Book Description
Bursting with superb photography and exquisite room drawings, a sumptuous showcase of interior decorating ideas and trendsetting design details that add rich character to any home, by one of America's brightest decorators.
Full-color photographs and drawings throughout
Customer Reviews:
A must read for design fanatics.......2007-06-26
Studying Charlotte Moss' technique is a must for those who are designers and also for those who are developing their own design style. It is foreseeable that not everyone would covet EVERY Moss design, but it is admirable how her philosophy seems to center on a way of living, and showcasing your life, rather than merely decorating.
In her first book, A Passion For Detail, the theme is obviously denoted by the title. The book provides a great introduction and insight into Moss' technique and design style - heavy on the accessories and patterns (some might call it cluttered), but the decor is nonetheless tasteful and very calculated. Moss aims to surround herself, and those for whom she designs, with the things they love. Even if this technique amounts to a lot of "things."
The book is thematic and conveniently divided into five sections, but at times, the chapters themselves are a bit disjointed and the chapter themes, while vaguely associated with the pictures, do not seem very cohesive as the pictures jump around from house to house.
If you are looking for a how-to decorate book, this is not the book for you. Chapter Five briefly touches on Moss' technique, but it is more a study the pictures and learn type of book. You could reproduce the design strategy, but most of Moss' accessories are a bit out of the average price range and the style of decor is a bit impractical for most of us. But, even if you are scared by Moss' designs, this is still an important read for design fanatics, as you can still learn from her technique. The most prevalent lesson from the book is this: design is about style and taste, but it is also about surrounding yourself with the things you love.
Interpreting English Country American-style.......2002-02-19
Ever heard the phrase "it's all in the details?" Ever wonder just how homes that grace the pages of the best shelter magazines ever get chosen in the first place? What's right, what's wrong, how can I get my home to put on its best face? What style is really me? Former Wall-Streeter Charlotte Moss, now a well published interior decorator, builds a great argument for discovering then developing a personal interior vision. Her stylishly decorated images ooze of self-confidence and clarity of thought. Well chosen fabrics and accessories, complete with understanding and ideas behind their choices reveal insight and a good sense of humor too. Moss notes that everyone has a passion for something, and that these passions are forms of self-expression. Comfort, style, values and personality are telling signals of the quality of lives we lead. In our daily frenzied routines, Moss advocates looking at your own home from a different perspective. The book's mission promises that a more relaxed and confident home will emerge. Mission accomplished!
Pretty Coffee Table Book.......1997-08-07
I have read Charlotte's book, "Creating A Room", and prefer it while re-decorating. "A Passion for Detail" is a "look book" and sometimes a little too precious for the average household. But it is nice escapism
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful
- Books, Books, Books
- A page turner...
- A Book Lover from Birth
- For real pundits and book lovers
|
A Passion for Books: A Book Lover's Treasury of Stories, Essays, Humor, Lore, and Lists on Collecting, Reading, Borrowing, Lending, Caring for, and Appreciating Books
Harold Rabinowitz , and
Rob Kaplan
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Books
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Books & Reading
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Criticism & Theory
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Bibliographies & Indexes
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Education
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Library & Information Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books
-
Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction
-
Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World
-
At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries
-
A Splendor of Letters: The Permanence of Books in an Impermanent World
ASIN: 0812931122
Release Date: 1999-10-06 |
Book Description
"When I have a little money, I buy books. And if any is left, I buy food and clothing."
--Desiderius Erasmus
Those who share Erasmus's love of those curious bundles of paper bound together between hard or soft covers know exactly how he felt. These are the people who can spend hours browsing through a bookstore, completely oblivious not only to the passage of time but to everything else around them, the people for whom buying books is a necessity, not a luxury.
A Passion for Books is a celebration of that love, a collection of sixty classic and contemporary essays, stories, lists, poems, quotations, and cartoons on the joys of reading, appreciating, and collecting books.
This enriching collection leads off with science-fiction great Ray Bradbury's Foreword, in which he remembers his penniless days pecking out Fahrenheit 451 on a rented typewriter, conjuring up a society so frightened of art that it burns its books. This struggle--financial and creative--led to his lifelong love of all books, which he hopes will cosset him in his grave, "Shakespeare as a pillow, Pope at one elbow, Yeats at the other, and Shaw to warm my toes. Good company for far-travelling."
Booklovers will also find here a selection of writings by a myriad of fellow sufferers from bibliomania. Among these are such contemporary authors as Philip Roth, John Updike, Umberto Eco, Robertson Davies, Nicholas Basbanes, and Anna Quindlen; earlier twentieth-century authors Chris-topher Morley, A. Edward Newton, Holbrook Jackson, A.S.W. Rosenbach, William Dana Orcutt, Robert Benchley, and William Targ; and classic authors such as Michel de Montaigne, Gustave Flaubert, Petrarch, and Anatole France.
Here also are entertaining and humorous lists such as the "Ten Best-Selling Books Rejected by Publishers Twenty Times or More," the great books included in Clifton Fadiman and John Major's New Lifetime Reading Plan, Jonathan Yardley's "Ten Books That Shaped the American Character," "Ten Memorable Books That Never Existed," "Norman Mailer's Ten Favorite American Novels," and Anna Quindlen's "Ten Big Thick Wonderful Books That Could Take You a Whole Summer to Read (but Aren't Beach Books)."
Rounding out the anthology are selections on bookstores, book clubs, and book care, plus book cartoons, and a specially prepared "Bibliobibliography" of books about books.
Whether you consider yourself a bibliomaniac or just someone who likes to read,
A Passion for Books will provide you with a lifetime's worth of entertaining, informative, and pleasurable reading on your favorite subject--the love of books.
A Sampling of the Literary Treasures in A Passion for Books
Umberto Eco's "How to Justify a Private Library," dealing with the question everyone with a sizable library is inevitably asked: "Have you read all these books?"
Anatole Broyard's "Lending Books," in which he notes, "I feel about lending a book the way most fathers feel about their daughters living with a man out of wedlock."
Gustave Flaubert's Bibliomania, the classic tale of a book collector so obsessed with owning a book that he is willing to kill to possess it.
A selection from Nicholas Basbanes's A Gentle Madness, on the innovative arrangements Samuel Pepys made to guarantee that his library would survive "intact" after his demise.
Robert Benchley's "Why Does Nobody Collect Me"--in which he wonders why first editions of books by his friend Ernest Hemingway are valuable while his are not, deadpanning "I am older than Hemingway and have written more books than he has."
George Hamlin Fitch's extraordinarily touching "Comfort Found in Good Old Books," on the solace he found in books after the death of his son.
A selection from Anna Quindlen's How Reading Changed My Life, in which she shares her optimistic view on the role of reading and the future of books in the computer age.
Robertson Davies's "Book Collecting," on the difference between those who collect rare books because they're valuable and those who collect them because they love books, ultimately making it clear which is "the collector who really matters."
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful.......2007-09-12
This book is so much fun to read. This is a must read for anyone who loves books and who, like me, continues to buy books despite not having enough time to read the ones already owned. If you fit that description you will repeatedly see yourself in the quotes, anecdotes, and stories presented within this book.
Books, Books, Books.......2005-11-29
This anthology celebrates the physical book, not the idea of books, or reading books, or writing books. There is something special about shopping for books, whether in a used bookshop, a megastore, or at the library. It is really a different pleasure than the actual reading of the book.
I found this book in my local used bookshop, in the new arrivals section. The paperback cover is a bit curled where someone opened it and left it. Someone marked the lists of great books, indicating which they had read, or perhaps which they hadn't yet read. I didn't mind the marks, in fact I enjoyed comparing notes with this unknown reader.
In addition to the lists and the cartoons, and the biblio-bibliography (not a misprint), I enjoyed many of the articles and essays, especially the more recent ones. A favorite was Harold Rabinowitz's (one of the editors) story of the day his friend didn't win the Pulitzer Prize.
I agree with another reviewer who wished that a few women had been included among the contributors here, there is an atmosphere of gentlemen's club here. And I'm afraid I really don't understand the compulsion to collect books. I love to read, but once I've read a book, out it goes. Of course, there are a few exceptions: if I am sure I'll want to read it again (unfortunately, most of those are library books), or if I want it for reference. Most books are not hard to find and I don't see any reason to keep a book for years on the offchance I'll read it again. If I eventually do decide to reread it, I can easily find another copy.
With that in mind, having enjoyed A Passion for Books, I will take it back to the used bookshop and trade it in for credit.
A page turner..........2003-05-16
Harold Rabinowitz and Rob Kaplan have compiled a wonderful collection of stories, essays and poems that anyone with a passion for books is sure to find wonderful.
Ray Bradbury, in his foreword, helps to explain this passion...
Including contributions from current and previous writers who have explained their passions for books, this collection is witty and intelligent, and perhaps a bit over-the-top for those who do not share a similar passion.
Umberto Eco explains both how to organise a public library, and how to justify a private one. On the former, suggestions such as exceeding complex call numbers, mysterious locations of books and periodicals, and the attitude of librarians to patrons...These would seem enough in themselves to justify a private library, but Eco has yet a further purpose. A private library ensures that one can discern in visitors if they have a sufficient feel and appreciation of books...Further comment showed astonishment, in that my reviews (several hundred strong by that point) didn't include many 'cheap' books, but where all 'high priced hard backs' -- I do confess that a larger proportion of my income goes toward book-buying, but then I consider, I will keep these books all my life...Even the cost of a volume (and thankfully, most of my books are only half that amount), amortised over time, becomes a very good deal indeed; far less expense in time and petrol than running to the library to then be disappointed because the volume isn't there.
However, one of the sticky issues of having a private library becomes lending privileges. Christopher Morley wrote a wonderful thanksgiving to one of his returned books...
Rabinowitz and Kaplan include such treasures as an Ode by Petrarch, entitled My Friends, which takes some careful reading to tell that it is an ode to books, and not to people. The editors include various top-ten lists (Norman Mailer's ten favourite American novels, W. Somerset Maugham's ten greatest novels -- these two lists share one book in common, namely Herman Melville's Moby Dick) and various top-one hundred lists. Various essays on the history of book writing and book production are included to give a sense of substance to the mystery that is the love of books.
For any bibliophile, this book is a necessity.
A Book Lover from Birth.......2003-03-05
Although I do not consider myself obsessed with books, I have loved reading since I figured out how. Even when I was in elementary school, I frequently got in trouble for reading during class. Thankfully, with age this hasn't changed. I prefer reading to every other pasttime, and I just don't get people who don't like to read.
I purchased this book sight unseen completely on the basis of its title; I was not let down. I think that the authors/editors did an excellent job of compiling essays, articles, and lists, about the greatest pasttime a person could have; unfortunately, it will never take the place of night baseball. I found several of the articles highly amusing, especially the one story about a man willing to kill for one particular volume. I also found quite a few good reading recommendations through this book. A PASSION FOR BOOKS should not be read straight through like an average novel; it is meant to be absorbed little by little so that the same passion starts to sink in.
You must remember that the title is A PASSION FOR BOOKS, not A PASSION FOR READING. This book is all about books -- good ones, bad ones, weird ones -- and the people who adore them. It extols the virtues of books.
For real pundits and book lovers.......2002-09-13
I could not put this book down, I treasure the stories and content. The way I got to look into others live that also love books made me feel a part of a family that had this special content to contend with. I recommend it as light reading, bedside, to children, to read front to back non-stop or any other possible way. Any way it is read does not matter cause its there to be read and that is what makes it all that much more wonderful. It fuel my passion to read more that ever. I am a happier person for having this in my collection, for having read it and for having giving it to others to read.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific job, Paula and Lori! What an accomplishment!.......2007-10-12
What a wonderful accomplishment for Paula and Lori! The information pertaining to early purses such as misers, pockets, chatelaines, textiles and needlework purses! I especially enjoyed the chapter on purse restoration. The photos of the figural & scenic purses are absolutely amazing. The celluloid and compact purse examples were also a delight.
For everyone who knows these two lovely ladies, they know that they truly have a passion for purses. Many times I have heard of Paula donating her time to deliver public presentations, printing and passing out breakthrough information on early purses and donating them to interested parties, as well as contributing to other books including mine. If anyone deserves a pat on the back for this groundbreaking book, it is these two ladies, Paula Higgins and Lori Blaser. Congratulations ladies! Well done!
Magnificent!.......2007-05-17
What a beautiful book; filled with glorious bags of the past, historical information and current values. There are hundreds of bags, created using techniqes such as beading, embroidery, tapestry, netting, crochet, knitting, tambour, loom, petit point and various stitchery. Gorgeous bags are displayed - eye-smacking delicious- that I have not seen in other collectible publications; a real plus for collectors. There is a chapter dedicated to restoration of vintage bags, with instructions for repair and cleaning, plus photos; tips when purchasing bags; and choosing the right purse frames. At the back of the book, page 256, I was delighted to see the two contemporary bags by Katerina Musetti, an artist and established opera singler; the bags are exquisite. It is obvious this book is a culmination of Paula and Lori's purse obsession, historical studies and labor. I highly recommend this inspiring book for collectors, as well as, bag enthusiasts; a book not to be missed. Review by Lydia F. Borin, The Beadwrangler
Passion for Purses.......2007-05-12
'Passion for Purses' is a beautiful, quality reference book for all purse lovers & collectors; from novice to the serious collector. The book has special emphasis on very early antique purses by one of the most knowledgeable persons around today. Contains previously unseen purses from private collections that have never before been published. Hundreds of pictures on quality paper, excellent information on the many catagories of purses that are included. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for purses. Great book for study or pleasure.A Passion for Purses, 1600-2005
Purse book to die for.......2007-05-09
For those of us mere mortals who can love from afar and have a "Passion for Purses" and.. the collectors among us, WOW. This book is a consumate collection of the incredible history and workmanship of this much needed and desired personal item. The descriptions and photographs of each purse made me feel as though I was almost visiting them in person. The depth and breadth of the collections plus the amazing amount of detail & photos given on the handpicked items for this book made me feel as though I got a real education and my money's worth for sure. I still cannot figure out how these authors gained so much knowledge and still have lives other than their immersion in purses...do they, I ask? This book was written by people who LOVE what they do. I have read and reread this book too many times already. My husband actually was impressed. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable as I was an antique dealer for years, but I have seen things in this book that I never even knew existed. A "Passion for Purses" - my compliments. This is the first book I have ever bothered to review but - it is just that FABULOUS.
Average customer rating:
- Strictly amateur
- And you thought you like to buy books!!!!
- An exciting intellectual adventure
- The master of "books on books".
- We are not alone!
|
A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books
Nicholas A. Basbanes
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Books
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Literary Theory
| History & Criticism
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Book Collecting
| Books & Reading
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Books & Reading
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Library & Information Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Among the Gently Mad: Strategies and Perspectives for the Book Hunter in the 21st Century
-
Patience & Fortitude : A Roving Chronicle of Book People, Book Places, and Book Culture
-
A Splendor of Letters: The Permanence of Books in an Impermanent World
-
A Passion for Books : A Book Lover's Treasury of Stories, Essays, Humor, Love and Lists on Collecting, Reading, Borrowing, Lending, Caring for, and Appreciating Books
-
Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World
ASIN: 0805036539 |
Amazon.com
What a delightful book about books and people who love books! As a second generation bibliophile, a possible bibliomane who had several people move out of my house a year ago because they erroneously believed that my books were taking over the household, and a devout employee of "Earth's Biggest Bookstore," I can vouch that Basbanes accurately describes the glorious role of book collectors as archivists of human knowledge, and -- in continual counterpoint -- sometimes pathologically obsessed book junkies.
Book Description
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
Customer Reviews:
Strictly amateur.......2007-09-08
The only people impressed by Basbanes' books are those who don't really know very much about books, book collecting, libraries, or the antiquarian trade. This volume in particular is plagued with sloppy scholarship, conjecture, gossip, and unsubstantiated anecdote. He can't even get the names of major libraries right. It's certainly a fun read, but it shouldn't be taken seriously.
And you thought you like to buy books!!!!.......2007-06-27
An amazing collection of folks who just couldn't put down a good book. Extremely well written, highly entertaining. A "must read" for anyone who ever finds themselves with an abundance of books (or knows someone with the same affliction). Alas, Mr. Basbanes offers no cure, but since you can't possibly measure up to the characters he profiles, you will feel better about your own collection.
An exciting intellectual adventure.......2007-06-18
Spanning the long period from ancient times, when books were hand-copied, to the modern day, "A Gentle Madness" takes us on a strange and exciting journey through the world of rare book collectors. Our society owes a lot to book collectors. Determination, time, and money have enabled them to seek out and preserve rare books, manuscripts, documents, and letters of profound cultural and historical importance. Many of the most noted collectors have ultimately given their world-class libraries to colleges and universities, where the fruits of their labor have benefited generations of scholars and researchers. This book demonstrates, in a colorful manner, how book collectors are driven to seek out new acquisitions for their libraries. For some, it is a consuming passion. For a few, it is a dangerous obsession that forces them to sacrifice the basic amenities of life, or even break the law. Nicholas Basbanes not only introduces readers to book collectors throughout history, but also to the books themselves, and to the methods employed to obtain rare books. While anyone interested in history and scholarship will thoroughly enjoy this book, book collectors will have a very difficult time putting it down, except maybe to run down to the local antiquarian book store and spend some money!
The master of "books on books"........2007-01-23
This volume is indespensible, it is a gem, it is a work of profound scholarship assuring the bibliomaniac he/she is not alone. Basbanes gives the reader a volume jam-packed with investigative work, insight and compassion towards the mind of the bibliophile.
Providing a historical account of the formation of the great libraries, in particular those of the US, he analyses the motives of the "collector"; what it is that drives the desire to possess a book that knowingly will not be read. The chapters are case-histories of individuals (like me and probably like you) with the obsessive need to possess printed books, pamphlets and ephemera.
Rather than us being simply mad, Basbanes stresses the importance of the bibliophile collector to the development of national libraries and collections and for saving valuable material that would otherwise, in another context, have been regarded as worthless.
Inevitably money increasingly appears as the dominant factor that allowed an individual to amass a "great" collection; the need for the "gentle madness" of obsession playing second fiddle to the need for a very big bank check. But this emphasis on wealth is balanced by a rivetting chapter on the convicted bibliokleptomaniac, Blumenthal. In this final case history Basbanes takes a man convicted as the "greatest" book thief of the 21st century and provides a compassionate analysis that leads the reader (or at least it lead me) to question whether the jury were correct to convict him as being someone of sound mind. The dividing line between this "gentle madness" and insanity is a very fine one indeed.
The book is brilliant.
We are not alone!.......2005-12-04
Yes, dear friends, there are other bibliophiles out there and this book takes you to their libraries. A great volume for your "books on books" shelf (those of you who've read Ex Libris whill know what I'm talking about), a great book for reading and rereading. Its witty, charming, humourous and outright fun. I can't recommend it more, go get it as fast as you can!
Book Description
The approximately 150 works included here have been selected from major Japanese institutions and noted Western collections; all are strikingly photographed in full color and represent the greatest modern masterpieces of Japanese ceramic art.
Customer Reviews:
modern Japanese ceramics, photographs and commentary.......2007-02-13
Chang, director of the Dai Ichi Arts gallery featuring Japanese ceramics, joins with the noted collector Lurie for an overview of Japanese ceramics from 1945 to the present organized by region. The dramatic, inventive ceramic works (most ceramic sculptures rather than utilitarian objects) are displayed in more than 200 color photographs varying from views of entire pieces filling a glossy page to close-ups of a few square inches capturing details of workmanship, design, and material. Each of the 45 artists from the six geographical areas is given a brief biographical profile which is followed by notes on the two to six ceramic art works of his shown. To each of the sections, Chang and Lurie also provide introductions focusing on their respective distinguishing styles and related historical and cultural information. General introductory material puts the relatively recent ceramic art in the broader Japanese tradition beginning many thousands of years ago and also notes four "Pioneers of Abstract Sculpture" who led up to the period of 1945 to the present which is the main topic. For its breadth and knowledgeable, succinct text, this work immediately becomes the leading guide to this relatively specialized field of ceramics.
Book Description
World-class cars are the objects of desire for a special breed of automobile enthusiast, collectors who are as passionate about their cars as others may be about paintings, stamps, or watches. In this thrilling tour of 11 of the greatest private automobile collections in the world, readers are given access to an amazing realm that is rarely open to the public. Wheels: A Passion for Collecting Cars celebrates these incredible collections along with the fanatical car lovers who have amassed them.
Included in this intriguing volume are profiles of each car-obsessed collector: one houses more than 100 postwar "bubble" cars from Europe and Japan in his Georgia barn, while another has made room at his Napa Valley winery for his stellar collection of sports cars. Captured in gorgeous photographs taken in the exceptional environments their owners have created for them, these rare custom models, elegant 1930s town cars, sexy postwar European exotics, and fabulously finned cruisers will appeal to classic-car connoisseurs around the world. AUTHOR BIO: Stuart Leuthner has more than 35 years of experience in advertising, graphic design, and publishing. He is the author of The Railroaders, Iron Men, and High Honor and currently the creative director of Watch and Clock Review and CHRONOS. William Taylor is a photographer based in Colorado.
Customer Reviews:
Wheels: A passion for collecting cars.......2006-08-31
Excellent book with great accounts of real car collectors. This book arrived as promised with the quality promised. A great entertaining reading from real people in the collector hobby. A must read for any car enthusiast.
a car books with a difference.......2005-03-13
Instead of simply presenting a parade of pretty cars, the author gives the reader a look into the collector's mind. The layout and photography are also exceptional. A must for anybody who appreciates wonderful objects.
must have.......2005-02-22
Leuthner is on top of his game with this new book. The Group of collectors that he has brought together,show us some of the finest automobiles ever built. Quality automobiles such as these should be shared with the world, this book is a must have for any one that appreciates the very finest that life has to offer-
It doesn't get any better.......2005-02-17
This is one of the finest automobile-related books I've ever seen. Not only are there great photos of some of the greatest cars in the world, but author Leuthner got to know each of the 11 car collectors on a personal basis. The result is an in-depth look at the men and their machines. Millions of dollars were layed out for these vintage masterpieces, and WHEELS gives them the respect they deserve. Very nice read, even though it's a coffee table type of book. That's rare.
Book Description
You may have seen them in some wonderful old movie, sparkling on Audrey Hepburn or Claudette Colbert, looking as if they cost millions of dollars. They didn’t; they are not the real thing. But even though they are faux, they’re made with the same care and attention as the real things: strands of artificial pearls individually knotted, “gems” hand set and pronged, plastic bangles more stunning than ivory.
Fabulous Fakes gives you one hundred years of the most amazing pieces of costume jewelry ever produced, in brilliant and beautiful color.
It tells their story, starting with mass-produced Victorian jewelry, moving through the wonderfully sophisticated lines of art deco geometrics, and parking at the doorstep of 1990s designer and artisanal jewelry.
Whether you love the boldness of Czech crystal or the delicate handiwork of Miriam Haskell, whether your jewels are part of your everyday fashion or a breathtaking collection of
objets, the thrill of finding them is the same.
Fabulous Fakes is your treasure map to discovering the craftsmanship and tradition that have made these pieces part of our collective memory.
Customer Reviews:
A 'must' for any serious collecting library, especially those covering costume jewelry........2006-10-15
FABULOUS FAKES: A PASSION FOR VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY is much more than just another identification or pricing guide: it captures and shares the author's own enthusiasm for the history and background of costume jewelry, offering chapters spiced with numerous color photos. Her pieces accompany a running history of vintage costume jewelry from Victorian to modern times, offering excellent and vivid insights into show-stopping pieces. A 'must' for any serious collecting library, especially those covering costume jewelry.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Customer Reviews:
A passion for Metal: Reflections and Techniques of a metal sculptor.......2007-08-10
This book is very readable, not just a look at the pictures. There are many techniques used and discussed, with a new fluxing tool I'd never heard about. I've actually read most of it because of its interesting writing style. The work is high energy and enthusiasticly made.
Cool Read, Hot Art.......2004-10-20
A Passion for Metal is truly an apt title for this book. Mr. Harvey writes with wit and a clarity of thought about his 30-plus years as a sculptor. The book is part instruction manual, part art criticism, and part philosophy text backed by truly beautiful photographs of the work from Harvey Gallery on every page. You can sit down and read it from cover to cover or open it up to random pages and get enjoyment out of it.
If you are a sculptor, an art lover, or just want to know what life is like as a professional sculptor in the present-day, this book is for you.
Book Description
The lure of the hunt, the thrill of the chase, that peerless moment of discovery when dream and ideal meet in a single object#151;this is the collector's world. To the collector, the world is her oyster, full of hidden pearls ready to be plucked and shown to greatest advantage among the other spoils of her obsession.ELLE DECOR is pleased to bring you an unprecedented glimpse of some of the world's most intriguing collections. But not just any collections: in these pages you'll find opulent assemblages distinguished by their rarity, eclecticism and, most of all, by the style and flair with which they've been incorporated into the home setting. Art and antiques experts, designers and couturiers, world travelers, artists and entrepreneurs have generously opened their doors to give us a rare view of the collector's world. Nowhere will you find the collector's passion more gloriously illustrated; all the inspiration you need to start gathering those objects of desire for your own home.Features, among others: Gianni Versace's Contemporary Art Collection; Pierre Berg+'s Curios Cabinet; Roger Prigent Chic Knick-Knacks; the Taschens' Library/Apartment; Tina Chow's apartment; Bill Blass' apartment; artist Arman's apartment...
Customer Reviews:
A passion beyond colecting........2005-07-21
The author takes us for a visit to collectors homes, and allows us to have a look at their private assembly of objects, paintings and sculptures they are passionate about. We can view the art in its context, we can see the juxtaposition of objects and furniture as these are being used by its owners, without pretending, revealing more than just the art. We get a glimps at the interior design and decor layered just as life puts them together. Only real collectors can possibly understand the mania they are infected with, not being able to resist amassing
the fetishes of their desire.
Amazon.com
Like 84, Charing Cross Road, Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern's charming bibliocentric memoir is as much about relationships as it is about books. Charing Cross chronicled the decades-long epistolary friendship between American book lover Helene Hanff and Frank Doel, the equally devoted British bookseller in the London shop from whom she bought many of her treasures. Rostenberg and Stern's book once again proves how a passion for great literature can make for fast friends. And in their case, these two octogenarians occupy the same geographical space, sharing both their professional and private lives.
In their introduction, Rostenberg and Stern write: "Several readers inferred ... that our relationship was a Lesbian one. This was a misconception. The 'deep, deep love' that existed and exists between us ... has no bearing upon sex." With that out of the way early on, the two recount the stories of their lives in alternating sections. And oh, what lives they've had! From identifying some of Louisa May Alcott's previously anonymous early writings to traveling the world in search of rare volumes and pamphlets, they have done and seen it all. Successful antiquarian book dealers Rostenberg and Stern undoubtedly are, but as this memoir makes clear, their greatest accomplishment just might be that rarer commodity of friendship that lasts a lifetime. --Alix Wilber
Book Description
Louisa May Alcott once wrote that she had taken her pen for a bridegroom. Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern, friends and business partners for fifty years, have in many ways taken up their pens and passion for literature much in the same way. The "Holmes & Watson" of the rare book business, Rostenberg and Stern are renowned for unlocking the hidden secret of Louisa May Alcott's life when they discovered her pseudonym, A.M. Barnard, along with her anonymously published "blood and thunder" stories on subjects like transvestitism, hashish smoking, and feminism.
Old Books, Rare Friends describes their mutual passion for books and literary sleuthing as they take us on their earliest European book buying jaunts. Using what they call Finger-spitzengefühl, the art of evaluating antiquarian books by handling, experience, and instinct, we are treated to some of their greatest discoveries amid the mildewed basements of London's booksellers after the Blitz. We experience the thrill of finding one of the earliest known books printed in America between 1617-1619 by the Pilgrim Press and learn about the influential role of publisher-printers from the fifteenth century.
Like a precious gem, Old Books, Rare Friends is a book to treasure about the companionship of two rare friends and their shared passion for old books.
Customer Reviews:
Old Books, Rare Friends Satisfies Booklovers.......2006-02-18
For those of us who lust after books about books, as well as the history of successful booksellers, this book is one of the best. "Old Books, Rare Friends" details the struggles and triumps of two of the most famous women in bookselling during the twentieth century. They include lots of stories about tracking those elusive hidden gems overlooked by other more successful book dealers. They also describe each woman's scholarly adventures, successes and failures. I read this when it was first published, but wanted to own it so I could re-read it from time to time. If you love books you can't go wrong with Madeleine and Leona's story.
'Finger-Spitzengefühl'.......2005-10-26
Sometimes I will fall in love with an author's life as perceived through her books, and read all of her works for other glimpses into her private paradise. Authors such as Will and Ariel Durant, Edwin Way Teale, Stephen Jay Gould, and Oliver Sacks have shared their curiosity, astonishment, and joy with me. These authors are endlessly inquisitive. Each new discovery in their world, whether it is a fern, a skull, or an anecdote about a long-dead king is greeted with joy and eagerly shared with the reader.
Now in the dusty corner of bibliomania, I have found two more authors who are willing to share their joy of discovery with me. They even have a name for it: 'Finger-Spitzengefühl'--"the electrifying alertness to what is unusual or important in an early printed book. When 'Finger-Spitzengefühl' is coupled with serendipity, the gates of paradise open for the dealer in old and rare [books]."
Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern share their "thrill of the chase and the joy of the find," as well as a seven-decade-long partnership in life--"the partnership of 'Faithful Friends' who share 'a deep, deep love.'"
I have to admit I had trouble getting into this book. I read some of the earlier pages six or seven times because I kept falling asleep and losing my place. However, once the authors were out of childhood recollections and into the chase--first of all for the works that Louisa May Alcott had published under a pseudonym--then I was hooked.
These authors have illuminated many once-obscure corners of history through their curiosity and devotion. They deplore collectors who pursue rare books as an investment, much as I would deplore a physician who is in practice 'only for the money.' Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern have devoted their lives to the search for the old and rare, and their love, curiosity, and wisdom show through on almost every page of this book.
Old Books, Rare Friends are marvelous........2000-05-22
Given to me as a birthday present on a misty Northwest beach,the whimsical allure of these charmingly self-possessed women residingin one of the toughest cities in the world, drew me into its first pages even as the rest of my party sat around on logs, barbecuing fine local viands & feeding the camp dogs. From their student years, surviving the Depression & WWII; to studying & getting published through the exciting times of starting a company & their book-hunting jaunts to musty basements in faraway places this is a lively, lovely duet by two voices weaving a deeply evocative memoir...
Loving books and each other.......1999-08-22
For everyone loving books, history and detectives this book is a great pleasure to read. With great enthusiasm Leona & Madeleine write about their lives and the books which they bought and sold. It makes one jealous of times when rare books could still be found under piles of dust instead of being sold for fortunes. So stop reading the reviews and start reading this book now.
Unusual and delightful lives.......1998-10-26
Those who love books and the history of the written word have benefitted from these devoted "literary sleuths" who not only devoted themselves to located lost treasures, but who pioneered the rights of women in academe. A story of how devotede friends could pool their talents to rescue lost arts and discover the literary secrets of groundbreaking authors. A suprisingly exciting read.
Books:
- Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
- Puffin Graphics: Black Beauty (Puffin Graphics (Graphic Novels))
- Real Food for Cats: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Feline Gastronome
- Real Food for Dogs: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine Gastronome
- Rocket Propulsion Elements, 7th Edition
- Scott 2005 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, Vol. 5: Countries of the World P-Sl (Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol 5 Countries P-Sl)
- Scott 2005 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, Vol. 5: Countries of the World P-Sl (Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol 5 Countries P-Sl)
- Sewing Tools & Trinkets: Collector's Identification & Value Guide (Sewing Tools & Trinkets)
- Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing
- Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers (Stink)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- All New Square Foot Gardening
- Rotary Magic: Easy Techniques to Instantly Improve Every Quilt You Make
- Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III
- Great Hikes in the Poconos and Northeast Pennsylvania
- Parenting With Love And Logic
- The Canterbury Tales:
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders
- Hack Proofing Your Wireless Network
- Evaluating the Year 2000 Project: A Management Guide for Determining Reasonable Care
- ALL KNEELING
Creating a Room: A Designer's Guide to Decorating Your Home in Stages
Design Inspirations, Vol. 1
Winter House
The Poetry Of Home
An Affair with a House
