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Desktop Publishing
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Layout
| Design
| HOWdesign Studio
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0891342850 |
Book Description
Good graphic design relies on a simple, fundamental concept: the grid. With the invisible, unifying structure they provide, grids bring consistency and visual harmony to multi-page or multi-screen documents.
The Designer's Toolkit is the first book to streamline the use of this critical tool, providing a fast-track way for both experienced and amateur designers to identify and employ the best grid for the job. A CD embedded in the book's cover includes 500 ready-to-use grid templates formatted for the most commonly used design programs. The templates can be used as-is or be easily customized to create professional-quality work. This unique book-plus-CD package provides the foundation for anyone to create effective, original, and sophisticated design.
Average customer rating:
- Solid basics but many missed opportunities
|
The Elements of Visual Style: The Basics of Print Design for Every PC and Mac User
Robert W. Harris
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Typography
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Visual Basic
| Development
| Microsoft
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
| .Net
| C#
| C++
| Visual Studio
Printing
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Writing Skills
| Writing
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0618772456 |
Book Description
"The Elements of Visual Style" is for people who want to create sophisticated and professional documents at their own desks. No design experience is necessary to use this book, which will help even the novice PC or Mac user develop confidence and good judgment when communicating in print. At the same time, it is packed with tips that the experienced user will find informative. Six concise chapters cover basic concepts, from understanding typography to designing a page to manipulating art. Dozens of specific techniques—Keys to Success—translate theory into practice. Readers can apply the Keys to Success immediately to create more compelling documents. There are no boring discussions or arcane terminology; all the principles are presented in easy-to-understand language. Plenty of illustrations, many in a before-and-after format, show examples of common print projects, such as business cards, letters, brochures, posters, wedding invitations, and personal ads. Both thorough and succinct, this handy guide will enable anyone to create documents that stand out from the crowd.
Customer Reviews:
Solid basics but many missed opportunities.......2007-08-25
I bought this book with high expectations, which were largely met with a few unfortunate caveats.
First, the good. I really enjoyed the first chapter, which deals with using type. The intricacies of fonts, point sizes,x-height, serif fonts, etc. are clearly presented and enjoyable to read, with good examples.
for a book that claims to be, "drawn from the field of graphic design and cognitive psychology." (p x.), I was disappointed in the lack of documentation for sources. In fact, the book does often reference principles of design and psychology, I just don't know where they come from or why I should believe them. If there is a future edition, I hope they strike a happy medium, not delving into theoretical discourse, but allowing the reader to know where he or she could go to learn more.
A small, but significant, problem throughout the book is that all the text in the examples is gibberish. Why not use standard Lorem Ipsum type to fill-in the lines? I found reading through the examples to be very distracting, something I have not found with other design books that do use Lorem Ipsum type.
Another missed opportunity/pet peeve is that the book fails to take itself into account. none of the examples reference the actual design of the book that you are reading (for instance, pointing out why a certain font or page layout is being used in this book). This book feels a bit as though it were a rush job, or perhaps the reason is because the book designer is not the author. Again, a future version could include references to the actual book, which overall looks quite nice.
This book does convey the basics, which would be very useful for a person who just wants to produce nicer looking electronic documents. Others, who have more experience with such writers as Edward Tufte or Robin Williams will likely find this book contains information, but is a sub-par experience.
Average customer rating:
|
Type in Place: A Thumbnail Approach to Creative Type Placement
Richard Emery
Manufacturer: North Light Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Typography
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Printing
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Manufacturing
| Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Layout
| Design
| HOWdesign Studio
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Type
| Design
| HOWdesign Studio
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0935603875 |
Average customer rating:
|
Layout Style Graphics
Pie Books
Manufacturer: P I E Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Arts
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Chinese
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Chinese
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Chinese
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Chinese Books
| Chinese
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 4894442639 |
Average customer rating:
|
Style guide for desktop publishing
Charles Stanley
Manufacturer: Pressure Applications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Desktop Publishing
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0961485752 |
Average customer rating:
- IT WAS NEVER GOOD
- Even When It Was Bad It Was Good
- How to live a life.
|
Even When it Was Bad...It Was Good
June Shelley
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Movie Directors
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Women
| Specific Groups
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0738842990 |
Customer Reviews:
IT WAS NEVER GOOD.......2006-06-17
This is undoubtedly one of the most boring, self-serving bios I've ever had the misfortune to come upon. No narrative value, poor grammar.
Even When It Was Bad It Was Good.......2001-11-15
June Shelley's autobiography (volume 1) is sometimes gritty, often magical but unremittingly honest. She is a pioneer who approached life as a free spirit, years before the liberating 60's. Living on her wits and seemingly roaming the world, she met, knew or loved a fascinating cavalcade of people. The way she has lived her life is inspirational to all of us who live our lives bound by the parameters of safety and routine. Her book is a testament not to the Latin exhortation, carpe diem, but to the more apposite, carpe vita.
How to live a life........2001-06-25
First some full disclosure; I know June Shelley, which is probably a good thing, because otherwise this autobiography of hers would be unbelievable. Like a real life (and female) Zelig or Forrest Gump, she seems to have been everywhere worth being and done everything worth doing. June is one of those rare people who has really led a life of fearless adventure while the rest of us have sat around talking about the adventurous lives we would like to lead. Historical context is key as well, because she started leading this life in the early 1950's when it was far harder for anyone, especially a woman, to live outside the norms of society.
Her story would be remarkable enough just for her early days as a `starlet' in Hollywood, where she occasionally bumped into the likes of a young James Dean, among others, to her first marriage to the now-legendary Ramblin' Jack Elliot (the guy who taught Bob Dylan everything he knows) with whom she later busked her way across Europe. But this was all just the start, the preamble. Striking out on her own, she later lived and worked in Israel, traveled across Asia, and for a few years in the seventies even found herself living in France and working for the Rolling Stones while they were creating the legendary "Exile on Main Street" album. And even at that point, you're still just about halfway through the book. Adventures in Africa with Don King and Mohammed Ali still lay ahead. I have barely scratched the surface here.
The book itself is straight forward in style, much like the lady herself. It is honest and unsentimental (in a good way), and while maybe it could have benefited with just a little more personal introspection, I think most autobiographies are too introspective, so this is probably a good thing. There are also plenty of pictures, which again helps to remind the reader that this book is NOT a work of fiction, but the story of one woman's amazing and well-lived life. I think this book should be standard reading for young women, so that they can learn about a trailblazer who didn't even know she was blazing a trail, and really it should be read by anyone who needs to be reminded of the incredible possibilities life holds for those willing and brave enough to accept the challenge.
Books:
- The Things She Does at Night
- The Watermelon King: A Novel
- The Wished-For Country: A Novel
- The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War
- Theater, Aristocracy, and Pornocracy: The Orgy Calculus (PAJ Books)
- Three Star Fix
- Two Murders in My Double Life
- Variations on Night and Day
- Victory: An Island Tale
- Vintage Naipaul
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Core J2EE Patterns: Best Practices and Design Strategies, Second Edition
- Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sour
- Theory and Applications of Computational Chemistry: The First Forty Years
- Typical American
- YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger
- Agricultural System Models in Field Research and Technology Transfer
- 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child: The Breakthrough Program for Overcoming Your Child's Difficult Beha
- Rugs to Riches: Guide to Buying Oriental Rugs
- The Tarot of Prague Kit: A Tarot Deck and Book Based on the Art and Architecture of the "Magic City"
- VERTEBRATES: PHYSIOLOGY. Readings From Scientific American.
