Art Architecture Photography Books

*Chareston Style Then and Now* is, as I undertand it, an abbreviated version of a larger book. (*Charelston Style: Past and Present*.) I ordered the book sight unseen, and it is the first book that I have returned to Amazon. com.

My problems with this book are two: first, there is Susan Sully's prose style. It is, to my ear, painfully affected. And, while there is, perhaps, some useful information contained in her essays, getting through them wasn't worth the effort. Second is the selection of photographs. While technically excellent, many of the images are of rooms that have little relation to "Charleston Style". They are simply rooms--most of them tattered and run down--that happen to be in Charleston, SC. They are aesthetically of no interest to me. And that they happen to be located in Charleston is simply irrelevant.

The book is not a complete loss. Some of John Blais's photographs really do capture the glory of old Charleston. And Josephine Humprey's "Introduction" is lovely. Still, those interested in either the history or architecture of Charleston are advised to look elsewhere.

A must have for all Designers interested in understanding how products are ultimately judged within their context-by thier effectiveness and usefulness.The six levels of Design Caplan outlines is a great measuring stick for all disciplines of Design and Engineering.

This outstanding book is said to be aimed at design students, professionals, or anyone else who could benefit from af uller appreciation of the design process. And yes, I have to agree, it is.

More important to me however is the presentation in this book of the essence of what design is all about. This is the kind of book that the financial people behind a new big hotel should read. It is the book that a product development engineer should read before he starts working with his industrial designer. This is the book that nearly any business manager from marketing, to engineering, to sales, should read.

The first time I travelled to Scandinavia I was struck with the simple elements of design that they do so much better than we do in this country. Simple things like the design of hotel doors, no more expensive than what we do here, just better.

And the sub-title, 'why there are no locks on the bathrobe doors in the Hotel Louis XIV' -that's a great story, it makes such eminent sense. A special problem, a great design, see page 179.

After reading a dozen of books on "Art history" following the standard chronological order, I strongly desired to read this book showing a different perspective. However, my disappointment surpassed my expectances. The problem of this book is that it simply gives very little, too general information without developing any subject in more detail. Each chapter (devoted to a particular genre) is further divided by topic. For instance, the "religious painting" chapter speaks about "representation of the virgin Mary", "representation of Christ", etc. Up to this point, "a nice idea" you may think. But now, let me explain that each one of these topics is explained and depicted in (always) two pages. Approximately one page corresponds to writing and one page to images (this, statistically speaking for the book does not follow such a distribution). Imagine! What can be said about any topic -for instance, representation of "the Pasion"- in just one page of information?! And even worse, the book is supposed to be also chronological comprenhensive!!! If you are looking for a book that explains the evolution of each genre, then this is not the correct choice. There is no analysis at all. Just a kind of introduction to the subject (with poor intelectual intention) and some pictures (chosen with unknown criteria) to produce a colourful page. Honestly, I would like other reviewers give some examples to support the high rate given to this work. Regarding the chosen paintings, not only the criteria for the selection is unclear (if it exists at all for it does not seem to be consistent throughout the book) but -more important and objective- is that many of the illustrations are so small that one cannot appreciate important details.To say it in a sentence: the worse book I have ever read on art history. To whom might this book be beneficial? To the editors, I guess.

For all the terrific essays, books, guides, museum publications and primers for the beginning art lover, this generously illustrated, thoughtful book presents one of the most practical and informative manuals on how to look at and truly see paintings. The authors have divided this survey of painting not in the usual hisorical context, but instead they show us the various types of paintings and how to approach them and get the most out of the viewing experience. By selecting categories such as Religious painting, Myth and Allegory, The Nude, History painting, Portraiture, Landscape, Still Life, and even Abstract painting they present samples from across the entire history of Western art, pointing out the hows and whys artists chose and painted each subject. Religious painting, for example, uses examples from Giotto, Tiepolo, Michelangelo, Bosch and Rembrandt to Max Ernst, Dali, Gauguin, Stanley Spencer and Jackson Pollock. By concentraiting on the subject of the painting we are guided into an understanding of the evolution of that type of painting and the result is that we are encouraged to look at every school and every period of history in a refreshed light. The section on landscape shows that the beginnings of this genre can be found in the backgrounds of the medieval frescoes and progresses through various periods until the Landscape itself is the main subject. The many interpretations of myths, allegories, Self Portraits, components of still life paintings are all explored and documented in the most user-friendly way. This book is invaluable for teachers of Art Appreciation, for those people who want to know what to look for when they visit museums, and for artists who want a different slant on the history of composition. The color reproductions are plentiful and of excellent quality. This is a fine addition to the library of art lovers and afficiandos, students and hedonists! A worthwhile investment, and a fine reference book and tool.

EXCELLENT!!! I ordered several 24/7 books new and used.
Then ordered covers from the 24/7 web site with pictures of family members.
Many with old candid long forgotten pictures.
These were given to family members from Coast to Coast. Even though
I wasn't with my family for the holidays I was a hit at every gathering.
For the uniqueness and the thoughtfulness of the Gift.

Even the most orthodox of post-colonial, politically-correct revisionists have to admit that ALL of what San Francisco is today is because of the United States and its values. San Francisco, for all intents and purposes, didn't exist before 1846, so why does the author still feel it necessary to bore the reader with blather about the United States "stealing" California from Mexico or referring to the "so-called conquest"? Writing about San Francisco as if it somehow "belonged" to any nation other than the United States is just plain stupid. So I wish the author had spared us the politically-correct drivel about the noble Californios and Mexicans and (even!) Spanish. It's as if he says, "The United States sucks for doing what it did in California. Now let me tell you about the magnificent city it built." That said, the history section (the first half of the book) is better than the generally incomplete architectural survey. San Francisco is so crammed with good stuff that a complete architectural survey is a tall order, so it's forgivable. The most obvious omissions are the newer sections of Pacific Heights and Richmond. Incidentally, these are the places built most recently with new wealth, which is as good as non-existent to those inclined toward political correctness.

This thorough history of San Francisco combined with several walking tours makes the past palpable to those here today. His vivid descriptions of San Francisco from the frontier days to the present significantly illuminate the many walking tours through the city. I have recommended the book to others curious about why this city has its unique look and feel.

Peter Wiley takes the reader on a great tour of San Francisco. A perfect gift for a friends who's visiting or those of us who live here in San Francisco. I found a number of hidden treasures that I honestly didn't know about before reading this book.

My third day in San Francisco, I left the National Trust Guide to San Francisco in my room. It is not the architectural guide book I expected it to be. Dry and talky, the book is long on background and short on facts about individual buildings. Dozens of intriguing buildings are omitted and there is almost nothing about engineering. Peter Wiley's book may be a decent introduction to the city, but reading it did not heighten my anticipation before flying west, or strengthen my appreciation after arriving.

The weaknesses of this guide stand in contrast to the strengths of the AIA guides to major cities. These architect-written guides are exhaustive. The Boston, Chicago and New York books in particular make excellent travel guides as well as desk references. They mix building descriptions with history, and delightful nuggets of information that deepen your appreciation of the place and its builders. There's nothing dry about these books. When it comes to criticism, the editors can be delightfully bitchy.

Between politics and earthquakes, San Francisco is not an easy place to build. But SF AIA members, please find the time to draft a guide your craft and your city deserve. One that is worth schlepping up and down the hills.

I am a great lover of the written word and adore books, in any shape or form. I have been part of the graphic design/print/typography industry for over 20 years and now share the knowledge I have acquired in education. But I still want to learn more and consequently I am always on the look out for graphic design books that entice me to look further. This book is one of those - it encouraged me to go online to find out more. Simple, clear, concise, easy to read, well laid out. In fact, something I would NEVER have dreamed of doing before to any book - I found myself writing additional notes on the pages where I found out more fascinating information. Exciting and inspiring. Would buy again and definitely encourage anyone wanting to learn more about the history of graphic design to buy it. I believe it is a must-have.

I've reviewed a few books here, and have generally been gracious. However, I couldn't get myself to give Graphic Design Time Line anything more than a one-star rating.

The book covers a little over 100 years of design history. Each decade begins with a quote, then proceeds to showcase numerous "milestones" that happened each year, one spread per year. Then there's a smattering of black-and-white images.

And this execution constitutes the failure of Graphic Design Time Line. The book is the equivalent of a Graphic Design Trivial Pursuit reference. Worse, it's akin to a highschool kid who knows more than enough to get through a fill-in-the-blanks quiz and yet is bereft of insight. A motherload of facts, true. But to any practicing graphic designer, facts are worthless without insight.

As an example, a 1913 entry highlights: "William Randolph Hearst purchases Harper's Bazaar." This may have been a milestone for the publishing industry, but graphic design? Did Hearst revolutionize magazine design, or use new printing techniques, or elevate the magazine to a new level of visual communication? No explanation.

One 1960 entry states: "Steff Geissbuhler is a designer for Geigy Pharmaceutical Company." Okay, so why is this event a graphic design milestone? Again, no explanation.

"Milestone" is a big word, but the book never supports the milestones it presents. In the early part of the book, design movements are mentioned but are never explained, not even in summary, and most of these movements don't have the benefit of a visual peg. There is nothing in the book that exhibits trends, their origins, or implications.

My fault is that I expected far too much from this book. If I were to have my "dream" Graphic Design Time Line book, I would start a decade with a summary of the design trend of that period, how it started, who were the major players, who were starting to get noticed, then add some images of works that defined that decade.

When it comes to each year, I'd scrape the twenty or so factoids and focus on four to six entries--the milestones of all milestones--expand on them, highlight their defining characteristics, interconnect them, and cross-reference them with other decades. A sidebar would still contain factoids as supplementary information.

So am I disappointed? Yes, yes, and yes. If you're a design student, a professional, or someone looking for practical info, you might be disappointed with this book as well.

I can imagine, though, that Graphic Design Time Line would be perfect for the graphic design history teacher. It can help a teacher with a course outline, but I can't see anything more than that.

Heller is, as we all know by now, the preeminent graphic design writer of our times. This work displays the history of graphic design in simple, bulleted lists arranged by category in a chronoligcal arrangement that is as elegant as it is simple: each year gets its own spread (though earlier , sparses, years are two-to-a-spread), with reproductions of work from the year and stats on important developments in design, illustration, photo, and more, as well as the people who are responsible for such work.

Not a book to be read all at once, but to be enjoyed sporadically, leafed through, glanced through before bed... a must-have for the design history enthusiast.

I realize that the reason so many people are disgusted with this book is that the author is far ahead of his time. The book is helpful and useful, chock full of new and innovative ways to present information. I am sure, that somewhere in the near future, the ideas in this book will be the standard for digital architecture. The ideas presented in this book help make charts accessible for everyone, not just the information architecture elite. You can only resist the new way of doing things for so long... Furthermore, this book is a reference, and no one is meant to copy the charts line for line. If you don't want to use purple, orange, and blue on your volume chart, then stick to black and grey while the rest of us ride the wave into the future of information presentation!

I only wish there was an updated version (the last version was 2000), so that I could learn how to create diagrams with today's software.

Because of all of the bad reviews on this book, I decided to borrow it from the library instead of buy it. It isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be, and in fact, it's a rather useful resource.

Previous reviews claim that the author suggests the decorate diagrams and presentations with clipart and other garish techniques. Indeed, the author does suggest using symbols, colors, different stylistic techniques. However, he also tells the reader as often as possible, "Don't let the effects impede [the content]" and such. He states very often to use stylistic techniques such as 3D effects and symbols for clarity only if they will serve to add a level of information to the diagram that will facilitate understanding. In fact, he points out repeatedly in the section about how to make symbols - keep them stylistically consistent, keep them simple, keep them clear, and don't add any unnecessary accessories.

I think this book is a good resource as a methodical system of determining which type of diagram to display your information in.

Well, we all make mistakes - at least it is pretty in parts. A good guide to whether a restaurant chef can actually cook is to order an omelette simple - if it's on your table within a couple of minutes, the chef probably knows what he/she is doing. In the field of statistical graphics, finding out what the author thinks about pie charts is usually a good indicator - in this case, Mr Bounford seems to think they're a good idea, and he even thinks it's a good idea to add some chart junk, distort the information by rotation or to use fake 3D effects, use multiple colours and so on.
I guess a second indicator of quality is to check the index - has this man even read Tufte, Cleveland, Wainer? - it appears not.
This book is appalling!
If you like colouring-in with crayons, but need some guidelines, this is probably the book for you. Actually, if you are looking for new and interesting (read "brightly coloured") ways of mis-representing your data, or for transforming data into mis-information, again, this may be the book for you. Mr Bounford has invented some distortions that have not occurred to me even in my statistical nightmares!
I am, however, keeping my copy - it's a great teaching aid - on what not to do!

I found this book to be a very useful resource for creating visually interesting informational graphics. I'm a technical communicator for a marketing-oriented company working in a number of different media, including print and web, and it is important to be able to attract and keep people's attention while conveying information. It may be that some of the methods provided in this book contradict E.Tufte's doctrines, but an ivory-tower nose-in-the-air approach ain't gonna move no product! Maybe I'm not a "serious Information Architect" -- That being said, I found the author's presentation and descriptions of the various types of charts and graphs helpful, and some of his layout ideas will be immediately valuable to me in my work.

As an experienced information designer I bought this book with great hope. Unfortunately what I saw appalled me. This book turns many of the principles of designing good information graphics on their head. If you have read Ed Tufte's books and appreciate his concepts of reducing "chart junk" this book will astound you in actually suggesting you dress up a graph with pretty background graphics and cute icons.

Not only does this book present questionable aesthetic values, but even promotes the creation of misleading diagrams. One example is the suggestion to just make a 90 degree turn with a bar on a bar chart if that one doesn't fit conveniently.

There are so many bad examples in this book that it is almost useful as a guide for what NOT to do when designing charts and diagrams.