If you should read one book on divorce and the impact on children, this is the one!

This outstanding book provides great advice for parents who are badmouthing other parents, as well as ways the target parents can combat this abuse. Unlike "experts" who have not researched the most effective ways of combatting this type of child abuse, Dr. Warshak has determined through studies that parents who do nothing and say nothing are at risk for eventually losing contact with their children.

Dr. Warshak carefully navigates the misconception that alienation is typically a "woman thing" by citing examples of fathers who alienate. In doing this, the author is able to assure readers that the book is indeed written "in the best interests of children," and not for any gender-based political agenda.

Dr. Warshak's outlook on children, parenting and custody is refreshing and should be required reading for every family court judge, every family law attorney and every person going through a divorce. The author argues very succinctly and very successful that the two parents who were so vital to the welfare and growth of the children during the marriage are just as vital after the divorce. He also illustrates how family courts and mental health experts remove children from the target parent at the first sign of alienation -- which is the exact opposite of what actually works in these cases.

Dr. Warshak argues that target parents need time to rebuild this relationship -- to show that they are not the parent depicted in the diatribes of the parent who is attempting to alienate. Instead, courts typically accept irrational reasons from a child for not wanting to see a parent without examining the root causes for the alienation.

Dr. Warshak carefully crafted a "how to" book for target parents, but, more importantly, he has helped all parents become better parents by encouraging them to examine their true motives for making negative statements about their former spouses. In doing so, this author has created a classic that must be read by anyone who truly cares about children and the impact that divorce has on them.

I bought this book before the store even unboxed it for their shelf. I have to say that I was totally amazed at how Dr. Warshak nailed the description of my experience with divorce poison, the personality profile of my vindictive ex, and the response and effects I've seen it have on my child. It was like Dr.Warshak had interviewed and observed my family personally.

Divorce poison is a sick and serious issue. I don't wish it on any child or parent. If you feel like you are the target of parental alienation, educate yourself, your ex and anyone (lawyers, therapist, family, etc) who has any part in your custody matter. One of the hardest things about the recent outcome of my two year custody battle is to realize how ignorant the court, forensic psychologist, therapist, school system, and especially the father of my son, are about the power and damaging effects divorce poison has on a child.

If you are recently separated and struggling with a vindictive ex, please do not assume things will blow over or die down. People whose personalities allow them to justify bad-mouthing, bashing or even brainwashing often become consumed by revenge and cannot let it go even when it is detrimental to the child. Read Dr. Warshak's book and take action appropriately.

My lawyer made sure Divorce Poison was on our table in full view at all times during our three day custody trial. I just wish the judge could have read it before interviewing my son.

I totally agree with the prior reviewer that said this book is a bible. Picking it up and reading it every time I feel the frustration reassures me that I am not the sick one here nor am I the bad parent. With Dr. Warshak's recommendations, I can continue to try to foster a healthy relationship with my child while trying to address the poison he is being given.

As a child psychologist who conducts child custody evaluations, few situations are more painful than those in which alienation is going on. Unfortunately, most attorneys, courts, and parents are unfamiliar with the details and dynamics of alienation and too often, the children are the one's who lose. Those of us who do child custody evaluations have known about alienation for quite some time. Finally, there is a resource to help parents recognize and deal with these issues in a straight-forward manner. Alienation takes a tremendous toll on a child's life and parents on the receiving end of alienation feel totally powerless. Any mother or father who is caught up in a high conflict divorce must read this book. Parents I've recommended the book to tell me it reads like their biography. I can't stop recommending the book to parents and legal professionals. In terms of state-of-the-art books on divorce and child custody, this one must be read.

I read this book once when I was still little and I haven't been able to get the story out of my thoughts. I had been looking for it in a passively dreamy way and two weeks ago I discovered it at a used bookstore in Duluth, MN. It's so wonderful and I am again regaining the tangle of imagination that I had enjoyed as a little girl. I wish so much that it were easier to get ahold of this author's books and information about his writing.

I know that I sound like all the other reviews, but this story took me back to my childhood. I originally checked the book out at the library when I was young and read parts of it each night to my little sister. This was a special time for us and this story transported us to everywhere the doll went. We are older now and have grown somewhat apart. I recently found this book and ordered us each a copy. It is a great read as adults just like when we were younger and we will always have that bond between us. It is such a magical story that I can't wait to hand down to my children.

The first time I read the book, I was young enough to love the adventure and fantasy of dolls coming to life. When I read it a few years later, the true craft in characterization and study of human nature in the dolls come to life are spell-bounding. Simply one of the best books I have ever read, and, like the Narnia chronicles, only gets better as the reader gets older.

This is a story about a courageous woman torn mercilessly between her love for her hostage husband and her love and duty to her country. Above all, this is a love story and tragedy of epic proportions...involving not one American hero, but two. In her unrelenting efforts to free her husband from the bonds of terrorists, Robin Higgins went through the Halls of Power, confronting presidents and kings, winding through mazes of red tape, promises, and stone walls. At the same time, as a Marine Corps officer, loyal to her leaders and her country, she had to conduct herself with dignity and grace. Never once did she waver--even in the maddening days following the brutal murder of Colonel "Rich" Higgins. This book is her story...and his...and in gripping detail, Robin recounts this Patriot story. The reader will find it quite difficult to finish this book without anger at the feeble efforts to free the colonel, and without being in awe of the courage of Robin Higgins--a true patriot and heroine.

This very powerful book is a tribute to the memory of Rich Higgins. I was one of the "bubba group" identified in the book and was proud to be so. During the time Rich was held hostage, I wore many hats -- as a spokeswoman for the Rich's family, as a fellow military officer and as Robin's friend. I came to know him through the eyes of his fellow Marines as well as the eyes of the author.

Rich Higgins was a man of courage and honor. He led by example and his troops learned by his example what a genuine warrior is. They loved him. And they still grieve his loss.

The tragedy of the book is that it had to be written at all. Robin's account of the support from many at the highest levels of government is heartwarming. Her criticism of bureaucrats who repeatedly turned their backs on efforts to bring Rich home alive is true, well deserved and chills the soul.

The book is also a love story. Robin loved Rich more than life itself and never wavered in her fight to bring him home. Rich and Robin were fellow Marines, friends and mates. The words included in the book that she wrote to Rich in her journal reach deep inside the soul of one who feared the worst for her husband, yet still dared to hope he was alive.

When Rich's remains were finally dumped on a lonely street in Beirut, she sent a fax to me where I was stationed in Korea, saying only "I can only see one set of footprints in the sand now." That's when I knew Robin's hope had died.

I know Rich is proud of her...for she sought the truth about what happened to him. And she continued the fight to bring him home to the country he for which he lived and died.

"Patriot Dreams" is the most gripping true story I have ever read, and I am a voracious reader. From the opening page, you will vicariously enter the inner world of Robin Higgins, and experience the tragic death of a true American hero.

Rich Higgins was a Marine lieutenant-colonel who saw himself as a peacekeeper and a protector of the nation he loved. His duties in Lebanon required him to be unarmed, and he accepted those conditions as part of the job.

Unfortunately, the Hezbollah did not respect his show of good faith. What happened to Rich and his ever-faithful wife, Robin, will give you the deepest understanding of the contemporary Middle East and the ineffectiveness of our government in protecting its citizens in that area.

"Patriot Dreams" is written with an understated passion that sweeps the reader along; I was unable to put the book down until I finished the last word.

Robin Higgins is an extraordinarly powerful writer. Her work combines the best features of a novel with a strong dose of reality therapy. You will be both wiser and better informed as a result of this read.

The author was a student at North Shore High School when I taught there, and I can, without qualification, vouch for her good character and loyalty. When she introduced me to her husband, Rich Higgins in 1982, he was a major, and she was a captain. You would, as I did, recognize that he was a product of the best of our culture--strong but humane, highly intelligent without conceit, loyal without fanaticism.

Rich Higgins will be mourned, but he must never be forgotten.

The author, Bryan Magee, modestly states in his preface that: "There is never any suggestion that I am giving a full explanation of [Wagner's] works by what I say in these pages: I am merely drawing attention to some of the ideas that went into them." While it is true that is book is focused on Wagner's philosophy (both in the broad and narrower senses of the word) and how this philosophy influenced and affected his works, he also succinctly and brilliantly covers Wagner's biography and personality. If you have never read a book on Wagner, this would be a marvelous place to start.

Magee's basic argument is that to really understand and appreciate Wagner's mature operas you need to understand Schopenhauerian philosophy and Wagner's metaphysical beliefs. He then proceeds to explain Wagner's ideas in a prose style that is straight-forward, extraordinarily lucid and brimming with profound insights. But while the heart of the book is the exposition of Wagner's philosophical beliefs and the affect on his music, there is so much more. As the book jacket blurb says accurately, the book is "at once a biography of the composer, an exploration of the creative process, an account of 19th century opera and an investigation of the intellectual and technical aspects of music". It is really a wonderful addition to Wagner literature.

Magee, it should be noted, is also the author of "Aspects of Wagner", which is a marvelous collection of five short pieces examining, yes, different aspects of Wagner. One of the pieces in that book is about Wagner's anti-Semitism, primarily placing Wagner's views in historical context. In Tristan's Chord, he compliments that earlier essay with an appendix which explores Wagner's anti-Semitism and its ramifications more fully than his earlier piece. It is a balanced and well-supported argument on this most controversial and inflammatory topic.

Before picking up this book, I had Wagner pegged as a proto-Nazi. This was not based on any investigation, I just absorbed it somehow, and took it for granted. Imagine my surprise, then, to learn that Wagner was a hotheaded anarchist revolutionary as a young man, who stood shoulder to shoulder with Bakunin as a leader of the 1848 uprising in Dresden! This part of Magee's book is just the prelude to his real topic, Wagner's later turn to the philosophy of Schopenhauer, but I enjoyed it tremendously. Like many before and since, Wagner became disillusioned as he reached middle age. Whereas he had developed an elaborate philosophical and aesthetic theory about revolutionizing human relations, based on Fuerbach among others, he read Schopenhauer and had an epiphany. One of the most fascinating aspects of this is that he was only partially through composing "The Ring" -- the libretto was complete, but not the music. He stopped in the middle of "Siegfried," wrote "Tristan und Isolde" in a Schopenhauerian frenzy, went on to write "The Mastersingers," and only then returned to finish the music for "Siegfried" and then "Gotterdammerung." So the story of the "The Ring" reflects an anarchist revolutionary vision, far from any proto-Nazi sentiments! "Parsifal," often taken for a Christian work, is not Christian per se, but rather Schopenhauerian -- Wagner used Christian mythic imagery just as he used "pagan" mythic imagery in The Ring.

If you have only the received view of Wagner, prepare for a journey of discovery. Magee's writing is smooth and easy, and the nearly 400 pages read as if only half that. My only minor complaint is that Magee proclaims at regular intervals that Wagner is one of history's greatest geniuses, alongside Shakespeare and Mozart. I have only heard a small sample of Wagner's music, and I am as of yet far from convinced of that, but for the first time I'm ready to give Wagner a fair hearing!

This book, 380 pages in length, is a perfect book for those people who love Wagnerian operas and want to learn more without having to plough through a heavy tome which 9 out of 10 readers never finish. The author, Bryan Magee, intelligently wites to the lay reader. His explanation of philosophers such as Nietzche, Hegel, Marx, Schopenhauer and others who helped form Wagner's thinking, is easy to follow and brilliantly shows how Wagner developed and merged philosophy and music. Wagner changed music. One cannot recommend this book more highly to those interested in learning what made one of the great composers tick and how he is often misunderstood. It is a treasure trove of information and is well laid out. A great read. Bravo, Mr. Magee.

A very interesting exposition of some of the main branches and ideas of mathematics. This is a book for beginners and experts, students and professors. The authors exposes number theory, algebra, geometry, topology and calculus. (For the last topic I recomend the great book of Courant and Fritz, Introduction to Calculus and Analysis.) The mathematical concepts are introduced and motivated by real problems, it seems to me very applied and connected to physics. I have been learning much things with this book. It is very interesting and I recomend for all people that want to read about mathematics.

I read this book while in high school, before enrolling in college. I was captured by the beauty of the subject. Every concept seemed alive: a triumph of imagination, intuition and intelligence. I chose Physics and Mathematics thanks to this book. Without exaggeration, this book had a big influence in my life. Still today it has no equals, and is an enjoyable yet challenging reading for any reader armed with a good hig-school-level math knowledge, and some curiosity.

If you start to read "What is Mathematics?" in order to find a direct answer to the title's issue, forget it! I would like to adapt a piece of "My Brain is Open", by Bruce Schechter, in the following way: "Asking a mathematician to explain exactly what is mathematics is a little like asking a poet what a poem is, or a musician what jazz is. Asked this last question, Louis Armstrong replied, `Man, if you gotta ask, you'll never know.'" On the other hand, if you start to read just to go deeper and deeper in the beautiful, and sometimes magic, structure of Math than I say: Go ahead! Because this book is a perennial source of pleasure. Of course it demands a lot of work to solve some of its problems (at least for me!), but as Courant says, you cannot learn music only by listening! I have reproduced almost all the calculations of this book and I know that it demands a lot of effort, but it is one of the few books I know where each small piece of calculation has its own reward! This book is my definition of perfect guide to Math style! Try it!

What does it take for three generations of women to overcome the mistakes of the past and forge the bonds of love missing in their family? What are two mothers and a best friend willing to risk to save the ones they love? What does is mean to be a family?

The seedy world of drugs, gangs, and strip clubs is often unseen or, perhaps, ignored by the typical Myrtle Beach tourist (at least this Myrtle Beach tourist). The Redneck Riviera opened my eyes to the secrets of those sucked into that life.

Three women are driven to confront the demons of their own pasts. Grandmother Anne must admit that she looked the other way while her daughter was abused. Mother Dolly is forced to face her past, swallow her pride, and admit that she needs her mother. Daughter April has to turn from her bitterness and discover her mother's love in order to save herself and her best friend.

Côté has created a "beach novel" with a message, a story that entertains and enlightens. The Redneck Riviera is the story of a family. Each character's definition of "family" is questioned, changed, and ultimately reformed. These women discover that family is more than the ties of flesh and blood. Family is sacrifice, perseverance in hardship, and unconditional love.

Redneck Riviera is an astonishing tale that delves into the world of at-risk teens and the world of drugs. The author explores the party-drug scene, ecstasy, crystal meth and other drugs revealing a behind the scene look at how easily available these drugs are. The illegal drug industry is also explored, the drug labs, the difficulty in finding and prosecuting them and the blatant use of young, lost teens as pawns in this profit focused business, not to mention the organized crime connections.
The main teenager, April, is going through a typical period of testing the world, but her safety net, an available and focused parent seems to be the missing link and that allows April to search outside sources for acceptance and love. April' mother, Dolly, is a single parent searching for her own love and acceptance and although her daughter is important to her so is finding Mr. Right. This is a fast paced story that deals with sexual abuse, poverty, strip clubs, party drugs and the attempts to repair the damage created over three generations and reconnect a family.

Dolly Devereaux, the thirty-something divorced mother and lead character in "The Redneck Riviera" is one tough lady. I like her! Who wouldn't? (Except maybe the pothead she married whey they were both in their teens. His apathy enables their daughter, April, to run wild on the streets.) Dolly is a hard-working realist who has her priorities in order and keeps passions in check -- well, most of the time, anyway! She works long hours at menial jobs to earn her keep and care for her daughter. At the same time, she has her eye out for a handsome and prosperous boyfriend -- one way to climb the ladder of success -- but jumps at the chance to take on responsibilities of a store manager when fate cuts her some slack and she inherits her former boss's job.
The story revolves around two mother's love for their daughters and the power and challenges of the mother-daughter bond. April, Dolly's daughter, C.B. "Cue Ball" Correlli, April's drug-dealer-boyfriend, and a host of other strong, finely-chiseled characters play out a fast-paced, life-and-death adventure on the pages of "The Redneck Riviera." The reader will emerge from the reading enriched by the journey and in possession of a prized souvenir -- time well spent.

This book was one of the most riveting of any fire related books,I have ever read. The attention to detail ,from the initial alarm, until the conclusion of the incident, was flawless. If Sean Flynn were not familiar with the workings of a city fire department, then he took the time to become more knowledgeable than most civilians could ever hope to. He not only covered the technical aspects of the fire, but the human side as well. This book easily falls among the ranks as those written by other noted authors as Dennis Smith, and Leo Stapleton.

As a girlfriend of a Marlborough, MA firefighter, this book hit very close to home. I cried many tears as I turned each page. Because of my first hand experience with the bond of brotherhood, I initially speculated the value of the author's words. I was pleasantly surprised. Sean Flynn created such strong insight into Chief Macnamee's thoughts. I constantly feared what he would be faced with next, and I felt as though the only way to support him was to keep the book in my hands and the lives of those men in my mind. Even though I knew of the devastating ending, I couldn't stop reading. The reactions of both the chief and widowed wives seemed like an invasion of privacy but at the same time created a pocket of peace in my heart. At first frightened by the idea of what the story would unfold, I am grateful that I trusted Flynn to tell a story of courage.
With each chapter, Flynn's words became more and more resemblant of a voice in my mind each time the fire fighter in my life kisses me goodbye and says "See you tomorrow." This story is as real as it gets. After closing the back cover, two days ago, I feel greater appreciation and pride for not only the man in my life, but the firefighter in my world. This story is a must read.

There is only one complaint to be made of this book: The picture on the dustjacket. Instead of a photograph of someone dressed in fireman's gear, there should have been a photograph of the building described in the narrative, an enormous building with no windows, no easy paths, and, once it caught fire, no mercy. It became a monster which took the lives of six firemen.
Sean Flynn does a great job in telling this story. The book is relatively short, but Flynn does not shortchange the reader. You turn the pages fast as Flynn provides brisk views of the firemen he writes about, giving us the flavor of their family lives and their personal ambitions, and then rushing on into the action and tragedy that are the centerpieces of the book.
This is a true story, but Flynn writes as if it were a novel, letting us know what people were thinking and saying in a terrible situation. He is able to do this because he has researched the story so well. (It began as a story for Esquire magazine.)
The descriptions of the desperate attempts to save the six firemen who became lost in the mazes of the fiery Worcester Cold Storage building are some of the best true-life action sequences you are likely to encounter in a book. Flynn describes the aftermath of the fire eloquently, relating the sorrow, guilt, and pride felt by the surviving firefighters, and just as important, the heartbreak of the families the heroes left behind.
Before the Worcester Cold Storage building ever caught fire, one of the firemen in this book looked at the towering thing, imagined it on fire, and said, "Bad Building." It seems he was right.
Bad building. Hell of a good book.

Some reference books sit on the shelf, forgotten, hoping to be used someday in the future when someone has a desperate need to know how to calculate the third log value of an arctangent.

This book is as far removed from that fate as a Petrus is from a White Zinfandel!

At least once a week I have opened up this gorgeous wine tome and looked up the answer to a question, or read more about a particular wine I was enjoying. With over 3,000 entries to choose from, you can explore the ancient roots of wine in Iraq and Egypt, or learn about new vine-growing techniques winemakers are using in Washington State. The information is clearly written, well illustrated, and not overly technical.

Jancis Robinson, the editor of the tome, is well known in the industry for her knowledge and fluency in wines of all types. Combine her amazing knowledge with fantastic photographs of each wine region, and even reviews of various personalities in wine, and you have a book that you'll keep on the coffee table and actually read often! Be warned - you can lose guests in its pages for hours.

The book is great for a beginner. Confused about Beaujolais Nouveau? Want to know how a White Zinfandel differs from a Red Zinfandel? The Oxford Companion to Wine has clear, concise descriptions of all wine types, explaining their histories, their characteristics, and where they're found now.

The Companion is also a boon for experienced drinkers. It goes into the fine details of how wines are grown, and how various winemakers use different techniques to bring out the best in their particular grapes. There are maps of wine regions, and insights into what makes certain wines unique.

Great as a gift for your favorite wine drinker, but buy one for yourself, too! The book is a wonderful reference tool to have around the house. With its lovely photos of France, Italy, and Spain, it serves as a wine-lovers guide to places to visit or dream about, and wines to drink while doing so. Highly recommended as the only wine book you should ever need.

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Thirty years ago this book could not have been written. With the increasing ascendancy of the New World wine makers and in particular the influence of the Davis campus of the University of California, viticulture and oenology are now rigorous, scientific and commercially oriented professions. This is reflected in the "Oxford Companion to Wine" which has to be the most comprehensive, authoritative and accessible resource dealing with all aspects of the world of wine.

Jancis Robinson who edited this encyclopedia of wine is a highly respected wine writer and educator. She is also very well credentialled, holding the prestigious title of "Master of Wine".

The real power of this book as an information source is the very effective use of cross-references. Its great fun to see how far one reference will take you on subjects of particular interest to the reader. It would be good to see this book published as a CD-ROM. Hyper-linking all the cross-references would make it even more powerful.

The changes in the wine business over the past generation have seen the previously exclusive, "clubbiness", almost snobby world of fine wine appreciation opened up to everyone. It is books like this that have provided the sources of knowledge which give people the confidence and curiosity to pursue their interest and enjoyment of wine.

France is the traditional home of fine wine. The French approach to wine making is still dominated by practices and methodologies that go back centuries. It is interesting to see in the "Oxford Companion" the strong contrast between the empirically rigorous New World (particularly USA and Australian) methods and the mystery (or mystique) that even today, shrouds much of the French industry.

One of the best illustrations of this dichotomy in the Companion is the entry on "Terroir". This French term encapsulates the mystique that defines a particular vine growing area. It goes well beyond the issue of soil and microclimate but instead embraces everything that makes a particular wine unique.

In the "Companion" the terroir debate seems to come down on the side which believes the term is used to cover vagueness and explain characteristics that are otherwise difficult to explain. This allows sometimes ordinary wine to be passed off as something special.

Compare this to the innovative, scientifically supported approaches used in the New World. A good example is the development of "Canopy Management" the varying techniques used to optimize the yield and ripening characteristics of a grapevine.

Similarly we have see the arrival of "flying winemakers" from Australia into regions like the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France. They have introduced stainless steel fermentation vessels, temperature control and meticulous cleanliness, to what was previously a very rough and ready local business. They are now producing some of the some best Merlots, acknowledged by even the French.

This book will no doubt become the definitive reference book on all matters to do with the world of wine. It will be of the highest value to both the wine professional and the enthusiastic wine lover.

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This encyclopedia is extensive and very good. It is also very heavy. You may want to get a primer on wine (e.g., "Wine for Dummies") before getting this as a reference, but this is one for your shelves. It covers many aspects of wine and to a great deal of detail in some areas, which is welcomed. Almost all of the information is current. What little is not current is insignificant in size and importance. Take at a good look at this reference.

"Winnie the Pooh" and "House on Pooh Corner" were two of my favorite books growing up. When I came across this 75th boxed anniversary edition, I just had the get it. Keep in mind, this is just the same great stories in new packages. "Winnie the Pooh" has gold trimmed pages and "House on Pooh Corner" is trimmed with silver. I recommend this to anyone who hopes to pass on the love of the original Winnie the Pooh characters to any young ones in their lives. I know I definitely will.

I think this book suitable for everyone not only for child but adult also can read it. My friend and I love this book and try to collect the whole of Pooh's series. But I think .. The house at the Pooh corner also lovely while The Tao of Pooh was very difficult to understand for child. However, I love it!!

I recieved this book (and its companion, the color edition of "The House At Pooh Corner") as a gift. I cannot speak more highly of them both. Unlike the editor at Horn, who found that the colorization detracted from the illustrations, I find exactly the opposite -- that the color lends depth and detail to the drawings, which are completely untouched otherwise.

The paper is crisp, semi-glossy, and brilliant white; the cover and page edges are guilded; the typeface is sharp and crystal-clear; and the full-color endpapers are truly magnificent.

In all and every way this is a truly magnificent and sumptuous edition -- with perhaps the single exception of price. And even then, with such a marvelous work, that is to be expected!

There are many different and useful ways to talk about images; aesthetically, historically, socially, technically, and so on. I have chosen the area of perception and psychology, and have selected those concepts that are highly relevant to photography-to image capture, creation, design, manipulation and editing. The concepts cross the various disciplines of imaging, from photography to graphic design, from camera to computer. Concepts such as synesthesia, pupillometrics, personal space, memory and association, archetypes, visual field dependency, color connotations, and subliminals are discussed. There is also a section on applied semiotics and an entire chapter on visual rhetoric.
When asked about the value of books, the author Eric Hoffer, remarked that any book that provides the reader with one new idea, has great value. I believe "Perception and Imaging" will do this and more. The book includes 125 photographs, 300 illustrations and 400 quotations that support the text.

This book gives a practical presentation of Gestalt psychology for photography and imaging. No background is assumed, no complex theory or jargon is introduced, everything is very educational and remains completely oriented toward practical imaging. The style is very enjoyable, the book is full of excellent illustrations and all the chapters end with exercises which are not only useful in a classroom context, but are also very inspiring for artists and photographers. This book is an excellent invitation to have a different point of view on imaging.

It covers the figure/ground differenciation, the white/dark balance, perceptual grouping, associations, the importance of contours and in particular apparent contours, illusions, various morphisms (anthropo, zoo, ana, etc.), some subliminal aspects, personality, critique, etc.

The bias towards a Gestalt explanation of all phenomena may sometimes be a bit too much, you just have to be aware of it and keep a critic mind.

This book follows the landmark work of Pr. Arnheim on the subject (Art and Visual Perception), but with a more practical purpose and in a style which is easier to read.

Pete Turner's eye-catching photograph on the cover of Richard Zakia's Perception & Imaging, Second Edition, invites one to pick up the book and examine it, and the text and illustrations between the covers capture the reader's eye and the mind. The objective of the book is clearly stated in the author's preface: "Pictures, regardless of how they are created and recreated, are intended to be looked at. This brings to the forefront not the technology of imaging, which of course is important, but rather what we might call the 'eyenology' (knowledge of the visual process--of seeing).

The table of contents provides a good overview of the wide range of topics, which include both the theory and the practice of visual perception, that are covered in the eleven chapters. Some 300 illustrations provide reinforcing connections between the printed words and the visual imagery, and, of course, are indispensable to the discussion of many visual-perception concepts, such as Illusions and Ambiguity (chapter 6).

A unique feature of this book is the inclusion of some 400 concise and relevant quotations from almost that many sources, ranging from Ansel Adams and Aristotle, to Edward Weston and Oscar Wilde, that in addition to being interesting and illuminating by themselves, emphasis the universal significance of the related topic. The reader-friendly writing style of the author is a bonus.

Dr. Leslie D. Stroebel