A must for new UK entry graduates

This is an excellent source of UK Planning Law and Practice for, in particular, overseas students who have no prior knowledge of the UK Planning system. This applies to those from countries like New Zealand and australia who have their planning systems originating from the UK, as the UK has its own distinctive system unlike the land use zoning patterns of New Zealand the US. <br /><br />It is quite a substantial book however all chapters are useful and cover subjcts from Development Control to Urban Regeneration. It is a must-read before you arrive in the UK or begin practice.

Maybe the Definitive Book

This is the official book for the programme written by Adobe. It takes you through a series of structured lessons with the images from the enclosed CD.<br />Shows quiet a few tips and shortcuts. In full colour now (about time! this is a manual about colour after all!).<br />Visual Quickstart Guide is an alternative you might consider, also good, that comes with images but you have to download then from their website. Think the Adobe book has the edge. <br />It's useful to remember that no book can cover everything and a different way of explaining things might suit you better, so buy two or three.

Jeiiy Roll Quilt Fever. By Pam And Nicky Lintott

Superb book, Good for beginners or experienced Quilters. Well written with everything explained fully and diagrams leaving nothing to guess work.Plenty of choice with 17 projects and very exciting designs for the Jelly Rolls that are the rage at the moment.<br />

More Important Than Mickey

I cannot be the only person who had become jaded by Hollywood's over use of the"Holocaust" button as a short circuit to character depth and motivation. Then I read this and was moved much more than all those movies and TV dramas could ever manage. <br /><br />As has been said elsewhere, overcome your reluctance to read and comic book/graphic novel and this book rewards with lifelong meaning and resonance. Clever, funny and desperately sad all at once. <br />

Good manual

I purchased this book for 2 months ago and i have had time to go throuhgt it enough to recommend this book as a manual for elements 6. It will not teach you how to make picture art but will help you to understand and use elements 6. Could like that the organiser had been more covered. A good book if you are new to elements 6.

If you only have one book on Architecture, this must be it.

This book lays the best foundation for architectural study and design of any book ever published. It should be required reading at every university and would make a great primer for high school students with enlightened teachers.

The world's worst artist.

Jack Vettriano is without doubt the world's worst artist, a man who taste forgot. All of his paintings are terrible beyond belief, basically the bloke doesn't have a clue. If you want to see paintings, which have depth, and are sublime, by artists who know how to paint people - instead of making them look like mannequins - then look at the work of Goya, Soutine &c. - and use any publications featuring the work of Vettriano as firewood. Good for your heating bill & for yourself. You'll feel better for it.

Get creative.

Is this the most comprehensive book to guide you through Photoshop CS3? Probably not. But it does give you a description of the menus and gently guides you through most of the common functions.<br /><br />I've played around with many photo-editing applications over the last few years but not actually Photoshop (which many consider bizarre considering that Photoshop is generally viewed as the ultimate in photo editing software), so I'm quite comfortable with many procedures, but was a bit phased at the vast array of options open to me in Photoshop. <br /><br />This book has helped me to familiarise myself with the programme, and to edit my photos with the book as a trusty guide.<br /><br />I have learnt a lot about Photoshop from this book. It covers the basic stuff through to some advanced editing techniques. It isn't a an encyclopaedia of all the functions, but it makes what can often be a daunting application very accessible - particularly for those who are new to it.

A classic, and for good reason

Hughes has the gift of producing an extraordinarily well turned phrase that, without being needlessly complex, can encapsulate a big idea with ease. Where better to employ such a skill than in explaining the history of modern art? Through each of the thematic chapters Hughes keeps his story grounded in the history of the 20th century, demonstrating how modernism sought to describe the experience of that era and that for many key art movements this was a practical task of vital importance. To bring that vitality and immediacy back through the well-chosen example and well-turned phrase is the heart of this book's success. Hughes expresses views with which other art historians may disagree, but this book is perhaps the best way into the subject as a whole.

Didn't know how much I didn't know

Having been a keen amateur photographer for 40 years, I hoped this book would"top up" my knowledge for this advanced bit of kit. Well, just a few pages in, I realised how little I knew and very quickly was taking much better shots and working my way through the more sophisticated features.<br /><br />Sections on white balance, photo styles and computer editing, whilst not always specific to the 40D, are very useful indeed.<br /><br />Highly recommended for getting the most out of the great camera.

Simply Outstanding!

Banksy's Wall and Piece is simply an amazing collection of his graffiti art all across the UK and the world. His unique style has won him international acclaim to fame. His artwork is not just vandalism but sends out a political statement which is bold and isn't afraid to mention things we would otherwise keep quiet. I first heard Banksy on a news website when he created another piece of work and then visited his website banksy.com, and since then fallen in love with his work. The other day I came across the book in a store and really enjoyed his collection of work. This is a must have book for any of those interested not just in art, but also those who have been shaped by the news in recent years.<br /><br />To be honest, I am not a massive fan of art, or graffiti either but this is totally different! 5 STARS well deserved!

Excellent and inspiring

Excellent balance between text and pics with loads of facts and bits of interviews I have never read before as well as pictures never seen before to my knowledge.<br /><br />The author did a really thorough job at finding out about Kate's style which is basically all about having an eye for things and integrating them to make them your own. And that's what great style is about.<br /><br />Brilliant

Industrial design in a nutshell

Dome-headed engineering professors call it"human factors engineering,""interaction design" or"usability engineering," but the purpose of this strangely-named discipline is far simpler than these appellations suggest: to make everyday items do what users expect them to do. Donald Norman has been thinking about usability issues longer than almost anyone and has insights commensurate with his experience. Norman knows how both people and machines work (he has degrees in psychology and engineering). More importantly, he knows how to bridge the gulf between the human mind and the devices the mind wants to use, from toasters to telephones to teapots. In this classic, he provides a few simple precepts and many wonderful examples showing how to design the most important component of any technology - the user's experience. While some of Norman's examples are a little long in the tooth (he discusses VCRs, not DVDs), we find that the principles he describes in this friendly book are still sprightly almost 20 years after their initial publication.

Would recommend

I bought the 2001 version when I was a student and purchased this one because I wanted to get back into writing again. It has definately improved with age and still contains every contact an aspiring writing could ever need. There's a very in-depth article in this addition on the UK tax implications for the writer which I found interesting (perhaps, that says more about the reviewer than the book!). <br /><br />Would highly recommend and best to read with a notepad, pen and highlighter handy.

Girl on Film

We were born into a world ruled by photography. From x-rays to holiday snaps, our memories and sense of self are now shaped by this magical little black box. But how has photography affected reality since its invention? Has our perception of the world changed since our gathering of images (either as photos or films) slowly spiralled out of control? Could we, perhaps, be undermining our notion of the real by treating photos as if they were more real than their subjects? (think of the people who felt 9/11 was"like a movie".)<br /><br />In this collection of six essays, published in 1973, Susan Sontag brilliantly explores the origins of photography and how it has affected world culture (mostly western, though she has some intriguing points to make about China and Japan.) She proves, somewhat ruthlessly, that photography deposed poetry and painting as the main rulers of the art world; dismisses the Surrealists in one fell swoop; and even goes so far as to claim that photography single-handedly caused the Modernist movement (the first exhibition by the Impressionists, for example, took place in a photography studio; and many painters claimed photography freed them to explore abstract subjects.)<br /><br />It helps if you know the work of some of the big names in photography, like Diane Arbus, since Sontag often uses their work to back up her arguments. But even if you have never picked up a camera before, you will find enough ideas in Sontag's essays to reflect on. I was particularly impressed with her prescient views on"reality" television, as well as disturbed by her conclusion that photography is leading us towards a supreme, and new, form of totalitarianism.

A little too big

It's a coffee table book - on the large/heavy size for me. I would prefer something smaller that I could pick up and browse more easily.

Jack of all Trades

Perhaps this book is aimed at compact camera users, or should be as it is very much a beginners book. But as a DSLR newbie I found it too time consuming to read as it's rather basic and repetitive, talks about presets which I've no interest in and is rather dull reading for someone with prior knowledge. Could be good for someone who is completely new to photography.<br /><br />I bought it as it was suggested as a good accompaniment to the Scott Kelby book. The Kelby book is incredibly useful, fun to read and succinct, exactly what I wanted. I don't think this book was a good suggestion for pairing together.