Book Description

Get to know Photoshop, and go beyond the basics with this friendly step-by-step guide. Teaches you how to run this sophisticated image editing application like a pro. Learn to use all the tools, work with color palettes, create textures, import images, apply filters, use layers, and so much more. This beautiful four-color book also features an art gallery displaying professional work to help illuminate the lessons and inspire you. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Another Master Piece by Colin Smith
Colin has a well established presence in the gurus of Photoshop league. The book is nothing short of what you would expect. It is well layed out, with easy to follow instructions and helpful screen shots in color, to guide reader. I recommend it for beginner to advanced level users of Photoshop CS.

Exceptional Quality from Expert Teacher
Colin does it yet again... Although this book at first glance appears targeted at beginners to the software, Colin steps things up a few notches by delivering sound information and quality techniques that intermediate and even advanced users of Photoshop will find useful and informative. Colin is not only an exceptional teacher of all things 'graphic', but check out his forum and website at www.photoshopcafe.com and you will find he is a heck of a nice guy to boot. 4000+ members to his forum alone can't be wrong!

A must have!
This books serves as an excellent teaching tool and all around great resource for Photoshop users of any level. It's well structured, with easy to understand content. What I like the most is that the book is filled with full color images and screen shots for easy reference. It's very hands on. Excellent value for the price.

A great way to learn
The below review was written by someone who clearly does not value good advice.

I learned abotu so many features in photoshop, that I would have probably never ever explored! Really gives you insight to things you never thought neccesary.

You don't need images to have this book teach you, the instruction is perfect as is.

Amazing Book, Targets all user levels
I got the book a little while ago, and couldn't wait to go through it. I was afraid it would be a step by step droning writer, but I don't think I could have any further from the reality. I think everyone will benefit from the in depth examples, and the greatest part about the book is so much valuable content contained in those pages. If you haven't ordered this book, I highly urge you to as soon as you possibly can.

Before I end this review I would like to add that the Camera Raw plugin is only valuable to people that own those cameras, and I am sure that is why the author didn't include it.

-mkeefe ... Read more

Book Description

A definitive and indispensable guide to the very best and most collectible sneaker designs.

Sneakers, trainers, tennis shoes, baskets—wherever you live, whatever you call them, however you wear them, it is impossible to escape this humble shoe's rise to global popularity. Sneakers have moved beyond sports attire to become a fashion staple that simultaneously transcends class and race yet defines who you are in today's urban tribes.

The world of the sneaker collector encompasses a huge international audience passionate for the rarest shoes, the latest designs, or reissued classics in a myriad of colors and materials. This encyclopaedic guide, with more than 500 specially taken color photographs, displays over 180 sneaker designs that have made a mark on sneaker culture worldwide. There are examples to delight both the novice collector and the hard-core sneaker freak, from acknowledged classics like the Converse All Star to the latest Nike Air technology to forgotten styles no longer in production but worthy of modern recognition, such as the Ewing Reflective.

The book features comprehensive reference sections for collectors, including histories of the fourteen leading brands from Adidas to Vans; practical tips on building and caring for a collection; a fully illustrated glossary and chronology; and a directory of shops, resources, and Web sites. Over 500 color illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

The Second Edition of this classic introduction to the principles of architecture is everything you would expect from the celebrated architect, author, and illustrator, Francis D. K. Ching. Each page has been meticulously revised to incorporate contemporary examples of the principles of form, space, and order-the fundamental vocabulary of every designer. The result is a beautifully illustrated volume that embraces today's forms and looks at conventional models with a fresh perspective. Here, Ching examines every principal of architecture, juxtaposing images that span centuries and cross cultural boundaries to create a design vocabulary that is both elemental and timeless. Among the topics covered are point, line, plane, volume, proportion, scale, circulation, and the interdependence of form and space. While this revision continues to be a comprehensive primer on the ways form and space are interrelated and organized in the shaping of our environment, it has been refined to amplify and clarify concepts. In addition, the Second Edition contains:
* Numerous new hand-rendered drawings
* Expanded sections on openings and scale
* Expanded chapter on design principles
* New glossary and index categorized by the author
* New 8 1/2 × 11 upright trim
In the Second Edition of Architecture: Form, Space, and Order, the author has opted for a larger format and crisper images. Mr. Ching has retained the style of his hand-lettered text, a hallmark of each of his books. This rich source of architectural prototypes, each rendered in Mr. Ching's signature style, also serves as a guide to architectural drawing. Doubtless, many will want this handsome volume for the sheer beauty of it. Architects and students alike will treasure this book for its wealth of practical information and its precise illustrations. Mr. Ching has once again created a visual reference that illuminates the world of architectural form. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The "I Ching" of Architecture.
An excellent introduction to architecture. However, I liked the old horizontal format better. The new edition has all the same illustrations but its vertical formal isn't as compelling. Ching is the master of free-hand sketching. In this book he covers the basic principles of architecture with copious illustrations and an easy to follow progression of ideas. It is great for first year students and frustrated architects alike. My only word of warning is that once you buy one of his volumes on architecture, it is hard to resist the others.

For students of architecture, one of those "must-haves".
If you're at all interested in architecture, this is really one of the unanimously acknowledged essential books to have and to study through. Ching covers every imaginable basic idea of architecture in a very clear, accessible, and readable manner, all using his own excellent hand-drawn sketches and diagrams and hand-lettered text. In fact, the presentation alone is like a case study in how to do it right; taken together, the book is an invaluable learning resource and guidebook.

Disappointing - solely for architects, no-one else.
As a practicing civil engineer, I wanted a book that allowed me to add some architectural flavour to my houses. This book did not do that. It is really a coffee table book about the different ancient and modern architectural styles without really explaining how to practically go about adding such features.

I suppose in the architectural world all the flowery language and concepts mean something, but its practically useless to anyone outside.

a bad book for architects
One of the most damaging books that has ever flooded architectural education. The book is the dullest and uninspiring compilation of platitudes without any critical referent. To the problems of architecture and architectural imagination, it offers as panacea the most insidious graphic banalities that can be used in a set of architectural drawings as pseudo-effective means of communication and design. The book presents in many drawings easy formulas or ready-made clichés, or smooth, ever-so-accommodating confirmations of graphic conventions that prevent any critical dispute of the most pedestrian and prosaic design protocols. The instructions divulged by this pseudo-didactic and professional publication reduce both the discipline and the profession of architecture to a trade without a critical radition.

"Refer to Ching!!!"
As a current architecture studio student, I have to say that this book is the architect's Bible. Any time me or any of my classmates has a question on graphic standards, we are told "Refer to Ching!", it is an old joke in the studio. Couldn't live in the studio without it. Design Drawing by Ching is also extremely helpful, to the point of necessity ... Read more

Book Description

For serious amateur photographers who already shoot perfectly focused, accurately exposed images but want to be more creative with a camera, here’s the book to consult. More than seventy techniques, both popular and less-familiar approaches, are covered in detail, including advanced exposure, bounced flash and candlelight, infrared, multiple images, soft-focus effects, unusual vantage points, zooming, and other carefully chosen ways to enhance photographs. The A-Z format make sit easy for readers to find a specific technique, and each one is explained in jargon-free language. Top Tips for each technique help readers achieve superb results, even on the first attempt. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Eugene Smith... what can I say!
Superb. I am a professional photographer, and i really admire Smiths work. This book is a great collection of some of his images.
The publishers did a good job reproducing the photographs, nice detail and tone. Definitely worth the price.

Staff Photographer, Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington
An excellent display and text of one of one of the world's great photojournalists. I would recomend this book highly to any fan of E. Eugne Smith

Review of Smith book from an old friend
SMITH BOOK REVIEW

Having risked hernia to browse the impressive new book of an old friend and neighbor, ( W. Eugene Smith; Photographs 1934-1975 John T. Hill/Gilles Mora) what first grabs is the space, air and light enveloping these intense images with almost a loving caress, a sense of freshness and sunlight never possible in our dim, dingy-dusty claustrophobic Sixth Avenue loft building, where, just outside my studio door, were piled stacks upon stacks of his work mounted on black 16x20 dogeared mats, just waiting to be stolen, but which were, in fact, attributed by many visitors to some magical drugstore, and could I, please, arrange to have their wedding pictures made there, too? Gene couldn't sell one print for even twenty-five bucks in those days. Every night when I came home to sleep there was the despairing Clement Attlee staring upward at the bare light bulb over my doorway.

That was forty years ago, and twenty since Gene went to that great blast of ferrocyanide in the sky, and much ado about him has taken place in the interim. New York fifties mindset was Freudian psychoanalysis; everyone went to a shrink. Any prominent individualistic tendencies were often condemned to one definition of neurosis or another, and in the rather small and specious world of photography , Gene's maverick determination stood out in high relief. Businessmen photographers-- like the young Lee Friedlander, himself awash in Freudophilia, considered Gene a 'spoiler', pretentious-precious, and went instead to sit at the feet of the polymorphous Walker Evans; yes, "pomposity" was pretty much the legend that Gene's exit from LIFE brought down around his head. Not a team player at all; tsk tsk. And in his brave repudiation of corporate moloch, Gene valiantly pratfalled himself right into the lap of utter poverty.

To large extent, Gene's persona seemed to require a struggle against impossible odds; it focused and sharpened him to the high standards he demanded from himself , and he was no slouch when it came to grandstanding, often with tears, his anti-Goliath position. He built his own Myth of Smith, his self-invented public (relations?) image, fine when LIFE was footing the bill, but now, inside our firetrap former whorehouse , there was real rent to pay, real electric bills, bona fide empty refrigerators. That is about when we began to get acquainted--- I never really bought the Myth; for me he was just the strangely interesting guy downstairs who became a great pal.

Outside the loft, Gene was quick to acquire the packagable cliche of the garret-starved self-destructive artist. Compared to Van Gogh, he earned some residue of American Puritan contempt; this man whose great humanity was most evident in his work was treated most inhumanely by his peers.

Inside the loft, for many years the two of us were in daily contact, working and trying to exist under extremely difficult economic circumstances, and we often had one helluva good time!! I found him to be a genial, generous, courageous---often outrageous-- warm wildly witty man, always humble, sensitive, shy and hard-working, sharing a great interest in art, with a remarkable philosophical perspective. We jabbered of Welles and Chaplin , wide angle lenses, witches, Goya, Haiti, Satchmo, Stravinsky, O'Casey, Joyce, Kazan, war, suicide, politics, cock-fought over girls, guzzled cheap scotch, and swung with the jazz that regularly took place in my studio , as if great mind trips could avert the cold fact of the necessity to eat. I remember one hot summer day, making cream cheese and molasses sandwiches for us on cinamon bread. Gene argued that we didn't have to buy the molasses because we could get the iron from our rusty tap water. As a rule, his antic humor and punning sense managed always to keep things slightly off-balance; this man who had such a profoundly dramatic instinct and attraction for the tragic had also a capricious spirit of the absurd in the way he conducted his daily life; Van Gogh with a manic dash of Robin Williams.

And astonishingly productive. Yet always the gloomy impassioned chairoscuro came out of the darkroom-- prints blacker than black, then mounted on black, dense, intense, often in layout strangulation, making sure; I , W. Eugene Smith , won't let you go gently into that unferrocyanided good night. Sans assignments, now more artist than journalist, for years on end Gene shuffled his prints, made and remade PITTSBURG, photographed our jazz and our personal La Boheme, tried a failed book, a failed magazine, and finally luck brought him The Jewish Museum show and then his crescendo, Minimata.

One night in Bradley's in 1975, Gene said, "Well, Dave, I finally got there at last. I've got ten thousand dollars in the bank for the first time. Of course, it's only going to be there about a week."

Jump cut posthumous; an icon, passed away amongst us, is now suddenly acknowledged. Many who jeered him, refused him recognition, now come out to sycophant, to pedestal, to celebrate his life-- including LIFE itself. Gee, we're SO sorry; but let's exploit!

Those twenty-five dollar prints buckled the registers at auctions, and giant profits were made; yes, the same old art-woe story--- just at the time Vinnie the Gogh himself was pulling down millions in Sotheby sales. The dark side of Gene, finally, surely, took care of his children and at least one of his wives.

We get a brilliant and sensitive biography by Jim Hughes, a soso documentary, worldwide traveling shows. And then it seemed over. "There's no money left around for Gene Smith anymore" comments executor John Morris in the late eighties, handing his stewardship over to Gene's bastard son.

Now, surprise! comes this current coffee table dominatrix which gives Gene's babies, his pictures, the opportunity to have a life of their own in renewal. SNAP!! Of course one can argue anew the merits of the individual essays and which choices are the best, etc., but for myself-- having gone to bed amidst these images for many years, there's something new about them now; suddenly welcome. There is a spank-spank/no-no here; not all of what we see are Gene's own prints, very much against the artist's wishes, but the damage is by no means on the level of, say, Clement Greenberg's sanding off the paint on David Smith's sculptures after his death. And most of these choices help illuminate Gene's way of seeing and working. There are also textual inaccuracies; Hall Overton did not own the loft bldg. I had rented three floors, and Hall rented originally from me, and my friend Sid Grossman sent over Harold Feinstein to share Hall's floor. When Harold left, he brought in Gene.

I liked John Hill's technical essay at the closure. I was with Gene the night MAD EYES burnt out all the surrounding background, with ritual Clan MacGregor celebration, for neither of us-- one painter, one photographer-- gave a whit about 'objectivity'.

This spacious book-bomb adds honor and light to these master photographs, allowing them their own life and breathing room not usually available. Gene's insistence on control force-gilded his lilies, giving barely any space in his layouts to let the eye feel free to wander on its own volition. Now one can look afresh with impunity, and they look a bit different--even better.

In any event, Gene, now busily groping angels, can no longer argue in his own defense, no longer joke, weep, holler, cajole, rage, pun. And he doesn't need to.

You know? This fellow really had one goddamned great eye and sense of when.

David X Young

Oct 22 1998 ... Read more

Book Description

Although you can use one tool-Photoshop CS!-for both, the worlds of Web and print design are very different. Which means that if you use Photoshop CS exclusively for Web design, you probably don't want to waste a lot of time reading about its print capabilities. Not to worry: This is one Photoshop guide that covers the Web and nothing but! In this volume you'll find all the information you need to start creating Web pages with Photoshop CS, delivered in the form of classroom-proven lessons tested in Lynda Weinman's acclaimed Lynda.com training center. Using a combination of project-based lessons, guided exercises (the files for which are included on the companion CD-ROM), and QuickTime tutorials, this full-color volume walks you through all of Photoshop CS' Web features, including those new to cs: enhanced HTML output, Macromedia Flash (SWF) export, conditional actions, an enhanced rollover palette, and more. You'll also learn how to create rollovers, animations, image maps, transparency, and layer styles (among other things).

Reviews (2)

Plus 220 pages of additional content, minus color
The book description refers to the book as "this full-color volume" in error. The update from Photoshop/Imageready 7 to CS has added 220 pages of content, but to hold the same price point, it was necessary to produce the book in black and white. I really miss the color. I occasionally purchase a Photoshop book that is not in color, but with one exception (Deke McClelland's Look and Learn Photoshop 6), they always end up being returned.

Don't let me discourage you from buying the book -- it's still a great resource, even more so since Ben Willmore's Photoshop CS Studio Techniques no longer discusses web/Imageready topics -- but please be aware that it's not "in full color."

LYNDA DOES IT AGAIN!
I received this book about 1 1/2 weeks ago and I just tore thru it! Linda Weinman and Tanya Staples did an outstanding job in covering and teaching me what I needed to know about Photoshop CS. It beat out Photoshop class room in a book by a mile!

To bad I can't take it back!{

This has revolutionized the way I design websites for my realtor clients at realtors-image com

Thank you Lynda, Tanya and special thanks to Garo Green....what an amazing trainer he is. I made the move from Frontpage to Dreamweaver MX with his training manual.

The field of Graphic/ Web Design is wide open if you just follow these manuals from Lynda Weinmans HOT Manuals,

Thank you all and god bless! ... Read more

Book Description

Time-tested lighting strategies that will improve the quality of a portrait are detailed in this book for beginning photographers. Terminology used by industry pros is explained, the equipment needed to create professional results is outlined, and the unique role that each element of the lighting setup plays in the studio is explored. Photographers learn how color, direction, form, and contrast affect the final portrait. The concise text, photo examples, and lighting diagrams enable photographers to easily achieve traditional lighting styles that have been the basis of good portraiture since the advent of the art. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Learning from a master
Christopher Grey is a master of photographic lighting, and this expertise shines through in his latest book, appropriately titled, Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers. Grey eases his readers into the topic with a discussion on the properties and quality of light and a review of modern lighting equipment, both store-bought and homemade. Then, after an informative chapter on lighting ratios (a frequently misused and misunderstood term) he embarks on an instructive and comprehensive journey that covers everything from classic lighting styles to the advanced lighting methods used by today's top studio photographers. Beautiful color photos and helpful diagrams complement each scenario.

Grey's writing is conversational and witty, which is a blessing when one is digesting material that, in duller texts, can quickly veer off into technical mumbo jumbo. In addition to his lighting information, he sprinkles every chapter with plenty of useful advice - things he's learned during his 30-year career - for saving money, choosing backdrops, building trust with subjects, capturing better expressions and much, much more. I'd recommend the book to anyone interested in portrait photography. The photographs alone are well worth the purchase price, but the lessons enabling readers to create similarly stunning photos make the book an extremely good value. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume provides the opening work in Christopher Alexander's seminal trilogy on architecture (continued in A Pattern Language and The Oregon Experiment).Here he provides a fascinating introduction to the ideas behind the succeeding two books. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

5 stars for software building 3 for architecture
This is the book that set the whole software patterns movement in motion. It's a great read. It made me realize how the builder blew it when they made my house. One small design change, the house is 1 ft too narrow makes it impossible to put a screen door on the front door. It made them build a extra platform which causes people to fall down into the living room.

On the other hand, if I was building a building I'd use his visualization techniques before I drew plans. But I wouldn't use this technique to actually construct a building. It would triple the cost. (The essence is to build it as you need it.)

On the other hand he explains why swiss barns look "alike" without the need for a design review committee. (Or barns in general.)

As for software, Design patterns give programmers a way to talk about problems and solutions without talking about code. Its a great idea and I use software patterns all the time. (Get the GOF book for actual software patterns.) Read this one to understand how they came onto this idea.

this book blew me away
I bought this book because i am about to build a house. Coincidentally, i am also a senior software engineer and very familiar with design patterns in my field - i use them every day. They work very well for programming computers.

This book, however, literally takes the concept of living patterns to architecture, and, by extension of the act of creation, to life itself.

At the same time as being a great philosophical read, it's also a handy guide to building a house. Bonus points for the author: The book can be read in 15 minutes (reading the "detailed table of contents"), in one hour (reading only the headlines), or in the full. These modes of reading the book come from the author's emphasis of the whole over the parts, e.g. the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

I am not entirely sure that, as the author promises, i will now be able to go and build a house, without drawing a plan... but that this idealistic goal is in practice hard to attain does not make the incredibly deep insights in this book any less true or any less practical.

Like another reader said - the book changed the way i think about... everything!

Patterns as described in this book are far more refined than anything we use in computer science, and that he sees them in a much broader light. The central grandiose idea is the one of complete interconnectedness of the patterns - the whole, which is more than the sum of its parts.

The Etymology of Software Architecture
I found this book so mesmerizing that I read it twice. During the first pass, I was surprised that the book was so philosophical and poetic in describing architecture. I expected something more technical. Later during the second pass, my goal was to find derivatives and analogies in software architecture. Based on what I found, I think every software architect would enjoy this book.

The writing style that I noticed in my first read of the book made me feel like I was reading an architecture bible. I hesitate to describe the book as religious, but the book's description "the power to make buildings beautiful lies in each of us already" and the description of the word "alive" giving architecture "the quality without a name" triggered an epiphany when recalling that the Bible says "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." and, "So God created man in his own image." This is why I'd say this book has a primal, sacred aspect, and this is why we like to build. Additionally, the book especially moved me so my mind's eye was opened to see "alive" patterns and to think about the morphology of architecture filling voids and generating towns.

On the second pass of reading, I was struck by this software architecture analogy in the table of contents: "16. Once we have understood how to discover individual patterns which are alive, we may then make a language for ourselves for any building task we face. The structure of the language is created by the network of connections among individual patterns: and the language lives, or not, as a totality, to the degree these patterns form a whole." Could this be the guidebook for designing enterprise software architecture?

Obviously this book was the inspiration for the philosophy and vocabulary for software architecture, and I thought some of the following excerpts were noteworthy paradigm shifts.

"The patterns are not just patterns of relationships, but patterns of relationships among other smaller patterns, which themselves have still other patterns hooking them together---and we see finally, that the world is entirely made of all these interhooking, interlocking nonmaterial patterns." This sounds like the difference between patterns of software architecture and object-oriented software design patterns.

"Each pattern is a three-part rule, which expresses a relation between a certain context, a problem, and a solution." Deja vu for software patterns.

"You may be afraid that the design won't work if you take just one pattern at a time...There is no reason to be timid...The order of the language will make sure that it is possible." Likewise in software architecture design, as one design pattern is considered at a time to see how it fits needs into the large picture of design. If this pattern is later deemed to be dead, it can be replaced by an "alive" design pattern.

"Next, several acts of building, each one done to repair and magnify the product of the previous acts, will slowly generate a larger and more complex whole than any single act can generate." This correlates to software refactoring.

"It is essential, therefore, that the builder build only from rough drawings: and that he carry out the detailed patterns from the drawings according to the processes given by the pattern language in his mind." When I read this, I thought about the metaphor to the software architect's vision and design. The software architect's design needs to be abstract enough to accommodate change easily, but yet simple enough so software programmers can understand it, finish the detailed component design and build the component to fit the architectural whole.

A Powerful Way of Thinking
Alexander's "A Timeless Way of Building" is a philosophical treatise which has informed my thinking profoundly. Without any formal training or interest in architecture, per se, this book has opened a world of awe for me. Awe of language, of systems, of people. It almost reads as a spiritual text - but with the credibility afforded only to those who clearly address specific content (architecture and city planning, in this case). Alexander's writing is clean and precise. His ideas are powerful, they are more true today than in '79 and in more domains than architecture. I recommend this to anyone who is curious about how systems work.

Very much worth noting
Towards the end of his life, the philosopher and teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti enjoyed having sections from the Timeless Way read to him each evening. ... Read more

Book Description

HAMPTONS HAVENS offers readers a glimpse behind the hedgerows of the Hamptons on Long Island, New York. The photographs are drawn from the archives of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens magazine and feature 24 homes and gardens that vary greatly in architecture and interior design. Every home in the book, from cozy cottage to grand estate, is a testament to the enormous breadth and natural beauty of the seaside region.

Accompanying the spectacular photographs are engrossing stories, discussing the architecture, the fascinating provenance of the furniture and heirlooms that decorate the homes, and personal family lore. There are plenty of firsthand quotes from the homeowners and decorators, who lovingly recount how they initially discovered the area and who discuss the story of how their style and personal lives evolved over the years to create homes and gardens ranging from the traditional and classic to the whimsical and eclectic. This handsome book captures the essence of one of the most fabled and exclusive areas in the United States. ... Read more

Book Description

Christian Liaigre's epoch-defining interiors include the Mercer Hotel in New York, offices for Valentino Couture in Paris, and Selfridges department store in London, as well as private residences for Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, and Kenzo. His luxurious dark-wood minimalism and masculine palette of creams, browns, and grays have redefined modernism, supplanting the Scandinavian blond timbers on white that just a few years ago were the sine qua non of the modern interior.

Working in close collaboration with Liaigre, Herbert Ypma set out to capture and document eight recent and previously unpublished residential projects. They are incredibly diverse: a modernist retreat on the Galician coast belonging to the family of Spanish fashion designer Adolfo Dominguez; a former artist's atelier in Montparnasse; Rupert Murdoch's capacious SoHo loft; an eighteenth-century Bavarian timber farmhouse owned by the proprietor and designer of Germany's fashion label Strenesse; and Liaigre's own fisherman's cottage retreat on the Ile de Ré.

The integrity and pervasive calm of Liaigre's spaces reflect an instinctive aversion to the clamor of modern life. His materials are luxuriously authentic—exotic African timbers such as ebony; linen, silk, and wool; marble and natural stone; and his signature bronze hardware. And, as every project demonstrates, he makes deep connections with the tradition of each location, whether it be the industrial heritage of downtown Manhattan or the wild coastal landscape of Corsica. 500 color illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

Prefab presents a series of innovative homes and concepts that boldly demonstrate that this is not your grandmother's prefab, offers a glimpse into the history of prefabricated housing over the last century, and reveals a wealth of practical and attractive alternatives to the status quo. Prefab discusses architects, builders, and designers such as Walter Gropius and Philippe Starck, examines the historical precedents from Albert Frey's Corbusier-inspired Aluminaire house to Kisho Kurokawa's capsules, and showcases the work of twenty-four contemporary architects and designers who are exploring the myriad possibilities that prefabrication offers for housing of the future. From the fantastical digitized aluminum prototypes of Gregg Lynn to the stylish functionality of Ikea's prefabricated apartments in Sweden, Prefab presents a series of innovative homes and space-saving concepts that show how far this building technique has come-and how far it can go.

Allison Arieff is a writer, senior editor of the architecture magazine dwell, and co-author of Trailer Travel. She is also the editor of several books on art and culture, including Airstream: A History of the Land Yacht and Hatch Show Print: The History of a Great American Poster Shop.She lives in San Francisco.

Bryan Burkhart is the designer and co-author of Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht and Trailer Travel: A Visual History of Mobile America. As creative director of his own firm, Modernhouse, he has designed books for Taschen, Chronicle Books, and Gibbs Smith, Publisher. Burkhart also lives in San Francisco. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Prefab
Prebrication was the holy grail of modernism: the ideal way to rationalize the building process, achieve economies of scale, and bring good design to the masses. Sadly, the only manufactured housing to win wide acceptance was the trailer; architect-designed prototypes seldom left the boards. Arieff, who is senior editor of Dwell magazine, hopes that a new generation of architects may succeed where their forebears failed. She documents over 30 industrialized building projects, mostly from Europe, that combine practicality with design excellence. Sadly, it remains true that people who will happily buy one of a fleet of identical cars, become emotional and irrational when choosing their home. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

Prefab: pretty fabulous
It looks like a coffee table book yet reads like a dream. This is not only one of the most comprehensive books on the subject, but easily the most lucid and engaging. The authors clearly had fun with the material and manage to convey a good deal of knowledge - including the history and future of prefabricated housing - without a whiff of pedantry or pedagogical claptrap.

finally, a comprehensive book on prefab
As an architecture student now a working as a builder, I couldnt help but being drawn into this book. Organized into 4 sections: History, Production, Custom, Concept, with a wide array of photographs, plans and renderings cleanly presented. The history section does a great job of bringing any curious reader interested in this subject up to speed, creating a great departure point for the 30 or so contemporary projects that follow it. This book is well researched and really gets you excited about the potential of prefab by presenting a wide range of projects in the U.S. and Internationally, exploring a wide range of techniques / systems being developed today. The future of housing looks bright with prefab!

Great options for well-designed affordable housing
This book shows that there ARE options for innovative and affordable modern homes. Prefabrication has lots to recommend it; what's been holding it back is a lack of good materials and design. Prefab will hopefully help to change that...

Not what I expected...
This was a very nice book, but I have to admit that it was not quite what I had hoped for. I was looking for alot of information on Modern/Contemporary homes, more toward the 50's and 60's style, and from the look of the cover, I felt that was what was inside. Unfortunately, thats not the case at all, even the cover house was somewhat of a let-down inside. There is a little information on the square block metal homes of the 50's period, but most of the works are completely unliveable, done only for an original look (we are talking about 2 room homes shaped like cars)...if you are looking for an interesting conversation/coffee table book, this is nice, but not a necessity for the lover of modern homes! ... Read more

Book Description

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, 11th Edition is the industry bible, containing information all graphic artists and their clientsneed to buy and sell work in a totally professional manner. This edition hasbeen revised and updated to provide all the information you need to compete inan industry moving at lightning speed. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Useful, but time for a new edition
I find the book very useful for many purposes, and it was right on the mark when it came out four years ago. However, considering how quickly technology and the internet change, I think it's time for a new edition; a lot of the "digital design" information is woefully out of date. For instance, under "Questions to ask when designing a web site," the book asks, "Does the client understand the difference between the Web and an online e-mail service such as American (cq) Online?"

In addition, pricing is based on "screens" or "pages" for web sites. The overall rates in the book seem to be realistic, but it would be helpful to know exactly how projects are priced. In the rapidly evolving world of database-driven and fully animated sites, "pages" don't mean much anymore. This is a fine reference, but don't expect it to keep you on the cutting-edge of technology. Go into a client's office and talk about "American Online" and I can almost guarantee you won't get the job!

A Must Have Resource Guide
The GAG Handbook rates high on my list of must have resources for the novice graphic designer. The information is valuable in setting standards for pricing and ethics in the Graphic Design industry. As an educator I recommend this book to all my graphic design students for the print graphics and web graphics information. The benefit to the novice is the contracts that have been well written specifically for a large number of specializations within the industry.

the best of what's available
Pros: Covers a lot of ground; defined creative terms and boundaries for the profession, fees, moral issues, client relationships, salaries, photographer relationships, illustrator relationships, etc. Rare is the book that has the guts to put actual numbers on project fees, rarer still to see it in this field. The only guide of its kind available.

Cons: Shape/bindery of the piece. It's a pain to even open it wide. (This was designed by the guild?) Some of the fee quotes/ideas are too vague, to the point of offering little guidance. The flow of the chapters is odd. Example: It starts with illustrator relationships(?!), when you'd think the first chapter would be an overall state of industry, issues facing communication arts employees and employers, trends, etc. The section on digital/non traditional media is still a little shaky, but better than it was.

Last thoughts: To the review that said they need a new version, they've done two in the last 3 or 4 years. The most recent being 2003. To everyone else: it's a guide, not a law book. The prices are at once too high and too low. Fees/salaries will vary no matter how accurate it is.

Updated again and more useful than ever!
The 11th edition is out,(although Amazon may not be displaying the most recent cover) and they did it again. The Graphic Artists Guild has produced the definitive industry resource for designers, illustrators and anyone even remotely interested in making a living in the graphics field. The book provides a terrific introduction to professional practices for anyone expanding their existing business to include web projects. This is a publication that keeps improving with age. Trying to encapsulate all situations is impossible, but the care taken in putting this survey together shows. Ta da! Even the web design section catches up to the situation on the ground.

At first glance it seems slimmer than previous editions, but a deeper look reveals that more information makes it onto each page, with a more efficient typographic treatment, and some judicious editing deleting duplicate information in some chapters

Please note: The prices reported in the book are the results of a survey of real working professionals. A spot check reveals that some reported price ranges have increased over the intervening years since the 10th edition. Some are the same, or similar. In the end, the producer (that's you!) has to insist on higher prices, you can't expect a book to negotiate for you, can you?

Some of the charts are improved. For instance, the Chart and Map Design section is more useful, including ranges for 4 different possible uses for a piece: advertising, in-house, editorial and textbook. this replaces the not-always-useful "client annual revenues" breakdowns in the 10th edition.

In the age of easy image stealing a new cease and desist form letter is included on p. 250 for you to use. May you never need it!

Hats off to the Guild for putting facts and figures at every working graphic artists disposal. It's a lumbering, exploding field where standards are in short supply on the fringes, but solid guidance is only a bookshelf away. I'll say it again... If you're unsure about what to charge, or how to structure an agreement (you're using an agreement aren't you?), it'll pay for itself with your next job.

The Unreal Pricing Guidlines
I found that the prices given in this book were way off for my demographic and line of work. With the knowledge of bidding my own freelance jobs and hiring designers for the firm that I work for that the pay scales in this book are way out of wack. I'm not saying that they are all over priced like other readers might assume. I found that many estimates to be quite low.

You run the risk of losing a job because your bidding estimate is to high in some instances and in other given estimates you are going to lose a lot of money. The given freelance hourly rate for an Art Director is $55.00. That is way under what the market pays in the area and industry that I work in.

You will also find pricing like this: National advertising campaign (Print Media) between $11,000-$25,000. There are no specific variables given to this enormous disparity in pricing.

There is a heap of useful information in this book, but pricing isn't one of them. In fact it's bloody useless. ... Read more

Book Description

Old-world Hollywood glamour embraces modern insouciance in the signature style of internationally acclaimed interior designer Kelly Wearstler. Never one to paint a wall simply white, in her creations Wearstler uses bold colors and patterns and mixes elaborate architectural hardware with furnishings culled from a range of eras. In Modern Glamour, she reveals her decorating secrets and dramatic approach to design.

From basic design principles to personal accents, this gorgeously photographed book explains how Wearstler shapes interiors and exteriors into ingeniously functional environments. A survey of many of her most stunning projects provides ideal examples of bringing what she calls "the elegance of the unexpected" to life in any setting. Whether it is juxtaposing typically masculine and feminine design notions to infuse a room with edge and energy, or using embellishments to put a thematic mark on a room. Wearstler's essentials on design will inspire professional designers and aspiring home decorators alike.

For those who wish to discover how decorative visions can become luxuriant realities, Modern Glamour offers clear and enjoyable guidance on the art of creating seductively stylish spaces.

Reviews (12)

More Ego Than Design
Modern Glamour is not so much about decorating as it is about Kelly Wearstler's larger-than-life ego. From her writing, it would appear that Kelly has single-handedly invented at least a dozen or so time-tested design principles- (Does Kelly really believe that mixing styles and periods is a new concept, or that a visually graphic interior is a first?) As for her work as a whole, I think I was on page 56 when my design sensibility screamed, "OKAY! I GET IT ALREADY!" At best, this book does a fair job of marketing Kelly's narrow, easily attainable style as complex. While I would not recommend this book to a serious design enthusiast, it might appeal to the novice looking for examples of easily achievable decorating. Simply purchase paint and fabric in white, black and yellow, paint a Piedmontese armchair white, and you are halfway there.

A design book with personal flair...
For those of us that truly love and get excited by design, this book is a wonderful example of why we are fascinated by this field. Rather than giving us the same old dry verbage about visual decor and "furniture placement," this book tailors itself directly from the author's personal point of view. I loved the way Ms. Wearstler discussed her framework of reference for her own designs, but in a way that allows you to decide for yourself how they might be adjusted to work for your own sensibility. Some of her spaces shown in the book are a little too staged for my own taste, but they give one ideas of how she might approach designing spaces of her own using texture and pattern to similar ends.
As a fellow professional of this field, I most certainly and highly recommend this book.

Modern Glamour
I can only agree, this book is not about helping you out with your personal Interior Design projects.
It actually fells more like it is a expensive business card for Kelly Wearstlers Design Studio.

Good idea but badly done
The idea for this book is good but the book was badly done. Unexpected style is something that intrigues me, but that's not what this book actually is. The book is pretty dated in the way it is done because it's all about one unknown designer's "take" on decorating. No one today wants to be dictated to or to just copy what another person has done. So this book misses the mark by several miles. If you want a decorating book that helps you create your own style, this is not it. Don't buy this. It seems more like a book about this designer's own ego.

A Beatiful Mind from a Beautiful Woman
Someone said this is a book more about the designer herself than her work, but why not? A designer reflects her mind within her lifestyle and her background. If you are looking for a beatiful home with elegance and glamour, this is it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Worth the wait
I can remember when the book was first published over ten years ago, and I had a chance to go the the exhibit in Los Angeles. I balked at going and I regretted that chance. Now, eleven years later as a treat to myself, I bought the book without hesitation. "Bear Pond" has to be one of the most sought after if not the most referenced collection of male nudes. Bruce Weber is the master of photographing young men in the most natural and unaffected ways. Here, he manages to capture the innocence and provocativity of each of his subjects without seeming exploitative or lecherous. Although the book cost me much more than its original $50, I am so happy that I finally had a chance to add it to my collection of treasures. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Excellent Resource
I teach digital media and design to grade eleven and twelve students. This is the only book on Color that my students responded to with enthusiasm. The book covers color theory very basically. However, it does an excellent job of covering the more important topics of the meaning and psychology of colors and color combinations. The author uses good examples for each section and the book can be used as a learning tool or a resource you can use again and again. My students found the many pantone color combination swatches very useful in helping setup the color schemes for their designs. My students and I recommend this book highly, You might say this review is 5 stars taken 80 times.

Could have been a lot better
The work by the now defunct arm of Cheskin research, the Color Research Insititute is much more insightful than anything in this book. Unofrtunatley the scientific research undertaken by this insititute is not available to the General Public and is only available through Cheskin.

The color schemes and patterns shown in this book may have been all the rage a few years ago but they definitly do not age very well and are way too bright and gaudy.

The author unfortunatley does not give examples of color schemes that work well and have stood the test of time such as Coca Colas color scheme and IBM's "Big Blue" which is a type of blue which has a very powerful effect on the subconscous mind of the viewer and this color alone was shown to actually increase the sales of IBM products once it was widely implemented in their adevertising campaign.

This book comes across as a marketing tool for the author pitched at large corporate clients, its deliberate attempt not to give any worthwhile information to readers of this book seems to validate this.

Giving this book 2 stars is being generous considering the price. If you know absolutley nothing at all about color then perhaps you will find this book helpful. If you are an interior decorater dont use any of the color scemes this book recommends unless you wish to send your clients to a mental asylum. If you are a markeing manager dont waste your money on this book

Color Thesaurus for the Chromatically Challenged!
As well as for graphic artists.

I am an author as well as entrepreneur and have long researched color combinations for presenting information and creating a recognizable corporate identity.

If you're one of those people who "know what you're looking for" but can't articulate it, this comprehensive guide has every major color combination you could possibly want, conveniently grouped by the "unique color proposition" (like USP, unique selling proposition), you're trying to convey. (If you already have a color scheme selected, you should check it out here to see whether it unwittingly conveys connotations you don't want associated with your company.)

If you're a graphic designer (I'm not), you can plunk this book down in front of a client with some suggestions and save both of you a lot of aggravation and miscommunication.

I've researched just about every "color guide" out there and have found this one by far the most helpful. It's simple and easy to use, practical without a lot of the questionable theorizing other authors on color seem to need to include.

Very practical
This is quite a practical book on how to express, how to talk with colours. You don't find cultural or history thoughts on it.
Nothing about Van Gogh, nothing about Mondrian.
But you can find ways to efective use colours in marketing or web interfaces, for instance.
It's more a book to look at than a book to read. It's pretty well illustrated, mainly with ads.

Excellent to use to help customers choose their color scheme
This book is packed with great color combinations catorgorized into color schemes by the emotional moods they generate. When I am working with clients in web design, I use this book to help them focus on the tone of their website or product. First, they choose from the many categories such as Classic, Strong, Energetic, Calm, etc., and from there they choose one or two of the perfectly matched color combinations for their basic website colors. It's a great visual tool!
Also included are some basics on color theory, setting moods with color, and some useful advice in choosing appropriate colors for different projects.
Well written, easy to read, and to the point, this book has become a favorite on my desk! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Shadows on Stucco Walls
I find this book a compelling record of a style and period of architecture I love. This is a reprint of a 1929 book, the period black & white photos and drawings are well realized and reveal a lot detail. There are also plans shown for most of the houses illustrated

We would all benefit if architects, developers, landscape architects who are doing contemporary versions of Mediterranean Architecture would spend time studying these images. There is such a fine use of solid and void, plays of light shadow on extensive planar surfaces, and restrained but effective (and sometimes whimsical) use of ornament. Hey, this is not a difficult architecture, or particularly expensive to realize, but can be truly sublime and fully appropriate for Southern California where I live. This book has a lot to tell us designers about how to get it right.

Spanish American at its finest.
This book covers some of the best California and Florida residential architecture of the early 20th century. The photos are great and the plans are incredible. The new introduction shows the house built by the author's grandmother in the 1920s. What a life style! I highly recommend this classy reprint. ... Read more