The Ultimate Picasso could easily defeat The Fabulous Braque and The Superlative Cézanne in an arena style cubist grand melee. It would be no contest, really. The Ultimate Picasso would open up with his patented synthetic slammer sending Cézanne right back through the analytical period. Braque would try to stun him with some multi-viewed complex patterns, but nothing can neutralize The Ultimate Picasso.
Braque might try a new tactic then: swinging wildly with his blinding colors. The Ultimate Picasso would roll towards the canvas, ducking under the swing that hits the helpless Cézanne full on. Then BAM! Right out of nowhere, The Ultimate Picasso lays the smackdown on both of them with his ball-buster blue period. Down for the count: The Ultimate Picasso is once again champion of the art world.

The greatest part of this huge and informative art book is the literally hundreds of pictures that it contains. A very colorful book, which is a must for anyone interested in this highly acclaimed artist, whose Cubist style signified a new era for the art world. Picasso is one of the best artists, in my opinion, and this book gives an in-depth account of his life and his extraordinary career on canvas.

Pablo Picasso's was one of the most innovative, experimental, prolific, influential, and controversial painters of the twentieth century. In The Ultimate Picasso, Brigitte Leal covers Picasso's formative years from 1881 through 1916 (including his invention of Cubism with Georges Braque). Christine Piot explores Picasso's productive period from 1917 through 1952. Marie-Laure Bernadac surveys the artistic vigor of Picasso's later years from 1953 until hi death in 1973. The Ultimate Picasso's informative, engaging text is profusely illustration with 1200 magnificent reproductions (720 in full color) document-ing Picasso's phenomenal range of artistic expression throughout his life. The Ultimate Picasso is an essential, core addition to any personal or academic art history collection, and is a very highly recommended "Memorial Fund" acquisition choice for community libraries.

Whether you're a beginner or an expert soapcrafter, 300 HANDCRAFTED SOAPS by Marie Browning is definitely a must-have for your library. If you craft melt & pour and are low on ideas, you'll be inspired after just the quickest look through this book. The photographs are stunning, and I'm sure this will be mentioned in all reviews. Almost all of the 300 recipes have accompanying pictures and this is necessary for such an eye-catching craft. Ironically, the one photo that could have been improved is the cover shot---the background is a bit too dark to effectively highlight the soaps.

This book is up-to-date as the author mentions more than her standard coconut oil, clear or opaque glycerin melt & pour bases. Olive oil, avocado and cucumber, goat's milk, colored, and the newer frosting bases are described and pictured. Marie Browning offers helpful suggestions for selecting QUALITY soap bases and her advice is very important for those beginners who tend to buy whatever's on sale or available. Without a decent soapbase you might as well just go on using commercial soap found in your local grocery or drug store, which is notorious for being loaded with synthetic ingredients. As the author of a book about melt & pour soap and a soapcrafter for several years, I've learned that you must read the ingredients. If doing business with an Internet based soap supplier, ask for the soap base ingredients if not already listed on the site. If the supplier refuses this request, don't do business with them as they probably have a low-grade soap base.

Ms. Browning has sections on aromatherapy, fragrances, and what makes safe additives such as herbs, spices and oils, along with a few cautions. She can be ultra conservative in her warnings: "Avoid all essential oils, natural herbal products, and salt baths during pregnancy." But she's also straightforward about using alcohol to spray on soap to avoid bubbles and adhere layers preferring to "wait until a skin forms; I then carefully remove the skin with a knife." This is the most effective method I've learned over the years.

For those looking to explore the boundaries of hand-milled [sometimes called rebatch] soapcrafting, you'll be advised to purchase a copy of her earlier book, BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE SOAPS. Ms. Browning's latest offering is for melt & pour soapcrafters only! Her recipes can be adapted to hand-milled soap however. She has a handy chart comparing hand-milled and melt & pour [also known as M&P]. I laughed when I read of her advice to use M&P soap within three months as it loses its fragrance and "colorants migrate." I think her usage of fragrances, her method is to measure by drops and she doesn't indicate whether it's a fragrance oil or essential oil as she believes it's the soapcrafter's decision, is minuscule. Admittedly, some colors can be problematic, fading or bleeding in the soap and making a mess. In moderately or uncolored soaps I've personally made, there have been some bars last for over 1 year and still smell as fragrant as they were when removed from the molds. Not mentioned in this book is the fact that even M&P should cure [harden] for a few days rather than be used instantly.

It's refreshing to see the evolution of her soaps as her 1998 recipes for soap pebbles have evolved into truly spectacular and authentic looking gems. The lemon, lime, and orange slices are also better looking than what was shown in her earliest soapcrafting book.

Marie Browning has concocted so many new recipes that I'd recommend a person look at the photographs first, then go back and match the photo numbers with the recipes. A few new categories include: bagged soaps, fizzy soaps, carved soaps, dip-dot painted soaps, shampoo and scrub bars, and soap sweets-well, the author's imagination is all-encompassing. When she cautions you to label your soap, please take her advice. Some of the pictures look like they belong in a dessert cookbook!

With the holiday season fast approaching, you'd better hurry up and order this book so you have time to make some of these wonderful recipes to give as gifts. But the best part about soapcrafting is that it's an inexpensive hobby that can be done year-round because there's always a forthcoming holiday, and people always use soap!

Marie Browning is my personal soap-making Goddess. Her books are easy to follow, enjoyable, and full of wonderful soap pictures and recipes. This lovely book, good enough to browse as a soap art book if you don't want to make your own, features these sections: introduction, soap-making supplies, basic technique, designer techniques, the recipes, and metric conversion. There are several recipes to a page and the soaps are illustrated in color. What more could a crafter ask for? There are soaps for every level, and she explains what base to use, how many drops of which fragrances, how many drops of which colorants, what molds to use, and any additional supplies. I look forward to trying each and every one of her designs! (Her dip-dot painted soaps are a special treat!)

I am a sucker for gorgeously photographed books. This may have something to do with my five star rating here, but give me a chance to make my case!

That being said, there are a few things you should know before buying this book: 1., It is almost strictly a melt and pour soap book, with a brief explanation on how to rebatch but no recipes for such and 2., It is about the fun, creative side of soapmaking, with emphasis on the visual and olfactory effects you can create rather than making "skin care" products per se. Of course these soaps are all perfectly functional, gentle and satisfying as soap, but you may find they make even better gifts and conversation pieces.

I have made a few so far that caught my eye; indeed, with 300 to choose from, I could not possibly do justice to them all, and I apologize that I can only comment on a small fraction from personal experience. They are all lovely.

First I did the Rubber Ducky embedded on a clear, blue oval base as a finishing flourish on top of a baby shower gift (scented, of course, with fragrance of Baby Powder). Next, I couldn't resist the Honey soaps, which have bee themes of course and include honey and other skin-beneficial additives like bee pollen or oatmeal. A few of these are colored and molded to look like bees made out of honey. There is a Rainbow Loaf, which uses cubes of jewel-colored scraps arranged mosaically in a standard rectangular mold -- a perfect way to finish up on those leftovers. Finally, I tried the Gem soaps, which do a remarkable job of imitating several precious and semi-precious gem stones (my favorite is Amber, with a small plastic ant embedded in it. Clever!). I should remark here that many of the special effects achieved are possible only by using glycerine and other transparent melt-and-pour soap bases, a fact which "soap snobs" should consider.

Mainly because they are beautiful and clever, these soaps have qualities which recommmend them for gift giving. There is not a person on your holiday list which could not use a bar of soap (I hope), and somewhere in here is a soap for every man, woman and child, with fragrances and additives that could be custom-tailored. As I've stated before, this is not about skin care products per se, but the author does include recipes that help there (about a third of the total, or 100) and a reference list of soap bases that have specific beneficial properties and can sub in many of the more decorative recipes.

Most melt and pour books on the shelves have a hastily-done, almost cheesy look and seem to belong with those 10-page booklets you find on the racks at craft stores. Not so for this one. If melt-and-pour soapmaking's strength is it's creativeness and beauty, then the craft deserves a quality publication like 300 Handcrafted Soaps to represent it.

My one, tiny little criticism, for which I may have deducted half a star if Amazon would let me, would be the lack of a source list or references to obtain some of the fabulous molds Browning used, or the fascinating fragrances she recommmends for her recipes which don't seem to be easily obtainable in local retail stores. But, there's always the Internet.

Christine's book is packed with life's wisdom, and is presented in wonderfully captivating verse. She claims that her poetry is God inspired and, after reading through her book, there's no doubt in my mind that this claim is true. Several of the poems in her book, when applied to my own personal experiences, have provoked some indepth realizations about life within me. I also found many of them to be comforting to me at a time when I needed to be understood, validated and embraced. No mere human alone could have such a profound impact with words on so many different topics. Most writers need an entire book to develop a particular theme. Christine manages to complete the task though within the confines of each individual poem that she writes. I don't generally read poetry because it's too abstract in its message. I only ventured onto this book because the title word "ABSOULUTES" peaked my interest. And what a rare treasure it turned out to be! God has not only handed Christine wisdom to convey to others, He's also given her an exquisite poetic talent to do it with. I particularly like the poem "I've Tried It All" where each verse of the poem addresses a different subject and life scenerio with humor. I highly recommend this book to anyone who can read. I have it on my coffee table and intend to continue giving copies of it as gifts throughout the years. It's one of those perpetual books that will continue to bring blessings to people, no matter how many times they've already read it. God bless you Christine for sharing your talent with the world. And God bless all of your future writings.

What a fantastic book! This introspective collection of poems offers a look into the soul of a writer who's experiences profoundly touched me. This work will appeal to anyone searching for a closeness to God, friends, family or mate. And while Ms Cristine Marie has a beautiful melodic prose, her style is easy to read. This is not your grandfather's book of poetry with it's akward and stilted wording. Ms Marie has an amazing ability to be clear and concise without losing the musical quality of her prose. It is this God-given talent that sets this book apart from the rest. Finally, I have enjoyed this book so much that I plan on giving it to several friends as gifts this Christmas. If there is any other work by this author, I would love to own it as well.

I have just recently finished Ms. Christine Marie's book and I must say that I've not read anything quite like it. There is a profound sense enlightenment and wisdom in her poems.

It is written from a perspective that I think we all can relate to. Topics like; youth, spirituality and everyday life, to humor and self worth.

No matter what mood you find yourself in, there is a poem in this book that will uplift and nurture your soul.

Thanks Christine!

I'm sending a copy to all my friends this holiday season.

> This book is an inspiration. The interviews range from funny to militant,
> the organizing strategies range from creatively loopy to brave and
> brilliant. What the reader absorbs from these wonderful and diverse
> activists is an infectious sense of commitment to improving society, and a
> sense of idealism about the potential we all have to make those changes. We
> see and feel how lives are made whole by engagement with social change.

This masterful collection of intimate interviews is even more than the sum of its wonderful parts. While there are many books about activists, this is the only one that embraces activists across diverse disciplines, ranging from community arts and culture to banking and finance. After reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that interviews may be the only way to authentically capture the perspectives of visionary leaders. Marie Cieri and Claire Peeps clearly engendered an intimacy with their subjects that resulted in an outpouring of insight and honesty. As a reader, you feel that you've actually had a personal conversation with these special human beings. And perhaps the greatest gift of this book is that it humanizes these activists, focusing on the everyday choices that these leaders made in their lives, and the simple improvisational skills they demonstrated in the face of life's surprising curves. The result is that the reader is inspired to believe that he or she could actually make changes in their own world. And what better reason is there to write a book? I purchased a stack of these books for my family, frioends, and colleagues. I heartily recommend buying this book for everyone you know.

This is a great book for everyone interested in arts and activism to read because there are no easy answers or facile solutions given here. The editors respect the individual voices of the 15 artists and activists they interviewed. They don't try to tidy up the narrative and impose their own generalizations and comparisons. What they give us through these interviews are tough questions and real inconsistencies that we must try to figure out. Why are so many people indifferent to artists today? Can art help us relate across generations and build stronger communities? Can involvement in activism challenge artists to do better work? To me, this book contains the kind of information and inspiration that represents art and activism at its best.

If you enjoy poetry, then you will absolutely love these poems by Anna Marie Fritz. I enjoyed every line of the easy to read, beautiful flowing of words. Some of the poems in ANNA-VERSERY left me spellbound as I read the feelings that came through by this author. This is a book of poetry that should be on your bookshelf. Don't miss out on these words of love, happiness and sadness. You will smile at some; feel anguish at others. If you have an ounce of passion, I recommend keeping a hanky nearby from the tears you will shed.

Reviewed by Bobby Ruble, Award winning author

Anna Marie Fritz has chosen to present her poetry as snapshots of memory, so that each poem in the collection recalls information and events - some perplexing, others clear - that she apparently collected from life's experiences. She had diligently preserved the feelings and concepts her mind had stored up in the course of life, which have resurfaced in these verses. And now, even as she tries to externalize these musings, she can't help clinging to emotions that take her back to the "lost chances," the "yearnings" and the "outstanding moments" she had encountered in life.

Anna-Versery is a lovely work of art. Provocatively nostalgic. Delightfully lyrical.

I've read quite a few books of poetry and none have been as easy to relate to as Ms. Fritz's book. She writes about things that everyone can relate to in such a beautiful and unique way. Some poets like to write very abstract poetry, but THESE poems are easy to get a hold of, visually and emotionally. "Fruitless Mission", "A Kindred Spirit" and "The Dark Space" are among my favorites. This a book every poetry lover MUST HAVE!

Not a lot of explanations but lots and lots of exercises I am a violin teacher and I sugest the book to all my students... but most things in the book still need explanations, Very good exercise book if nothing else. Fingering has changed from the time the book was originaly written, but still a very usefull book if you would like to use the fingering and style that players in Beethoven's time used. I sugest the book to all beginners and advanced players.

As an adult beginner, "The Art" gives me everything I need to complement my lessons - answers to basic questions of theory and technique, progressive exercises, technical principles illustrated by hundreds of phrases from the masters. And scales, scales, scales. Especially nice are the complete two-part scales of Cherubini.

This is one of the great string-playing books. Please buy it and read it---you will not be disappointed.

I'm so glad I finally found this book! My mom bought one for me 20 years ago, and one for my brother 10 years ago. I've read mine so many times over the years, and it's held up extremely well. Now that I have my own baby, I've been searching for a Baby's Journal for him, and I've finally found it. It has spaces for most anything that you could want, lots of blank pages for stories and photographs, and some cute artwork. I can't wait to order one for my baby.

When I was expecting my third child I poured over all the baby journals in several book stores and chose this one. I liked it so much, I bought another for my fourth child and am now ordering two more for my first two children. Because of the format of this book you are prompted to record stories for your child about their early years rather than simply jotting down a date to fill in the blanks. It is so much more personal.

I received this book as a gift for my first child and am ordering a copy for my second. The best part about this book is that it is uncontrived. The page titles identify key moments in a baby's first year (and beyond) and gently suggest content. The rest is up to you. No silly blank lines; few pages that you'll never use. Plenty of space for journal entries, too. Beautifully illustrated. I'm not surprised to see that this book (published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art) has been around since 1978.

One might accuse me of prejudice since I have a number of pieces in this book, but in a sense, that authorship gives me a unique perspective that is worthy of expression here.

Most books on writing address only one phase of the subject -- how to write a mystery, for example, or using fiction techniques in magazine articles or developing characters. This one is far more ranging in subject matter. Here a variety of published authors speak out with authority on an equally varied number of aspects of writing.

Eileen Workman's "Ten Commandments For Successful Plotting" includes the "Cardinal Sin of Plotting" and presents solutions to the problem of plot development in a succinct and useful nutshell. "Five Mistakes Beginning Writers Make and How To Avoid Them" by Gwenneth Barnes addresses several concerns that often surprise the novice. Marcia Kiser's example of how to map a mystery takes the ouch out of outlining and John Moir describes the importance of narrative arcs in nonfiction. Books used in researching pieces are listed in a "further reading" section at the end of the article.

Pieces on Genre Writing: Memoirs, Historical Novels, Mysteries, the Short Story, Creative Nonfiction are examples of the range of advice and short cuts covered in these articles.

The inquisitive writer, even the most experienced one, will undoubtedly find surprises and new insights here. From taking the slack out of your writing to the use of setting to indicate character, and from addressing writer's block to "I Is Not Me," I challenge anyone to read this book and, when finished, to tell me he or she has not encountered some new concept.

THE BEST OF NOVEL ADVICE is novel (meaning unique) and contains some of the finest advice for writers that you'll find between two covers. I'm proud to be part of it.

There are snippets of valuable advice here for every writer, from the novice to the published. As I turned each page, I kept finding a new spin on the craft of writing that I had not thought about before, and I have been a professional writer for more than 50 years. Others will be similarly rewarded, I am sure. As the title suggests, the 78 pithy articles lean in favor of fiction rather than non-fiction, which is my own cup of tea, but then most writers are novelists at heart, aren't they?

Pete

I have been reading (and writing for) the online journal Novel Advice for several years. It is always full of helpful, practical advice for writers--whether you are experienced or just starting out. Now this anthology distills the best of the suggestions for improving your writing in a handy format. You will be helped, inspired, and motivated by the essays in this book. Highly recommended for all authors and would-be authors!

This book deserves more than five stars.

Before going further, let me mention that Brassai's images contain many sinners and show the seamier side of Paris. For example, there are many photographs of prostitutes here. If such subjects upset you, do avoid this volume.

The collection of Brassai's work at the Musee National d'Art Moderne at the Pompidou Centre in Paris was recently expanded from 300 to 500 items due to a large deposit by Mme. Gilberte Brassai, his widow. This monograph greatly benefits from these additions. The monograph also commemorates the 100th anniversary of his birth in 1899.

Best known for his photography, Brassai had many other dimensions: collector, scholar, sketcher, sculptor, and writer. His self description was as "a creator of images." This book does an excellent job of capturing all of these elements so we can better understand the entire man and his work.

As Brassai said, "The meaning of art is not authenticity . . . but the expression of authenticity." Why does he say that? Well, his method of photography required careful staging because of the bulkiness of his equipment and its slow speed. So, although an image may seem like something taken by a news photographer from the Daily Blurb, Brassai's techniques required that subjects hold their poses for long periods of time. Much like Cindy Sherman does today using herself as the model, those in the photographs were often friends of Brassai's who were posing as someone else. So what is remarkable about these "candid" photos is his "use of re-creation and reconstruction" to produce them.

Taking the photograph was really just the beginning. Using darkness as his ally, it is the print that makes the difference to his representations. "A negative means nothing for my kind of photographer." "It's the artist's proof that counts."

Here are my favorite photographic images in the book:

Notre-Dame, c. 1930-32

The Pont Neuf, c. 1932

The Viaduc d'Auteiul, 1932

The Baker, c. 1930-32

Public Urinals, c. 1932

For a Detective Story, 1931-32

The Big Night at Longchamp, July 1937

False Sky, 1934-35

Nudes of 1934

Matches, c. 1930

Picasso, His Studio and Works, 1932-46

Montmartre, c. 1935-37

Metro Pillar, 1934 (you will see a man's face in the shadow of the pillar)

Odalisque Transmutation, 1934/1967 (this is clearly influenced by Picasso)

The essays in the book are excellent. I especially liked Alain Sayag's comparison of his work to Chinese painting.

I also learned a lot about his life. Like many famous photographers he had to earn a living by doing more commercial work. These images often were done on his own time, late at night. Interestingly, many great photographic images were created in only 1-3 takes. In part, this reflected his poverty.

Actually, he had earlier earned a living from writing about France for German newspapers. The Depression began to cut off that source of funds, and photography was taken up in part to supplement his income. By selling the story and the images, he could get paid a little more. He also worked for Harper's Bazaar taking photographs by day for many years.

The text also contains many selections from what Henry Miller and he had to say about each other and their long-term friendship. This emphasizes "seeing only what is."

My appreciation of the photography was improved by seeing his drawings and sculptures. Clearly influenced by prehistoric and primitive art, many of these images look like fertility gods. His women are all bottom. From these, I could understand his graffiti photographs of images that could literally have come from the caves at Lescaux. So in looking for the "reality" Brassai was reaching deeper into our ancient psyches than other photographers before and since.

I came away very much more interested in Brassai, as I am sure you will be.

After you finish consider Brassai, I suggest you ask yourself how you could add more dimensions of expression to your personal life. What can you share that is both "real" and important for others? How can you best accomplish that?

Au revoir.

It was only several years ago that I had noticed the brilliant work of Brassai. The Chicago Institute of Art was having a special exhibit featuring his work. I stood before each photograph for what seemed like an eternity. The way that he captures the essence of the human life, the laughter along with the tears, brings a flood of emotions to any observer. My interest in Brassai only grew from this exhibit. I then started to hunt out books on him, his life, his work but I wound up a little disappointed due to most of his work is out-of-print. When I had been scanning Amazon.com and found a new book, Brassai, I was highly interested. I awaited the day that it would finally be published. That day came. As I turned the pages of the book, I felt as if I am back in the Art Institute. The quality of the photographs, the meaning of the words, by close friends, and from Brassai himself add to the pleasure and overall joy of the book. He depicts a time in history that is meant and needed to be cherished. Brassai reaches into the human heart and soul and brings out strength, determiniation, and a smile. These feelings are only emphasized on the pages of this magnificant book. I only hope that more will follow so that Brassai can touch more lives, touch more hearts, and bring emotions to the forefront of everyone's lives.

When Abrams released their long-delayed book on Brassai last December, THE EYE OF PARIS, I was very critical of the entire piece. The images weren't well-printed, the selection was mundane, and the whole thing had an oddly slapped together quality, especially for such a major publisher. Now we have Bullfinch's answer to the recent Brassai gap, and it is a clear success, head and shoulders above this earlier release. After only a relatively cursory look at the book, it is clear that this is what we've been waiting for. The selction of images is deep and varied, mixing both the iconic with the lesser known, the printing is lustrous and dimensional, and the layout is both attractive and compelling. The production may not match the incredible PARIS BY NIGHT reissue of the late 80's, but nothing probably ever will. That said, this book looks very good indeed. I haven't read the impressively credited text yet, but the visuals are certainly terrific, the most important thing, obviously, in a photography book. It is hard to imagine a superior monograph on this seminal figure forthcoming anytime soon. Grab it and feast.

Buddy Goes to Canterbury Camp is an exceptional novel about a teenage boy faced with tremendous pressure to choose a path tainted toward destruction or a path of positive change.

During the course of the story, Buddy is sent to live with an older couple who are the owners of Canterbury Camp. The couple demonstrates unconditional love toward Buddy and the other teenage boys who live at the camp; thus cultivating an atmosphere of inner healing and revitalization of broken hearts and spirits. Buddy and the other teenage boys are given a second chance at their lives, while incorporating positive character changes.

The author stresses intergrity a great deal in her book, and the importance of developing a sense of overall purpose for one's life which is essential for the main character to develop.

I applaud Ms. Jones for writing such a brilliant piece of work at such a time as this; youth today need guidance and character keys such as intergrity that will enable them to become future leaders of tomorrow equipped with strong moral and personal values.

My desire is to see this book at every grade school and high school across the country as a counseling tool to help troubled youth. This book is a necessary counseling tool and if you are a counsellor like myself whether in the field of law or social work or teaching . . . "Buddy Goes to Canterbury Camp" would provide and answer countless questions that one might have on the topic of troubled youth.

This is a masterpiece -- we should all hope for a sequel.

After reading this book, I believe the author has hit upon something that has been overlooked in today's youth. Every parent should read this book along with their child. It is excellent for teaching youths integrity and instilling principles that will last a life-time. In light of all the school shootings in this country, I believe what is taught in this book will help prevent such events from happening again. If we teach kids to love themselves, then they are less likely to get involved in self-destructive behavior.

Buddy Goes To CanterBury Camp is an exceptional book which should and must be read by both parentand children.It is a counseling tool that help parents understand what is inside of their children.Thanks for writing such a great book.