Brilliant in content and style
596411
This perhaps my favorite book ever.

Understand, I'm not some salivating fanboy. I am a professional designer and artist myself. While I have always deeply appreciated the artistry and genius that has gone into the creation of Disneyland, more than any other title in my large library of art and design books, "It's Kind of a Cute Story" delivers gold on all fronts.

 The look and feel are gorgeous with each page lovingly laid out and multilayered with Rolly's wonderful whimsical work (say that three times fast!). Just the background textures are delightful enough to make this worth the price of admission. The color plates are vibrant and exciting to look at and all of the photographic work is clear and well printed... But it is the writing that really shines brightest.

Reading this book really is like sitting down in the living room after a party, savoring the last half of your drink, and whiling away the night in the company of Rolly Crump the man and character. You can practically hear his actual voice coming from the pages as he spins his tale of successes, near misses and honest failures, and gives you the reasons why something worked or didn't. Rolly is willing to name the names and point out the good, bad and ugly of projects, rides, parks and whole companies. I especially enjoyed his nonlinear style of wandering off topic to illuminate some fascinating detail or tell an anecdote, but always be trusted to return to the core point.

The thing I appreciate the most about this book is how complete a package it is. As a piece of art in itself, it is beautiful laying on your table or shelf, bringing more visual joy to any room. As a story it is as compelling as a campfire tale. You just don't want to go to bed until you've heard it all. I was actually sad when I reached the end and found myself wishing for a second volume. As a tour of Disneyland, the Disney studios, the Worlds Fair, foreign countries and one man's journey through life, it is  as informative as a guidebook and entertaining as a novel. As a way to pass the time, it is as amusing a ride as any attraction Rolly had a hand in and left me wanting more. As an object of intrinsic value, I feel it adds more to my collection of books than any well considered tome I own.

In the end, it is better than an "E" Ticket. It is more like the elusive "Magic Key" Tickets my Dad would give me as a kid, because it got you on all of the rides, and that's what Rolly Crump and Jeff Heimbuch do for us here... Let us enjoy all of the experiences with all of our senses.
1409961
"Wisdom does not always speak latin." C.H. Spurgeon

Dr. Christian George has taken one of the world's most articulate and divinely inspired preachers and has brought him back into contemporary libraries. I have eagerly waited for this book to come in as I had pre-ordered over a month ago. The aesthetics of this book is well worth the price that accompanies it. The book comes in a nice protecting cardboard box. It is marble bound with gold gilded page edges. The pages themselves are thick and glossed giving this book a quality that you know will last generations. The content is even more superb.

The content is amazing. The sermons are broke down according to the way Spurgeon organized his sermon notes. The structure of this book is well-ordered and easy to follow. It contains pictures of the actual documents along with the notebook front and back photos. At the back of the book it contains rare photos that only the collectors edition hold. It is apparent that a lot of work has been put into this book with more volumes to come.

Dr. George has put a lot of work into this book. What a blessing to have someone with his capabilities use them to the advantage of others. I cannot recommend enough that this be a book on your top priority list.
4554972
Bilhuber's new book is wonderful.  He explores less formal settings than in his previous books and his mastery of color and pattern is brilliant.  He chooses paints and fabrics as if from an Impressionist pallet mixing oranges, greens, blues, yellows, purples and so on across the spectrum.  He's also fearless in his use of pattern. To me, he has translated the English country house for our American lifestyle.  The rooms are filled with antiques and furnishings selected for these smaller, more intimate spaces. There are eccentric personal collections included in his rooms.  For example, one client's inherited ceramic bird collection dots tabletops, mantel and bookshelves.  There's a beach house filled with a family's needlepoint pillows in every color of the rainbow.  Any other decorator would have jettisoned them instead of incorporating them.  To quote Bilhuber:"These rooms couldn't exist without such flourishes - the real, tangible, storytelling components from past lives. "  The book is organized around each home so that you can see his entire vision.  Last but not least, the photography by William Abranowicz is beautiful.
This book is filled with ideas that anyone can incorporate into their home.  I've already changed my lampshades.
4048308
This is a gem of a book that deserves more credit than these reviews allow.  Lanham brilliantly uses a focus on attention to open up economics, rhetoric, art, the internet, universities as institutions, and the style/substance interdependence.  He comes across as futuristic in his professor in L.A. way and as a very old school classicist in more of a deep school way.  What is rare and very refreshing in this work is his strong faith and understanding of rhetoric, the lively and ancient road less taken by philosophers.  His writing is delectable and every paragraph offers something to think about.  I would leave a sample quote but instead I'll recommend checking out the sample pages in the Look Inside feature above.
2036515
This book is unusually well written and presented. I find myself reading up on areas that I hadn't even intended to learn about. In fact, I'm having a problem staying focused; it's like discovering a treasure trove of wonderful detail. I am especially impressed with the coverage of IL.

Without exception, the presentation of this book is flawless; Simon has an extraordinary writing skill and technique. It's like getting advice from a wise man. You get the right level of detail that's not academic and impracticle, but rather exactly pertinant for immediate use.

I've purchased a lot of books over the years - well over 100 - and this is easily one of the very best books I'm come across, which is why I felt compelled to come here and praise it.
3850111
This was my introduction to this masterful thinker.  I read a wide variety of non-fiction, including so-called "Intellectual" or "Social" History.  Few works are comparable to Prof. Barzun's review of the ascent and decline of western culture.  Gibbon's "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" comes first to mind. It was obviously influential in Barzun's personal history.  Also, Daniel Boorstein's trilogy: "The Discoverers", "The Creators", and "The Seekers", individually or in toto, come to mind.  In each of these Boorstein works, as with Barzun's "Dawn to Decadence", the fruits of one age are traced along often unlikely roots to a previous age.  Sometimes, too, the vines of a given age bear disparate fruits.

The Beauty of this tome is not solely in the mastery of the subject matter. It is also not just the materful use of the language.  Both of these are wonderful facets to this gem.  What shines brightest is the flow of ideas and their impact on disparate areas of the culture; to see the pebble strike the pond and then to follow the ripples along their course.  For example, the demonstration that our modern concepts of political democracy and personal freedoms can be traced directly to the Protestant Reformation.  This alone was such an epiphany for me.  I had never heard anyone trace this path in other works and, to my knowledge, no one else has freely done so since.  This alone convinced me of Prof. Barzun's brilliance.  I have since gathered and read almost everything that he has published.  After all of these I am even more convinced of his unique genius.

I have recommended "From Dawn to Decadence" to few people whom I know or meet.  Not because of anything lacking in the book.  It is that this book will appeal to certain indivuals but will not be appreciated by the public at large.  It is not for the casual reader; it is not an "easy read".  It is "project reading".  One must approach it with an open mind and, preferably, with the ability to schedule time to read.  At 800 pages, none of which is mindless fluff, it takes time for even the most voracious reader.

If you favor "historical fiction" and rarely venture into the non-fiction aisles, then this book is not for you.  If you love to learn and love to read, especially if you love to read for learning, then you should read this book.  Consider it a "must read."  It may change your world-view.  I know that it changed mine.
4795450
I'e read some complaints about Hazel's prose style and I have to say that I disagree. Although the presentation would pack more punch if the text were pruned back, I think Hazel is a sensitive, impassioned, gifted thinker, occasionally skirting on the poetic, and I'm amazed by how he keeps delivering insight and style through such a thick book. Considering the enormous complexity and diversity of human-relationship styles, and just how hard it is to pry very intimate secrets out of people, this book ought to be recognized as a rare treasure chest. Open it yourself.
2999061
Brilliant book.  The prose flows.  I read the book, 431 pages, in one sitting...truly could not put it down.  I knew John and the characters in the book at The Prep. John wrote the Truth.  The opening passage with Fr. King(ston) was entirely brilliant.  I could hear every word in my mind as I read.  That sold me on the truth of the tale.  The book reads as if we were at lunch at "The Rat Cellar" and John is telling story after story.  One line showed me the brilliant artistry of the author: on page 325, in just 3 words, he captures the essence of The Headmaster as "red-faced rage."  That is a three-word portrait that is brilliant for how pithily complete it is.  If you went to The Prep, this book is a must.  If you did not, this is still a work of art that you will thoroughly enjoy as you are invited to join a group of friends who traverse the coming-of-age years.
2372055
This is one of the most brilliant "picture" books I have read. Bursting with pithy satirical wit and commentary " I Am The Elephant in the Room" is a must read. The art work is gorgeous.
Mr. Bender is not only a brilliant writer and director but also a gifted artist.

I highly recommend this beautiful book.  A great hostess gift and fun gift for dad this Father's Day .  This is on my gift list for all my witty and open minded friends.
2188453
The New Secrets of Charisma is, in addition to being a warm and reassuring hug, a truly masterful work.  Have you ever watched a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood and wondered what elements and specific skills made the stars of that era so irresistibly radiant and appealing?  The techniques that underlie that charisma can be learned, and this book will prove it to you one chapter at a time.

Some of my favorite charismacizes are The Magic Breath Exercise, The Great Wow, The Golden Light, The I Don't Care Swing, The Pleasure Checklist, and the Anti-Judgmental Notebook.  That, of course, does not include the various visualizations, all of which are amazing.  For an ongoing, unfair advantage over the rest of the world, I use The Big Balloon -- that is, breathing less than seven times per minute, which I've managed to get even lower with the help of The Magic Breath.  Maybe it is the underlying philosophy of this book that is so appealing, which is that "The best work is accomplished in a spirit of eager play."  I owe endless thanks to The New Charisma for introducing me to the human potential movement via its references to other works such as "Superlearning" and "Bodymind."

Although other authors and speakers have appeared on the landscape, such as Tony Robbins and whoever else has come and gone, none have had a message as authentic, holistic, and just plain spot-on as The New Charisma.  The book is extremely enjoyable yet it equips an individual with tools to deal with the toughest, bare knuckle, real-life situations anyone is likely to confront, with unflappable grace.  I discovered The New Charisma at a time when I was under tremendous stress at a miserable job, and reading it was like coming home.  Life suddenly turned into a beautiful, sunny, perfect Saturday afternoon where all was right with the world -- and I could connect with people in a way that was natural, fun, mutually beneficial and extremely effective.  Part of the secret of charisma is that your own enjoyment of life is infectious to others.  Dr. Lang will add so much pleasure and dimension to your experience that the change will be akin to switching from an old black and white TV with an earplug, to a state of the art theater with stereo surround sound.

If you value living a rich, rewarding life, you simply cannot afford not to read this book.
2624017
This is a brilliant book and vaulted to my all-time top 10 list (which includes the likes of Catch-22, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series, Lord of the Rings, 100 Days of Solitude, early Barbara Kingsolver, ...).  It is not only hysterical, but a brilliant essay on the human condition and relationship between citizens and government.  It would be excellent material for a high school or college government class.  Pratchett has the knack of spinning a very readable yarn while also getting into some very deep philosophy.  It's a book I very much look forward to re-reading.
3797128
The other reviewers have touched on the content of this book, written by a sage and knowledgeable doctor in an age gone by. Today, medicine is all about technology and about breaking things down into ever-finer pieces so as to understand them better, but the old Japanese view, based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, emphasizes systems thinking instead of deconstruction. In other words, it looks at the whole person rather than a toe, a liver, a pustule, a headache.

This book is, therefore, not a medical text in the modern sense of the word, but a guide to keeping the entire body healthy and fit. It is filled with longevity tips that run the gamut from how much to sleep and when to eat to how to handle life's stressors and how to handle your booze. William Scott Wilson hit a homerun in selecting this text for translation, and does such a brilliant job of it that you can almost hear the old doctor whispering kind advice in your ear. I recommend this and all of Wilson's books most heartily. He is far more than a translator, he's a gifted writer himself who chooses to bring forth gems of the past like this one. The text flows beautifully, the wording is spare and precise, the organization is simple and straightforward, and the footnotes alone are a course in history and wisdom. Bravo.
626101
Fine writes in a way that brilliantly organizes and explains an issue of extreme complexity and even greater importance. She argues in a way that even the most adamant sexist can't help but agree with. Combine the two and the result is a book that is both delightful to read and monumentally impactful for the future of human society. For your sake and my own, please read it.
3050878
This is a remarkably brilliant, accessible, and so handy self-help book. Simple, yet so wise, precise and so very doable. I loved it all the way through and found it useful, handy, and charming. If I could, I'd love to thank the author personally.
3782051
Hodgman has a perfect pen for the art of brilliant randomness.  I enjoyed this book from cover to cover as his sense of humor is precisely on the same vector as my own.  I would highly recommend this reading if you enjoy a delightful mix of clever factual fabrications and the juxtaposition of quick "makes you think' humor and sharp, scholarly diction.  I've bought 5 copies as gifts for acquaintances that I like as well as those that I don't, in hopes that they will learn not to take life not quite so seriously.  Thank you John.
944939
This is a concise, intelligent piece of work written in three clearly defined segments; the most intensive being the first part which deals directly with the art of writing in the real world. There is then a short,  centrally located segment which is about networking that makes plain good  sense look quite simply like a brilliant idea.  The Third and last  section deals in no uncertain terms with the Business of Publishing, and  make no mistake, the guy who wrote it has more than 40 years experience in  the field, so each page he presents to us is not only useful, it's a no  fooling around, fact-filled leaf within a series of only hundred and some  business oriented pages that complete this valuable text.  The  book then is punctuated with an ending comprised of short, comprehensively  helpful lists.  Do yourself a favor and don't miss it.
1937706
This book is written and crafted by a genius. What came in the mail was much more than merely a biography, this is a work of precision cultural criticism and wit which can be both pointed and beautiful at the same time.

I love how Chesterton picks out his contemporaries or past thinkers and then tells us why they are wrong for thinking x. There is so much truth in this book-- I could go on and on about how relevant this work is to us in the 21st Century. When talking about Ancient Rome: "Thus the effect of treating sex as only one innocent natural thing was that every other innocent natural thing became soaked and sodden with sex" (21).

What makes Chesterton so good, though, is that he is not parading merely his own opinion throughout the book-- he is speaking with the fullness of truth backing him up. The reader will experience what happens when Jn 8:32 is applied to literature: "the truth will set you free" and you will then be free to take down that which is not true-- and do it with style.