I bought this book for my grandmother, who loves country music and who has visited Branson, for her birthday. She absolutely loved it! The pictures in the book are really colorful and fun to look at. I recommend this book for hard-to-shop-for friends and relatives, especially country music lovers.

Indicates trends, Branson has re-invented itself,doesnt want to lose to Myrtle Beach

Canine showcases fifty black and white photographs by Henry Horenstein of different dogs at work and play. All of the canine emotions are captured through an artistic lens with pictures of dogs flying through the air, napping on the sofa, at dog shows, or just showing off. Interspersed with the photos are appropriately quirky snippets of text drawn from such diverse but thematically appropriate sources as Jean-Paul Sartre, Richard Nixon, Thomas Mann, and nineteenth-century dog trainers. Canine is wonderfully entertaining browsing for all dog owners, trainers, and enthusiasts.

Henry Horenstein, that's who. A master photographer, his black and white photographs are studies in light, shadow and texture. Horenstein, whose evocative book "Creatures" made artworks of crocodile teeth and fish lips, has captured in "Canine" the very Essence of Dog. A must-have for any dog lover, or photography buff.

Henry Horenstein has done it again.

I won't pretend that I'm a disinterested reader; I wrote the introduction to the paperback version of this photographer's book "Creatures." But I'm a recovering photography critic, and I like to think I've learned a few things about what's good and what's merely glamorous. In "Aquatics," Horenstein has continued on a recent path, an approach to photographing animals and fish without going into the bush or strapping on tanks and going underwater. He does this by spending his days at zoos and aquariums, at no risk to his life or equipment (except maybe on trips to the Bronx Zoo). The advantage this gives him is that rather than worrying about survival, he can think about artistry. And the art that results is mysterious and wonderful. In "Aquatics," we see, in glorious black and white, sea creatures of surpassing strangeness, seen by a photographer who celebrates that strangeness with an unforgettable vision. It's an us-and-them world that Horenstein shows us, with fish, reptiles, jellyfish, and all manner of other oddities, coming into view in a way both beautiful and scarifying. He shows us denizens of a darker, colder world as we might encounter them through the glass of a face mask, but far closer than we might want or ever be able to manage. And the best thing is that, for all the sense of being right there with these critters, neither we nor Horenstein had to get cold, wet, or scared to death. This is an elegant and terrific book (and I didn't write the introduction).

Owen Edwards

I think the books give a real good example of the life of a typical Venezuelan Boy how is in love with the game of baseball like all of the venezuelan kids. What I like the most is that is narrated from the boys point of view and the pictures are excellent they go really good with the text.

Henry Horenstein, who teaches photography at the Rhode Island School of Design and who has authored books on everything from color theory to horse-racing, offers us a wordless 80-page portfolio that will simply take your breath away. These are black and white "portraits of all manner of living things, made in zoos, aquaria and in the wild, shot on Agfa's wonderfully lush Scala black and white slide film, then translated into equally lush Ilfochrome, or on occasion, platinum prints. These, in turn, were printed in tritone to maintain the wide range of tone in the originals. You never have seen creatures portrayed like this, or in such wonderful juxtaposition: the graceful feathers of a flamingo in close-up on the left; a seemingly identical image on the right--only it is an overhead view of a school of carp. If Horenstein had relied only on closeups of hides or feathers, or on tortured abstracts, I would not be so ecstatic about this work. But he manages to capture the "animalness" of each creature while bringing a fresh perspective to it. Only the wildlife photographs of Frans Lanting have affected me as much. --Frank Van Riper, photography columnist, the Washington Post

When I did my BFA some 15 years Mr. Horenstein's "Basic Black and White Photography" was the standard textbook. This new title is more complete and better designed. The web content is superb! Well done!

We were given a copy of the first printing of this book many years ago. As a visual and written essay about the inhabitants of the track, it is unmatched. Moments of joy are celebrated. Moments of defeat and pain are investigated. It captures the magic of the racetrack experience.

This is a really great book. The dogs are so cute, they'll break your heart. My son's favorite is the dog jumping through the hoop. He's really cute -- I only wish my dog were so well trained! We also like the springer spaniel puppy, because she looks just like our dog Allie! A must for dog lovers of all ages.

We have read this book on a near-daily basis for the last 5 months. It always brings a smile, even when Kate is recovering from a bump or scare. The dog photos are very appealing to the baby, especially the ones (Mutt, Good dog!, Jump!) where the dog's expression looks like a smile. A bonus is the wonderful photo collages that adorn the end pages front and back of the book; they are at least as good as the photos in the actual text. My husband and I fell in love with the book in the bookstore, but it has proven even more alluring to the baby. Unlike our real dog, Arf Beg Catch doesn't get up and walk away from being handled. I'm thinking about buying another copy against the day when we wear the first one out!

Adults as well as children will adore this unique alphabet book. Both the upper and lower case letters are displayed for education purposes. But the real fun of the book are the delightful and engaging photographs of the dogs in action shots. (The cover photo has me puzzled though. Has that dog been tossed up in the air?) Delightful browser as well as an educational tool for learning the alphabet.

As a result of hearing Bill Littlefield interviewed on the radio, I decided to buy this book as a gift for my son's little league coach. It looked so delightful that I couldn't resist reading it before I gave it to him. The book includes amusing and interesting anecdotes on a large variety of topics relating to baseball. Between the writing and the terrific photographs, Baseball Days keeps one's interest throughout.

I approach any book written by a Boston-area sports figure with skepticism. Mr. Littlefield, however, displays the same equanimity, intelligence, and heartfelt love for the game of baseball in this book as he does on his weekly National Public Radio show "Only A Game." The book is a collection of essays, but between the volume's flowing design (new essays do not start on a new page) and lively writing, it reads more like a conversation. Though each piece holds up on its own, their arrangement invites the reader to keep turning the pages, as the author steers the topic "From the Sandlots to the Show" (the book's subtitle). Tryout camps, zealous fans, rain delays, old players, weekend leagues, fielding, it's all in Littlefield's book. He writes with grace, and humor, and a sharp eye for observation. The book is also made beautiful by many great photographs throughout. I wouldn't hesitate to give this as a gift to any baseball fan, no matter what their team affiliation, Little League or Major League. It is, quite simply, one of the best books on the sport I've yet read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I was reading it. The perfect salve for the sting of the offseason cold.

I review other baseball books on my baseball...........

I bought this book in the hope that it would teach me something about Black and White photography. Unfortunately, I found the book to be extremely basic and more of an introduction to general photography than specifically about B&W. In addition, it was extremely dated, containing little information for a new SLR user.

If you want a simple introduction into photography in general, I would recommend checking out books by Lee Frost - "The A-Z of Creative Photography" and "The complete guide to night and low-light photography".

I would appreciate any suggestions for good B&W photography books.

Owning and understanding this text is the Learner's Permit for Black and White Photography. It offers all of the information that a beginning photographer needs to know to make black-and-white photographs. It is written for a neophyte -- someone who has the passion for photography, but does not yet understand the compexities involved. As such, if the reader is an experienced photographer, they will most likely find a better reference elsewhere. However, for someone breaking into the field it is invaluable, and is used as the textbook for a few local institutions offering classes in black-and-white photography.

By its very nature, it realizes that not every aspect of professional photography will be covered. Hence, professional finishing techniques (among other things), while alluded to, are not explored in detail (nor should they be). If the text were meant to be a comprehensive volume covering all aspects of photography, the size and technical detail would be intimidating to someone new to the field. Since, however, it is meant as an introductory text, it succeeds quite well. All of the information that an inexperienced photographer needs is contained herein (camera design, film ratings, aperture, speed, processing, basic finishing, etc.). I recommend it to anyone interested in photography and the basics of photographic technique.

A basic book for the beginner. Not recommended for someone who has developed the skills of B&W photography.