A Typographic Workbook: A Primer to History, Techniques, and Artistry

Book Description

Lavishly illustrated with more than 450 images, A Typographic Workbook, Second Edition explains the process successful designers use to select, space, and creatively integrate fonts. This essential text demonstrates the use of type as a dynamic and expressive communication tool. This edition provides new and updated coverage of a broad range of topics–from a logical, clear historical overview of the craft to the latest digital technologies. Known for its highly interactive format, this Second Edition continues to include helpful review questions and multiple-choice quizzes, as well as many new projects and skill-building exercises that help readers immediately apply what they have learned. A Typographic Workbook, Second Edition is a valuable professional resource for working designers and an indispensable training tool for graphic design students.

Customer Reviews:

Typo Workbook.......2007-01-12

Book received as advertised. Easy transaction and received in a minimum period of time.

A Lovely History and Review of Type in all the Ages.......2006-11-18

This book provides just enough in-depth history of letters and type to keep it interesting and not become a history lesson. Wonderful layout, executing examples of the type talked about by using them. Favorite part is the back with hundreds of fonts displayed on a whole page in all forms. They actually tell the story of Alice in Wonderland from start to finish.

The Wrong Edition is Reviewed Here!.......2005-11-04

The reviews posted here reflect comments made regarding the 1st edition of this book. The second edition takes into account the many concerns indicated here as well as by other professionals, and provides a more streamlined approach in language that is easier to read.

Please take a look at this verion of "A Typographic Workbook" 2ed to reflect on the changes. Post a new review if you have had a chance to look at it as well!

Not beyond all hope! Maybe another edition?.......2005-06-25

I agree with many of the previous reviewers who have remarked on the poor writing style throughout this book! The historical sections are particularly awkward, as though the author did some research and simply tried to rephrase the content (usually unsuccessfully!). Though I was quite put-off by the writing style (or lack thereof), I did press on. What I found was a plethora of good information, useful side bar examples, and creative exercises. There is good content here, but it can be a lot of work to find and absorb it.

I would love to see a new edition of this book, where the author could work more closely with an editor to develop a clear, stronger voice, resulting in a useable teaching tool. If such an edition were to be written, I would suggest a few improvements:

1. Reorganize the sections. The book doesn't flow well from chapter to chapter, and the reader feels directionless while proceeding through the book. Although the history is fascinating, it opens the book and goes on for quite some time. I found myself wanting to skip ahead. Also, it would make more sense to me to discuss the Five Historic Families of Type immediately after the Parts of a Character, rather than throwing the topics of 20th c. Typography and Changes in Printing Technology in the middle.

2. Consider eliminating the technique of switching typefaces every few pages. Yes, the reader does get a sense of which typefaces are more easily read than others at that size/leading, but is it really a good idea to tire and frustrate the reader while attempting to instruct?

3. Eliminate or re-work the introductions. If it is neccesary to give an outline of upcoming topics, perhaps present it as a list rather than writing it out in as a paragraph? The current introductions are glaring examples of what I was taught NOT to do in English classes!

4. Keep a consistent tone. The author swaps rapidly between informal and formal tones, which is disconcerting.

5. Reduce redundancy. It would be better to reference various chapters and allow them to give a thorough explanation of a topic, rather than throwing in mini-definitions anywhere a term or concept is mentioned.

6. The list of popular typefaces at the end of the book is very useful to me, and I have returned to it time and time again. Perhaps after the typefaces are shown/described, a few lists/tables could follow that would group them by classification (old style, transitional, modern, etc.) and also by use (formal invitation, technical manual, classified advertising, logo, etc.)

So... this book is not beyond all hope. Even with all of its faults, I have still found it useful. I would, however, hesitate to recommend it to anyone in its current incarnation... maybe a future edition!

Avoid at all costs.......2004-02-18

This is unequivocally the most poorly written textbook I've ever encountered in my life. I have no idea how this got published. If you casually flip through the book as a cursory review, you'll find that it LOOKS nice, (On almost every other page there's an enlarged sample of a font - complete with an unnecessary, meticulously hand-drawn portrait of it's creator) But once you begin an attempt to actually read the text, it's migraine time. The writing is so distractingly bad that I'm at the point where after reading this book for a few hours, I find myself having learned nothing because I keep finding awkwardly written sentences and revising them in my head instead of retaining the information they're supposed to convey.

As an example, proving why no one should ever spend money on this book, here is an excerpt from the first chapter:

"Those who could read were looked to for advice in all types of disputes and emergencies, their knowledge and judgment were unchallenged. Scribes - those who could write - were believed in some cultures to have power over human life, if an Egyptian scribe wrote your name in the Book of the Dead, your time was up in this world! Doubtless, the scribes did little to dissuade this myth. Scribes were trained in Egypt from the time they were about five years old. Today we have abolished this controlled system of learning writing and reading skills. (But a parallel to that practice today can be seen today in the knowledge of computer programming.) In ancient times, hand-copied scrolls were expensive to produce, (not many people were taught to write); any scrolls were cherished, valued and cared for from one generation to the next."

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The artistic anatomy of trees, their structure & treatment in painting
Rex Vicat Cole
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006BNA8M

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The Artistic Anatomy of Trees: Their Structure & Treatment in Painting
Rex Vicat Cole
Manufacturer: Dover Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NLA2EK

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Artistic Anatomy of Trees: Their Structure and Treatment in Painting
Rex Vicat Cole
Manufacturer: Dover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NOX6P4

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Approaching Photography: 'A Seminal Work...Revised and Updated'
Paul Hill
Manufacturer: Photographers' Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Photojournalism | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | How-to | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1861083238

Book Description

An invaluable course in photographic aesthetics."--Modern Photography

Paul Hill's seminal book of photojournalism is back, now revised to cover the most contemporary issues in photography, and more beautiful than ever, with bronze panels and lettering on the cover. The focus is on the images themselves, with abundant examples by some of the world's finest practitioners. The exquisitely designed pages feature Hill's own works, of course, and also those of such greats as Victor Burgin, Fay Godwin, Emmett Godwin, Duane Michals, and Jo Spence. Hill tackles such basic but important topics as how the camera sees photographs and how to read them, and also analyzes contemporary attitudes to photography and the different approaches taken by a variety of photographers to a range of subjects.

Customer Reviews:

Ultimate Twain biography........2007-01-10

Wordy in places, but still the best, most comprehensive biography of Samuel Clemens.

Samuel Clemens Unveiled.......2005-08-31

It's no wonder this book won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. This is a serious, entertaining and informative treatment of one of the greatest American writers, and, in terms of his life and attitude, one of the best representations of 19th century America. In detail that becomes adornment to its subject, the author proceeds to map out the course of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, as he progresses as a writer and as a person. Great insights are revealed of his social behavior and, inasmuch as possible and believable, his thoughts. This is a great book; a must for any serious reader.

A split personality!.......2004-11-25

Kaplan's National Book Award and Pulitzer winner starts with Samuel Clemens' arrival in the East already quite famous due to the popularity of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." Almost immediately Clemens sets off to earn his living as a humorous lecturer. Kaplan shows us the many techniques he used such as the extended pause and how carefully he orchestrated his performances.

Clemens' first literary success was INNOCENTS ABROAD about his trip accompanying a group of pilgrims to the Holy Land. It was always one of his most successful books. It was also published by subscription, which means that it was sold pretty much door-to-door.

For me, one of the most entertaining parts of the book was Clemens' courtship of coal heiress Livy Langdon, whose brother, Charlie, had been one of the pilgrims on the INNOCENTS ABROAD trip. She rejected him, telling him she could never love him. He convinced her theirs could be a brother/sister relationship. Then he fell out of his carriage and she had to nurse him back to health.

Much of the book details Clemens' obsession with James W. Paige's typesetting machine, which eventually bankrupted him. According to Kaplan, Clemens always led a duel existence (hence the title), with Mark Twain, the famous writer and social critic, and Samuel Clemens, the incompetent entrepreneur, always at loggerheads.

Kaplan is almost offhandish when it comes to the early deaths of Clemens' daughters Susy and Jean. Clemens never recovered from Susy's death and Jean's preceded his own by just a few months. His wife Livy had been an invalid several years before her death, partly due to heart problems and partly because of nervous prostration brought on by her relationships with Clemens, but they were married for thirty-four years.

The pictures leave a bit to be desired. We never get a good look at Livy as an adult and Jean and Clara are not shown at all, somewhat surprising since Ken Burns found several for his PBS documentary.

Never a Better Twain Shall Meet.......2000-04-04

This scholarly and readable life of Twain begins with his thirties and carries the master humorist through the glorious successes and bitter tragedies that would haunt him. Well written and full of insightful analysis into his real character this book brings to life a persoanlity so large that it took a new era (Gilded Age) and two centuries to contain it! For his boyhood try Deep Waters- an equally good review of his wit and life.

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Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain: a Biography

Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FLU9UK

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Mr Clemens & Mark Twain a Biography
Justin Kaplan
Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UZKGAE

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Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain a biography
Justin Kaplan
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JZ214Y

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Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain: A Biography
Justin Kaplan
Manufacturer: SIMON AND SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLI700

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Mr. Clemens And Mark Twain: A Biography
Justin Kaplan
Manufacturer: Franklin Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000IAPHLY

Mark Twain's Travels with Mr. Brown (American Biography Series)

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Mark Twain's Travels with Mr. Brown (American Biography Series)
Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Manufacturer: Reprint Services Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Mark Twain og Mr. Samuel L. Clemens
Ole Storm
Manufacturer: Lademann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Danish | More Languages | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 8715083152

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Mr Clemens & Mark Twain a Biography
Justin Kaplan
Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QBFDCS

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Mr Clemens and Mark Twain: A Biography.
Mark] [Twain
Manufacturer: Cape 1967.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000L6BUNY

Book Description

This book provides a very important track of wisdom and understanding for a younger generation facing new challenges and stress in todays society. It is especially helpful for parents and mentors trying to help youth through the rough times. From Taking Responsibility to Feeling Useless and everything in between. This is a must read for any youths journey to growing up and any parents journey assisting in these difficult years. It expresses what young people are saying, the chief source of stress for todays generation and how to cope with issues of family, school, self image, sex and depression.

Customer Reviews:

Very important for today's youth!.......2005-01-10

Dora Chizea provides examples of the amount of stress young people in these times experience. She connects the behavior of young people today with modern age technology. She provides ideas on how parents/guardians and youth can work together to make this transition to adulthood easier, especially in today's fast paced environment. It is a recommended read. I enjoyed it very much and it made me understand myself better as a young person growing up in the digital age.

Customer Reviews:

Great Story Telling Bad analysis .......2007-10-06

This book is a blow by blow account of the Japanese attack on Clark Field on December 8th 1941. Starting even before MacArthur was recalled to day in July 1941, the author tells the story of how the Japanese planned their attack, and how the FEAF was created and reinforced and eventually attacked on December 8th.

The low rating of for the bad analysis and absurd over the top dislike of MacArthur, who is seems was to blame for every mistake. The bad analysis results from the desire of this micro-history to inflate its importance of the Japanese attack, as well as leaving important questions unanswered.

The truth is that the FEAF was "Doomed at the Start", (which BTW, is the title of much better book about the the P-40 fighter pilots in the FEAF from Dec 1941-to May 1942). Given that lack of AAA protection for the airfields, the lack of spare parts or reinforcements, and being outnumbered 3-1, it was never possible for the FEAF to have accomplished anything.

The author never makes clear how 35 B-17s on their first combat mission, flying unescorted to an unknown target could have accomplished anything significant. Had the B-17s taken off at dawn for Formosa, they would discovered it covered in fog. had the B-17s taken off after 7AM, they would have found the Formosa airfields empty. The fact is that 35 B-17s were simply too little to have accomplished anything.

Worth adding to your collection........2006-11-10

An interesting book, with a lot of detail. It is refreshingly free of hero-worship and nationalistic cheerleading.

December 8, 1941: MacArthur's Pearl Harbor .......2006-08-09

This is a follow up book to "Doomed From the Start" written by William Bartsch. This book takes the extra notes from his earlier work with interviews from both sides and numerous extracts from "Doomed" and Walter Edmonds book "They Fought With What They Had" and forms a very comprenhensive look at the events leading up to and immediately through the attacks on Clark and Iba Air Fields on 8 Dec 1941. The book starts in 1940 when the Air Corps begins modernizing the forces in the Philippines and looks at all the attempts by subordinate personnel to provide adequate forces, defense, and doctrine for the air forces of the far east. The book looks at the development of the Japanese operation plan and shows how junior officers and NCO's proved that the attack on Clark didn't require aircraft carrier support for escorts. This book illuminates enough blame for everyone above the rank of major in the chain up to and including FDR. The book points out a study conducted by Maj Hoyt Vandenburg (later AF Chief of Staff) after listening to briefings by Sir Hugh "Stuffy" Dowding on lessons learned by the RAF from the Battle of Britain which recommended action which if implemented might have delayed the final fall of the PI to a point that would have crippled the Japanese timetable most likely in a fatal manner. IMO a delay in taking Luzon by 6 months would have been fatal to Japanese intentions, a relatively secure Subic and Manila Bay would have provided a staging area for American submarines which would have made southern Japanese expansion untenable.
The largest points to come out of the book may have been obvious before reading but are still worth noting:
1. American fighter aircraft and pilots were not up to the task of intercepting the Japanese even if suffecient numbers had been available for the intercept, most of the Americans never got above 18,000 feet, the Japanese bombed from 21,000.
2. MacAurthor or his chief of staff Sutherland was criminally negelent in releasing the Air Force to conduct offensive operations against Formosa...these may not have prevented the strikes against Clark but would have severely restricted future Japanese operations from there after repairs to the bases. Additionally it would have preserved the B-17's lost on the 8th.

Overall this is an excellent book for those interested in delving into the formulation of a disaster that was 8 December1941. It left me screaming inside "IDIOTS, do un to others BEFORE they do un to you!"

Fantastic.......2004-08-15

Well what can I say, another masterpiece from Bill Bartsch. "December 8, 1941" and his other book: "Doomed at the Start" has answered many quesitons on the early air operations in the Philippines. Again wish I could personally congratulate you on this Mr. Bartsch..

Tony Feredo
Philippines

"One of the Blackest Days in American Military History".......2004-05-05

On December 8, 1941, a scant ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a large force of Japanese bombers and fighters crippled the largest force of four-engine B-17 bombers outside of the United States, as well as many of their P-40 support fighters. This sudden blow allowed the Japanese to rule the sky over the Philippines, removing the only effective fighting force that might have opposed them in Southeast Asia.

How was this attack allowed to happen? Why didn't General Douglas MacArthur, commander of all military forces in the Philippines, have his planes in the air, or even better, why wasn't he launching an attack against the Japanese bases on Formosa? These questions have been asked almost as much as who was responsible for the Pearl Harbor attack, but what makes the Philippine disaster much worse is that MacArthur had ten hours' warning that the Japanese were probably going to strike but he failed to act!

General Brereton, MacArthur's air chief tried repeatedly to get clearance from MacArthur to launch an attack against Formosa, but each time he was told by MacArthur's chief of staff General Sutherland to stand by and not to use the B-17s offensively or even for reconnaissence without first obtaining Sutherland's permission. By the time Brereton was finally allowed to mount a reconnaissence mission against Formosa, it was too late, the Japanese were already winging their way toward Clark Field. The B-17 attack against Formosa never occurred.

What happened on December 8, 1941 can only be described as a huge derelection of duty by Sutherland and MacArthur. MacArthur should have sought out Brereton himself and devised a plan to attack Formoosa as soon as news of the Pearl Harbor attack was known, or, at the very least, Brereton should have been allowed to speak to MacArthur instead of receiving the run-around he got from Sutherland.

The results of the Japanese attack were devastating. Almost half of the B-17 force in the Philippines was destroyed on the ground as well as many of the P-40 pursuit planes. The Japanese, as at Pearl Harbor, suffered only minor losses.

I found this book to be a fascinating read. Mr. Bartsch describes American involvement in the Philippines from the build-up (and Washington's fatal decision to put their faith in a long-range bomber force as a deterrant to Japan) right through to the attack on Clark Field. Japanese and American viewpoints are presented, and the Epilogue solidifys Bartsch's case against MacArthur and Sutherland. I highly recommend this fine book. This subject has never really received the coverage it deserves, but this book describes in great detail one of the most destructive attacks against the United States. The ironic part is that it all could have been prevented if MacArthur and his staff had reacted differently.

Book Description

From Alexander II, an enlightened ruler who emancipated the Russian serfs and worked for local government reform, to his son, Nicholas II, the last Czar of Russia, well-known royal biographer John Van der Kiste explores the lives and reigns of Russia's last dynasty. The collapse of the dynasty and the Russian revolution are vividly portrayed book through the lives of grandfather Alexander II and his controversial mistress, Catherine Dolgorouky who later became his second wife; father, Czar Alexander II and his daughter Grand Duchess Marie, wife of Queen Victoria's second son; Afred, Duke of Edinburgh; Grand Duke Serge (a governor of Moscow who was also assassinated); Grand Duke Paul who was captured and executed by the Bolsheviks shortly after the end of World War I, plus his four illegitimate children. The book is lavisly illustrated with a wealth of contemporary photographs.

Customer Reviews:

For those interested in learning about lesser known Romanovs.......2007-07-30

This novel focuses mainly on Tsar Alexander II, his children, and grandchildren. It also follows the lives of the children from Alexander II's second family with Catherine Dolgoruky. The novel reveals just how many colorful characters the were in the Romanov family besides Nicholas and Alexandra. In my opinion the book really doesn't go into as much depth when it comes to the section on Nicholas II than the ones on his father or grandfather and the last 2 chapters that are supposed to be for Nicholas seem to deal more with his uncle Paul Alexandrovich than with the emperor himself. That aspect of the book is actually kind of refreshing considering the deluge of information on Nicholas II, and by writing less about him may have the author's aim. The section on Alexander III, Nicholas' father, was very revealing seeing as how not much is written about him. The information on Alexander II's youngest child Catherine, by his second wife, was also equally revealing especially her life after the revolution. The book also throws in political information with the personal to create the prevailing moods of the different time periods.

Good study of a (deservedly) doomed family.......2005-08-29

Van der Kiste is a prolific author on the subject of modern British and Continental royalty, and this is one of his better efforts. While the Romanovs had ruled imperial Russia since 1613, the male line died out in the mid-18th century. The succeeding Holstein-Gottorp dynasty (a branch of the Oldenburgs), in the person of Peter III, took the Romanov name and produced five more tsars before the Russian monarchy came to an end in 1918. Tsar Paul was idealistic and generous but also vindictive and paranoid, and ultimately was assassinated. Alexander I, a complex and contradictory figure with mystical leanings, was also the most powerful ruler on the Continent after the fall of Napoleon. Nicholas I was a repressive autocrat of limited intellectual ability and was succeeded by Alexander II, a despotic but soft-hearted reactionary, nevertheless emancipated Russia's serfs. He, too, was assassinated, which led his son, Alexander III, to tighten his control of the Russian state. And his son, Nicholas II, was totally incapable of meeting the demands of the job in an age of world war mixed with long-simmering revolution. Moreover, all the tsars in this period married German princesses, which did nothing to endear the ruling family to the Russian people during the Great War. The author does a good job of tracing the psychological threads and social and political environments that formed this disastrous family.

Interesting history of the Romanov family.......2002-03-26

Mr. Van Der Kiste has once again given the reader a history of a royal family that presents the members as real people and not just historical personages. He also mentions collateral members of the family, not just the czars. Many photos enhance the text. A very enjoyable read.

Good, but also read ..........2001-04-19

This book on the Romanovs is a good description of the Romanov dynasty in its last century, concentrating primarily on the lives of Tsar Alexander II and his descendants. It does a good job covering the political and military events of the time, but is quite sketchy on the personal lives and characters of the last three Tsars and their relatives. This is a good book to have along with Charlotte Zeepvat's "Romanov Autumn", which covers the same time period but with a more personal slant.

Less is more...in this case it's still less.......1999-12-28

If you've read any of Mr. Van Der Kistes works you will usually find them to be sound bytes rather than a volume filled with information. The Romanovs is a decent book, but hardly worth this price. Mr. Van Der Kiste as usual skims the surface, doesn't even go near his subject matter. He crams a history of a family, into two hundred pages, five generations, and at least 100 members. Some he mentions some he doesn't. And unfortunately it's been done much better. Perry and Pleshakov recently did a very good job with The Flight of the Romanovs. If one is going to tackle such a subject, one should be able to provide information, rather than sound bytes. But this is the fourth book I've read by Mr. Van Der Kiste, and they're all pretty much the same. Lacking in substance.

Average customer rating:
Rätsel der Kochkunst. Naturwissenschaftlich erklärt.
Herve This-Benckhard
Manufacturer: Piper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 3492225985

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