An excellent guide for the visually-minded
921783
This book is an excellent introduction to flower essences, or flower remedies.  It's strongest point is the visual way it is laid out, with a case study, photos of the flower, historical snippets, and general information on each remedy.  It's very well-organized and a real pleasure to read, especially if you want to shy away from dense, overly-technical reading on the subject.  This is immensely readable, yet still accurate and true to the subject.  The one confusing point is the selection of remedies seems random or arbitrary.  There are remedies from many different sources, or makers of remedies, with out a complete selection from any company.  This is interesting, but in no way complete.  Some remedies are included, others excluded, for no apparent reason.  Still, I enjoy this book and it's nice just to leave out for browsing in the waiting room of an office, or coffee table in your living room.
2244044
I found the guide thoroughly comprehensive, covering the necessary cautions as thoroughly as the highlights. Moreover,the guide has a detailed coverage of Victoria Falls, which is not, strictly speaking, in the Republic of South Africa, but which is a part of many tours, including ours. The numerous detailed maps are extremely helpful, although I found it desirable to purchase a separate overall map to better relate the separate parts. There are few color plates, so it may be desirable to also purchase a copy of a more profusely illustrated guide. Still, taken by itself, this guide will probably provide all the basic information necessary to plan your trip.
778609
A great guide to color theory, lighting situations and techniques that many artists don't always understand or illustrate correctly.
4333074
Previous reviewers have commented on the beauty of the computer-enhanced pictures, and with this I fully agree. Thumbing through several bird guides before deciding on this one, I found the pictures to be of superior quality. Even if they are over-idealized, this itself may be a useful feature for the beginner (a possible over-enhancement to make the point).

The content of the book should offer sufficient depth without sacrificing portability, and this is true of this book. It is reasonably priced. You get a lot of bang for your buck. Each species of bird has a short-paragraph description.

The book is divided into color-tabbed chapters according to everyday groupings (not necessarily strict taxonomic groupings). This allows for a quick placing of most birds into readily-identifiable categories. As several previous reviewers have pointed out, the range maps are outstanding. An index of bird names is provided in the back, and a box is provided next to each bird name, enabling the reader/birder to check off  the names of each bird seen during a lifetime of observation, especially as one travels across North America.
3401153
This is an excellent guide for aspiring digital artists who want to take advantage of the resources available in Photoshop and Painter for combining photographic realism with painterly style.  Most of the exercises do presuppose some background in one or the other program - she doesn't teach you the basics - but she does explain each of the techniques she employs from scratch.  What struck me after I'd gone through a few of the Photoshop exercises is that many of the techniques she explains would be very handy even for those who mostly just want to improve the look of their photography and don't really have any specifically "artistic" aspirations.  After just one exercise I had a much better understanding of the history brush and art history brush tools - even though I'd used them several times before I didn't realize just how versatile they can be.  The focus here is on adding painterly effects to photographs, or on creating original artworks based on photographs, rather than on painting from scratch.  The book begins with several "inspiration" guides where digital artists walk you through the process of creating one of their characteristic works, and the rest of the book consists of tutorials and explorations of features in Photoshop and Painter for creating artworks from photographs.  It's a very worthwhile guide - well-written, clear, and with good illustrations.
1631693
Because I am one of those 'visual learners', this book is ideal for me. The concise text in this book accompanies a very nice graphic or two -- both greyscale and line art.

There are typically a number of potential solutions for a given mechanical problem. This book is a great reference tool to explore some of the best options.
4895070
The most striking thing about this book is the collection of images. HUNDREDS of images, incredible, eye-catching, fascinating examples of effective ways to communicate information visually. Most pages have at least 2-3 large images, with detailed captions, to illustrate the principles in the text.  It looks and feels like a beautiful coffee table book (and more fun to flip through!), big and glossy, even though it has way more informative content than a coffee table book. Kudos to the author for finding so many excellent examples of the things she writes about, from both the U.S. and around the world -- if a picture is worth a thousand words, then this book is a treasure trove!

As an educational tool for students and professionals, the information in this book is a wonderful, clear summary of the smartest information in the field. Even for someone who is not a designer, the book is fascinating to browse through, and there's so much to be learned.
4453344
I have found Ortho's All About Bulbs, as well as all of the other, relatively new, Ortho's "All Abouts", to be lavishly illustrated, and very, no wonderfully, informative.  I've browsed other similar books  and series, but have found that they all pale (at least in my humble  opinion)in comparison.  I enthusiastically appreciated the colorful and  dazzling photos (what gardener wouldn't), and the very easy to understand  text.  The structure of the books is quite uniform and logical, further  adding to their appeal.  In particular, the bulb guide leads the reader  through various well explained topics, including bulb lore, propagation,  planting, and design considerations, to name a few.  The book concludes (as  all of the All About plant guides do) with a thorough description, and  accompanying color photo, of numerous common, and a few not so common,  species.  "All in All", Ortho's All About Bulbs comes highly  recommended, a great guide with great photos, what could be better.
4564829
sasek's books are all visually lovely, no doubt about it, however they are also incredibly informative, which i quite appreciate. this book is littered with amazing images and interesting facts. i would definitely say this entry has some of the more poorly printed images, as they appear fairly washed out in comparison to the rich colors on the cover. this does lend it a lovely throwback feel, though, so little complaint from me there.

and as with all the updated printings of sasek's books, there is a welcome list of "this is the city...today!" at the end of the book with changes listed since the original printing. it is great to see both the way the city WAS as well as the present day differences.

i highly recommend this book if you are interested in either edinburgh, or simply in wonderful illustration.
3402168
I bought this manual to help me with a difficult photo project, so I've consulted it as I would an encyclopedia, but it has served me very well in that respect. I've still had to experiment on my own, but this book has pointed me in the right direction, answering many questions I had about photo processing in Photoshop Elements 11. You can use it as a training manual for an in-depth acquaintance with the program, but if you consult the book the way I do, the detailed table of contents and the index can direct you where you want to go to find instructions for specific techniques. The step-by-step instructions are clear, and the color photos illustrating the techniques further clarify the effects. Just by browsing through this attractively designed book, I've picked up pointers. Some manuals don't help me as much as they clutter my bookshelves, but this big beautiful tome is a keeper.
2926653
Wow. This is a visual treat. Your are introduced to "the grid" in graphic design and then simultaneously are shown lots of examples that violate the grid principle. The strength of this book is the examples, because you are given multiple pages for each design, which allows you to sense the designers' approach. It is a visual delight and breathtaking. You will find examples you love and hate and will be all the more inspired. A delight for the eye and mind!
2808560
A tome worth browsing through for there are gems to be found here
4718539
This is an excellent book in terms of zoology and anatomy, though it requires a technical background to fully appreciate. However, I agree with those who say that this book has little to say about evolution per se. Instead, it retrodicts the evolutionary processes behind the origin of visual structures and functions.

The book is profusely loaded with excellent photographs. It has many diagrams that enable the reader to compare essential features of eyes across the Animal Kingdom, at a glance (pardon the pun). This work focuses on eyes in aquatic and land animals, and in invertebrates (notably insects and cephalopods) as well as vertebrates. An extensive bibliography is provided for further reading.
4032155
As with all Eyewitness Guides, this is beautifully illustrated and informative. I have to admit I read it AFTER I visited Andalusia, but wish it had been on the market when I did go. It is an excellent armchair travel  book. It has certainly whetted my appetite to go back. Retrospective  reading always reveals gems you wish you had discovered at the time. One  real bonus of Eyewitness guides is that they have PROPER maps, with street  indexes integrated into them, unlike some guides which rely on sketch maps,  and where the scale can be a bit hit and miss. Another advantage is they  don;t attempt to list a "Top Ten" for each place, rather they  provide comprehensive coverage, and divide their coverage by locale.
3948305
This is the kind of guide to architecture that I appreciate: plenty of color photos, and good identification of sites to visit.  It's eye candy for Art Deco enthusiasts even if you aren't planning a trip to London.
2543047
Well executed source of testing and training information for anyone looking to improve their visual skills  (simple and complex). The book is clear and concise which allows for easy reading. In addition the trainings include lots illustrations which really help me as a visual learner. Wes provides specific tools to enhance your vision in the effort of making you more aware and more effective in any environment. Overall, this book is an great resource and I look forward to applying the lessons and information into my training and that of my soldiers.
236482
The guide is one that will surely find a home in both professional and hobbyists' reference libraries. Examples of what to do and what not to do are fun to read and explore not only with the lens but the mind and eye, and the photographic references are not only beauty and well-done but enhance the learning.