National trees of Latin American and the Caribbean =: Arboles nacionales de America Latina y el Caribe

Book Description

Many tourists' trips to France are dominated by that country's cosmopolitan capital; Floating Through France reveals a rural side of France that is seen less often, but is just as compelling as Paris's urban excitement. The essays in this collection explore the areas surrounding the unique, picturesque Canal du Midi. The oldest functioning canal in Europe, the Canal du Midi started out as a shortcut for bustling commerce in the 17th century and is now a United Nations World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful, evocative features of the French countryside. Featuring essays from notables such as Linda Watanabe McFerrin, Larry Habegger, and Joanna Biggar, as well as up-and-comers, and poetry and photo-sketches, Floating Through France is perfect for those traveling to France or those who just want to feel like they're there.

Customer Reviews:

Floating Through France: Life Between Locks on the Canal du Midi.......2007-02-07

This was a very enjoyable travelogue written by a group of adventurous women. It tells of their experiences while cruising on the canals in France. Their story brought back many wonderful memories. I made a similar trip on the canals and rivers of Brittany in 1999 with five female friends. This is the book we talked about writing after our trip and never got around to doing. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased a copy for each of my fellow travelers. My thanks to Barbara Euser and her friends for a delightful book.

Travelers' Tales Paris: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides)

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Paris: City of Lights or a State of Mind?
super!
deadly dull and almost entirely useless

Travelers' Tales Paris: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides)

Manufacturer: Travelers' Tales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 188521183X

Book Description

Paris is one city that everyone should endeavor to know over the course of a lifetime, and not just in one or two visits. The City of Light has bestowed on millions the gift of the incandescent present, an image or experience into which all life is condensed and reflected upon for years to come. Travelers' Tales Paris captures the romance of the world's favorite city through stories that entertain, inform, and touch the heart. John Gregory Dunne reveals the manic pleasures of driving in the city's chaotic traffic. Joseph Diedrich and Katya Macklovich explore romantic encounters that could only happen here. Herbert Gold and David Applefield take aim at the nostalgia surrounding The Left Bank, one reveling in its literary past, the other urging the visitor to reach out to a new, modern Paris in the outlying area of Montreuil. Tim O'Reilly and Coleman Lollar evoke the appeal of unexpected tourist sites, and Marcel Laventurier recounts his harrowing escape from the Nazis on a train bound for occupied Paris in a tale you will never forget. "If Paris is the main dish, here is a rich and fascinating assortment of hors d'oeuvres." - Peter Mayle

Customer Reviews:

Paris: City of Lights or a State of Mind?.......2005-09-11

Francophiles will find much to love about TRAVELERS' TALES PARIS. "Imagine leaving this world without ever having seen Paris," the editors observe in the Introduction to this fascinating collection of Paris-inspired essays. "For those who have been there, the thought is unthinkable. For those who haven't yet had the chance, the thought is a reminder that their lives will be impoverished until they go, for Paris is the center of the civilized universe, the capital of the Western world, a city of transcendent beauty, which belongs to everyone" (p. xix).

Paris is the ultimate travel destination for Francophiles, lovers, flirters, thinkers, and cafe sitters, and for good reason. The thirty-six essays collected here reveal that Paris is as much a place as a state of mind. Paris means something different to everyone. "There may be no city more uplifting to the human spirit. It is a place to explore the dimensions of yourself or those of someone you love--to walk and talk, to argue about life, to sit and contemplate the events of human history which have played themselves out here on these streets, on the banks of this river (p. xx).

Organized into five Parts; the "Essence of Paris," "Some Things to Do," "Going Your Own Way," "In the Shadows," and "The Last Word," TRAVELERS' TALES PARIS immerses its reader in the rich diversity of Parisian culture and the French mind, including, French existentialism, the twenty-volume French encyclopedia of Paris's 20 arondissements, Vie et Histoire, the Latin Quarter's literary and philosophical past, the Louvre, the Paris Catacombs ("Death's Kingdom"), the Turkish Baths, the Concierge tradition, and French strippers.

One caveat emptor, however: this collection of is an updated edition of PARIS: TRUE STORIES OF LIFE ON THE ROAD (Travelers' Tales Guides)(April 1, 1997).

G. Merritt

super!.......2004-01-29

i have enjoyed many of the travelers' tales books and the paris edition was no exception. it is a great companion to a regular old run-of-the-mill guidebook if you're preparing for trip to france.

deadly dull and almost entirely useless.......2004-01-07

Nearly evenything in this book reads like rehashes of uninspired Paris tourist brochures. Even the three hatchet jobs contributed by Jan Morris and Herbert Gold (the insufferable, execrable, and virtually unreadable Gold contributed two) are derivative and unoriginal instead of witty and daring, as they were, no doubt, intended.

Apparently it is virtually impossible to see Paris with one's own eyes. At least if you're an Anglo-Saxon foreigner. Major portions of the city have been, effectively, laminated and generously greased by the native French so as to slide foreign tourists through, and out, with the minimum of muss and fuss.

And the editors seem to think that by excluding any significant mention of the Eiffel Tower that they are providing a novel and fresh take on Paris. But this constitutes a very feeble effort, at best.

And apart from all the airy-fairy poetical musings that travel seem to provoke in travel writers, Paris also fills writers with cloying smugness. As the most extreme example, the one selection I could not finish was by someone called Lawrence Osborne, and it described Turkish baths. His mentioning of a "veritginous loss of toxicity" in the first, very long, paragragh was the last straw for me.

Book Description

Provence has cast a spell over travelers for generations. And it’s no wonder — it is the archetype of French style and joie de vivre. With its fields of lavender, wine caves, Roman ruins, and delectable food, Provence proves unforgettable. From Romans and Popes to painters and Peter Mayle, this locale has an irresistibly rich culture and the reader can experience it all in this engaging illustrated collection.

Customer Reviews:

What a treat!.......2004-01-10

If you've spent time in the South of France you know how glorious it is--the food, the landscape, the people, the wine. Reading this book is like taking a return trip, without paying for a plane ticket or using vacation days! And if you've never been to Provence, this is a great way to learn about the region and lifestyle. Pour yourself a nice glass of vin rouge, set out a crusty baguette and some cheese and olives. Lose yourself in the stories of artists, winemakers, bakers, craftspeople. Embrace the beauty and joie de vivre that is the South of France in Travelers' Tales Provence. It's the next best thing to being there.

Average customer rating:

same old tourist-y banalities
Good Travel Companion
Nicely edited to give one a good feel of French culture.

Travelers' Tales France: True Stories

Manufacturer: Travelers' Tales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1885211732

Book Description

This newly designed edition of Travelers’ Tales France celebrates the culture, history, and joie de vivre of one of the most beloved — and most visited — countries on Earth. Acclaimed writers, including Peter Mayle, M.F.K. Fisher, Jon Krakauer, Mort Rosenblum, Alice Kaplan, and Jan Morris, who have fallen in love with France — with the food, the land, the irrepressible French people — provide a mesmerizing literary tour of this special place. Opening many windows onto France, this collection reveals the most important reason to visit: to experience life as it should be. “Pays homage to the good life, as defined by the French.” — Los Angeles Times

Customer Reviews:

same old tourist-y banalities.......2004-01-19

I'm a little emabarrased that I actually plowed through this book after having been mostly disappointed by their books on Turkey and Paris.

This book wasn't completely useless. The M.F.K. Fisher piece was really first rate, and there were a couple other items that were pretty solid, but overall, this was just the same old stuff that gets written about tourist experiences that one reads in those little magazines that the airlines publish and put in the pockets in the back of airplane seats for passengers to read.

A more useful book, in my opinion, would be one that collects anecdotes from people native to France talking about their lives. Books like the "Traveler's Tales" series just end up seeming like a glorified trip to a theme park that just happens to have some really convincingly mocked up French countryside and cuisine offerings. All these traveler's tales come off as people who are terminally on the outside looking in.

Good Travel Companion.......1999-10-19

Both TT: France and TT: Paris are perfect companions on a trip to France. They put you in the mood to experiment when you travel and provide an eager anticipation of French culture. I've read both and will probably take them on an upcoming trip to France as pleasant refreshers. They're good enough that I've written to James O'Reilly and asked for sequels to both books, hoping to deepen exposure to things French.

This book is truly eclectic -- stories about French waiters; demolition teams working on removing explosives from the two world wars; the Celtic stones in Brittany; the Wild West atmospher of l'Ardeche; and stories of invasion and Normandy. Just about all of the stories have been published in newspaper or magazine articles, but are very carefully selected to show a new dimension to France. You'll recognize a few of the authors (Jon Krakauer, 'Into Thin Air,' and Peter Mayle, 'A Year in Provence'). The margin notes are also a great addition to the flavor of the book.

Nicely edited to give one a good feel of French culture........1999-05-26

We found this book very enjoyable in preparation to spending 2 months in France. Good cultural introduction. We read it out loud to our kids and found that it was a good jumping off point to other books and authors excerpted in the book. Best read before you go. Don't carry it with you.

Paris: True Stories of Life on the Road (Travelers' Tales Guides)

Average customer rating:

An American in Paris
"çà, c'est paris"!
Travel Companion
A luminous collection about the City of Light
Evocative and informative

Paris: True Stories of Life on the Road (Travelers' Tales Guides)

Manufacturer: Traveler's Tales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1885211104

Amazon.com

Ella Fitzgerald loved "Paris in the Springtime," Bogie and Bergman would "always have Paris," and Hemingway found Paris A Moveable Feast--the City of Light has plenty of fans, and for good reason. Paris is, quite simply, magic. In Travelers' Tales Paris, 43 essayists attempt to convey their experience of the city. Jack E. Bronston shares his passion for the French encyclopedia set Vie et Histoire, which covers in 20 volumes Paris's 20 arondissements, and takes you on a tour of the ninth arondissement while he's at it. In "Hair Pierre," Cailin Boyle attempts to master French chic along with the language: "Always wear tight jeans. Anywhere and anyhow. A must. Even at funerals. And heels. Podiatrists must retire early in France.... Carry an overstuffed shoulder bag. Watch for signs of curvature of the spine." In "Bearing Witness," Therese Lung describes in loving detail the quotidian life on the tiny Rue Watt--an old, unknown street where "elaborate, traditional iron banisters and streetlight globes separate pedestrians from the street on a raised sidewalk, turning it into a promenade"--just before it is to be demolished to provide underground parking for a new library.

John Gregory Dunne, Jan Morris, Edmund White, and Ina Caro are just a few of the contributors to this glowing paean to Paris; French strippers, the forest at Fontainbleu, a one-night stand with an unexpected partner--with each essay, a different facet of Paris emerges. For those readers who have visited Paris, Travelers' Tales Paris is likely to bring back memories; for those who haven't, it will provide some inspiration to go.

Customer Reviews:

An American in Paris.......2001-03-08

Ahhh Paris. As a graduate student fortunate to be studying in Paris, I found myself falling into the dull routine of class and studying. I was failing to appreciate one of the prettiest cities on earth. This book opened my eyes to the multitude of interesting "trucs" around me in the Latin Quarter. Although some of the stories are more interesting than others, there is genuinely something for everyone's taste in this book. I now often study at the "Deux Magots" cafe due to its history and popularity with Jean Paul Sartres and Simone de Beauvoir that I read about. This book is wonderful for anyone interested in Paris, wanting to take a mental journey there, or a seasoned traveller who thinks they already know Paris. Anyone armed with "Paris Traveler's Tales" can discover the "Joie de Vivre" en Paris!

"çà, c'est paris"!.......2000-09-16

"çà, c'est paris"! is a popular french song from WWII period. Parisians sang it when Paris was delivered by US and french troops. This is the song I started whislting when I read the first pages and table of contents of this book. It's good to read paris guide books where you're not obliged to go through 50 pages of historical descriptions before you understand what paris is all about. This book is not dull. It is well documented even if this documentation has nothing to do with "classical" culture. It belongs to a tradition in French publishing business: collection of essays written by famous writers about a specific place. In this case, I do not know the writers (I am french)and am not influenced by their past works. One could imagine to publish the same kind of books with texts from Victor Hugo, Ernst Hemmingway and other famous writers.

Travel Companion.......1999-10-19

Like TT: France, this book is a perfect way to prepare psychologically for entering La France. Its collection of essays on living or traveling in Paris has passionate tales and historical accounts.

A book like this is an excellent way to give you pointers on Paris city life. I would never have thought of experiencing the Turkish bathes of a Paris without the wonderful story in TT: Paris. And many would find it maudlin to go exploring Pere Lachaise cemetery, until reading some stories of the experience.

Rick Steves' travel guides do a good job of highlighting particular things to see. Travelers' Tales take the experience to a deeper level.

A luminous collection about the City of Light.......1999-10-07

If I had not already been Paris-bound, this book assuredly would have had me calling the airlines. What a wonderful, eclectic collection of essays! The piece on Ste. Chappelle, for example, actually manages to convey the jaw-dropping, heart-clenching, breath-taking sheer beauty of the place. Other pieces, such as SOS Medecin, captured utterly the blend of whimsy and solemnity that is Paris. You don't have to be headed for Paris to love this book; you don't even have to be a traveler.

Evocative and informative.......1999-05-16

I took one of the Traveler's Tales books on my trip to Paris, and bought this one when I got back. One of the stories made me miss Paris so much that I wept. I'm doling the stories out slowly to make them last. If you love Paris, this book will keep your psychic connection alive.

Through Europe at Four Knots: A Tale of Boating Mayhem and Family Adventure

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Snail's pace sailboat trip from England to Greece
Delightful Family Adventure
Delightful Family Adventure
Egads, this is not a nautical adventure at all!

Through Europe at Four Knots: A Tale of Boating Mayhem and Family Adventure
Les Horn
Manufacturer: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0071361375

Book Description

In 1990, teacher Les Horn had a brainstorm: why not navigate Europe's inland waterways, from England to Greece, in a small sailboat? Much to his surprise, he sold his wife and preteen son and daughter on the idea, and the following summer, installed in their 24-foot fixer-upper, Alea, the Horns set sail on the family odyssey chronicled in this amusing, satisfying tale.

Traveling at a snail's pace, foraging for provisions, and propelled more by British pluck than by their temperamental outboard motor, the Horns eventually made it to the Aegean, but not without their share of uproarious misadventures in France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Turkey.

Combining a wry sense of humor with a journalist's eye for the telling detail, Les Horn weaves a shrewdly funny family farce within a delightfully engaging travelogue packed with vivid observations of Europe's variegated landscape, history, and people. A rousing good read for both actual and armchair sailors, travelers, and adventurers.

Customer Reviews:

Snail's pace sailboat trip from England to Greece.......2003-08-29

Sweet little travel adventure tale. Les Horn navigates Europe's inland waterways from England to Greece on a 24-foot sailboat. He manages to show us this family farce (his wife and 2 preteen kids come along for the ride) at the same time he shares his vivid observations of central and Eastern Europe's varied landscape, history, and people.
Good armchair traveler material.

Delightful Family Adventure.......2002-04-19

An avid armchair traveller, I am always on the lookout for books of travel adventure. This book was a delightful addition to my library. The book chronicles the Horn families' voyage by boat from the North Sea through the canals of Europe to the Black Sea and the Agean.

The author is adept at chronicalling the interesting details and amusing incidents that allow the reader to feel if s/he is along for the voyage. Rather than just writing a travelogue, Horn records the trials and tribulations of daily family life in a small boat, their tears and their triumphs. Their adventures are sometimes amusing, sometimes hair-raising, but always interesting. This is a book that I will read again.

Delightful Family Adventure.......2002-04-19

Egads, this is not a nautical adventure at all!.......2001-08-29

Having recently been bitten by the sailing bug, I looked forward to reading this novel as I thought it would offer insights into how to travel self-contained and afloat, but I was sorely disappointed. All this book did was convince me that the author was a selfish man who dragged his wife and children through eastern Europe, complaining about the treatment he received from his host countries the whole time. The cheeky manner in which it is written is like a very bad attempt at British humor (which is usually very funny when it is spot-on). I only read it to the end to see if his wife would end up divorcing him. She did not. There, I spoiled it for you. You have no need to read it now.

Swift's anatomy of misunderstanding: A study of Swift's epistemological imagination in A tale of a tub and Gulliver's travels

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Swift's anatomy of misunderstanding: A study of Swift's epistemological imagination in A tale of a tub and Gulliver's travels
Frances Deutsch Louis
Manufacturer: G. Prior
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Written and designed for students and amateurs who already have some preliminary art training, this book instructs in a variety of media, including pencil, charcoal, crayon, and ink. Instruction and advice focus on drawing nudes, still life, and portraits. The theory of perspective is clearly presented.

Customer Reviews:

Basics.......2002-04-23

The Basics of Artistic Drawing is an OUTSTANDING book. I have learned so much and whenever I review the materiel I learn even more. There are so many helpful hints. It is a book that keeps teaching; if you have any questions just review the section on that topic and your question will more than likely be answered. With the step by step instructions anyone can learn how to draw, shade, and paint. I am very impressed. This is a well thoughtout course with the student in mind. A lot of course books have the teacher in mind, this book is definately made for me as the student. THANKS!!!

Beginner's Guide: Basic Anatomy and Figure Drawing (HT289) (Walter Foster How to Draw and Paint Series)

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Beginner's Guide: Basic Anatomy and Figure Drawing (HT289) (Walter Foster How to Draw and Paint Series)
Ken Goldman
Manufacturer: Walter Foster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560109475

Book Description

The human body is one of the most intriguing subjects in the world of art, but its subtle curves and shapes can be a challenge for beginning artists. Basic Anatomy and Figure Drawing provides artists with clear and helpful information about the skeletal and muscular structures and how to apply this knowledge to create accurate renderings of the human form. The detailed, 32-page instruction book introduces fundamental drawing techniques--from holding the pencil to creating realistic textures and shading--making it a wonderful resource for beginning artists.

The Basics of Artistic Painting (The Complete Course in Drawing and Painting)

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The Basics of Artistic Painting (The Complete Course in Drawing and Painting)
Parramon
Manufacturer: Barrons Educational Series Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Basics of Artistic Drawing, The (Complete Course on Painting and Drawing)

ASIN: 0812019288

The Drawing Breakthrough Book: A Shortcut to Artistic Excellence

Average customer rating:

Resourceful book for a beginning drawing student
Lucid step-by-step drawing manual
Simplifies the drawing process!
"You wouldn't start building a house by randomly hammering nails into boards"
Good book for beginners

The Drawing Breakthrough Book: A Shortcut to Artistic Excellence
John Hastings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0974941824

Book Description

The Drawing Breakthrough Book: A Shortcut to Artistic Excellence builds on and transforms standard drawing concepts. In Part One, you'll learn many of the secrets to seeing and drawing like an artist. In Part Two, you will master the building-block lines. To assist you in this mastery, you'll use breakthrough techniques to practice drawing squares, circles, and ellipses. As you progress, you'll choose and practice drawing simple objects in more and more advanced arrangements. In Part Three, you will first learn how to apply basic principles of composition. Then you'll apply those principles plus your mastery of the building-block lines to composing, seeing, and drawing objects with all types of lines. This book will enable nearly anyone to see in a fresh way and to draw more accurately.

Customer Reviews:

Resourceful book for a beginning drawing student.......2007-09-23

Each beginning drawing student faces a different set of challenges based on their visual perception and drawing skills. In this book, the author introduces several new tips that help a beginner acquire rudimentary drawing skills, a necessary stepping stone to advanced drawing.

In my personal experience in drawing, I tend to "see" and get distracted by the details of a scene too early which typically leads to loss of relationships within the composition. The author introduces techniques (by way of useful exercises) to capture the key elements of the scene without getting lost in the details. The technique involves capturing the key elements of the scene, and then systematically developing the details in a step by step and pragmatic manner. I feel that this approach is suitable to teach skills required by a beginner. The author also illustrates tricks to draw simple shapes that can be combined to draw a more complex scene. The final section of the book introduces concepts behind drawing composition and provides some useful insights.

I consider this book useful for a beginner and a good companion book to "How to Draw What You See" by Rudy De Reyna.

Lucid step-by-step drawing manual.......2007-09-18

I took several classes in watercolor, participated in exhibitions, and sold a painting before I realized that I would have to learn how to draw before I could take my painting to the next level. I liked to paint animals, but all of my cats ended up looking like a cross between ferrets and potatoes.

The range of introductory drawing books is quite astounding, including some that should be called `Introduction to Drawing Tools and Media' since they are mainly concerned with physical tools such as pencils and papers. Others purport to teach the student how to draw categories of objects, such as fruit or wild life. "The Drawing Breakthrough Book" is a step-by-step instruction manual that will take a beginning artist to the point where he or she can draw anything with basically, a pencil, an eraser, paper, and a ruler (the author includes an introduction, "Getting Organized to Draw" on the tools you will need).

This book employs techniques that can be found in other books, e.g. "The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" contains many of the edge and contour learning methods as this author's "Chapter 1, The Magic of Seeing Lines and Shapes." However, "The Drawing Breakthrough Book" enumerates the techniques in a more logical, step-by-step fashion that the left-brained, engineering-types among us will welcome, and even the hopelessly right-brained can employ.

"Working with Guidelines" is the chapter in this book where I achieved my breakthrough. The technique is simple, but without it my cat heads were too long and my human heads were too cut-off and lumpy. It really amazed me how much the methods in this book (simple though they may seem) improved my drawing ability.

"The Drawing Breakthrough Book" isn't embellished with color, or drawings by da Vinci and Rembrandt (which tend to discourage rather than encourage me.) Its photographs, drawings, and text are meant to teach. And that's what they do.

Review copy supplied by author

Simplifies the drawing process! .......2007-09-14

Artist John Hastings says that after taking drawing lessons and art classes, he was frustrated. Influenced by positive-reinforcement trainer Karen Pryor, he developed a simplified process to learning to draw. By breaking down the steps of drawing into small parts, he developed a system which he shares with readers in his new book "The Drawing Breakthrough Book: A Shortcut to Artistic Excellence".

Rather than being large chunks of dry text, Hastings combines small photographs and illustrations accompanied with step-by-step written directions. The book is broken into three parts, and each part has lessons for the reader to read and practice.

The reader is guided through exercises which first, open our eyes to see things in real life with the eyes of an artist. We are given useful tips for drawing in proportion, using guidelines and reference points as tools. Later we practice drawing lines: straight, round, and curved lines. Lastly the book has a short primer on composition and a little bit about drawing more complex compositions.

All that is needed to begin drawing with Hastings' method is paper, pencil and an eraser.

The book is easy to read and the small steps and short exercises are not intimidating. The reader is then able to practice drawing in the comfort of their own home, repeating lessons as needed and progressing at the pace that they desire.

The book is not overly full of repeated information. It is not too skimpy either. I have a feeling that if a person goes through the entire book and does all the lessons and repeats lessons to strengthen their weaknesses, they will be well on their way to drawing well.

I have never seen a book about the technical aspects of the learning to draw process that is so approachable, logical and non-intimidating. I have already begun using the lessons in this book and am excited to progress through the entire book.

This book is fine for use with adults. These same exercises could also be done with children. I plan to use this with my own children, working alongside them with me teaching them, verbalizing what the book has in writing.

I am glad that more books are coming on the market to simplify the learning to draw process. I applaud the fact that this book attempts to enlighten and empower more people to learn to draw. This book is down-to-earth and sincere in its tone. If you have always wanted to draw better or more but were afraid or intimidated, I encourage you to buy this book and give it a try.

Disclosure: The author sent me a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.

"You wouldn't start building a house by randomly hammering nails into boards".......2007-09-12

"The Drawing Breakthrough Book - A Shortcut to Artistic Excellence", written by John Hastings, is an useful book that will help you to draw better, if you follow the author's advice. Interestingly enough, this book also happens to be quite engaging, specially when Hastings explains, at the beginning of each chapter, why we need to master a skill in order to draw better.

The author says that "You wouldn't start building a house by randomly hammering nails into boards. You would start with a blueprint, a plan. It is the same with drawing". From my point of view, this is an ideal blueprint for the first and very difficult steps you need to take in order to start drawing for fun. Recommended...

Belen Alcat

Good book for beginners.......2007-09-11

After teaching drawing and painting for many years and to all age groups, I have owned and/or read plenty of drawing books. I could not imagine that John Hastings book had anything new to offer, and it doesn't. What it does do is presesnt the same information on basic drawing skills that all professional artists learn in an easy to follow manner for non-artists.

I recommend this book for everyone who wants to learn to improve their drawings skills or needs to for their profession, but does not necessarily intend to become an arist. Some of the explanations and exercises are, in fact, principles used by professionals but are presented in a way that a layperson can undestand and do without a teacher. I think it is important that the book is written for use by students alone and without other guidance. This also makes it possible for young poeple and older chidren to follow as well.

One example of solid information presented in a very useable way, is the section on positive/negative space found on pages 12-13. This is a very important concept in art, particularly in drawing accurately and realistically. The format is accurate and simple and easily understood, even by someone being introduced to it for the first time. I also like his presentation on using guidlines in drawing.

This book is about contour drawing and does not cover value or shading techniques; however, it is intended for beginning drawers and for use without a teacher. I don't believe I have read a better one for that purpose.

How to draw from the nude: Basic lines of figure, plans, anatomy, action, explanatory text and diagrams for the student

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How to draw from the nude: Basic lines of figure, plans, anatomy, action, explanatory text and diagrams for the student
Charles Hope Provost
Manufacturer: National Library Pr.]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B000891CB4

The Basics of Artistic Drawing (The Complete Course on Drawing and Painting)

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The Basics of Artistic Drawing (The Complete Course on Drawing and Painting)

Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0812063872

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