Living Color: Master Lin Yuns Guide to Feng Shui and the Art of Color

Book Description

Colors are key to the Chinese art of feng shui ("Fung Shway"), a system of placement whose simplicity and ecological good sense have struck such a chord recently in the West. Now Lin Yun and Sarah Rossbach, well known for their introduction to the West of feng shui, have written a fully
illustrated guide to color application in all areas of life: home, garden, clothes, food, environment, health, and fortune-telling. In LIVING COLOR readers will find not only answers to the most common color questions-what color to pick for the new sofa? What color to wear on a job interview or to
clinch an important deal? What colors for romance?-but also rules for a balanced and harmonious life based upon no less an authority than Tao-the way of all living things.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2005-08-23

I purchased this book years ago and found it extremely interesting and informative, not to mention, easy to use. After having lost my copy, I decided to buy it again and am very glad I decided to do so. This book is a classic in the world of Feng Shui, and Master Lin Yun is a very wise and intelligent man. I highly recommend this book.

Too many lists.......2003-11-30

If this is your favorite book, I apologize for not giving it a well deserved 5 stars. I am writing for those who might share my perspective, and do not want to diminish the perfection of this book for many people.

This is only the third book on Feng Shui that I've read. My immediate interest was sparked by reading 'Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui' by Karen Kingston. Wanting to learn more and using my engineering research skills, I combed the reviews here and picked 'Living Color'. My color IQ is nil and I hoped the book might offer some assistance.

Unfortunately, I was too dense to make much of the insights offered. The various matrices of color vs. room or color vs. business or color foreground vs. color background went over my head. I'm already a habitual list/matrix maker, but they are memory aids for recalling 'known' insights. In this case, the original insight eluded me, so recalling it offered me little.

I did enjoy the first 3 chapters, which included preparatory material. Perhaps the book was simply too advanced for me. For example, the notion of a destructive and creative color cycle is very appealing; I just couldn't get a feel for it.

Near the end of the book, the use of color as part of meditation practice is described. I appreciated this section, too.

helpful only to the intutive.......2002-04-20

I am someone who is deeply interested in and in agreement with the foundational principles behind what goes by the name of Feng Shui. And as much as I found this book helpful, I also tried to read it from the point of view of someone who might find the whole FS to be a bunch of BS. And I found it to be wanting in clearer explanations, even if only to explain why and how some of these things were beyond rational explanation.
This book IS about color theory and practice as espoused by the Black Hat Sect Tantric Buddhism (BTB) in organizing the environment - micro and macro. By now the interested reader ought to know something about the historical dimensions that shaped the BTB, especially including the Chinese input over the last 1,000 years or so. That said, I can say that this book is helpful only to those who are artistically inclined and/or familiar with, AND accepting of the logic behind Chinese cosmology and cultural symbolisms. Why?
Take for example, the part where the author mentions that the color white for fences is bad and red is best. She recommends a cure that can be had by tying 9 red ribbons to the fence. Okay, let us leave aside for the moment the issue of whether that is "true" or not, on whatever level. The fact that the author would make such a statement is bound to rub the average American reader the wrong way, which is indeed unfortunate.
The fact that the color white symbolizes death and purity (to the point of permitting no life) to the Chinese is no reason to write off the whole Western practice of investing the color white with other meanings, such as purity (as in chastity), honesty, cleanliness, and new beginning -- all hopeful and positive things.
This book, as good as it could be, makes the same mistake as some of the other bestsellers in assuming that every reader will (have to) simply accept the Chinese cosmology as universal truth. It is not clear why this oversight continues to occur, but it gives the uncomfortable impression that only a particular culture had access to the "real" truth of colors.
This sort of explanation right from the start would have been helpful to the reader: That the FIVE ELEMENTS merely represent the five MODES of Ch'i, and the names (that is, the elements) associated with them were chosen largely for easier memorization and visualization, and thus application to the visible material world, including medicine. They could just as well have been labeled A,B,C,D, and E. (The subatomic particles also have names that are there just for easier identification. Are electrons really electronic?) The names of the five modes don't really matter, but the manner of their interaction does. The reader should not accept the (pseudo) explanation that "metal 'produces' water because water condenses outside a copper pail filled with cold water", or that "fire 'produces' earth by way of ash". Nor should the reader reject it as "bad science" and forego the more interesting stuff behind the immensely complicated system of observation (as well as observances) in FS. The five elements structure is a mnemonic device before it is anything else but the author does not tell you this, and the disinterested reader is left to follow wide-eyed, marveling at the "awesome" wisdom of the Chinese; or to reject it without furthur ado as New Age mumbo-jumbo.

Given that the BTB puts a lot of emphasis on YI (intention, will), and even in its meditation practices it encourages people to activate whatever religious symbolisms with which they feel most at home, it would only makes sense to assure the Western reader that the purpose of Feng Shui is to activate the energy (Ch'i) of one's environment in harmony with one's own psychic disposition, which would certainly include one's own traditional orientation and inculcation of values -- ethical and aesthetical.

This book, I think, can confuse as well as enlighten, depending on the reader's own level of intutional development. Those who are too uncritically enthusiastic about FS so as to accept everything written here, may end up with a mess of colors all over their house. If it's true that 'You can take a horse to the water but you can't make him drink', then it's also true that if you're the horse, you have to figure out just how thirsty you are, and for what.

All in all, this is a good book, but if you are trained to think critically, it may not be the best book out there for you....

Terrific Guide.......2001-12-29

The subject demands illustration and this book delivers--big time! Full of instructive (and beautiful) photography, complimented by thoughtful and useful text.

NEW & AUTHENTIC.......1999-08-12

Lineage is not staying in one place all the time. Lineage is a line of living connections. New can be authentic. You may differentiate between old tradition and emerging tradition. Validity is not merely the province of antiquity. We build on what has gone before.

Living Reality: My Extraordinary Summer With "Sailor" Bob Adamson

Average customer rating:

Understanding is all
Outstanding summary of "modern" advaita
Advaita Americana- two thumbs up
Greatness in a Nonduality Book
Favorite Book on Advaita

Living Reality: My Extraordinary Summer With "Sailor" Bob Adamson
James Braha
Manufacturer: Hermetician Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0935895108

Customer Reviews:

Understanding is all.......2007-09-27

Quoted from the book :- "Please keep in mind that non-duality is, essentially, a viewpoint and appears to clash with other viewpoints regarding spiritual truth. The core of non-duality is presence awareness. The key to our true nature lies in the present moment-the right here,right now that have always been and will always be".The statement is concise and clear.
This book 'Living Reality' makes an excellent reference book on non-duality.

Outstanding summary of "modern" advaita.......2007-09-17

The spiritual philosophy of Nisargadatta (hopefully I have the spelling right) and "Sailor Bob" could not be any clearer than it is presented in this outstanding volume. I did not give it five stars because starting around page 180 the reader has pretty much heard it all and I'm being a little charitable on the page count. It is, nonetheless, a terrific presentation of these ideas...as clear as I have seen anywhere else and I have read broadly within this category. Very strongly recommended.

Advaita Americana- two thumbs up.......2007-07-07

I'm only about 1/3 into this book, and I just adore it. Since the day I staretd reading it, the immediate experience of life has been-umm, different, more peaceful and less stressful no doubt. This book validates- in plain, western speak- the "advaitist" experience. I'm a junior medical student and am currently working about 80 hours a week. So, I started reading this book on my spring break back in April, and have had to slowly read/digest it. As someone who has been "on the path" since about 6 months of age, this book, at age 33, ended 33 years of seeking. Not as if I hadn't heard it/read it before- about 1 million times, and done about 3 thousand- ashtanga yoga primary series, breathed about 50 thousand kriyas, gone on countless fasts, read my astrology chart a bazillion times, gone from darshan to darshan, sat at the feet of my guru for hours and hours, and just about given up on all of it....Then this book came along and validated the immediate experience which was already there all along. Thanks James -this is a true jewel.

Greatness in a Nonduality Book.......2007-05-22

The purpose of this book, the author says, is "to share nonduality with you. ... to expose the personal reference point - the `me' - for what it is: a phantom created by the mind. My hope is to do for readers what Nisargadatta Maharaj, the great Indian sage, did for my teacher, Sailor Bob Adamson, and what Sailor Bob did for me. And that is `to take the seeker beyond the need for help.' If, after reading this text, you are able to see clearly that the `me' you have live with your entire life is a false creation of the mind, you will never need help again. You will know your true nature and the real meaning of understanding."

There may be other books that share nonduality as satisfyingly as Braha's does, but probably none surpass it. And perhaps no other book in the nonduality genre brings a living sage, in this case Sailor Bob Adamson, so close to you, in a physical and "real" sense, in the way this book does.

The dialogues are realistic talks with a group of nice people with Bob Adamson at the center of attention and including Bob's wife Barb, who contributes sagely to the dialogue as well. The tone of the dialogues varies from serious, to wildly free, to nearly silly, but is always kept genuine by the presence of Bob. Of course the author has to be commended for selecting the most lively and meaningful portions of discourse, and for revealing what it was like to be in the company of Bob Adamson.

Numerous topics are covered in the dialogues: Buddha, good stories about Nisargadatta Maharaj, the Now, Muktananda, infinity, the mind, thoughts of torture, reality, karma, religions, desire, reincarnation, and of course nonduality, and others. But there's really only one topic: "Life is awareness constantly seeing awareness," says Bob. Other quotations could be given basically saying that no matter what topic is addressed it comes down to awareness or present existence (or nonexistence), or getting the mind to stop.

A very important part of the book is the writing by James Braha himself. His writings make up about one third of the entire book. Braha's writings consist of introductory chapters to the book as well as a conclusion. James's commentary precedes each of the dialogues with Bob and prepares the reader for them.

In James's chapters he talks about his own experiences with nonduality, his developing spiritual life, until near the end when it becomes obvious that there's no point to speak of such things as a spiritual life or stages of understanding. They are imaginings. Also in Braha's chapters he talks about Bob's visit, how it came about, how it progresses, Bob's arrrival. James brings the reader into the events as they unfold, so we feel we are with Bob and the rest of the gang when the dialogues are taking place. James also talks about nonduality itself in the chapters he writes.

Braha's writings are as significant as Bob's utterances. Thus this book transcends Bob and Braha and becomes about waking up itself. As well, this book includes all the elements readers want: a sage, a seeker or two, the sage's wife, story of a physical journey, story of a spiritual journey (or two), dialogues with a sage, a collection of friends and others, color photographs, a sense of warmth, family, humanity, solid and identifiable beginning, middle, and end. The writing and editing are professional. Thus this is a great book. This book must be recommended along with the very best books on the teaching of nonduality.

I like the dozen or so clear, color photographs very much, showing the main people in the book. They make for a special inclusion, unheard of in other nonduality books. With all the names, subjects, concepts, themes, this book could use an index. I wanted to find all the places in the book where Barb, Bob's wife, was mentioned, because I thought she was so cool, but I couldn't. On the other hand, I can understand where indexes enforce searching and encourage avoidance of the message of nonduality which is found on every page of a book such as this, and needs no looking up.

Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality

Favorite Book on Advaita.......2007-05-13

I love this book. I am currently on my third reading. It is about someone who was a seeker, the same confused schmuck like rest of us with all the same false expectations and dumb questions, who becomes a finder through the kind help of Sailor Bob. Happily he recorded most of the conversations so we could come along with him during this process. It runs the gambit of all questions and concerns leaving no loose ends to have reservations about. I also liked that it was a account of his time with Bob and contains personal observations and history. It makes the material more real and interesting than anonymous dialogues. I feel this is a must read for anyone interested in the subject of enlightenment or nonduality.

Average customer rating:

One of the best
An excellent, basic guide to a large number of species.
Great starting point for herpetoculturists
A useful overview, though not comprehensive.
A milestone in it's area.

Living Snakes of the World in Color
John M. Mehrtens
Manufacturer: Sterling Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 080696460X

Customer Reviews:

One of the best.......2005-03-08

For a combination of photos, natural history, and care notes on so many species of snakes, this book cannot be beat. I just bought my second copy, so that i can have one in mint.

Even though this book was published several years ago, the care info in it is solid. If you are halfway interested in snakes, this is a definate book for you.

An excellent, basic guide to a large number of species........2001-03-17

The book is intended to provide a basic overview of 400+ species of snake. Therefore, no time is wasted on introductions. The book is divided first into 3 categories: primitave snakes, Colubrids, and venomous snakes. These groups are further divided into family groups/regional groups. The author provides usually one (often more) color photograph to accompany the description of each individual species. Information is provided on habitat, geographic range, natural history, size, care, and reproduction for each species. With a few exceptions, the phototography is excellent. The overviews are brief, but the author provides information & photos of more species that I have found in any single book. The book is excellent for readers interested in venomous snakes. Over 1/3 of the book is dedicated to hard-to-find information/photos on sea snakes, elapids, viperids, and crotalids. The book contains a brief section on snake venom. The biggest weakness of the book is probably it's age (1987), but it is still well worth the investment. While the information on each snake is brief, I have not found a book containing species-specific information on as many species as the Mehertens book. To receive equivalent information, you would need to purchase multiple regional guides. A great guide for professionals and amateur snake lovers!

Great starting point for herpetoculturists.......1999-08-16

I have had this book for a while now and still refer to it when I have questions about food and habitat for certain species. I am still for a book that talks about all species of snakes whether they are common in captivity or almost(in some cases thought to be) extinct. The book covered the material it was designed for and was all in all a very good book.

A useful overview, though not comprehensive........1998-02-08

This book attempts to provide expansive coverage of snakes commonly seen by the public in zoos, private collections, and the pet trade. Ultimately, I was a bit disappointed by the book.

This book provides minimal, and I do mean minimal, coverage of "164 genera, 413 species, and 454 subspecies" according to the dust jacket. Of necessity, the amount of coverage devoted to each snake is limited. Still there's enough text to provide an overview of the species. Unfortunately, the book fails to mention many of the species that are currently available as reptile pets. More than half of the book is devoted to poisonous snakes, most of which the average reader is unlikely ever to encounter. I would have traded, say, the 15 pages of coverage on poisonous sea snakes for more discussion of snakes I'd be likely to see in my backyard or neighborhood pet store. Additionally, because the book is now over 10 years old, its taxonomy for a number of species is not longer correct or complete.

One of the big distinctions of this book is that it provides color photographs of all the species it describes. In most cases, the photographs range from good to excellent. This makes the blurry and out-of-focus pictures (e.g. Dumeril's boa on pp. 23 and blood python on pp. 59) stick out like a sore thumb. Some of these problems may be related to the printing of my copy, but in a number of cases the problems are a result of poor photographic technique. Especially frustrating when the species being photographed is commonly available! Still, these flaws are forgivable when compared against the general quality of the book.

"Living Snakes of the World in Color" succeeds at providing a pictorial introduction to hundreds of species of snake. Those uninterested in poisonous snakes, or those looking for comprehensive coverage of snakes available as "pets" might be better off with another book (although I have yet to find a reasonably priced book that fits the bill).

A milestone in it's area........1997-01-28

Excellent color pictures mixed with a well-written and professional text. All to all a balanced book. Novice or expert, you will enjoy many hours of good reading. (an extra plus for the "care" section of each animal, useful and often hard to come by.)

Living Colors: A Designers Guide to 80 Essential Palettes from Ancient to Modern Times

Average customer rating:

Incredibly powerful
Very Useful
Great color palettes
Unwieldly and Difficult To Use
An excellent analysis of color palettes across art history

Living Colors: A Designers Guide to 80 Essential Palettes from Ancient to Modern Times
Augustine Hope
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0811805581

Book Description

A consummate guide to color, this indispensable, spiralbound volume displays 80 color schemes -- drawn from a variety of different mediums, from architecture and apparel to paintings and pottery, across a range of historical periods -- each individually presented, described, and illustrated in a handy, gatefold format, with representative four-color images and actual printed chips for matching against the project at hand. From the dominant reds of ancient Egyptian ochers to the psychedelic palettes of the sixties, Living Colors will inspire professionals and laypeople alike in choosing colors for a multitude of uses.

Customer Reviews:

Incredibly powerful.......2007-01-11

This book is an incredible reference for color theory and history. The inclusion of full panels of color reference make it one of the most useful books on the subject I've ever found.

Very Useful.......2006-02-24

I am in fashion design and have found the color palettes very useful in designing collections. Also, the text is informative without being boring.

Great color palettes.......2005-07-09

I'm a graphic designer and this is a great book to look for color palettes. It explains what period the palette is from and gives you cultural information from that period. The palettes are different and beautiful. Margaret Walsh is a highly respected woman for her color knowledge.

Unwieldly and Difficult To Use.......2003-12-23

The dual spiral constuction of this book makes any it practically impossible to read through the text while keeping the color swatches in view. I find the book to be shabbily put together - the spiral separated from the binding after one gentle use, so I was glad to have picked it up at a bargain book outlet.

There is some useful information in there, but getting it all together is not simple.

An excellent analysis of color palettes across art history.......1999-01-06

This is an excellent book if you want to compare and analyze the basic color palettes used by various art movements and at different times in history. The unique double spiral bound book allows you to look at color illustrations and flip the palettes independently so you to compare and contrast palettes and artwork. I think this would be useful for artists and designers of all sorts including theatre designers.

Tropical Colors: Art of Living With Tropical Flowers

Average customer rating:

Tropical Colors
Beautiful Flowers

Tropical Colors: Art of Living With Tropical Flowers
Sakul Intakul , and Wongvipa Devahastin Na Ayudhya
Manufacturer: Periplus Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0794600565

Book Description

* Displays innovative techniques for flower arranging * Over 200 photographs * Sakul Intakul has made floral installations for the Queen of Thailand * Sleek, contemporary, cutting edge design

Flowers have always been an integral part of the cultural fabric of Thailand and a constant reminder of the country's Buddhist heritage and identity. As in other Asian cultures, flowers are lavishly used in Thailand to mark rituals and rites of passage; they are indispensable in age-old acts of worship, in celebrations, and in daily life. On their way to work, many Thais offer flowers and a heartfelt prayer at wayside shrines. Every day, scores of women at the royal court create floral offerings for the venerated Buddha images in Bangkok's temples and palaces. Thai Airways routinely presents orchid corsages to female passengers.

This stunning and refreshingly original book goes beyond the everyday: it elevates flowers from mere floral arrangements to meditative floral "installations." Created from a combination of exotic and colorful tropical flowers, plant materials--fibers and leaves from banana plants and coconut trees, culms and twigs from bamboo--and unconventional materials like wire netting, harmoniously blend a strong, usually three-dimensional, structure with the sweet and subtle elements of flowers. The philosophy behind the arrangements, the interiors or occasions for which they are appropriate, and a brief explanation of the techniques and materials employed will inspire readers to create their own artistic arrangements.

Customer Reviews:

Tropical Colors.......2006-05-22

I own hundreds of books on all types of design. This book on design with tropical flowers is the absolute most beautiful I have. The ideas depicted in this book are very simple for the most part and easy to do. And yet, the designs create a spectacular effect.

Beautiful Flowers.......2006-01-16

This book is a feast for the eyes. I stumbled on this book in a bookstore and was just mesmerized by the pictures. Beautiful exotic flowers in vivrant colors are arranged artfully in creative settings. Photography is brilliant.

Average customer rating:

Source of inspiration

Living Color
Paula Pryke
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0847824438
Release Date: 2002-01-05

Book Description

Living Color taps into the current trend for using flowers not only for special occasions, but also as a key visual element in home decoration. An explosion of intense color mixes are accompanied by unique flower arranging recipes that include quantities as well as exact floral ingredients and methods needed to recreate the innovative floral bouquets for which Paula Pryke is internationally famous.

Using teaching methods honed from the author's highly successful flower school, Living Color demonstrates, step-by-step, how to create the kind of professional flower arrangements to accessorize and transform your living space, infusing it with color and style. Beginners and amateurs alike can easily achieve the same polished creations that have made Paula Pryke Britain's leading floral artist in constant demand internationally by royalty, celebrities, presidents and heads of state.

Following in the footsteps of her other successful flower arranging books (Festive Flowers, Flair with Flowers, Flowers, Flowers! and Simple Flowers), Living Color is the new addition to her definitive and expanding library of books to teach the creation of exceptional environments.

Customer Reviews:

Source of inspiration.......2003-07-11

This book has numerous samples of flower arrangement. The photographs are very brilliant and come in full page. I learn a lot from the photographs. The flower arrangement are very nice, some of them come in a very daring color combination that you never think before. Paula Pryke has showed me that flower arrangement can be transformed from craft to art. I got a lot of inspiration about color combination, texture and composition from this book. The design principles that Pryke used on her flower arrangement can be applied in other field also. This book can be a source of inspiration for other designer (for interior designer, graphic designer, and illustrator).

Mediterranean Style: Relaxed Living Inspired by Strong Colors and Natural Materials

Average customer rating:

I had to purchase this book
Simplicity, Warmth and Inspiration
Little bit too rustic for my taste
Magnificent!!!
Beautiful and Useful

Mediterranean Style: Relaxed Living Inspired by Strong Colors and Natural Materials
Catherine Haig
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0789204304

Amazon.com

Vivid colors, bold simplicity, textural contrasts, stone, tile, and stucco--these are the hallmarks of this refreshingly unpretentious style, which is easy to live with and surprisingly simple to evoke at home. Vibrant photos and detailed, practical text explore all the elements of the look and explain what to do with your own walls and floors, windows and doors, furnishings and accessories to re-create the look. And the 12 step-by-step projects (including sand-textured or distempered walls, a pebbled floor, a fretwork window screen, studded doors, and a mosaic tabletop) prove that it doesn't take a huge effort or a huge budget to achieve the relaxed grace of this popular decor. The sun-drenched rooms filled with natural materials and accented with the occasional exotic touch (a filigreed lantern, Moroccan dishware, a kilim rug, Moorish arches, Spanish-style wrought ironwork) are extremely inviting--you'll want to sprawl on a cushy divan and sip a cool beverage as you drink in the enticing warmth of this wonderful style. --Amy Handy

Customer Reviews:

I had to purchase this book.......2005-11-15

I've checked this book out of my local library three times. We've been working with an architect to design a French country house, very simple. No amount of pictures has conveyed the message of simplicity to our architect. He kept giving us elaborate Palladian designs, and I kept saying, "French Mas". not "French Chateau" and certainly not some Monster House version of an Italian Villa. We've decided to end this expensive misunderstanding and begin again with another designer, this time showing the simple pictures in "Mediterranean Style" to convey the simple rusticity that we desire.

Simplicity, Warmth and Inspiration.......2005-02-04

Due to unforeseen circumstances whereby my lower living area was suddenly subjected unceremoniously to several feet of murky moisture, I found myself in need of a partial home makeover, but with a shoestring budget and a short time frame.

Fortuitously, this book came through it unscathed, and I took it as an omen that Mediterranean was the way it should be.

The pictures are strikingly beautiful, the colors breath-taking, and my family may not be over-excited to hear that the foyer will now be a washed purple color with an earthen colored roof, accented by a canary yellow metal staircase. The book banishes all fear of the lavish use of color, clearly illustrating how color can enhance your surroundings, making a cozy nest of warmth and harmony.

The furniture and accessories are all rustic and simple, the formula being wood, iron, stone, tile and carpet.

If you're the Victorian or romantic type, there's no toile de joie in lavender and pink in this book, no overstuffed chairs or furniture bearing the legs of any deceased monarch. If however, you're into relaxed, simple, harmonious, rustic and durable decor, this is a good book to use as a guide.

Amanda Richards, February 3, 2005

Little bit too rustic for my taste.......2002-12-17

I just got this book, and although lots of others rave about the photos, the style is a little bit too rustic for my tastes. If you are looking to decorate your home a la small Mediterranean village style, this is definitely for you. However, you won't find any luxurious palaces or mansions here. This book primarily appeals to those who prefer the simple, assymetrical, and distressed look that evoke a centuries-old Mediterranean charm. If your home has fitted carpets or wooden walls as is typical in the San Francisco Bay Area, the style just doesn't seem to fit. I am also far from impressed with the text as it's kind of repetitive, the author mentioned so many times that the Mediterranean style is simple, open, and it evolved due to the balmy Mediterranean climate! As if mentioning the very obvious once is not enough.

Magnificent!!!.......2002-11-05

This is a wonderful book, filled with pages of beautiful pictures and creative ideas. It is a book that will inspire you to redecorate your home a "La Mediterranea" or maybe even send you off on a trip to visit such magnificent places. I highly recommend anyone interested in Mediterranean design/decor to get this book, as it not only gives you ideas, but also some easy-to-follow steps on achieving certain effects as pictured. Thumbs up for this one.

Beautiful and Useful.......2002-05-26

I have the highest praise for this book and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates and wishes to decorate in the Mediterranean Style. I agree with another reviewer that many of the ideas can be easily and inexpensively implemented. The ingredients of style are all there, making it possible to create a Mediterranean atmosphere in just about any home or apartment.

Average customer rating:

natalie goldberg
POWERFUL!
playful and brilliant
One of the most important creative books ever written
If you're a writer, artist, or wannabe, buy this book!

Living Color: A Writer Paints Her World
Natalie Goldberg
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0553354892
Release Date: 1997-09-02

Amazon.com

In this series of autobiographical essays accompanied by paintings (or autobiographical paintings accompanied by essays), Natalie Goldberg examines the relationship between her writing, her art, and her life. Known for her books about writing (Writing Down the Bones in particular), Goldberg once used painting as others do a walk in the woods or a martini before dinner--as a way to unwind after a day of work. Fearing dilettantism, she quit painting altogether, only to find that when she stopped painting, "I gave up a deep source of my writing, that place in me where I can let my work flow." Once again she embraced visual expression, which she realized she had used "as a metaphor or mirror to break out of something I didn't understand in writing." The paintings have a colorful, folksy feel; the book is an interesting exploration of the influences that the various aspects of our lives have on our work and vice versa.

Book Description

Join the bestselling author of Wild Mind and Writing Down the Bones as she explores a new realm of creativity--the world of color--and offers us an intimate view of how everyday life is transformed into art.

In twelve high-spirited chapters, Natalie introduces us to her family, her artist friends, her New Mexico home, her painting trips to Europe--always focusing on the questions faced by any creative person, whatever their medium. Why, for example, does an artist choose some subjects and not others? ("I was crazy about the wrong-color sky and the heart-sinking beckoning of headlights on old cars," she acknowledges.) How does a painter draw nourishment from another painter's work? ("I didn't want fancy art theories. I wanted a direct connection with the painting before me.") When is it time to move into a new form? ("I had to go to an empty white canvas and find out what was within me.")

More than 60 four-color reproductions of Natalie's distinctive and joyous paintings appear throughout. The result is a feast for the eyes and a celebration of the creative spirit in action.

Customer Reviews:

natalie goldberg.......2005-11-15

I am reading and drawing. I am writing and here in southern New Mexico, Alamogordo all by myself. I am sooo glad she found art to be a good tool for seeing detail. I'm seeing differently.
I have seen color all my life but been afraid to express it. I grew up parttime in Maryland. The East Coast has its own flavor, but out West we command another kind of beauty. Natalies writings have been a good refresher for me. I'm excited to do a workshop up in Taos. Thanks.

POWERFUL!.......2005-01-23

I had never heard of Natalie Goldberg before this book was mentioned casually in an online journaling group. But the comment peaked my interest and I surely was not disappointed! I read the entire book in one sitting (during the first major snowstorm of '05!) There were many "ah ha" moments...and I especially enjoyed the chapter about her father...very emotionally moving and insightful. Highly recommended if you do visual art and are curious about what propels you.

playful and brilliant.......2002-01-01

Natalie's paintings are dazzling...she seems to have caught the emotional color of her subjects, the inner dance of things...it's essential magic. In the chapter titled "How I Paint", she says: " I noticed that the blue of my paints wasn't blue enough to get the intensity of that New Mexico sky. I painted the sky red instead. I painted Jazz yellow. He was a brown dog, but yellow expressed him better. Color became fluid".

There's a chapter on her father, with 7 paintings of him, the first from '78, the last, '98...wonderful portraits, with a sadness in them, despite the vivid colors.
Another chapter, "A Deep Source of my Writing", is about how her writing and painting are interrelated.

She writes of her European travels, her visits to the Musee Matisse, Cezanne's studio, the Kafka Museum, and so much more...with an easy flow that makes reading a pleasure, but it's the paintings that captivate me.

Her interiors are incredible..ordinary places like bathrooms and kitchens, turned into playgrounds of glorious color...her buildings and outdoor scenes are also amazing (her sense of perspective is fabulous !), but I love her cars best of all. If I could own one painting, it would be the green Chevy truck on page 22. It seems to have a face, with a side window that's winking at me.

This is a very special book, so full of life and love. It makes me laugh, inspires me, gives me hope and warms my heart.

One of the most important creative books ever written.......2000-02-15

I can only echo the other rave reviews: This book is a must-own (not just a must-read) if you're an artist, a writer, or both. Even if you can't draw a stick figure, but have always wanted to be an artist, this book will set you on the path to creative expression. Don't just wish to be an artist... get this book, and start painting!

If you're a writer, artist, or wannabe, buy this book!.......2000-01-29

Don't lend it to a friend, guard it with your life! Ms. Goldberg's drawings are wondrous. I want to say that they remind me of David Hockney's work - but that wouldn't quite do it. Because her style is hers alone and it's magical! The accompanying text throughout gives you an understanding of her drawings - and how she's able to unleash that part of her creativity - and have FUN! I never fail to read the latest Natalie Goldberg book - her insights, her truthfulness about her struggles help me realize that we're all artists. Some of us are just a little freer and further along than the rest. Thank goodness Natalie keeps writing to show us paths that she's hewn for herself.

Living in Love with Jesus Video Curriculum: Clothed in the Colors of His Love

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Living in Love with Jesus Video Curriculum: Clothed in the Colors of His Love
Dee Brestin , and Kathy Troccoli
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 084998985X

Book Description

After finding and accepting the ultimate love relationship with Jesus Christ, believers are challenged to go the next step and love the world around them. Applying truths from the Apostle John's first letter, this companion curriculum helps women discover the power to become transformed into a woman who loves well.

This powerful series offers an interactive, video experience with hosts Dee Brestin and Kathy Troccoli followed by hands-on, workbook applications that encourage women to dig deeper into their own lives, planting the seeds of God's love with breathless anticipation of the beauty that lies ahead. Included in the series is a leader's guide for group study sessions.

This curriculum includes:

2 Videos
Workbook with Leader's Guide
Colors of His Love book

Living in Color: Embracing God's Passion for Ethnic Diversity

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Living in Color: Embracing God's Passion for Ethnic Diversity
Randy Woodley
Manufacturer: InterVarsity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Discrimination & Racism | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0830832556

Book Description

"We would never give Picasso a paintbrush and only one color of paint, and expect a masterpiece," writes Randy Woodley. "We would not give Beethoven a single piano key and say, 'Play us a concerto.' Yet we limit our Creator in just these ways." Though our Christian experience is often blandly monochromatic, God intends for us to live in dynamic, multihued communities that embody his vibrant creativity.Randy Woodley, a Keetowah Cherokee, casts a biblical, multiethnic vision for people of every nation, tribe and tongue. He carefully unpacks how Christians should think about racial and cultural identity, demonstrating that ethnically diverse communities have always been God's intent for his people. Woodley gives practical insights for how we can relate to one another with sensitivity, contextualize the gospel, combat the subtleties of racism, and honor one another's unique contributions to church and society. Along the way, he reckons with difficult challenges from our racially painful history and offers hope for healing and restoration. With profound wisdom from his own Native American heritage and experience, Woodley's voice adds a distinctive perspective to contemporary discussions of racial reconciliation and multiethnicity. Here is a biblical vision for unity in diversity.

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