Book Review – 1,000 Artists’ Books

1,000 Artists' Books: Exploring the Book as Art by Sandra Salamony
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fascinating collection of well-photographed pieces of art in the form of books (or book-like objects). It’s amazing to see how a medium that’s been around for centuries – even millennia – can be reinterpreted in so many different ways. I didn’t get much out of the intro, but the works themselves more than made up for that. For any artist considering working in this milieu, this gallery is a must-visit.

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Book Review – Mastering UI/UX Design

Mastering UI/UX Design: Theoretical Foundations and Practical Applications by Frahaan Hussain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are some nuggets of good information here, but you’ve gotta really dig for them. Once the authors establish basic UX principles, the text becomes extremely repetitive. Even in the realm of technical writing when some repetition is encouraged, this is excessive and badly in need of a good edit. Snippets of CSS code are a poor substitute for visual examples, the lack of which is a problem in an intensely visual realm. Normally I keep reviews focused on content rather than presentation. However, given the subject matter, I feel the need to point out that the ebook formatting on Hoopla was so terrible that the text was nearly unusable. I picked this up hoping that I might be able to use it as a textbook for the UX Design course I teach. But no, the search continues.

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Book Review – Creative Journaling

Creative Journaling: A Guide to Over 100 Techniques and Ideas for Amazing Dot Grid, Junk, Mixed-Media, and Travel Pages by Renee Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Though I read the whole thing, I found the last 100 pages or so much more useful than the first. The beginning of the book mostly focuses on simple layouts and labeling, and a lot of it would work better in a planner or tracker than in a journal. But then the author completely switches gears and focuses on more purely artistic things that can be done with journal pages. I suppose the combination means that the book meets all needs, but my interests definitely fell way more squarely in the back half, much of which was really good.

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Book Review – The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery by Sam Kean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The fascinating mysteries of the functions of the human brain are made all the more interesting because many of them have been (at least partially) solved thanks to some truly bizarre incidents. Accidents, bullet wounds, surgical misadventure and other trauma that has damaged only parts of victims’ brains has helped researchers figure out what parts of the brain are connected to which aspects of human behavior (and also how our functioning depends on multiple areas working in tandem). Sam Kean does an entertaining as well as enlightening job of telling some of the key tales in the history of neurology. This is definitely worth reading not only for those who want to learn more about the subject but also for anyone who likes engaging stories from the history of medicine.

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Review – The Shrouds

Not for the first time, I began watching a David Cronenberg movie thinking “that’s an intriguing premise. I wonder if he’ll do something interesting with it.” And an hour or two later concluding “evidently not.” A billionaire sets up a graveyard with sophisticated imaging technology that allows mourners to watch their loved ones rot in real time. Is it a snide commentary on a moribund, media-obsessed society? No, it’s a blend of vaguely racist conspiracy nonsense and icky, fetishistic sex that suggests a career regression to the days of Naked Lunch and Crash. And while normally I would have walked away feeling cheated by the exceptionally weak ending, here I was just glad the damn thing was over. See if desperate

Review – Creature of the Mist

What an odd little movie. The story launches into huge-tentacle-monster-attacks-feudal-Chinese-city action almost immediately. But then just as fast it gets bogged down in arguments between characters from different social classes forced to shelter together in an inn. The action sequences were okay. The rest didn’t do as much for me. At least it was short. Mildly amusing

Book Review – The Acrylics and Gouache Artist’s Handbook

The Acrylics and Gouache Artist's Handbook: A Practical Guide to Acrylics and Gouache Painting for the Home Artist by Barron's
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a good general introduction to the subject. Entries on gouache are scarce, so if that’s your main interest then you should probably seek elsewhere. On the acrylics side, coverage is fairly thorough. Some of the descriptions and examples left me wondering why one wouldn’t simply switch to oils or watercolors, but at least they demonstrated the versatility of acrylics (especially with extra media added). I admit to skimming the section on color and composition, looking for medium-specific information rather than (in my case largely unnecessary) lectures on basic theory. And I felt that some of the text reflected the author’s biases a bit too strongly. However, as someone who hasn’t done much with this kind of paint, I found the work overall helpful and easy to follow.

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