I had to purchase this book for my english course, but after only two weeks of reading and discussion I feel such an empowerment by the selections. I wouldn't be able to choose a favorite author because each one is represented so uniquely by their stories. After my class is over, I look forward to sitting down and reading those that were not assigned and re-reading those icons of society that were picked by my professor. If you want a short introduction to various famous authors then this is definitely a book you will enjoy!

This book is so beautiful. Every painting shown is beautiful. If you love mythology then you would apprieciate some of these depictions by various artists. A must have for your library.

I love this book! Any time any of my indoor plants aren't doing well, I'm able to find out why in this book. Usually I'm overwatering, but sometimes I've bought the wrong plant for the space to begin with. Very happy with the book.

With stories like "Ferryman" (Eric Brown), "The White Stuff" (Peter F. Hamilton & Graham Joyce), and "A Night on Bare Mountain" (Graham Charnock), anthologies don't get any better than this. My only quibble is with the experimental narrative "Thirteen Views of a Cardboard City"(William Gibson) which rounds out the volume with a whimper, not a bang. Otherwise, this is Hugo & Nebula territory.

The vocabulary in this book is simply remarkable. It is so very artsy. I am also glad it's not 1000 pages long. I recomend this book to all. Also if David Franklin reads the review I would very much like to meet you, for you are the man who inspired me to wright THe play Nursinghome Nightmares. Submitted by John Madison Franklin and Bretton Hughes Chatham

david hamilton is one of the very best in photographic ART ,using the human body as his subject,skillful,professional,and majestic

Excellent book for Architectural Ceramics includes historical examples, types of clays, mold making, faience and terracotta, tile making, glazes, installation and safety. The scale also includes industrial applications as well as techniques for the individual studio artist.I found it very useful for designing one's own tools for specific uses. There is also good instruction for designing tiles using Tessellations. The chapter on glazes gives the procedure for testing applications on wet to dry to bisqued wares. It is for technically advanced worker in ceramics.

Okay, so this book contains pictures of girls under 18 in the nude. Try to look at the bigger picture. That would be all that is beautiful in our world, and David hamilton has tried to fit as much as he can in one place. Many before him have tried, none have succeeded as he has. the pictures of countrysides, seascapes and Italian villas all join together with the aforemetioned images to create a perfect symmetry of beauty. This book is well worth its price, and then some.

I have to admit, I have rotten timing. I had just bought an autographed, first-edition copy of this book directly from the author for $200.00 when I found out that Twenty-five Years Of An Artist would be published a second time, and at a much lower price. C'est la vie. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to give a review of the book. In a word, it is magnificent. No matter what you think of David Hamilton insofar as to his photographing nude girls who are under the age of 18, one has to admit he may be the greatest photographer of the 20th Century. The photos are all exquisite, especially the landscapes. I have to agree with my fellow Marylander who stated that the picture on page 152, entitled "County Cork Ireland, 1971" is worth the price of this book alone. Of course, I am biased; I have been to Ireland and am half Irish. I know the incredible beauty of the Emerald Isle, and hold it dear to my heart. But I digress. The overall theme of this tome, inasmuch as there is one, is that we need to take time out occasionally from our workadays to discover the truly beautiful things in life. David has done that for us over the past three decades, and his pictures of stunningly beautiful young girls, of seascapes, of mountainsides, and of Venitian waterways take us away to places most us, unfortunately, can only dream about. To peruse this book is to look through a window upon our fondest dream: Living a life of cultivated leisure. I wish I could visit all the places and meet all the girls that David has photographed during his career, but even if I had the means to do so, I probably would never find the time. That is because I am stuck, like so many others in the Western World, in a "nine-to-five" sort of life. Thankfully, I can take a little bit of time and see what I am missing, instead of just thinking about it. People who take offense at the pictures of nude "underage" girls are understandably concerned about the effect this has on potential pedophiles in society. One only nee! ds to look at the countries where this book is the most popular: France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden. None of those countries have a problem with child molestation/pedophilia anywhere approaching that of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or Canada, apart from Quebec(maybe it has something to do with the English language-yikes!). People need to see past the nudity, and see this book as a whole: A presentation of the good life as seen by one who has lived it to the fullest extent: David Hamilton. Thank you, Mr. Hamilton, and thanks to Aurum for printing this second edition, made affordable to all. This is a book to be treasured by one and all forevermore.

This is 'THE' Hamilton book to own! I have never seen anything so beautiful and classical as this before. Hamilton is a true master artist and this book shows the depths to which he explores his art. As one other reader said, when you see the pages of this book unfold before you, you feel as if you are entering a classical landscape of beauty and enchantment. The subject matter (young girls) is a heated topic, however the way Hamilton photographs each subject is a tribute to the eye of a master. There is nothing obscene or pornographic in the pages of this book. This is pure and innocent beauty from a period in life where everything is confusing and magical. The goal of any great photographer should be to show us the world we don't see, to show us what we have all around us but never stop to notice. Hamilton is a great photographer and his landscapes and nudes show us the erotic and mystical in our world.

Buy this book. It is worth every penny.

I read through this book, and found some good points, but also some serious failures to treat the issues adequately -- probably because to do so would reveal the flaws in the authors' exegesis. While they reference the Kroegers and their "women in Ephesus" argument, as well as other egalitarians, they glaringly omit any reference to the book Women in the Church: A Fresh Analysis of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, by Andreas J. Kostenberger (Editor), Thomas R. Schreiner (Editor), H. Scott Baldwin (Editor), ISBN: 0801020204, perhaps the definitive critique of the egalitarian position. Until these authors reference and rebut what Kostenberger, et al, write and document, Why Not Women will not and should not merit more than 2 stars.

In the Christian Church there are four particular Scripture passages referred to when dealing with women in ministry:

<1> Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (1 Corinthians 11:3)
<2> As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. (1 Corinthians 14:34, 35)
<3> For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. (Ephesians 5:23)
<4> I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (1 Timothy 2:12)

The traditional conclusion in the modern Church is that of an hierarchical structure of men having authority over women/wives in both religion & society.

WHY NOT WOMEN? takes a good at these Scripture passages within the context of their surrounding Scripture, original language, the culture for which they were intended, and their grammatical structure. The result is an exciting new understanding of these Scriptures and how the apostle Paul actually wrote them to free women from the oppression of a social & religious system of hierarchy.

But in order to achieve this equal freedom in Christ for both men & women there are two foundational issues that must be understood:

<1> The relationship of Adam & Eve (to each other and to God) as read in Genesis 1-3.
<2> The relationship of the three persons of the Trinity in mutual submission as read in John 1:1-18 and Philippians 2:1-11.

I gave WHY NOT WOMEN? four stars. It's an awesome eye-opening book but there were points where it was vague or used faulty reasoning. Though, most of that was in the first half of the book as where the second half really got into the good stuff. I emphatically recommend it. WHY NOT WOMEN? is the third best book I've ever read (1. THE BIBLE, 2. THE FORGOTTEN TRINITY).

Loren Cunningham and David Hamilton give a very clear picture of women's rolls as defined by scripture. They also give an excellent historical perspective on the maltreatment of women around the world. Before this book, I knew that I didn't believe God had created women to be subservient to men, but now I have scripture I can clearly understand to refute the arguments. Grab your highlighters and get going! Just a helpful note, you may not want to read this right before bed. I would get so worked up, I couldn't sleep!

I'm a devout Christian, and when I first heard on a Christian talk radio show that I listen to that Amazon.com was peddling child pornography, it raised my ire. I went home, and, as instructed by the radio talk show host, began to write an angry threatening letter to Amazon.com. My teenage daughter who I love and cherish in spite of our admit generational gap issues, asked me why I was writing a critical letter about a title I had never read. Well -- sometimes us older folks need to listen to our children. I put the letter on hold, and agreed to take a look at the book. While I didn't go out of my way to find it, I happened upon it at a bookstore the following day. And I have to admit -- this is NOT pornography at all. The poses of these beautiful young women is not at all provocative or seductive or arousing. This is art that shows the beautiful body that the Lord created. I don't understand the criticism, and am truly sorry that I nearly sent off an ignorant letter. If you're considering criticizing this book, I suggest that you READ it first! Though you may not like it, you may very well decide that this is NOT as bad as some of those organizing letter-writing campaigns are saying.

This book has the guts to tackle the touchy subject of sexual awakening head-on. The prose under each picture is about sex, and the introduction to the book by L. James is about sex, too. This is a good thing. Since sex amongst young people is obviously a very real thing, why is it considered bad to address it in print or other artistic mediums? It is my opinion that anything having to do with the life process should be fair game for artistic representation, including sexual awakening. Those who would condemn this book are denying that such feelings and desires do exist amongst young people. They do exist, and how. I am nineteen years old, and the sexual confusions and longings of adolescence are still fresh in my mind. I had to see this controversial book for myself and see if Hamilton got it right. While his is an older man's perspective on the subject, he still did surprisingly well. While most of the pictures, (with some VERY striking exceptions) tend to be very similar and can get monotonous, the overall effect of the book is impressive and memorable. As long as freedom of artistic expression reigns, as opposed to fascist misinformation and ignorance, books like this will always have a secure place for those mature enough to understand and relate to them.

Hamilton wonderfully captures the beauty of the young nude female. Make no mistake, these pictures are erotic and very compelling. Hamilton has a knack for capturing the essence of young teenage and pre-teen girls precisely at their "Age of Innocence." The photos are very alluring and sensuous. The book does have drawbacks, however. The text is, for the most part, pure drivel (but let's face it, no one buys a Hamilton book to read the words!). Also, I feel Hamilton should have included a few more full-nudes. But other than that, this is an excellent book and one well worth picking up. I can hardly wait for the next Hamilton book!