It's not just a book of beautiful photos, but one that engages you in a ...
350248
I've purchased many coffee table books but this ONE, is a illustration of beauty and entertaining that I've never seen.  It's not just a book of beautiful photos, but one that engages you in a very honest way, giving you a real sense of David Monn's process of transforming spaces.  Thank you for sharing this wonderful gift.
2030692
By her own account, Rachel Oliver has been attuned to wild animals for many years, and she tells marvelous stories about encounters with them all over the world that have surprised and captivated her. But this is not just a travelogue with photos. Her book is a call to recognition that we are part of the world that these animals inhabit, that we are all interconnected. Although wild animals are different nations, we can communicate on many levels, in many different circumstances, to the benefit of all species. Rachel's prose is lovely and thoughtful, and her book resides on one of my outside tables this summer, where I can leaf through it in the midst of sights and sounds of the wildlife in my own neighborhood.
3110209
Harold Davis is a fine photographer, as his many books attest.  Yet, it's not as a photographer that I am reviewing his book Photographing Flowers: Exploring Macro Worlds with Harlod Davis.  I seem to lack any kind of photographic skill, but I admire it in others.  Harol Davis makes me look at things in ways I have not experienced before, from the smallest center of a flower, to ordinary objects, to the vastness of stars.  This book especially seems to open worlds of images to viewers that we might otherwise miss, and ways of looking at flowers that are exciting and filled with a spectacular beauty that is often breathtaking and surprising.  I turn to Harold Davis's photos for inspiration in my own work, from drawing and painting, to poetry.  One of my all time favorite photos is one facing the inside back cover, a pink flower so perfect you wonder that it can be real, so delicate, and yet so vigorous that it seems to rise off the page.  Even if you are not a photographer, this book is one that will fascinate you and reward you time and again with images that will stay with you long after you put the book away, and with Mr. Davis's own enthusiasm and excitement for his work and for the wonders he presents to the world. I will leave it to the photographers to recommend it for his approach and knowledge of their work.  Without reservation, I can recommend this book to anyone looking for a fresh outlook on natural beauty and wonder,for images you just don't want to miss, for walking into the center of strange worlds present in the center of flower, or in the shining of light though so much sheer loveliness.
4029199
Still Waters is a book full of incredibly beautiful photographs that touch your soul. You find yourself turning each page then gazing out into space with a small smile on your face. I found myself going "...this one is  my favorite, no! this one!" In the end I knew I had to own this book.  The author writes a lovely introduction that  enables you to visualize and  feel the process and circumstances behind some of the photographs. It is  page after page of magic.
3354031
A photographically rich tapestry of lives, lives that were all rich in so many different ways.
3090423
Unlike your typical "coffee table book," Nomachi's work can be reread and appreciated as a delicious portrait of what is to some a mysterious branch of humanity. I understand Hacibey's criticism and am not in a position to counter it, as I am not Muslim and have not made a hajj. I can only point out that the book is gorgeous, absorbing, and fascinating. I have been a scholar of comparative religions for some time and, despite the shallowness that some have assailed, I found the photographs to be very enlightening, even touching, as an earnest attempt to touch the soul of the hajji and hajjiyah as they endure their once-in-a-lifetime Meccan ordeals.
1707956
This is a delightful book.  The photos are a collection of slice of life moments in the lives of real people, unselfconsciously being themselves.  I am intrigued by the people and relationships captured in the photographs which, besides being a joy to view.  could inspire the imagination of a writer looking for a story to tell.
3581541
I take issue with the other review of this book.  The reviewer seems to expect this book to be something it clearly is not, nor ever intended to be.  Jennifer Gough-Cooper is a fine art photographer who created an absolutely beautiful series of photographs about the experience of seeing Rodin's work in the context of the Rodin Museum, with all its wood floors, French windows, glass vitrines,  antique mirrors and mouldings.  The photos are not about having "special access" and taking the works out of their context to give a sterile "objective" perspective.  In terms of the "soft focus," this is an intentional product of the artist's choice of a shallow depth of field.  The images in this book are not documentation, but fine art.  In fact, the Rodin Museum chose to exhibit these photographs in their museum and acquire a set for their permanent collection.  This book is pure poetry and I highly recommend it.
302694
Intimate view of another time, culture, and experience.
2415356
Out of all the adult coloring books on the market, what makes this book unique is that it's not just a coloring book. It's a work of art. And it's a work of art that anyone, whether you are an artist or not, gets to take part of. The illustrations are beautiful and inspiring, and even if you never picked up a colored pencil/marker/brush to color them in, they would still serve as a beautiful ode to eating in season, which would give this book a deserving spot on your bookshelf.
3166475
While not a richly visual book, like you would typically expect from a book about scrapbooking, this is nevertheless a wonderful manual about how to dig deeper into the memories and ideas that you are trying to preserve in the first place with your scrapbooks.  And by doing so, you will inevitably discover more about yourself and who you are.

Written in the first person, the author is friendly and encouraging as she shares her own journeys through Resonance, Equilibrium, Movement, Awareness, Expression, Awakening, Celebration, and Connection.  You cannot help but read her words and want to do her exercises so that you, too, can ponder what the event or person you are scrapbooking means to you, and use language to express that.

I will say that the book, like much of the scrapbooking world, is heavily weighted towards the beautiful and joyful.  I think that is natural, since those are the times and memories we enjoy most.  I strongly believe, however, that scrapbooking can also be an excellent way to work through the parts of life that aren't typically scrapbooked - coming to terms with a child with a disability, or with someone who has Alzheimers, and so on.  While these may not be pages you'd readily share with the world at large, they would be invaluable as a truly meaningful and intimate window to your own soul to pass down through your family. And also in terms of gaining even more self- awareness.  But perhaps that is a subject for another book.

Anyway, your scrapbooks will be even more meaningful, and much richer, if you take the time to work through this book and apply the ideas to your pages.  Five stars.
3935244
The book is beautiful. It's hard to surprise a viewer with photos of Central Park, since it's such a done deal over the decades. But the photos do have that "wow" factor and often startle. I would imagine that only a fellow photographer could appreciate the amount of work, the expertise, the careful thought that went into these photographs. And a delightful bonus is the number of sly interior views of the apartments and the sculptures gracing them--a hint of those ambiguous Matisse paintings of interiors with window views of echoing exteriors.
4240918
Unlike anything you've ever heard.  It's not only beautiful and stirring, but it's an experience unto itself.
2160062
Sarah Oltrogge's engaging retrospective is nothing short of revelatory. As she takes you on a journey through over a century's worth of photos and lore, you'll not only find yourself stopping to look more deeply into these images for signs, streets, and places from long ago, but also looking at the East Village of today with fresh eyes.  It's an emotional journey, too--the realization that a favorite theatre, pub, or restaurant has already met the wrecking ball can't help but feel unsettling.

But this is not the too-often-told tale of urban renewal gone mad. This story has a happy ending: the recent resurgence of the East Village's core neighorhoods, thanks to the hard work of people who loved it still. Sarah knows her stuff--not least because she is one of those very people putting in the effort to save this slice of local history.

In reading this, you will find an East Village you never knew before, and one you are not likely to forget.
1867580
THE PHOTOGRAPHY HERE IS BEAUTIFUL...THE FACES OF EACH PERSON ARE PHOTOGRAPHED UP CLOSE AND THE EMOTION OF THE PEOPLE COMES ALIVE IN THE EYES, THE TRIBAL COLORS ON THE FACES, AND THE WRITTEN EXPLINATION OF EACH PHOTO.  THE BOOK WITH THE PEOPLE IN IT ARE LOOKING BACK AT YOU AS IF YOU ARE BEING OBSERVED AND NOT THEM....................EXCELLENT IN ALL WAYS.
679902
This book is principally a collection of photographs of the canyons dissecting the Llano Estacado of the Texas Panhandle. Artistically, the photographs are second to none among those I have seen, in print or on the Internet, of these extraordinary features so unsuspected by casual travellers along the Panhandle Interstates. Meinzer's work evokes the reality of the landscape with unusual poignancy, and insight into the canyonscapes is heightened by the emphasis on the change of seasons; Winter, Summer, Fall and Spring are about equally represented, sun-blasting, snow, mist and flood.

There is a brief and informative introduction by Frederick W. Rathjen, author of the excellent history "Texas Panhandle Frontier". In this introduction, Rathjen concentrates on the history of the Panhandle, after a synopsis of the geology, granting equal validity to the Native Americans, the Spanish (Conquistadors and New Mexicans), the early Texan nationalists, and the Northern European (Anglo) settlers. There is an interesting remark toward the end of the Introduction:

" Now [Meinzer] directs his lens to the canyons of the High Plains, including privately owned and little-known sites in Palo Duro Canyon and Caprock Canyon State Parks. That he is Texas's official state photographer certainly unlocks gates that remain locked to others, and his respect for landowners' wishes keeps them unlocked. Those others might not be so excluded had some not betrayed confidences, intruded thoughtlessly, or invoked the lame rubric that explaining is easier than asking."

Anyone familiar with the great State of Texas is aware that Anglo-American concepts of private property are sometimes raised to the level of cult there, but such remarks are specially significant in light of attempts over the past decades to establish a National Park in the Panhandle. Moreover, anyone interested in this landscape may well think of Dan Flores, whose book "Caprock Canyons", originally published in 1990, has just come out in a new edition. Flores takes us into a lot of places, such as Tule Canyon, that we won't be able to get into because they are in private hands, and tells us about abuse suffered by these lands, as well as the genuine stewardship some Texans have practiced here. Rathjen's Introduction represents a traditional, though enlightened and intelligent viewpoint, Flores' book is a more critical take on what has happened since the Southern Great Plains became "Texas".
4370183
The generous pages allow for large photos of O'Keeffe and her art. Coupled with very informative captions and contextual explanations, this book provides a far richer experience than books that only have the art and quotes, good as they are. The variety of photos of O'Keeffe over many years and photographers included many candid ones that reveal more of her humanity beyond the carefully posed icon. I especially appreciate the many photos by Maria Chabot and the notes showing her crucial role in the renovation of the Abiquiu house. Thank you so much for this gorgeous, fascinating book.