Careers by Design: A Business Guide for Graphic Designers Review

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Careers by Design: A Business Guide for Graphic Designers ReviewThis book is 199 pages of fluffy copywriting. There's no substance!
I'll find myself reading a section that feels like a long winded introduction, then...POOF...onto the next topic. Over and over again.
The target audience of this book (Designers) is too broad. Because of that, everything is vague generalizations. Maybe Goldfarb could write about some specifics if the demographic was narrowed down to only one of the following: Graphic Designers, Multimedia Designers, Freelance Designers, etc.
If you need this book to tell you that a resume and portfolio are important to finding a new job, then by all means, pick up a copy. But if you've taken ANY classes in design or have ANY work experience, don't waste your time...Careers by Design: A Business Guide for Graphic Designers OverviewLeading headhunter Roz Goldfarb reveals her time-proven secrets for survival and success in the graphic design industry. Through her work with hundreds of corporations around the world, she provides readers a treasure trove of valuable information for thriving in this creatively driven business, including updated hiring criteria, the latest developments in technology, and the marketplace affecting design careers.Discussion in this revised and expanded third edition includes: jobs, hiring practices, salaries, portfolios, resumes, networking, headhunters, training, freelancing, and more, with a special focus on the new design disciplines, training requirements, and opportunities for the Internet. Careers by Design should be on the desk of every ambitious graphic designer. . . . If you are looking to secure an even more successful future, Careers by Design is a must-read.î óDesign Management Journal.

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Build a Better Photograph: A Disciplined Approach to Creativity Review

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Build a Better Photograph: A Disciplined Approach to Creativity ReviewMichael Stern probably has a lot to tell us about making photographs, both with a camera and with Photoshop. Unfortunately, he doesn't convey much of this knowledge in this book, and what he does convey is ill organized.
"Build a Better Photograph" is divided into four almost unrelated parts. The first shows how the author constructs environmental portraits by building up layers within Photoshop; the second shows how he created a photographic Christmas card for a client; the third shows how he made images from scanned objects, including dead things; and the final chapter shows how he develops product photography. The common thread throughout seems to be the use of compositing to create images.
Unfortunately, he almost explains how he composites images in Photoshop but never quite gives enough information so that the less-experienced reader can actually apply his techniques. In most cases he provides screen shots of the Photoshop layers panels for his composites but he often doesn't explain in enough detail how to use the tools with which he created the layers. He sometimes promises that he will reveal things, and doesn't. Typically, Stern tells you the lighting effects filter is important, but rather than explain it, he tells you to keep practicing with it until you understand it.
Apparently Stern was trying to use images he had created to show the reader the decision processes he used to achieve the final product, but even when ordered in time sequence, the processes are not explained clearly enough to be of use to most people.
On the too much information side, I didn't find it useful to hear about how he preps himself for problem solving by having a conversation with himself before going to sleep, so that he can set a goal for the problems that he plans to resolve in his dreams; or the fact that an early partner did him dirty; or that a procurement officer gave him a hard time. The space he occupies with these meanderings might better have been used providing more detailed information. I also didn't need the continual reminders that he was a professional, as if there were no poor professionals or excellent hobbyists.
A DVD is included with the book but this isn't very useful either. I really don't need to see how Stern does the dishes in the Christmas card studio or how Santa danced when not posing. Quick time spherical panoramas, mostly of his studio, are included on the DVD but there is no mention of them in the book or explanation of how they were created. The most useful things on the DVDs might be the check lists and written instructions on the use of Photoshop tools, but these are written instructions that don't capitalize on the capabilities of DVDs. In fact if this material had been included in the book itself, it might have been integrated into the presentation in a useful manner.
People interested in doing compositing and familiar with Photoshop's tools may benefit from seeing how one photographer uses those tools. Other readers are not likely to find this book useful.
Build a Better Photograph: A Disciplined Approach to Creativity Overview
While many books address the equipment, techniques, and compositional approaches to image creation, few describe the steps involved in the creation of the picture idea. This book is a passport to the creative process of professional artists. The context is photography but the ideas can be applied across the board. This book emphasizes working out how to achieve the end result before we begin. A key question is what do we haveto get right as weshoot and what can we achieve later in post-processing? The correct answer will drive the quality of our imagery and extend our careers. This book is not a how-to book on making photographs. Rather, this book is about the creative process of conceptualizing ideas and executing those ideas to make a photograph. How do artists conceptualize? Where do they get their ideas? How do they incorporate those ideas into their work? Compositing and storytelling abilities have never been easier and more difficult to achieve. Sound contradictory? It is. Illogical? It is. We willjourney together to solve the many whys and hows so that the technology does not get in the way of image content and story. As it relates to a particular topic in the text, there are discussions about photographic theory, lighting, composition, color and, of course, Photoshop. Included are examples of my work, each with a detailed examination of my creative process for that particular photograph. Again the idea here is to examine creativity in a way that demystifies the process. Artists create. Good artists have a process. Great artists have discipline. This book is about all three.


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The Art of Digital Music: 56 Visionary Artists and Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets (Includes DVD) Review

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The Art of Digital Music: 56 Visionary Artists and Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets (Includes DVD) ReviewI really wanted to like this book after reading all the reviews. And I must admit that some of the interviews are quite interesting. However, almost all of the 50+ interviews are limited to just two pages, with each interviewee answering just a couple of questions. The latter portions of the book are dedicated to some light advice on music production and the business of music, as well some speculation on the future of the music industry. Perhaps there are just too many topics to allow any one topic to receive a satisfying treatment. Many of the interviews read like an article you would find in Sound on Sound, Electronic Musician or such magazines (that's a good thing) but are even skimpier on content and cover a far-reaching range of topics. This biggest disappointment, however, is the DVD. It mostly contains audio excerpts of the telephone interviews and after a while you just lose interest clicking around on them. There are only a few performance-oriented video clips, but these are not the best quality and their content is of questionable interest. All in all, I think the book has some interesting elements but I'm not sure there's enough there to justify the space on your bookshelf. My advice would be to flip through it at a bookstore, read two or three of the interviews before ordering it.The Art of Digital Music: 56 Visionary Artists and Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets (Includes DVD) OverviewThis inspiring volume gathers the wisdom and groundbreaking techniques of 56 visionary artists, producers, programmers, provocateurs, instrument designers, label executives and industry leaders. Hear firsthand how the masters wield technology to create their amazing music - the enclosed DVD features highlights from each interview. You'll learn studio setup tips, secrets of sampling, creative quantization, ringtone tricks, production strategies, insights from video-game composers, insane distortion recipes, how to squeeze expression from loops, how to overcome software option anxiety, how to exploit happy accidents, and much more. Derived from a year's worth of in-depth interviews, this book is a richly detailed journey into the heart of computer-aided creativity. Contributors include Glen Ballard, BT, LTJ Bukem, The Crystal Method, Chuck D, Thomas Dolby, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Jam, Alan Parsons, Phil Ramone, Todd Rundgren, Don Was, and many more. The bonus DVD also includes: over 25 complete songs * live-performance videos * interactive Flash movies * royalty-free samples and loops by the artists * behind-the-scenes photos * and more.

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The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present Review

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The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present ReviewWhen there are so many good tarot books on the market it's a real treat to find one that says something totally and uniquely original. This isn't to belittle what's available but if like me and you've been dealing with the Tarot for almost thirty years, you begin to find that each new title, however excellent it may be, only embellishes what you already know with a choice selection of extra insights. Janet Boyer's new book is something quite different. It's one of those rare titles that manages to tread well-worn territory whilst turning all your maps on their heads. It is truly original.
How do most of us first encounter the Tarot? For me, it was through watching a James Bond film where a beautiful fortune teller shuffled the cards, selected at random and used the upturned cards to foretell the future. Of course, I soon realised it's not that simple. The Tarot is a powerful tool for shedding insight on past, present and future but fundamental to its application is the principle of randomness--or so I thought prior to reading Janet's book.
The Back in Time Tarot Book is the ultimate "card reversal" of the Tarot world. Rather than relying on random selection, Janet encourages you to take control of the Tarot deck and use it as a tool to illuminate your past through means of deliberate card selection. As such, she has given us a powerful tool for self-understanding.
Her Back in Time (BIT) Method involves selecting an incident from your past, summarising it into a "snapshot" by identifying the key points you wish to clarify and then selecting cards to represent these key points. Cards are selected either based on their traditional meanings or alternatively, because of your intuitive response to the images themselves.
One aspect that impressed me greatly was the author's emphasis on card combinations. I frequently work with Lenormand cards as well as with the Tarot and here, card combinations are paramount. An individual card such as the Coffin can mean something very different on its own to when it's paired with a card such as the Heart. So it is with Janet's BIT Method. If an aspect of your "snapshot" is too complex to be represented by a single card then you're encouraged to select two or more that connect together for you on an intuitive level.
The benefits of this method are far reaching. In creating a symbolic "photo album" of such key past events in your life, the tarot symbols you select will often uncover aspects of your past you hadn't realised or acknowledged. I've also found that in using this method I've begun to build up a whole new raft of personalised card meanings and associations that I've been able to bring back to my conventional readings.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say. In this respect, Back in Time Tarot is almost self-endorsing. The first section is Janet herself, laying out the BIT Method whilst the second part is based around a stellar array of other Tarot writers and artists writing on their usage of Janet's methodology and providing their own BIT Snapshots. Names include Mary K. Greer, Monte Farber, Zach Wong, Lisa Hunt, Riccardo Minetti and Joan Bunning amongst others. What better seal of approval could you get than this? Each of their accounts is carefully framed by Janet's own commentary on their experiences.
Adding to the goody bag are further exercises, where the BIT Method is applied to a range of other events such as current affairs coverage or movie storylines. It's amazing what the cards can say in such situations!
This is a truly clever book, well written and presented in a way that showcases not only Janet's infectious enthusiasm, but also the respect and enthusiasm for her BIT Method shown by some of the world's best Tarot writers and artists. Add this to your bookshelf whenever you get the chance. If, like me, you had fallen into the trap of thinking there wasn't much more to learn, this book will soon prove you wrong. It's a winner in every way.The Back in Time Tarot Book by Janet Boyer is published by Hampton Roads Publishing Company Inc. ISBN 978-1-57174-587-3
Chris Butler discovered the Tarot nearly thirty years ago. He has created and illustrated four tarot decks of his own and is the illustrator of the Quantum Tarot, co-created with author Kay Stopforth.Quantum Tarot: A Tarot of New PhysicsThe Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present OverviewUsing her BIT (Back in Time) Tarot method of working with the Tarot, Janet Boyer helps readers gain insight and understanding of their present--and ultimately their futures--by exploring their past. Gone are arcane and hard-to-understand explanations of Tarot symbols. Instead, Boyer offers an intuitive approach that allows readers to "feel the truth" of the cards as they relate to the specific parts of their lives. In a nutshell, the BIT Method:
Asks readers to think about a specific memory, story, news item, book, movie, etc.

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Directed by Steven Spielberg: Poetics of the Contemporary Hollywood Blockbuster Review

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Directed by Steven Spielberg: Poetics of the Contemporary Hollywood Blockbuster ReviewWarren Buckland's "Directed by Steven Spielberg" is a welcome addition to the growing shelf of books that take a serious look at the films of Spielberg. His approach is to do a deep analysis of Spielberg's visual style, and he comes up with some fascinating results. It's no news to me that Spielberg's movies are way smarter than a lot of people tend to assume, but Buckland makes a good case for "Jurassic Park," which I'd previously considered to be one of the lesser movies in his career. Buckland is similarly insightful on the subjects of the rest of the movies he covers.
However, I have reservations about certain aspects of the book. For one thing, it's a dry, dry, dry read. This is acdemic writing, and frankly, academics don't know how to write nine times out of ten. Buckland is great at analysis; he's less good at presenting his analysis. Therefore, unless you're a pretty serious Spielberg fan (or a serious film-school student), you're likely to have a hard time making it through some sections of this book.
Secondly, Buckland's concentration on Spielberg's visuals lapses in certain places. Whenever he begins discussing elements of Spielberg's films that he doesn't like, Buckland almost immediately shifts away from visual analysis and toward more traditional criticisms of plot and character, etc. These are quite possibly valid critical arguments, but they are a betrayal of Buckland's intent in writing the book. And quite frankly, a visual analysis of some of these sections might have been useful, even revelatory.
Another issue is with Buckland's analysis of "Poltergeist." He takes a statistical analysis -- a fascinating one, in fact -- of the movie in order to determine who "really" directed the movie. (If you weren't aware, it has long been a Hollywood controversy over whether credited director Tobe Hooper was in fact just a patsy for Spielberg, who has been rumored to have actually done most of the directing himself.) Buckland's findings, surprising even to himself, is that while Spielberg obviously wielded some influence, Hooper was also extremely active in the movie's visuals. This is great stuff, but it seems to settle the controversy in favor of Hooper, and fails utterly to take into account the fact that Spielberg wrote the film (he's credited with "story by," but did an uncredited full rewrite of the final draft of the screenplay). Whether or not he physically directed it, it's a Spielberg movie. To be fair, this is a problem with film criticism at large; the writer of the film is often ignored, and ought not be.
Finally, at the end, there are short analyses of several Spielberg movies not covered in full. One of these is "A.I.," and Buckland opts not to approach the movie's visuals at all. Instead, he offers up the analysis that the majority of the movie is a dream sequence from the point of view of the sick child, sleeping within the cryogenic chamber. This analysis is so poor, so entirely off-base, that it's hard to believe I'm supposed to take it seriously. It's so wrong-headed, in fact, that it calls Buckland's overall credibility somewhat into question. This is a problem coming at the end of an otherwise solid book.
Don't let these problems put you off from buying it if you're a serious Spielberg fan, though. There is a lot to like and appreciate here.Directed by Steven Spielberg: Poetics of the Contemporary Hollywood Blockbuster OverviewAlthough the blockbuster is the most popular and commercially successful type of filmmaking, it has yet to be studied seriously from a formalist standpoint. This is in opposition to classical Hollywood cinema and International Art cinema, whose form has been analyzed and deconstructed in great detail. Directed By Steven Spielberg fills this gap by examining the distinctive form of the blockbuster. The book focuses on Spielberg's blockbusters, because he is the most consistent and successful director of this type of film - he defines the standard by which other Hollywood blockbusters are judged and compared. But how did Spielberg attain this position? Film critics and scholars generally agree that Spielberg's blockbusters have a unique look and use visual storytelling techniques to their utmost effectiveness. In this book, Warren Buckland examines Spielberg's distinct manipulation of film form, and his singular use of stylistic and narrative techniques. The book demonstrates the aesthetic options available to Spielberg, and particularly the choices he makes in structuring his blockbusters. Buckland emphasizes the director's activity in making a film (particularly such a powerful director as Spielberg), including: visualizing the scene on paper via storyboards; staging and blocking the scene; selecting camera placement and movement; determining the progression or flow of the film from shot to shot; and deciding how to narrate the story to the spectator.Directed By Steven Spielberg combines film studies scholarship with the approach taken by many filmmaking manuals. The unique value of the book lies in its grounding of formal film analysis in filmmaking.

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The Look Book Review

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The Look Book ReviewI was at a friends house the other night and they had a copy of this book, The Look Book. I at first picked up the book wanting to be polite. It was a book written by my friends former student, Chris Sickles. When I started through the first few pages it seemed like any other ordinary childrens book, until Ian and Ann started running across very morbid and outlandish characters. I appreciate the first review written, the fact that this book is not your oridinary childrens book. That is true. I can be completely honest when I say, as an adult, I could not put the book down. The puppets that Chris Sickles created were amazing. The imagery, the story line and the gore involved were a perfect mixture of fairy tale and truth. I bought the book through Amazon the following day after I read it at my friends house and I've shared it with other friends who also agree that the book is something they'd like to have in their collections. The book itself should be cherished as a breakthrough in its simple look at the world. Stop sugar coating the truth and see the beauty in the puppets, color and imagination that Chris Sickles has brought to our attention.The Look Book OverviewChris Sickels' work is at once recognisable and unique. He's developed an inimitable style that resonates with a vast array of people from designers to business people, to children. This intriguing book is a showcase of his work in a children's book format."The Look Book" is a charming peek into the lives of Ann and Ian, two siblings who leave the house one afternoon and see the world in unusual ways. The book combines stunning photographs of miniature scenes with dark wit and clever turns of phrase to create a delightful package.

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Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked Review

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Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked ReviewFor decades, I have been fascinated by Broadway musicals and Broadway music, even though my occupation has nothing to do with the field of entertainment. However, it does deal with creativity. I think this is part of the reason I was drawn to the work of such composers and lyricists as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gershwin, Kern, Porter, Lerner and Loewe, and Sondheim. I have read everything I could get my hands on about this individuals and others. What in their background led them to this occupation? What led them to become so successful?
Stephen Schwartz is a member of the current generation of Broadway composers and lyricists. Probably because there are so few opportunities for individuals with this talent and desire, each generation produces a very small number of successful composers and lyricists. In his case, Schwartz is both a composer and lyricist. Anyone with an interest in show music will have his or her favorite shows and favorite songs. Schwartz is the composer-lyricist of WICKED, my favorite of his shows and an amazing accomplishment. He wrote the lyrics to the songs from Disney's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (and the German stage production of it) and to the song "If I Never You" from POCAHONTAS, also bordering on masterpieces in my opinion.
The author of this marvelous book is Carol de Giere. This book is not only extremely interesting to read, the author has capured the story of the steps along the path that led Schwartz from childhood to where he is today. This includes such great successes for someone so very young to great diappointments and how he handled them. We are left with an extraordinarily talented artist who received encouragement when he needed it and possessing an abundance of self-confidence.
There have been many movies in the past about composers (including Rodgers and Hart, Kern, Gershwin, and Porter). As I read this book, I thought: This book would make a good basis for a very interesting movie. For those individuals interested in Broadway, Broadway musicals and the people who create them (and creative people in general), I highly recommend this book and compliment the author.Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked OverviewDefying Gravity takes readers into the creative world of Broadway and film composer Stephen Schwartz, from writing Godspell's score at age 23 through the making of the megahit Wicked. For this first authorized biography, de Giere draws from 80 hours of interviews with Schwartz and over 100 interviews with his colleagues, friends, and family. Her sympathetic yet frank narrative reveals never-before-told stories and explores both Schwartz's phenomenal hits and expensive flops. The book also includes a series of "Creativity Notes" with insights about artistic life, and more than 200 photographs and illustrations.

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Family Fun Nights: 140 Activities the Whole Family Will Enjoy Review

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Family Fun Nights: 140 Activities the Whole Family Will Enjoy ReviewI have tried many "family fun" books and have found that this book is the best! Especially if you have small children. My three and four year old could do these activities and do not get frustrated like other ones we have tried! They are simple, laughable, fun ideas in this book and my whole family looks forward to FAMILY FUN NIGHT each week. It has brought our family together in such a close way and I know that the memories we create each time we have one will be the cherished memories that my kids will carry with them forever!Family Fun Nights: 140 Activities the Whole Family Will Enjoy OverviewFilled with imaginative activities to bring the family together and create lifelong memories, this resource for parents and grandparents is full of activity ideas that require little or no preparation and use materials that are easily found around the house. The 26 themed family events and 140 related activities go beyond game night and movie night by creating family traditions that kids will remember and look forward to repeating. Families laugh together on "Giggle Night" or "Opposite Night," explore during "Animal Night" and "Science Night," or scare themselves silly on "Spooky Night" and "Mystery Night." Everything needed to make the night complete is detailed, including skits, songs, crafts, games, and recipes.

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Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity Review

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Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity ReviewLessig has written a very clear and entertaining book about copyright, piracy, and culture, filled with lots of real-world examples to make his points. The book covers major events in the history of copyright in the United States (from its beginnings in English common law and the UK Statute of Anne) in order to show how its meaning has changed, and how those who are making accusations of piracy today were the pirates of yesterday. (Jessica Littman's book, Digital Copyright, is a nice complement to this book, covering the history of copyright in greater depth.) Lessig makes a strong case that the direction of copyright, giving greater control over content to a very small number of owners than has ever existed, is eroding the freedom that we've historically had to preserve and transform the elements of our culture.
Lessig begins by describing how the notion of a real property right for land extending into the sky to "an indefinite extent, upwards" became a real rather than theoretical issue with the invention of the airplane. In 1945, the Causbys, a family of North Carolina farmers, filed a suit against the government for trespassing with its low-flying planes, and the Supreme Court declared the airways to be public space. This example shows how the scope of property rights can change with changes of technology, in this particular case resulting in an uncompensated taking from private property owners, yet leading to enormous innovation and the development of a new industry and form of transportation. He follows this with the example of the development of FM radio, which was intentionally back-burnered by RCA and then hobbled by government regulation at RCA's behest in order to protect its existing investment in AM radio. This example shows how powerful interests can stifle technological change through its ownership of intellectual property (in this case, the patents regarding FM radio).
He then discusses how intellectual property laws have developed in the U.S., pointing out that Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse made his talking picture debut in the movie "Steamboat Willie" (he had earlier appeared in a silent cartoon, "Plane Crazy"), which was a parody of Buster Keaton's "Steamboat Bill." Many of Disney's characters and stories were taken directly from the previous work of others, such as the Brothers Grimm--works in the public domain, freely available for such copying. As new forms of media have been created, they have borrowed from previous forms. Today, however, the creators of content who have borrowed from their predecessors have successfully changed the rules so that their successors cannot borrow from them, both by extending the term and scope of copyright protection and by developing technologies that have greatly reduced the ability of successors to borrow or re-use content. The specific rules are completely inconsistent, based on the political power of the relevant parties at the time the laws were changed. When Edison developed the ability to record sounds, including recording music written by others, copyright law was changed to provide for compulsory licensing for a fee paid to the composer. With radio broadcasting, the fee still goes to the composer, but not to the recording artist. But put that same radio broadcast on the Internet, and now fees must be paid to both the composer and the recording artist.
Where there used to be a sea of unregulated uses of copyrighted material containing a small island of restricted uses (with shores of fair use), there is now a vast continent of restricted uses, a stark cliff of fair use, and a tiny channel of unregulated uses. Lessig shows a table on pp. 170-171 showing commercial and noncommercial uses and the rights to publish and transform for each. In 1790, copyright only governed publication rights for commercial uses, the other three cells of the table being free. At the end of the 19th century, publication and transformation for commercial use was governed by copyright, while noncommercial use was free. The law was changed to govern copies, including much noncommercial use. Today, all four cells of the table are governed by copyright.
Lessig discusses Eric Eldred's attempt to defend the right to transform public domain works into electronic versions by fighting Congress's continuing extensions of the term of copyright in the face of the Constitution's restriction to "limited Times," and how the case was lost at the U.S. Supreme Court to inconsistent reasoning from the conservative justices who failed to even address the commerce clause argument and the precedent they set in Lopez v. Morrison case. This is a wonderfully written, persuasive, entertaining, and dismaying book. It deserves to be widely read and understood, so that ultimately intellectual property law in the U.S. will be reformed.
[...]Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity Overview

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Visual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs Review

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Visual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs ReviewVisual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs is a book written by Chris Orwig, an instructor of prestigious photography school. The approach of this book is workshop style, meaning that Chris will give you tips and tricks in the chapter, then followed by assignment and reference.
The interesting part of the book is when Chris relate literature (especially poetry) to photography. He argues that photography could be a great medium to express or convey a message or story.
In addition, this book discussed many kinds of photography from portrait, wedding, sports, and travel. However i feel that the discussion in each chapter is too general.
This book is geared towards someone who is already have pretty strong basic photography knowledge such as exposure, composition, equipments, but need an inspiration and a push in the back to try out new things.
For beginners, you might be disappointed because there is practically no instruction on how to get those kind of photos. There is no technical information (lens used, focal length, aperture/shutter speed) on each photographs in the book as well.Visual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs OverviewA great photograph has the potential to transcend verbal and written language. But how do you create these photographs? It's not the how that's important, but the who and the what. Who you are as a person has a direct impact on what you capture as a photographer.Whether you are an amateur or professional, architect or acupuncturist, physician or photographer, this guide provides inspiration, simple techniques, and assignments to boost your creative process and improve your digital images using natural light without additional gear.Chris Orwig's insights—to reduce and simplify, participate rather than critique, and capture a story—have made him an immensely popular workshop speaker and faculty member at the prestigious Brooks Institute. His engaging stories presented as lessons follow his classroom approach and highlight what students say is his contagious passion for life.In this accessible and beautifully illustrated four-color guide you will:
Discover visual poetry in the creative process
Use less to say more with your subject matter
Learn to see light, color, shape, and expression
Understand what gear is essential
Create compelling portraits
Make lasting memories of your family and kids
Capture the outdoors and adventure
Begin the transition from amateur to professional
Chris also includes exclusive interviews with such photographers as: Steve McCurry, Chris Rainier, John Sexton, Rodney Smith, Joyce Tenneson, John Paul Caponigro, Marc Riboud, and Pete Turner.Share your work with the author and other readers at www.flickr.com/groups/visual-poet and visit the Web site: www.visual-poet.com.

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How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life Review

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How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life ReviewJust when I thought I knew everything there was to know about Walt Disney, along comes this brilliant book. How to Be Like Walt shines fresh light on the person and character of Walt Disney, a man I never knew but have loved all my life. More than that, it encourages all of us that we can be like Walt, too - if we study his life, discover what drove him, learn from his failures and examine his interactions with others. There will never be another Walt, but we can all be like Walt if we want to be. This book tells us how. He wasn't perfect - but neither are you or I. Still, as the book says, the world would be a poorer place if it hadn't been for just one Walt Disney. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind being remembered for making my world better like he did.
How to Be Like Walt tells his story through the eyes of people who knew him and loved him, people who have admired his accomplishments, and people whose lives have been shaped by the force of his personality. It's the most complete picture of Walt Disney available to date from any book. In the bargain, we get lessons to apply to our own lives. Everything to gain and nothing to lose! Read it today.
How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life OverviewAn inspiring biography of one of the most influential and beloved figures of the 21st century, based on more than a thousand interviews.
"I've read every book that has ever been written about Walt Disney, going back to some that were published in the 1930s. [How to Be Like Walt] is by far the most enjoyable to read of them all!"Tim O'Day, Disney Scholar"How to Be Like Walt is a fitting tribute to Walt's memory and an important contribution to the Disney legacy . . . Now more than ever, we need people with the qualities Walt had: optimism, imagination, creativity, leadership, integrity, courage, boldness, perseverance, commitment to excellence, reverence for the past, hope for tomorrow, and faith in God." Art Linkletter
How to Be Like is a "character biography" series: biographies that also draw out important lessons from the life of their subjects. In this new book-by far the most exhaustive in the series-Pat Williams tackles one of the most influential people in recent history.
While many recent biographies of Walt Disney have reveled in the negative, this book takes an honest but positive look at the man behind the myth. For the first time, the book pulls together all the various strands of Disney's life into one straightforward, easy-to-read tale of imagination, perseverance, and optimism. Far from a preachy or oppressive tome, this book scrapes away the minutiae to capture the true magic of a brilliant maverick.


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