Chuck Jones: A Flurry of Drawings, Portraits of American Genius (Portraits of American Genius, No 3)

Book Description

Creator of the mono-maniacal Wile E. Coyote and his elusive prey, the Road Runner, Chuck Jones has won three Academy Awards and been responsible for many classics of animation featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and Elmer Fudd. Who better to do Chuck Jones than Hugh Kenner, master wordsmith and technophile, a man especially qualified to illuminate the form of literacy that Jones so wonderfully executes in the art of character animation?
A Flurry of Drawings reveals in cartoon-like sequences the irrepressible humor and profound reflection that have shaped Chuck Jones's work. Unlike Walt Disney, Jones and his fellow animators at Warner Brothers were not interested in cartoons that mimicked reality. They pursued instead the reality of the imagination, the Toon world where believability is more important than realism and movement is the ultimate aesthetic arbiter. Kenner offers both a fascinating explanation of cartoon culture and a new understanding of art's relationship to technology, criticism, freedom, and imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Keeping Up With Jones.......2005-03-15

It might seem unusual that the literary critic who earned a reputation revealing the depths of Pound, Eliot, and Joyce would devote a book extolling the virtues of a master of Character Animation.

But the critical impulse is surprisingly effective here. Principles of art are defined so infrequently that few of us know art when we see it; often we are left with the nagging feeling that we want nothing to do with it. One principle, according to Goethe, is that art consists of limitation, not liberation. Jones told a story in 400 seconds with a precision that came down to the blink of an eye. The pressures of work and money enabled rather than hindered Jones and his crew at Warner Brothers to create what are now considered classics of the genre: What's Opera Doc (which introduced millions of children to Wagner's Ring Cycle); One Froggy Evening, (which Spielberg called the Citizen Kane of animation); Duck! Rabbit! Duck! ("Shoot him now!"), and later Jones works which reveal equally memorable moments of imagination and craftsmanship, such as the balancing sled in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the entry and exits of the mongoose in Rikki Tikki Tavi. Every work of art, wrote Conrad, ought to carry its justification in every line, and this is true of Jones's work as well as Kenner's: There is no wasted space, every item is telling. Just as the short novel fit Conrad, Jones's preferred form was the six-minute short, within which he employed frequent, comic use of fade to black. Make the point and move on.

Conrad wrote that art deals with what is essential and fundamental. Daffy is pure id; Bugs, in typical American fashion, fights back only when provoked. Far from being violent, Jones' works have moral content. Characters get what is coming to them. Fanaticism such as Wile E. Coyote's always fails. Character animation means, in part, that characters reveal themselves in action, a fitting notion for a country short on philosophers but long on inventors. And of course there is the ubiquitous Acme company with its unreliable products. The reality of the essential is different from the near photorealistic "illusion of life" that Disney tried to accomplish. Under the direction of Jones, figures are humanesque: Porky is a man who happens to look like a pig; Bugs is a rabbit who walks upright and speaks with a Brooklyn accent; Sylvester the cat has a nose like a basset hound, while Tweety has baloonlike feet. Yet these figures are more real to us, more believable, than any of Disney's blemish-free princesses or low self-esteem dragons. If anyone is to blame for preparing us for an ideal world that does not exist, it certainly wasn't Jones, whose humanlike creations are painfully recognizable.

Something else art does is endure. Suffice it to say that Jones has entered the American vernacular. Jones's work is enormously popular sixty years after its creation and far ahead of anything being done today with or without the aid of computers.

This is a slim book full of pleasant surprises in which Kenner gives us new eyes with which to appreciate the legacy of Chuck Jones.

A waste of paper.......1999-09-09

This book has absolutely nothing new to say about Chuck Jones. In fact it doesnt say much at all; just endless amounts of prose that add up to nothing. Rather than doing any reserach on his own, Kenner just takes his historical information from already published books on animation or from interviews he has done with Jones.The problems with interviewing Jones, however, is that he can be pretty self serving at times. So dont expect getting any real insight into Mike Maltese and Maurice Noble's contributions to his films, and certainly not any comparision to the work of Bob Clampett, who Chuck Jones hates with his guts. (They had a lifelong feud) For real insight into the work of Chuck Jones, try the articles written by Richard Thompson in Film Comment in the seventies, or Michael Barrier's book Hollywood Cartoons

Marvelous Biography of America's Greatest Animator.......1996-08-28

Professor Kenner turns his pen toward a study of the creator of The Roadunner and the Coyote, and of Bugs Bunny in this wonderful little monograph. Writing with wit and verve he traces Jones' career from the beginning to the present,touching on the high and low but always bringing us the essence of a true comic genius.

CHUCK JONES: A FLURRY OF DRAWINGS (PORTRAITS OF AMERICAN GENIUS, NO 3)

Average customer rating:

CHUCK JONES: A FLURRY OF DRAWINGS (PORTRAITS OF AMERICAN GENIUS, NO 3)
Hugh Kenner
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LZ8QGE

Average customer rating:

don't buy this book-copy of original one-PRICES OUT OF LINE

A delight to browse through and an indispensable guide for professional dealers and dedicated collectors

A Better Than Average Reference Book

Is is art or is it a handbag? You gotta have this book!!

Good reference book

Plastic Handbags: Sculpture To Wear
Kate E. Dooner
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Beads on Bags:1800's to 2000 (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

ASIN: 0764322133

Book Description

Imagine taking a pink plastic handbag to go shopping! The handbags that originated in the 1950s are recurring as popular collectibles today. Over 300 handbags in this book are displayed in color photographs to reveal the beauty of these tiny sculptures of art. The most productive manufacturers of plastic handbags are featured in separate sections, including Llewellyn, Rialto, Myles Originals, Tyrolean, Wilardy, and more. These unusual gems of wearable art are bringing large sums in today's collector's markets. Made with innovative plastics, they are now admired for their aesthetic value. Flip through the pages and enjoy one of the most whimsical collectibles from the atomic age of the fifties. Look in the attic for one of these treasures that someone stashed away in the late-50s and rediscover it today. The prices are skyrocketing. A price guide is included.

Customer Reviews:

don't buy this book-copy of original one-PRICES OUT OF LINE.......2005-11-20

AGAIN I SAY DON'T BUY THIS NEW BOOK, if you have the original one with the same name - BECAUSE IT HAS THE SAME PHOTOS !!! and the prices are out of line - totally wrong -....the author did nothing but add prices that are not current - and made a carbon copy of her original book without any new SUPER LOOKING VINTAGE LUCITE - BAKELITE BAGS...that you can find on the internet .....without wasting your money - sorry - but the original is a great book - without prices....and the new one is a way of letting the new collector think they have a "new book" with a "price guide" that is up to date - unfortunate - want to buy my copy cheap? A Certain Style is a stunning book to own for Lucite-Bakelite collectors.....

A delight to browse through and an indispensable guide for professional dealers and dedicated collectors.......2005-07-04

Now in an updated second edition, Plastic Handbags: Sculpture To Wear by Kate E. Dooner is a visual guide to the handbag as an art form and as a collectible. Complete with an up-to-date price guide, this compendium of vintage plastic handbags that were originally introduced in the late 1920s and early 1930s, continued in popularity through the 1960s. The more than 300 handbags showcased are arranged by their manufactured. Plastic Handbags: Sculpture To Wear is a delight to browse through and an indispensable guide for professional dealers and dedicated collectors.

A Better Than Average Reference Book.......2002-06-24

Although it's in no way as beautiful as "A Certain Style", this is a better than average reference book on plastic handbags, particularly for beginners. There are a few huge misidentification issues (eg: inclusion of the common and dreadful 1970s Merle Norman cosmetics giveaway as a legitimate 1950s handbag.) The price guide is out of touch with the market --- but what price guide isn't? Based on the sheer number of bags shown, it's definitely a must have for any lucite purse collector.

Is is art or is it a handbag? You gotta have this book!!.......2001-05-03

The photos may not be as large as those in "A Certain Style, the Art of the Plastic Handbag" (out of print now anyway), but there are many more bags featured and they are just as magnificent. The grouping of the bags according to manufacturer is helpful, too! The price guide is not perfect, but they never are, and this one still gives a good idea of which styles and features are more valuable. No lucite purse collecter can be without this book.

Good reference book.......1998-04-27

Not as glorious as "A Certain Style" is, but this one has more photos and is still a treat.

Average customer rating:

Plastic Handbags - Sculpture to Wear
Kate Dooner
Manufacturer: Schiffer Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VAEAQ4

Amazon.com

Hayao Miyazaki is probably best known in the West for his films; My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service are celebrated for their lavish animation and sophisticated treatment of their young heroes. But among his many fans in Japan, his epic manga tale, Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, which Miyazaki later made into a animated movie, is often cited as his greatest work. Indeed, the Comics Journal once described the first volume as "the best graphic novel ever." Many critics favorably compare the story to such fantasy classics as C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia or J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

In Nausicaä, as in most of his work, Miyazaki centers his narrative on a strong young woman who struggles to create peace in a world torn by war. Readers of Homer's The Odyssey will recall that Nausicaä is the name of the Phoenician princess who healed Odysseus when he washed up on her shores. Miyazaki took that character as the inspiration for his Princess Nausicaä, but their worlds could not be further apart. Underscoring the book's deep ecological messages, Miyazaki's Nausicaä is a passionate defender of the natural world, and her ability to commune with the creatures of the forest appears almost magical. As a princess, she is testing the waters of leadership as her father languishes on his deathbed. As a citizen of the Valley of Wind, she has mastered reading the shifting wind currents and air pockets as she navigates the skies in her glider.

Readers learn at the beginning of her tale that the Earth has become a hostile place. Environmental crises have made the forest--known as the Sea of Corruption--into a kingdom of spores and giant insects called Ohmu. The remaining humans huddle in the valleys and sheltered cities while holding on to the remnants of technologies long-since rendered mysterious. Now, the Imperial family has begun a massive campaign to extend its hold on the remaining pockets of civilization. However, intrigue between the reigning Princess Kushana and her brothers suddenly place Nausicaä and her people at the center of a civil conflict that could extinguish the last people on earth. With the grandeur of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and the grace of Miyazaki's Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind is a classic of fantasy literature and one of the finest works ever in the comics medium. --Patrick O'Kelley

Customer Reviews:

the first two books. .......2007-06-01

these are two reviews for the two different volumes combined here.

Volume One.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind is one of my favorite movies. After seeing for the first time I was amazed that I hadn't seen it sooner. It had everything I like in a movie, a good premise, deep and emotional characters, amazing art work, a deep meaning, and an awesome soundtrack to boot. So when I heard that there was more to the story I went out and bought this book to see if it was as good as the movie. After waiting about a month for it to come in, I bought it on Amazon, I finally got it. I was not disappointed. Let's break this book down into categories.

Art Work. The drawing pretty much, how do they look and how much detail is put into them. Miyazaki, I have to say, is a master in his field. All his drawings are extremely detailed and you can really get a sense of the surroundings. The characters emotions are brought out almost perfectly, especially the Nausicaa herself, who is shown as a powerful, yet fragile girl. Overall the drawings are almost perfect and I don't think anybody would disagree with that.

Characters. I was already familiar with all the characters in this book, having seen the movie already. They are pretty much the same here as they are in the movie so if you've seen it, which I'm taking for granted you have, and then isn't much knew. They mostly do the same things as they did in the movie and feel the same emotions with a few fun differences, but nothing really is too different.

Story. This book follows the movie almost exactly up to the point where Nausicaa and Asbel discover the underground system under the sea of corruption, or toxic jungle as it is called in the movie. There is one big difference that I must share, the Valley of the Wind is really an alley of Torumekia, and Nausicaa goes out to fight under Kushana agents the Doroke principalities, a nation not even mentioned in the movie. Other than that it follows the same story almost to the letter.

Overall a very good and strong opening to the series. This entry doesn't really add a whole lot to the overall story if you've already seen the movie, but there are some important differences which mean you can't simply skip over it if you want to read the series.

Volume Two.
As I continue my reviews on this series I have come to Vol. 2. Nausicaa has left the Valley of the Wind to go to war with Princess Kushana of Tormekia, but on their way to the front their attack group is attacked by Asbel of Pejite. Asbel is shot down and Nausicaa goes to save him, only to be stuck under the Sea of Corruption. As the first book ends Nausicaa and Asbel are seen trying to fly out of the bottom of the Sea and get out.

This book, for those who've seen the movie, covers closely the events that take place in the second half of the movie. Here's the difference. One of the Doroke tribes, mentioned in the first book, has been driven from their lands by the Tormekia invasion and has been sent to conquer and settle the lands of the Periphery, where the Valley of the Wind lies. To do that they must first destroy Kushana's army by luring the insects out of the Sea to attack. Of course Nausicaa finds out about this and manages to not quite foil the plot, but she does save the baby Ohm larva. Much of the Tormekian army is destroyed but the Dorokes are forced to retreat. By the end of the story Kushana takes what is left of her army south to join up with the rest of her men already engaging in battle, and she takes Nausicaa with her to find the stone that controls the God Worrier.

halfway through this book it goes in a completely different direction than the movie, Nausicaa goes off to war, Asbel and Yupa foil a Doroke plan to conquer the Valley, and we are introduced to knew characters such as the Doroke Priest, who is known as the Holy One, and Ketcha, a Doroke girl who serves him. The part where the Ohm attack the Tormekian army is one of the highlights of the series, but the ending was a little odd and might feel rushed. Not the best in the series, but it is a good follow up to the first.

If you have seen the movie then there isn't anything new in the first half of this book for you. But don't just skip this book to save money, there are enough differences to make buying it worth wild.

miyazaki doesn't just excel at movies.......2007-02-28

I have just finished reading this series, and I must say that I am AMAZED. The books are much more philosophical than the movie (which corresponds to only the first two books), and contains many more characters that are more developed. Unlike the movie, where Nausicaa was practically perfect, and Kushana was purely evil, the book's characters are much more complex. Kushana reminds me of Lady Hiboshi from Princess Mononoke.

The tone of the series changes from beginning to end. This makes sense, as the series was written over about 10 years, with a number of hiatuses. The first two books are confusing and not terribly interesting, but the story blossoms from there.

On top of that, I don't even like manga or anime as genres. Miyazaki is truly exceptional.

The Best Manga I've Read in YEARS!! Too good to pass up!.......2005-02-28

I've been a Miyaki fan for years! Of all of his movies and books, Nausicaa is definitely the best one! Miyaki creates a beautifully vivid world and characters that will you will most certainly NEVER forget! This is one manga series (and the movie as well) that I've never gotten tired of. Every anime fan should have Nausicaa in their collection! You won't regret it!!!

More Than A Children's Book.......2004-12-31

Just like LOTR, children love it, but until they grow well into their adulthood, they will not be able to fully comprehend the essence of the story.
Children, both boys and girls, will love the major characters in "Nausicaa", because children can find all they wish to be in these characters, but most of them would be puzzled (or troubled!) by the development of the story. An exceptionally smart kid may be able to guess some of Miyazaki's plan of the story before he/she reaches Vol. 7, but I dare to bet, he/she will not accept that plan until he/she reaches 30.
This is a great gift to children. They will thank you many, many years later.

not comic, this is art........2004-03-14

I am surprised that USA people watch this comic series in addition to the same title movie.

As you know, Naushika's story don't finish to the movie. The truth story start from reading this comic. Even if Japanase read them, the story is a little difficult, but there are more wondeful things than the minus point.
For instance, the drawing ways. Generally comic(Japanese MANGA) is simple drawing. But the comic is very detailed drawing. They is like art rather than comic.

And in addition to the wonderful drawing,the expression of the character's face is very excellent, for instance joy, sarrow, longing, anger... Mr. Miyazaki can write their expressions very well. There are writers that can write comics very well in the world, but there will not are writers that can write their expressions of face very well.

If there are people that was moved when watched the movie, absolutely we recommend this comis..art series.

You will not waste your money by buying this arts series.

Average customer rating:

The Ultimate Bathroom Book

My side was hurting and brought tears to my eyes.

Confessions from the Bathroom

Manufacturer: Warren Gorham & Lamont
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0880324023

Customer Reviews:

The Ultimate Bathroom Book.......2006-07-09

Like many people, perhaps you keep a magazine rack handy near the most relaxing seat in the house. The Throne. Many will confess to no reading material in that most important of rooms, but those of us who are realists recognize the occasional need to sit for long spells, and look for entertainment of some type while we wait.

'Confessions From The Bathroom' is one of the funniest bathroom books on poo that you will ever find. Titling these moments as "dump" moments, 'Confessions' catalogs the different types of movements available, most of which we have all experienced at one time or another. Some of them we don't like to admit to, but locked up inside your private room during a "quiet moment", you should get a huge chuckle while thumbing through this hilarious cartoon book.

The cartoon pictures are a riot, but the descriptions are also priceless. If you can't admit, even to yourself, that most of these have occurred within your own private domain, you can at least count several that you have witnessed in public restrooms.

Hilariously detailed are The Beer Dump, The Splash-Back Dump, The Alfresco Dump, The Machine Gun Dump, The E.P.A. Dump, The Cling-On Dump, The Houdini Dump, The Whole-Roll Dump, The Sunday Paper Dump, and many, many more.

Why not put something off-color and riotously funny in with all those boring Time Magazines and classic literature you keep in the rack trying to impress company. This little treasure book is something that will keep your company laughing so hard they may never come out of your bathroom. Enjoy!

My side was hurting and brought tears to my eyes........1999-09-19

Just too funny. Bathroom humor (literally) at it's best

Book Description

This book is about achieving your personal goals in the first step of a career in the entertainment business through making the most of a learning experience.

Customer Reviews:

Saved my life!.......2007-06-19

This book helped me in many ways in getting into Hollywood. I swear by this book, I've managed to keep a steady eleven year career working with some of Hollywood's most talented names, and this book was what I had by my side in the beginning years. Like the other reviews, the only downfall now to this book is technology has changed so much since the release of this that there are now additional ways of doing things. Maybe the author could put out a second edition!

Attention all (Future) Assistants:.......2002-06-09

Hugh Taylor has done a fantastic job with this book. I couldn't have asked for a more informative, easy to read and straight forward guide to what I can expect as an assistant. I can't put it down. This book isn't full of funny anecdotes or silly one liners like some books about being an assistant, rather, it's more of a reference guide. Taylor's is a well written book that reads like a conversation and is peppered with quotes from industry executives who give advice from their own experiences, but more importantly, share what they seek in an assistant. The title is a bit deceiving since the book focuses more on what you'll do when you get the job (although there is a pivotal second chapter on resumes, cover letters and interviewing that shouldn't be skipped). The other chapters are a laundry list of every assistants duties: telephones, scheduling appointments, script coverage, crisis management, development, production, travel and how to keep it all organized. I also found the appendices particularly helpful as a starting point to finding restaurants, hotels and how to read the box office and tv ratings.

The only reason this book didn't get a fifth star is because it's a bit out of date. In this age of PDAs, Blackberry and web enhanced cell phones an assistant HAS to go in with a strong working knowledge of modern technology. (If you don't, go out and buy a "Complete Idiots Guide" or a "Dummies Guide".) When the book was published in 1993 the internet was a relatively new invention (thank you, Mr. Gore) and hadn't reached its resourcefulness that it has today. Thus, Taylor can't provide the web-based resources available for assistants (such as ifilmpro.com). But by all means, DO NOT skip this book simply because it doesn't have the current technology mumbo-jumbo, buy this book because it gives you an invaluable look into how to run an efficient industry office. I plan to keep my copy in my desk, when I get one.

NB: I highly recommend buying a book such as "Reading for a Living" which outlines how to "cover" scripts in further detail (Taylor's book does any excellent job providing a starting point). This is a key aspect of this job, no matter who you work for, and one of the biggest responsibilities but unfortunately not many have experience doing it or feel comfortable with their coverage writing.

An indepth realistic view of what a PA can expect.......1998-11-04

Hugh Taylor's book is excellent preparation for an aspiring producer. The author takes you through an average day's dirty laundry by providing real-life PAs and what they did during their tenure. My one problem is that the book is 7 years old and Taylor's film and TV examples are very dated.

An invaluable guide to surviving the lion's den.......1997-01-26

Anyone who saw the film "Swimming with Sharks" can get a pretty accurate idea of how difficult and demanding a Hollywood office job is. Between brewing the perfect cup of coffee, answering continuous phone calls, and taking flak from the boss, it can be rather difficult to keep one's sanity, let alone personal dignity. "The Hollywood Job-Hunter's Survival Guide" is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in walking into a trial by fire. In it, you will learn all the tricks of the trade, including the often underestimated skill of "working the phones". How, for example, can you put off a call from Steven Spielberg when your boss is in the office, but for whatever reason, doesn't want to talk to anyone? According to the book, never say "He's not in"-- a foolproof response is "He's on international conference call". If you call the office of producer Scott Rudin for your boss, but the man isn't in, you will of course "leave word" with the office. These are just brief examples of the many seemingly simple, but more complicated aspects of office terminology and politics. Beyond giving a thorough description of office etiquette, author Hugh Taylor discusses other important topics, including movie and television finance. If you have your heart set on taking a gamble at a Hollywood job, read this book first. It will save you a lot of grief

Book Description

Contents
Over 5,000 entries
Covers pop, rock, folk, jazz, dance, world and country artists.
Provides full biographical details: major career details, concerts, recordings and compositions, honors and contact details.
Includes full contact details for companies and organizations throughout the popular music industry - including record companies, management companies, agents and promoters, publishers, festivals and events.
Entries include: Elvis Costello, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, Ray Davies, Joss Stone and Talvin Singh.

Key Features
· Offers invaluable information on many up-and-coming artists difficult to obtain elsewhere
· Entries are compiled from information submitted by the entrants to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Book Description

There’s no doubt that these 30 naughty new teasers each graded saucy, hot, or sizzling will put a smile on anyone’s face. So, get ready for some spicy fun with a seductive combination of picture puzzles and explicit color photography.

• Think “Blind Man’s Buff” is a child’s game? Not the way it’s played here!
• A little “Crème Fraîche” tastes delicious-especially when served on a very special “dish.”

From “Spanktastic” to “Double the Pleasure”, every image delivers good, adult entertainment. And you might even come up with some creative ideas of your own.

Customer Reviews:

A Fun Book With An Annoying Layout & Less Detailed Puzzles.......2005-05-05

This is a review of this product: "Really Really Naughty Dots: Explicit Fun for Adults Only" by Eddison Sadd. Amazon may display this review on the page of another version of this product, for which this review may not apply. After reading this review, please click on the link so that you can be assurred that the product this review applies to is the same one you thought it was for.
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If you didn't already guess, this is a connect-the-dots book with the revealed pictures being of guys and girls in rather naughty adult situations (read: having sex). There are 30 puzzles total in the book. Each one has a pun title and caption (adding to the fun). Puzzle #8 contains the least amount of dots (113), while puzzle #17 contains the most (307).

From what I understand, this book (and the others in the "Naughty Dots" series) was originally released in England many years before it was published in America. I've never seen the original version, but I hope the layout was better than this one. 24 of the puzzles are spread across two pages (puzzles #1, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 are the only one-page puzzles), which means that you'll be drawings lots of lines across the inner spine of the book. I don't need to tell you how annoying this is. Connect-the-dot puzzles should always be on one page, not two. To add insult to injury, a few puzzles have dots right on the inner spine which are impossible to connect (so you'll just have to draw your lines as close to them as you can). Thankfully this book has less two-page puzzles than the previous book, "Really Naughty Dots," which had 29 out of 30.

The puzzles are less detailed in this book than in "Really Naughty Dots." You can easily tell what most images are going to be just by looking at the placement of the dots. In one puzzle, you didn't even draw in any naughty parts (the partial photo did it for you), you just drew in the clothes and the guy's face. There's a lot of white space, which almost makes this feel like a coloring book.

In "Really Naughty Dots" there are partial photos mixed into the puzzle itself to give you a hint as to what the revealed image will look like. In this book, the photos are more complete, hence why I call them "starter" photos. In a way this is good as the woman are beautiful, but this leaves less of the puzzle to do since most of the image will be made up of a photo and not the dots. There are still some puzzles which have photos of nipples, with you connecting the dots to draw in the b-r-e-a-s-t-s around them. So, thankfully that idea was carried over from the previous book. New to this book is a very liberal use of sex toys in the photos and images. With all of this great photo imagery, there should have been a section in the back of the book with the complete photographs of the puzzle images.

Before I wrap this up, I should probably take a second to tell you that puzzle #12 contains a number 136 but there is no dot for it because it shouldn't be there. Also, the woman's hand in puzzle #18 looks strange. So be on the lookout for that.

Overall, the puzzles were fun to do (aside from the two-page annoyance), and I enjoyed this book very much. This is the second book in the "Naughty Dots" series that I own.

Book Description

Mastering the art of problem solving takes more than proficiency with basic calculations; it requires understanding how people use information, recognizing the importance of ideology, learning the art of storytelling, and acknowledging the important distinction between facts and values. Intended for professors, managers, entrepreneurs, and students, this guide addresses these and other essential skills. With clear prose, quotations, and exercises for solving problems in the real world, this book serves as an ideal training manual for those who are new to or intimidated by quantitative analysis and an excellent refresher for those who have more experience but want to improve the quality of their data, the clarity of their graphics, and the cogency of their arguments.

Customer Reviews:

Delightful excursion in thinking about how to think.......2007-04-20

It is different from, and for many purposes, better than a science textbook. More than enough science books have been written, but TNIK is better because it teaches readers how to think about the data on which science is built. Its fresh approach to understanding the natural world as well as human-made systems is a noteworthy improvement over the plug-in, grind-out perspective that academic classes typically offer and that turns off students.

A great primer and reference to fall back on.......2005-11-04

While no doubt I've heard many of nuggets contained in the book over the course of my high school and college days, I found Koomey's book a pleasurable read and useful synthesis of approaches and tips for completing quality research and analyses. Internalizing Koomey's advice is going to help most readers be more discriminating consumers of published research and better authors of their own research. It's a reference source I've already gone back to myself in just a few weeks and a great training resource for new consultants my company hires.

Interesting & valuable, though philosophical > statistical .......2005-02-01

I expected the author to talk much about statistical analysis and related "technical stuff". I had been very wrong. In fact, the book can be regarded as a warning to common people about the "irrelevancy" and "inaccuracy" of data or information we encounter or process so that we can perform better analysis of on our own. As from pg 197, "of primary importance from this book are the following lessons:-"

- Don't be intimidated by anyone (esp those know-it-alls)
- Be a critical thinker
- Don't confuse what's countable with what really counts
- Get organized
- Question authority
- Dig into the numbers
- Focus on the essential
- Document, document, document
- Use the internet
- Remember that others don't care as much about your work as you do
- Synthesis follows analysis

In short, a good read. Dont miss it.

p.s. I like the following quotes from the book very much. (The author did use over 31 quotes with at least one for each chapter)

Just because I use a study to refute another study does not mean my study is right. It just means I believe it. Caveat Emptor. - Cynthia Crossen

Whether or not someone else knows it all isn't really relevant; the only thing that's relevant is what you know and what you do. - Robert Ringer

not for the technically minded.......2003-01-18

This is an entertaining and well written book on some of the do's and don'ts of data analysis. To quote from Dr. Beers review below, "The main emphasis is on the art of data interpretation." Indeed there are useful tools here for performing sanity checks and for asking critical questions about all sorts of data collections. ... The examples are, at best, sketchy and few in number. The anectodes are amusing but not terribly informative. I would have much preferred more concrete examples and further discussion on some technical matters. ....

Great treatise on critical thinking and organization.......2002-12-18

"Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title one might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic principles, such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables, normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis, good documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information products of others.

Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone involved in creating or using information of any kind.

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