Art Architecture Photography Books

I must say this book has exceeded my expectations. So far the best book I've red. It is very well and understandably written. Very nice pictures. Yes, it is true that John describes usage of an analog camera, but the exposure principles are very well applicable to the Digital SLRs. I find it very useful especially for beginners. I believe also advanced users may benefit.

Yeah, it's film centric but much of the information is great for digital too. If you are a wannabee, hobbiest nature photographer like myself, this is a great read.

All of John Shaw's books are great. There is some overlap between them as he goes over the basics but they are all worth a read for any aspiring nature photographer.

I considered this an excellent book. It was written a few years back and had it's major emphasis on film photography. However, virtually all of the material is applicable for todays state of the art digital photography.

I love John Shaw's pictures (they're very inspiring!). However, I didn't find the book useful. Subscribe to a decent forum on the web, and you'll find more relevant, up to date and detailed information than what's found in this book. Check out wikipedia, or g**gle any question you may have. Don't spend your money on this one or on Shaw's Lanscape Photography.

If you want to learn nature composition check out this one: The Art of Photographing Nature by Martha Hill (Author), Art Wolfe (Photographer). That one is a timeless book for budding photographers.

This is listed as the "updated edition." That is true but it was updated almost a decade ago in 2000, which explains why the book is based on film photography. It is also a beginner's book almost entirely devoted to hardware and equipment as is stated by the author in the preface: This is a book about John Shaw's cameras, lenses, tripods, and film. It is not a book about capturing great nature photos. If you don't know about aperture, speed, ISO, or depth of field as applied to 35mm film cameras then this book is for you. If you are looking for guidance on the techniques used to capture great outdoor photography you are advised to look elsewhere.

Great way to get familiar with the human body, different positions than the boring usual, a book for more advance artists looking to improve and to know those little details only a model or this book could reveal to you.

Excellent book for studying the human body! This book retails for $40.00 in a book store.

I got this because since I am not in college anymore, there is a big shortage of nude models! :)

This is an excellent resource. The photography is incredible. The educational value exceptional. It has pictures and text with skeletal overlays for parts of the body - skull, spine, arms, torso, hip/thigh, feet and hands.

My ONLY complaint is that this - like almost all model books - does not provide various body types nor does it represent enough ethnic groups.

It turns out, I own a lot of anatomy books. I find considerable beauty in the forms and structures of the body, internal as much as external. The interplay of muscle and bone is endlessly fascinating. So, it was natural for me to investigate this book.

At first, I was a little put off by the "beautiful people" aspect of the book, but the lean, long models work well for demonstrating the way underlying structures influence the surface anatomy. I also like the historical overview of anatomical drawing with Leonardo plates and Albinus plates along with other historical anatomical renderings.

Then, I really started looking at the author's drawings. They are lush, expressive line drawings. From what I can tell, the author works at a larger-than-life scale, so they may be seen out of context on the page; but that takes nothing away from their excellent quality. I would buy the book for the drawings alone, but this book has far more to offer.

As others have noted, the production values are outstanding. Several plates are set up with a full-color photo of the model and a transparent overlay printed with drawings of matching internal structures. The paper is heavy and coated. The printing is bright and clear with plenty of color photography throughout. It's a beautiful book.

In addition to an overview of human anatomy and the historical background described earlier, the author includes case studies of famous paintings such as "The Tub" by Edgar Degas and "A Combat of Nude Men" by Raphael. The author analyzes the figure in each pose, using a photo of an actual model as counterpoint for discussing the Old Master's handling of the figure in the work of art. Taken as a whole, the book is highly informative.

This book is an excellent resource that offers tremendous value for the money. I give it five stars.

It's a really nice book. It has some amazing illustrations and photos in it and many of the illustrations are overlays that go right over the photo allowing you to further understand the relationship. It has been tremendously helpful in my figure drawing.

something wrong while it's handling... and it didn't deliver to me in time, so I just refund instead of keep waiting.

It's very helpful for the class that I'm taking this semester and it's a good book to have because it's very informative and easy to use.

History of Modern Art is a well sructure resource textbook for students who are seeking information about Contemporary and/or Modern Art History. Great grasps of information on every page is a journey through space time and the people who made this possible in the 20th century . You will never find a better textbook on the market.

This was excellent. Very comprehensive, to say the least, and very well organized. This is my only book from art class that I actually sustained my interest! Definitely worth it.

I used this book in college for my two course survey of Modern Art. I absolutely loved the book and when I found out there was a hardback edition I had to have it. Let me tell you, getting it for 66 bucks is a STEAL! I saw this book brand new in a brick and mortar store and it was 110 DOLLARS! If you are at all interested in 20th Century Art I highly recommend this book as a general overview. This was one of the FEW books I read in college and actually enjoyed it.

I purchased this book for myself after finding Amazon's price to be the best deal out there. It is beautiful and thorough. Sister Wendy covers every major time period with overviews of the most significant artists while including comments and close up studies of specific works. This book could easily be an art course in itself- it is comprehensive and the illustrations are just what you would expect of a DK book- beautiful and with accurate, vivid color. Sister Wendy writes in a readable layperson's style; you need not be an art student to enjoy this book. It is easily my favorite buy of the year- you will LOVE this book!

If you study art history at all, you know that the Roman Catholic Church (in particular various popes such as Julius and the Medici family-line popes)were great patrons of the arts in order to glorify both the Church (Christianity) and their pontificate. Michaelangelo, Rafael, etc. were commissioned by the Church to produce magnificent works of art, and indeed they did, hence the Sistine Chapel and The School of Athens in the papal apartments. If Mr. Jin looks at the numerous Annunciation paintings and reads history, he will realize that they are reflections of "popular culture"--Christianity was the HUGE influence at that time. Popular culture at any given time reflects what is on the "minds of the people"--hence the name POPULAR that comes from POPULATION. Today's "culture" reflects the obssession with celebrities, hence the plethora of celebrity gossip magazines.

Anyway, the book IS magnificent and so assessible to the common person. As much as I love art history and have 15 college credits in it, I don't want to read the dry stuff either. This edition with its close-ups is magnificently done, and the copy is easily digested. I think Sister Wendy did the art world a favor, and this is how art should be presented instead of pretentiously overdone by "experts" who want to impress each other. By the way, I'm probably the only person who prefers Rafael to Michaelangelo (though he can't be TOUCHED in sculpture), I think that everyone should check out "The School of Athens"--what a masterpiece! And Picasso's "Guernica" is a haunting portrayal of the horrors of war. Knowing the stories behind the paintings and not worrying about the "methods" the artists used (which should be relegated to a techniques-type book) makes the paintings so much more meaningful to an audience. I don't care for Cubism until I know that it's influenced by stylized African art and that Picasso was reacting the 1937 bombing of Guernica. Live on, Sister Wendy!

I am very excited about using this book to study art with my children. The photos are top quality, showing close ups of interesting details in the paintings. I have a collection of art books, but this is by far the best. Worth every penny!

A 1¼ inch thick book with about 400 pages and more than 450 color illustrations of the most significant works of art in Western history can hardly fail to please anyone with an interest in art history. In Sister Wendy's Story of Painting, Sister Wendy provides an intellectual and somewhat passionate discussion on major art movements and sensitive analysis and interpretation of more than thirty paintings she showcases in the book. Enlargements of particular areas of these paintings are used to analyze techniques and identify symbolism. In the absence of ancient paintings that have survived, Sister Wendy uses other forms of art such as sculptures, friezes, tapestries and mosaics to illustrate the subject, composition, style and proportions used in paintings of that era. She treats all styles of art with equal reverence. Shortcomings in this book are few. Illustrated timelines that appear before each major section of the book could be improved by the addition of other historical milestones to help the reader achieve a better perspective. I would prefer less commentary about numerous paintings of a single artist and instead, more information on the cultural and political influences that shaped the development of painting. I would prefer less coverage of obscure artists such as the Nabis in favor of more on Victorian art and Art Nouveau. And I would wish for a more eloquent conclusion to the book. But the thing that was most lacking to me is a discussion on paint! Nowhere is the development of paint as a medium discussed with any depth. These aforementioned shortcomings, however, pale in comparison to what Sister Wendy has accomplished in her book -- the creation of a comprehensive and scholarly source of information on the history of painting that neither the newcomer nor the expert could fail to enjoy.

The first purpose of an artbook is usually to showcase fine art with high quality reproductions. This book certainly packs in ample artwork, well supported by Sister Wendy's colourful commentary. However the image quality is horrendous, with a vast proportion of the reproductions being badly pixelated or blurred.If you like Sister Wendy, then buy her other books. This one is so sloppy that it is disrespectful to the artworks and is to be avoided.

There has been very little written on the snapshot, particulary as it relates to the development of photovision. Sara Greenough has put together an excellent exhibit on the subject. This catalogue only goes into the 1970s. Now she has to carry the snapshot into the digital world.

I love this treasure trove of a book. Leafing through it takes me back time and time again to specific photos from family albums over the years. The book is a collaborative work that captures the essence of Americans' love affair with the camera.

The narrative divides the ninety years into four "generations" of the evolution of the snapshot: thirty years of beginnings followed by three twenty-year periods celebrating the interactions of the technical developments and the cultural idiosyncrasies of each era.

While the "plates" of photographs selected from Jackson's collection for exhibition form the book's core, the authors have introduced a sprinkling of "figures" of other photographs--and Kodak ads, in particular--to complete their histories. The Timeline of Technical Milestones at the end is nicely executed.

I've no idea how the authors would characterize the last two decades of the twentieth century, but I'm certain that the first two decades of the twentieth century belong to digital photography. I'd love to read their take on this generation of the American snapshot.

Sir John F. Herschel gets credit for coining the word "snapshot" in 1860; "The possibility of taking a photograph, as it were by a snap-shot -- of securing a picture in a tenth of a second of time." (He also coined "photography" itself, and was the first to apply "negative" and "positives" to photography.) Given his wide ranging interests, I'm sure he would have loved this book as much as I do.

The editors divide 1888 to 1978 into four periods. The first is discussed in Diane Waggoner's essay, "Photographic Amusements." Eastman Kodak was dominant with the Brownie: "You push the button, we do the rest (or you can do it yourself)."

Sarah Kennel covers 1920-1939 in "Quick, Casual Modern." Their PR folks peppered the roads with "Picture Ahead! Kodak as you go!" Eastman Kodak also tied the permanence of photos to family values: "Kodak began to stress use of the camera to counter the truancy of memory, particularly with regard to family stability."

Sarah Greenough's covers 1940-1959 with "Fun Under the Shade of the Mushroom Cloud." Kodak introduced Kodachrome in 1936 and Kodacolor in 1942. Snapshots were tied to social life. "Life" taught Americans pictorial journalism. Snapping pictures was "modern".

Matthew Witkovsky ends with "When the Earth Was Square." "It is the period when daily life, turned by a nation of consumers into an unending succession of narcissistic photo ops, becomes fodder for media spectacle, creating the lottery-like promise of instant but evanescent celebrity for everyone. ... These are the years when nothing is sacred yet everything is ritualized; when no one and everyone is special, and all things are made potentially interesting in pictures; and when amnesia, which thrives on prosperity, takes, hold, leaving memory to scatter and fade in billions of little prints."

The history is grand and enlightening, of course, but for me the images are key. The book is beautifully printed and bound; there is plenty of white space around each shot. You are free to flip through quickly, or stop and puzzle for lost minutes over a single image.

I have three suggestions for anyone interested in photography. First, read John Updike's wonderful review of this book free online on "The New Yorker" website.

Second, consider the words of Robert Jackson who put this collection together: as Updike writes: "his afterword to the catalogue manages to cast a pall of reasonableness over his curious passion. He coins the phrase 'a visual trophy' for a medium that 'seeks to preserve an idealized and individualized moment in time.' Attempting to explain the collector's motives, he claims, 'It is the anonymous snapshot's immediacy, inherent honesty, and unstudied freedom from external influence that are the draw. . . . The personal can therefore become impersonal.' Ah, but, then again, 'a collector can have a subjective interest in a snapshot's narrative content as a surrogate for life experiences. Thus the personal remains personal, if you will.'"

Third, buy this book.

I can't speak highly enough of this wonderfully rich book on the grand topic of the American snapshot. The essays are full of revealing information about how big a role the snapshot has played in our culture. The generous sampling of photographs gives us shots that are entirely unique, each in its ow way, and yet they are also familiar, if you are old enough to remember the days of Kodak cameras, especially the Brownie. I found the best review of this great book at www.ronslate.com.

This book gives a thorough overview of Monotype printing. It starts out with materials needed, then goes on to talk about hand transfers, press transfers and doing monotypes in acrylic, watercolor, oil and printmaking inks. It covers mixed media and stencils, masks, etc. It has much practical/useful information in each section on both techniques and materials. There are examples of each type of work covered, athough I would have liked to see a larger "gallery" of work by different artist. A very good book if you are interested in monotypes.

This book answered many questions that other artists and I were asking regarding monotype. It gives you permission to proceed in any direction, using any materials you choose.

I agree with the previous reviews - if you're creating monoprints, and particularly if you're looking for non-toxic methods, this is a great book. It's full color with many inspiring illustrations, and full of useful, practical information written in a friendly, down-to-earth manner.

Re. recommended paints: I recently had the pleasure of taking a monoprinting class with Julia Ayres and her daughter Gail Ayres (at the Art Methods & Materials Show in Pasadena, CA, Oct 2004). The Ayres now recommend using the new Akua-Kolor waterbased inks by Rostow & Jung (www.waterbasedinks.com) which I assume were not invented at the time this book was originally printed. The advantage is that these inks are non-toxic, clean up easily, and they stay moist for days. You then print to DRY printmaking paper, and the inks dry instantly once they hit the paper. Now you don't have to worry about the inks drying on the plate, or handling fragile, wet paper. (I shoved my Createx paints in a bottom drawer after the workshop!)

(If you get the opportunity, take a class with the Ayres if you're just getting started, as there's nothing quite like seeing the process in action and the book will make even more sense! They also teach using the PinPress Roller for making monoprints by hand; very useful if you don't have access to an expensive printing press.)

There seems to be very limited information available on the technique of monotype. This book fills that void by demonstrating the incredible variety of effects possible using the monotype method. There are no projects, per se, rather it teaches techniques that help you create your own masterpieces. Many pieces of example artwork are found throughout the book.

A monotype is a one-of-a-kind print made by transferring a painted image to paper. The book starts out with an introduction to materials including plates, mediums, solvents, panting tools and paper as well as hand and press transfer equipment. It also covers studio safety and finding workshop facilities.

Techniques are next including working into a light or dark field and both hand and press transfer.
These include step-by-step instructions accompanied by demonstration photos. Working in specific mediums including watercolor, acrylics, water-soluble writing instruments, monoprint paints (Createx), oil paints, water-based oils and alkyds follows. A section discussing special oil-based printing inks for lithography, etching, printing and serigraphy is also here. There is even a chapter on special techniques including using masks & stencils, embossing and creating collages.

The final chapter gives an overview of monoprints, which combine monotype with other print making processes, and mixed-media monotypes. This includes intaglio, drypoint and engraving, as well as linocut and collagraphic monoprints.

There is a nice list of suppliers as well as interesting biographical notes on the artists featured in the back. This is a great book that displays the great diversity in mediums and results available with monotype.

I'm so glad I bought this book. It is one of those I take down regularly. The author thoroughly understands monotype in many mediums. A previous reviewer mentioned how well the toxicity issue was dealt with. Lots of good color illustration.

I like this book. I have many others about altered books and collage so not much is new to me but this one does it better.

One of the best guides on Altered Books and the one I refer to on a regular basis as a means of learning new ways to approach altered books. I have learned so much from this book.

This was a well made book with good photos etc. It was not entirely visually appealing to me however and I felt a little let down. If I had seen it in the flesh prior to purchasing I would have left it. (One of the pitfalls with internet buying I suppose).
However, maybe I am not into the whole 'altered book' process and as such my comments may not be a good overall yardstick.

This book was initially recommended to me by an art instructor. It has proved to be a well-founded recommendation. Clear instruction and inspiring.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The instructions are very good, there are many creative ideas and the photography is wonderful. There are some really unique approaoches to wall art using altered books, as well as using CDs, picture frames, etc. What I like best is that this book has some new and refreshing ideas which I haven't seen before and that always gets my creative juices flowing. There is also a great gallery which showcases the work of other artists. For those just beginning, the book starts with how to choose the right book for altering. For the more advanced enthusiast, there is a section that asks, "What if...? and explores new possibilities with other artists. Something for everyone and definitely one of my favorites.

I was disappointed with the book because it was first published in the year 2000 and apparently it hasn't been updated ever since. The book talks a lot about how to abtain your best results using films! It stresses the importance of not worrying about saving films, it advises the photographer to shoot as much as possible - I doubt that is ever a worry for todays's digital shooters. Wanna have an idea about how out-dated that is? Page 116 :" ...In the mid 1990's Bambi made the decision to go proofless(...)To use Montage, send your film to the lab and ask them to put the images on a CD, or scan the negatives into electronic form yourself" - That was one of the "hottest" pieces of advice on the book! The pictures are ok, nothing really impressive - It might work well for a beginner, though!

if your looking for a book to help you on your way ,forget this one ! if you dont have hassleblad or other high end equipment' forget this book, if your not already a professional forget this book ,if your using digital media , forget this book, the book however does have some good pointers and suggestions, but if avant garde photography isnt your bag,,, forget this book. i was extremely disappointed in the way it seemed to just address the already established proffessional, and last if your not interested in black white and infrared film usage forget this book!
maybe if this book was updated it would be better but that is a big maybe

You must have this book and read it... you will learn something and giving ideas... I do not mind what camera they used but the measurement of lenses is very important... I searched throught out the web site... my conclusion are most of wedding photographer I counted used 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 100mm and 300mm. My attention is to shot portrait and wedding therefore I bought 50mm and my 85mm is on the way but I could not afford to buy the rest might be the wide lens and zooms
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The imagery in this book is of a fairly high quality. The locations and scenes look believeable; nothing over-the-top and extravagent like some books show (by that I mean, obviously created by wedding photographers who shoot only for the wealthy in the best locales). The complete lack of digital is a real weak point to this book. As of the time of this review, I'm told that nearly 95% of wedding photographers shoot digital, especially starting out. Therefore the equipment suggestions, while still somewhat informative, are heavily dated (the primary emphasis on medium format, while compelling, is no longer the most efficient way to get going in the business). The images are all high quality and quite inspiring. It's a decent work, but I'll probably buy a few more wedding photography books before finding the one that does me the most good.

The images in this book are very inspiring. Studying the imagery alone is very educational.

A constant student of light and photography, this was my first book on Wedding Photography. After reading it, my wishlist grew to include more lenses, camera bodies and flash units. And my photo-journalistic wedding photography improved (results may vary ;)

This book will have you thinking more about contemporary, artistic and moody images to be captured on the Wedding day. You'll also begin thinking about your services and the value you can offer your clients. This book will have you thinking about adding an assistant to your list of must-haves for every Wedding job--an assistant who understands your vision and goals for the wedding day adds so much to the quality and quantity of images you can take on that day which (hopefully) is a once-in-a-lifetime event for your clients.

This book does not cover so much about Engagement photos, group formals, or the marketing of your services (although these topics are covered briefly).

I also recommend "The Best of Wedding Photography" by Bill Hurter.

Robert Irwin has lived his life as both a solitary creator and unrelenting seeker to the same consummate degree that only Dante Alighieri, Agnes Martin, Meister Eckhart, Lao Tsu, and a handful of others have sought. If you haven't heard of him, you should read this anyway. Remember, it even took Bach two centuries to get his proper due. Regardless, this book changed a lot for me. I am forever grateful.

Weschler's prose is Irwin's lighting. His book good as this biography junkie has ever read, and he does it in only 203 pages. As I write this, you can buy this book used for the price of a Domino's pizza - that's all i'm saying.

If you're an artist, you need this book. Even if you don't like Irwin's work (or never heard of him.) Remarkably, this biography of the most minimal of minimal artists contains no abstruse language, no mysteriously self-important pronouncements, nor even a single reference to any French esthetic theorist. Not only is this written in clean, straightforward prose; you can hardly put it down. It also raises critical, fascinating questions about the nature of art, and of the way we see. I've recommended this book to several people. It's never what they expect. They've always thanked me.

*

I am fascinated by the creative process. I am fascinated by physical manifestations born from the spark of an idea. I am fascinated by the complex psychology, rigorous philosophy and simple backbone evinced by those devotees of method. And I am blown-away by Robert Irwin.

My first contact with Robert Irwin's work came in graduate school when a few friends and I drove from Philadelphia to Manhattan to visit the Dia Center for the Arts. There on an upper floor I encountered a truly shocking, yet subduing, experience. Irwin had taken over the entire level and divided into rooms demarcated with translucent scrim. I walked slowly, from space to space, enclosed but not, silent in presence yet bursting with internal applause, and in awe. I marveled at the solidity of light that slid through the Dia's industrial steel windows, tracing its way across two layers of the thin white fabric and gently landing on the concrete floor. My eyes were tickled by the subtlety of color emanating from the vertical fluorescent lights wrapped in gels. There must have been thirty others there at the same time, meandering like ghosts whitened by one, two, three layers of scrim, yet the space was absolutely quiet. This was the first time that I truly understood the word ?perception.? It came in a space filled with exacted simplicity.

Since then I have tried to follow Irwin's work, both past and present, only to find that it is rarely photographed, as the medium cannot do the work justice. However, Lawrence Weschler's biography on the artist is a tremendous piece of writing that will give you much more appreciation for Irwin than any catalog ever could. Weschler spent years interviewing the artist, tracking down collaborators and researching the works. He exhibits an amazing understanding of Irwin's intentions and adds much needed commentary to keep the story straight while tracing the complex and highly personal evolution of the man and his art. From descriptions of Irwin's self-imposed eight month exile in Ibiza, to his two year long rigorous exercise (and again, exile) to create what amounted to twenty lines, Weschler gives us an in depth look at the zen-like disposition of the artist in his search for the perceptual (and hence, not conceptual). Irwin's diligence and rigor will stupefy even those most devoted to their process, and discussion of his material experimentation will act to spur imaginations. Robert Irwin supplies the majority of storytelling, however, and lets the reader in on often humorous tales of the art world from the point of view of a very personable and highly influential artist.

In short, I highly recommend that anyone devoted to design, be it fine art or architecture, read this book. I also recommend that you travel to San Diego to see the first major exhibition of Irwin?s work since 1993, "Robert Irwin: Primaries and Secondaries" at the MCASD through February 23rd.

Note: The installation at the Dia Center was reviewed thoroughly, with an included history of the artist?s work, in an article entitled "Robert Irwin?s Doors of Perception" by Carol Diehl in Art in America magazine, December, 1999, findarticles.com

This is simply the best book about art I have ever read. Like other reviewers, I can say that this book permanently altered the way I see the world (and art). Irwin did it and he still does it.

I picked up this book in 1984 because it was on a reading list for an Art History class I was taking at Oberlin College. I stayed up all night in the library that night. I couldn't put it down. My mind has never been the same.

I still often think of it,tell stories from it and give it as a gift. I always say "skip the first chapter-it gets much better." If I remember right, the book begins with a description of Irwin's perfectionism when cleaning the engine of his car. I figure that will bore my friends.

I tell my students about Irwin's many years attempt to make the perfect line, to his wife's chagrin and his painting the back side of his paintings because it matters to him. They like the story of the riots that occured in South America due to the disorientation of his discs-concave and convex-the viewers couldn't tell where the wall started and the disc stopped. I have given the book as a graduation present.

I thought about this book at the mechanic the other day. My engine is very, very dirty.

I will never forget,forgetting. Great book.

Photography is extraordinary. The people featured therein, not so much. Still, it's a beautifully done publication and worth the cash but buy it at discount.
Stylemaven

There is no disputing that this is a sumptuous volume. Lavishly produced, its oversized 384 pages are crammed with images of exquisite rooms and lush gardens from 36 unique homes, owned by the rich and/or famous in Europe, America and North Africa and into the likes of which you and I will never set foot. (Which is the reason, thankfully, such books are produced and why we lesser mortals buy them.)

There are rooms modern and rooms classic, arranged with the taste, elegance and restraint of the world's best decorators and captured by the world's greatest photographers. And yet the rooms are not museum pieces, but are demonstrably inhabited by their owners, their well-scrubbed children and their adorable dogs, such as the greyhound on page 317 filching a piece of cheese from the dinner table.

My favourite room which is featured on the front jacket cover is of Janet de Botton's breakfast room in Provence, its French chateau décor a study in white, cream and faded pastel, the background, literally a wall of china - floral motifed white plates and platters displayed on white-painted, floor-to-ceiling wooden plate racks built into the walls. (Already I've been measuring my walls to see how I can incorporate something similar - though less vast - into my old house).

At the opposite end of the décor spectrum is Amanda Brooks NYC loft, all kitsch and brash eye-popping colour like a Barbie Doll house with Brooks herself photographed in a Barbie Doll style gown in a Barbie Doll pose. (It's not to my personal taste but cleverly done & I had to look twice to be sure the figure lying stiffly across the bed wasn't a mannequin).

If you are a fan of décor books you will find plenty more here to inspire, amuse and entertain you and your like-minded friends and family.

So why did I hold back from a five star rating? My quibble is with the empty 14 pages devoted to Madonna which might have been put to better use: Madonna's cow pastures, M. with (admittedly cute) children; a gowned & high-heeled & coiffed M. feeding the chickens (as if!); M. canoodling with husband, a double-page shot of M's sheep -- & only one tiny interior shot, a sitting room that was rearranged by the photographer & does not reflect the actual décor of Madonna's house - which might have been of real interest even to a non-fan like me.
Thus the book falls just a little short of being, for me, the epitome of the coffee-table décor genre.

Flash review: The perfect gift book for this season.

This new book, timed for Xmas giving, features a selection of the best homes shown in Vogue in the past several years. It is a large-scale book, filled with wonderful color photography. Although Elle Decor and Architectural Digest have come out with similar books this season, neither can hold a candle to Vogue's tome. If you are familiar with the 1968 publication, "Vogue's Book of Houses, Gardens, People", which now sells for $400 and up if you can find it, you will know what is in store for you.

Maximum emphasis on homes you would love to see in person, owned by people of impeccable style: Janet de Botton in the south of France, Marella Agnelli in Marrakech, David Cholmondeley's stately, etc.; minimal number of celebrity digs done by decorators of questionable taste which you tend to see in Architectural Digest. The style and taste of the featured houses, gardens (and, yes, people) are on an entirely different plane than those shown in the new books by the other two lifestyle magazines.

you have to love decor and fashion to understand this book.it is Vogue after all!!!! the book is full of fabulous properties and fabulous people.I went through it already many times and got inspired by it.
Buy it f you are a fan of vogue magazine !!!