First off, this is a good book - but if you're painting for the
1st time, try some other subjects first. I don't recommend this
for the beginners.
Don't expect to paint like DaVinci your 1st week.
Even if a seasoned veteran understand this takes practice.

I would have liked to seem more techniques on how he painted.
The materials used area was very good and quite interesting.
If you're a seasoned painter, who wants to paint like they
did in the days of old, I highly recommend this book.

Trying these techniques gave me even a larger respect for "the old masters". I always loved their art, because it takes you
back to a time where really good art required really good talent & skill.

Practice & maybe we'll see your "Mona Lisa". Good luck!

I first saw this book at my local bookstore a few years ago. The paintings presented in this book consolidated my love of classic fine arts (AKA the Old Masters' works). At the time, I did not have enough facilities to pursue oil painting, I simply admired beautiful works by Mr. Sheppard and put the book back to the shelf. Briefly, my conclusion of his work at the time was "unreachable".

I recently bought a copy of this book for myself and in fact have painted, as a practice, some paintings, using the techniques of Titian (both portraiture and nude) described in the book. I fall in love with the techniques of this Old Master simply because the choice of colors and every steps were done in oil (personally, I don't like to use charcoal or other materials in underpainting; they tend to smear and cause a mess). The following are my humble opinions about this book, based on my own experience using it:

1) Don't kid yourself, this is a profound book. Objectively speaking, with only 143+ pages, the author covers the following topics: - Materials and Formulas - Techniques of Durer, Titian, Veronese, Caravaggio, Rubens, Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer

Due to space limit, expect some details that may need more in-depth discussions. However, the book does include a reference citation for further reading.

2) This book does not make you a "Master", but it helps to "try out" these techniques. In my humble opinion, to fully benefit this book, the reader should have the following skills before trying the techniques described in the book:

- Good craftmanship. Don't expect to create a masterpiece without a decent drawing skill to start with. Be honest with yourself, if you think you have a problem looking at an object (either live or from a photo) and render it on a canvas, you are not ready for this book yet.

- A reasonably decent ability in recognition of shade, light, and halftone; and a considerable knowledge of color mixing in oil. If you have never mixed oil colors, the book does provide, to some extent, what colors to use. However, in reality, variations occurred, due to different brands of colors or medium used. In any event, you might be able to get by.

3) Practice makes perfect. Do a few paintings using the techniques of your choice. You will eventually find out that no matter how strictly do you follow the techniques described in the book, YOUR WAY of painting will end up different. This is exactly what makes every artist unique. As long as your final work is good, it is a masterpiece of its own right. Who cares whether you tried to be a Titian or Rembrandt and failed. After all, that is even not a good idea, in my opinion.

In closing, I am happy to have purchased this book and tried out some paintings for myself. It surely is a great reference every time I plan to do a portraiture in the Old Master's way (but then again, when the painting is done, it becomes "my" way).

In a few words, "Strongly recommended".

If you are an artist and would like to have your paintings come alive is suggest reading and using Joseph Sheppard's How to paint like the Old Masters. I have found this book invaluable to the growth of my painting ability. Of the many books I have on painting this is the one I always go to when I start an important work. Beginners and advanced painters both will find this book useful.

Boornstin is such a prolific writer that it's easy to see how this book got passed over by most readers in the 60s. Coming from a serious academic, it must have sounded a stuffy attack on a progressive new medium (TV) and industry (Public Relations)...compare this to some of today's rantings about the evils of the internet.

It's so insightful. The book is quite powerful in that Boornstin's observations of 1962 are now just commonly accepted.

"A celebrity is a person who is well-known for their well-knownness" -- an observation from this book that is one of the most often quoted bits of wisdom on the subject of celebrity, and deservedly so. But this is just one of many quotable observations made by Boorstin in this prescient, clear-eyed look at the beginning of the post-modern world. Written in 1962, this book has been mined by writers on modern society of every stripe: French postmods (who don't credit Boorstin), Neil Postman (who does). Though it suffers a bit from the outdated examples used to elucidate his points about the "Graphic Revolution" -- his line in the sand between the modern and pre-modern -- the book is so cogently argued that it rarely matters.

His main thematic device is to dichotomize pre-modern and modern/postmodern categories. For instance, in discussing celebrity he notes that the precursor of the celebrity was the hero. He explains the difference by saying that the hero was "folk" based, while the celebrity is "mass" based. George Washington was raised to the level of hero by the people for his deeds, his fame embroidered by them, cherry trees invented for him to chop down. On the other hand, celebrities -- the Gabor sisters to use one of his examples -- were celebrities before they even starred in movies. They were created by astute publicists and through their own knack of getting into the paper.

He actually starts his discussion about how the image has come to be substituted for ideals in his first chapter on the gathering and dissemination of the news. He notes the rise of the pseudo-event, e.g., the press conference, the press leak, the crafty reporter calling sources and playing their quotes off of each other until the reporter arrives at something he can call news. He notes that newpapers actually used to contain reportage on events, things that had actually happened that were not designed to be covered by the media. Crimes, he notes in his summary, are the almost the only kind of real news left. (This before the era of copycat murders).

A brilliant, insightful diagnosis of our image-laden world that still holds up after 40 years. The only thing that's changed perhaps is how accustomed we've gotten to the image and the extent to which we're now sold on authenticity by marketers. His discussion of Barnum as the precursor to advertising is worth the price of the book. His sections on public opinion polling, on public relations, on advertising are dead on, too. He also takes on the sociologists of the time for their "nodal" thinking, their bland concepts such as "status anxiety." No one is spared.

The twist the postmods put on Boorstin's observations is that they say they take delight in the artificiality of the image, the bricolage, the spectacle, etc. (A postmod may be best known for their too-knowing knowingness and celebration of deception). But Boorstin is actually concerned about the destabilizing effects of the acceptance of the standard of "credibility" (which has supplanted "truth"). Too, he's worried that the American image we project is not based on ideas or ideals, but only things, only images. He says at one point that folks in the developing world prefer not to be hammered with the look of all things American, that it makes us look shallow as compared to those societies which are based on ideas (like Communism was -- ironically enough because it was founded on materialism). And though our images and our things apparently won out over Communism, there is still something pertinent about this observation. Pragmatism may have saved us from the ravages of idealism that gave rise to facist movements in Europe, but it spared us so that we could look empty-headed, only interested in moving ahead, unquestioningly.

In general, I recommend anything Boorstin writes: his essays are lucid and his ideas are always perceptive. I read this book around 6 years ago and lost it. I'd like to order it again. What makes this book particularly brilliant is Boorstin's insights into how perception, specifically media perception, influences us psychologically and, thereby, reality. (Think of that Esquire Ad campaign: perception vs. reality.) Also, Boorstin is one of the few contemporary thinkers who writes clearly, without pretensions.

This Glannon book is not as fabulous as his Civil Procedure Examples and Explanations. Nonetheless, it is a good purchase. I found it neccessary to also purchase a commercial outline. The best sections in this book are those on intentional torts and affirmative defenses to them. The chapters on proximate causation and the "zone of danger" put into focus many concepts that a commercial outline or class discussion alone cannot. I also found the chapter on writing a good torts exam to be quite useful. Overall, a worthwhile purchase.

I bought this book, but I happened to be lucky enough to have a wonderful torts professor so that I never even opened it. However, with that said, I still had experience with this book. My teacher used the examples from it constantly in class to help us understand torts, and it was wonderful. My professor openly advocates this book and many of my classmates swore by it. I do think it could use a little help on the negligence section, but if your torts professor was as horrible as some of my fellow 1Ls, then I highly recommend you purchase this book as a supplement to quiz yourself and make sure you've got those prima facie cases down pat, inside and out.

If you want to study Tarts this is a must read. I'll often quote from this book after some awkward moments of silence during a dinner date. Believe me the Tarts love it.

Even in the Homosexual world of BDSM: Advice colums are best saved for Ann Landers and Abigail van Buren. This title serves to embarass the gay community of our BDSM community because it is only commentary and the perspective of one individual. Advice columns are that way and dangerous if taken too seriously or for purposes other than for entertainment. Highly entertaining, but nothing more.

If you want to know about the history and magic of BDSM, read this book. Read Leatherfolk as well. This is a great way to gain a deeper knowledge of the magic that experienced players know about. If you're just beginning to explore this path, read these books, but don't forget A Different Loving and Screw the Roses, Send me the Thorns.

I am a 54 year old female, heterosexual, submissive. When no one else was listening or writing, Guy Baldwin and other gay leather folk were. These early classics are as good now as then. A part of the magic of Guy Baldwin is that sexuality, yours or his, is irrelevent to the real truths and possibilities of this lifestyle.

This book is another example of the African American community crying about the "racism" that occurs in society today. There is no doubt racism in our society. However, African Americans need to stop complaining and get off their lazy butts and try to get ahead. If people would spend half as much time doing something constructive rather than complaining about how hard they have it, they would actually get somewhere in life.

This book as whole provided a great thought provoking experience. It starts out by addressing some of the real issues that plague African American people today dealing with racism and oppression. The fact that the book speaks directly to African Americans takes into account the lingering affects that past oppression has had on black psychology. I liked that the authors acknowledged that these problems are still present, but enocouraged a greater focus on self-accountability. They effectively motivate the reader to visualize themself as an achiever rather than a failure. It encourages people to focus on achieving the outcomes of their desire. The overall value of the book lies in the fact that the authors provide a great strategy for action.

This is based on Robbins's classic UNLIMITED POWER, which McClendon has rewritten from his perspective as a Black man. He starts off by telling of some of his experiences - being beaten up one night by a racist gang, being asked by the police 'What were you doing in that neighbourhood?' when he reported the incident. He speaks of how this resulted in his developing a fear and mistrust of all white people - which also affected his relationships and interactions with Black people. McClendon's experiences, attitudes and feelings will echo those of many of us.

He then goes on to describe his first meeting with Robbins, and the workshop Robbins led which helped the author to turn his life around. McClendon describes and explains many techniques which Black people can use to improve our mental and emotional states in order to empower ourselves in any situation. This book is very inspiring, as it proves that we truly have the power over our own lives in our hands.

The book is excellent. A hardcover is a must for the second edition. It's truly a good "meal" for the hungry ChiLel/Zhineng practitioners.

So many new things I discovered in the book made me doubt the authenticity of the so called "ChiLel" teaching in North America. Is it really an offset of Zhineng Qigong?

We'd better explore it by ourselves.

I can't imagine a better book on this subject. If you want to learn about this form of healing "from the horse's mouth," this is the book that will provide everything you want to know, and more. Highly recommended.

I bought 9 Qigong books, this is the best. Grandmaster Ming Pang's insights are profund and breathtaking. The details of the forms were so beautifully described which helped me a lot. I attended many workshops, none provided this extention and depths.

I look forward to a hardcopy of this book.

I just returned this book. I was hoping for a complete score as was suggested in one of the reviews, but it is missing the Prologue, which the Narrator uses to open the show. ("Some folks dream of the wonders they'll do, Before their time on this planet is through") That was THE song I was after since it is not in any of the Vocal Selections books I've seen. Apparently, the author added this song later (the show has evolved over time) and has never gone to the trouble to publish it. So, if you're after the Vocal Score, this is great, but don't think it's complete. So now I'm off to the piano and stereo to transcribe the sheet music from the soundtrack. Tedious, but fun.

I recently performed in an amateur performance of "Joseph," and because the 'official' scripts (updated in 1995, I believe) hadn't arrived yet, we used portions of this book (with a score from the '70s) to begin rehearsal and choreography. We were expecting some changes to the score, but to our surprise, the only song that was missing was the Prologue, which we had been choreographing to the CD. Some of the harmony and character breakups had been changed, but apart from that, the score was essentially the same. This book is perfect for those of you who need audition music ("Close Every Door", "Pharoah", "Any Dream Will Do"), or those of you who just enjoy singing solo or with friends.

In other reviews, some people suggested that the book doesn't have
complete score, but that's wrong. For example, the first song by the
narrator is the same as Pharao's Song. You only need to
replace the lyrics.
I checked each DVD track with this book, and it has a complete score.
This music book is not intended for piano solo, and it does not
have any chords. It has voice parts (solo, duet, chorus) and
piano accompany part for actual performance.
I heard that this musical went through a lot of revision and
additions. So, I expected that the scores might be different,
since this book was published in 1975. But I was surprised to
see that there is virtually no difference from the DVD release
(1999).

What a piece of sentimental slop this book is.Looking for flaws is like looking for hay in a haystack. The setting is a rural paradise, a sort of Wordsworthian Eden in contrast with the cruel, wicked city. Oddly enough, despite being set in the historic and beautiful Hudson valley, there is no real sense of place. The river is "beautiful", but no mention of local custom,history, or social climate. Its citizens are idealized native angels who welcome strangers and become trusting lifelong friends after five minutes. The earth-mother sweetheart's daughter is a precocious and sweetly cute Margaret O'Brien clone. The biggest weakness of the book, however, is the main character, a sensitive, self-absorbed man of feeling who spouts cliches and moral platitudes in sentimental plentitude. His first person dialog never allows him to become real or believable. The plot is predictable from the first chapter. Yes, there's plenty of sentimental hay in Joseph Pittman's haystack.

Sloppy sentimentality is the essence of this badly written first novel. The protagonist is a bundle of self-conscious sensitivity, a man of shallow sentiments and saccarine emotions. It's no wonder his sweetheart choses to sleep with another man. Janey is a modern day Margaret O'Brien, all sweetness and light. The aw shucks residents of Linden Corners seem to be taken from some bucolic utopia as seen in bad TV. The dialog is unbelievably wooden, frought with cliched adolescent phrases and cutesy nicknames. Surprisingly, since the novel is set in the historic and beautiful Hudson Valley, there is no sense of place, no individuality of scene except for an out-of-place windmill; Linden Corners is indistinguishable from Green Acres. The plot is predictable, padded with redundant sentimental events, leading to the enevitable, and welcomed, tragic conclusion. Read this novel at your peril.

I didn't want this book to end - although I had to see how it would. I wanted Linden Corners to be real, I wanted the Windmill to be real, and I wanted the directions to vacation there. Living in the Hudson Valley region, I thought Mr. Pittman captured the true essence of the region, and although the characters of the book were fictional, I felt they were very real and believable.

This book was very enjoyable, real and totally involving. A quick summer book which was a nice change from typical formula books. It had enough twists that I didn't predict the ending. I look forward to Joseph Pittmans second book.

This book reads a lot like watching a soap opera, or a Lifetime movie. In fact that might be a good way to characterize it: the made for TV movie of Kennedy books. That does not mean, however, that it is not enjoyable. It is an easy and entertaining read, and a great introduction to this famous, or infamous family. The best that it has to offer is the parts about the third generation, which cooperated with the authors and granted them interviews. However, in the rush to seek an explanation for why the young ones turned out bad, the authors blame everything on Senator Ted Kennedy, which is not quite fair to a loving father and uncle, and a legislative giant, who is passed off in this book as a moron who rides his family's coattails. This book is a good read, but not a one-stop place for information.

This book is by far one of the most telling stories about the Kennedy dynasty I have ever read. Having read Thomas Reeves profile of Jack Kennedy in "A Question of Character" I found that "The Kennedy's" gives much more information on the inner workings of the Kennedy family. I especially enjoy the stories of old Joe Kennedy, how he made his fortunes, and his political power. The book is very well done, and I recommend everyone interested in politics, real politics, to read.

An excellent account of the Kennedys from the beginnings up to 1984, when the book was written. This book gives you a blow-by-blow history of the family and the kids. I found it most interesting learning about the little known real story of Camelot. There has been so much written about the Kennedys but the authors did some serious research and told some never before written stories, such as the JFK's back problems and Rosemary's retardation, also stories about the Kennedy kids and their drug problems. Quite informative and thorough, this book is excellent history.

It seems obvious to me the author has written the two reviews that give the book 5 stars. Another indication the book may not be worth a read.

Since my book is mentioned in a couple of these reviews, I thought I would respond.

I used Rich Freed's book for years in my consulting practice and MBA classes. It's a great book, and I *highly* recommend it. It's clearly one of the best treatments on writing business proposals available.

But comparing my book on proposals to Freed's is like comparing apples and oranges. My book is aimed at people who work in scientific and technical disciplines. Freed's book is written toward business applications. These two books are designed to work in two completely different arenas.

Buy this book. As an experienced proposal writer and consultant, I believe it's the best book on writing business proposals. It's truly innovative, and it offers wonderful strategies for winning contracts in highly competitive business environments.

The first edition of this books is, as the former editor of Consultants' News remarks, "The most comprehensive treatment we've seen," and the second edition is even better, including (for example) important discussions on fees and collaboration. Most important, this book is about far more than writing business proposals. David Maister-like in spirit, it's a superior treatment about how to sell professional services. Although it addresses business proposals, most of the content is important for writing other proposals as well, but like most successful books on proposal writing, it focuses on one of the sub-genres, unlike more general treatments (Johnson-Sheehan's comes to mind) that in their attempts to focus on all proposals, do a poor job of treating specific kinds.