The Golden Ratio by Gary Meisner

The Golden Ratio by Gary Meisner ISBN-13: 9781631064869 Hardback: 224 pages Publisher: Race Point Publishing Released: October 23, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The Golden Ratio examines the presence of this divine number in art and architecture throughout history, as well as its ubiquity among plants, animals, and even the cosmos. This gorgeous book features clear, entertaining, and enlightening commentary alongside stunning full-color illustrations by Venezuelan artist and architect Rafael Araujo.

From the pyramids of Giza, to quasicrystals, to the proportions of the human face, the golden ratio has an infinite capacity to generate shapes with exquisite properties.

With its layflat dimensions that closely approximate the golden ratio, this is the ultimate coffee table book for math enthusiasts, architects, designers, and fans of sacred geometry.


My Review:
The Golden Ratio is a look at phi and if it really is found in art, architecture, and nature as much as is claimed. The author started with a history of the development of phi and how it relates to pi. I enjoy math, but the author didn't spend much time explaining phi at a common person's level, so his points and formulas were sometimes lost on me. I assume the target audience is mathematicians and such who already understand how phi is used.

The author then talked about how the Golden Ratio has been used and can be found in things like art, architecture, nature, logos and even at a molecular level. He talked about his Golden Ratio finding software and how this has been used to examine art, architecture, etc., to see if the Golden Ratio really is found. He would show a picture of the object with these ratios overlaid as outline-only boxes of different colors.

Unfortunately, the boxes often weren't clear either due to overlaps (several boxes starting along the same line but only one color being shown) or the box's line color blending in with the background color. He strongly made the point that the Golden Ratio was found in these things. But unless he explained the starting and ratio points in the text (and sometimes he did), I often couldn't clearly see what the boxes were showing and so couldn't appreciate the full impact. Perhaps these boxes will be easier to see in the printed book. While a lovely book, I felt like I wasn't understanding enough of what was explained or shown in the book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Wanamaker's Temple by Nicole C. Kirk

Wanamaker's Temple by Nicole C. Kirk ISBN-13: 9781479835935 Hardback: 288 pages Publisher: NYU Press Released: Oct. 23, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
How a pioneering merchant blended religion and business to create a unique American shopping experience. Remembered for his store’s extravagant holiday decorations and displays, Wanamaker built one of the largest retailing businesses in the world and helped to define the American retail shopping experience. From the freedom to browse without purchase and the institution of one price for all customers to generous return policies, he helped to implement retailing conventions that continue to define American retail to this day.

Wanamaker was also a leading Christian leader, participating in the major Protestant moral reform movements from his youth until his death in 1922. But most notably, he found ways to bring his religious commitments into the life of his store. He focused on the religious and moral development of his employees, developing training programs and summer camps to build their character, while among his clientele he sought to cultivate a Christian morality through decorum and taste.

Wanamaker’s Temple examines how and why Wanamaker blended business and religion in his Philadelphia store, offering a historical exploration of the relationships between religion, commerce, and urban life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and illuminating how they merged in unexpected and public ways.


My Review:
Wanamaker's Temple talked about John Wanamaker's business career, some things that influenced him and he cared about, and the new business practices that he instituted. The author also looked at how Wanamaker changed his business practices to reflect his religious beliefs. In addition to teaching Sunday school and donating money to Protestant causes, he wanted to influence people through his stores. He believed he could lift people up through beautiful architecture, music and religious art on display at his stores, decorating his stores for religious holidays, and educating his young, poor employees who had to work rather than go to school. This education included the basics as well as manners, fitness, and a work ethic. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting look at the time period, though I got the feeling that the author mildly disapproved of Wanamaker.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Sustainable Home by Christine Liu

The Sustainable Home by Christine Liu ISBN-13: 9780711239692 Hardcover: 160 pages Publisher: White Lion Publishing Released: Oct. 16, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
An inspirational and practical guidebook to maintaining a more environmentally friendly household. Christine Liu takes you on a tour through the rooms of your home – kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living area, garden – offering tips, tricks and step-by-step projects designed to help you lead a more low-impact lifestyle. Whether its by making your own toothpowder, growing your own herb garden or upcycling old pieces of furniture, there are numerous ways – both big and small – to make a difference. Make small changes on an individual level to make a difference.


My Review:
The Sustainable Home is aimed at people who want to be more environmentally friendly in their behavior but don't know where to start. It's basically a collection of suggestions about simple ways to reduce how much waste you produce, minimize what you buy, and support more sustainable practices. The author went through the main rooms in a house plus briefly discussed work and eating out. She talked about things like buying food at a farmer's market, using natural light when you can, unplugging electronics when you aren't using them, growing house plants or a garden, recycling, buying used, and composting. I had expected more DIY projects from the book description, but there were only a few recipes and DIY instructions. While a decent book if you're new to this and don't want to be overwhelmed, it was much too basic for me. I've been doing most of her suggestions for years.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Paint, Play, Explore by Rae Missigman

Paint, Play, Explore by Rae Missigman ISBN-13: 9781440350283 Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: North Light Books Released: Sept. 4, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Mixed-media artist Rae Missigman identifies herself as a "mark-maker." With an adventurous, anything-goes attitude to expressing herself, she is just as likely to use a celery stem, a sewing machine or a cardboard tube as she is a brush, a palette knife or her own hands. Missigman helps you discover those marks that define you as an artist, and weave them into your art in new and interesting ways. Through page after page of creative exploration, you'll become a collector of tools--traditional and unconventional mark-makers that will become an extension of your unique voice.

You'll become a tinkerer as you recycle and repurpose, striving to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. You'll become an explorer as you draw with your non-dominant hand, create "blindly" using resists, stamp with your own handcrafted organic ink, and follow other creative prompts to widen and shape your artistic world.


My Review:
Paint, Play, Explore is an art book where the author encourages the reader to try a large variety of tools, mediums, and materials to make unique marks. She suggests a variety of tools to try (from brushes and pencils to leaves and cardboard tubes) and marks to make (finger marks, circles, dots, lines, and more). But she basically tells people to experiment on your own and record your observations in a journal. There wasn't a lot of guidance--or, as another reviewer described it, she provides exercises in chaos. It's more suggestions to stimulate you to think of new things to try in your own painting play and exploration.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

When Your Kid Is Hurting by Dr Kevin Leman

When Your Kid Is Hurting by Dr Kevin Leman ISBN-13: 9780800723064 Hardcover: 273 pages Publisher: Revell Released: Sept. 4, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Children today live in an unpredictable, disruptive, and often violent world. Whether your child is dealing with a difficult family situation, bullies, the loss of friends, the death of a loved one, discrimination, abuse, a teen pregnancy, or even just trying to make sense of what they see in the news, this compassionate and practical book will help parents equip them to process, learn from, and rise above their situation.

Rather than seek to save them from the hard things, parents must teach their kids how to cope with and rise above their problems. Internationally known psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Kevin Leman shows parents how to be good listeners, tell the truth even when it's difficult, find balance between being protective and being overprotective, approach hurt and injustice as a learning experience rather than fostering a victim mentality, and much more.


My Review:
When Your Kid Is Hurting is a parenting advice book. The first half of the book looked at some things that parents should and shouldn't do when their kids are facing tough situations. The author also briefly covered issues that your child might hear and worry about (like a school shooting, rape, gang violence, discrimination, etc.) or might face (like divorce, adoption, abuse, pregnancy, bullying and cyber bullying, betrayal by a best friend, grief, etc.) and suggested some things you might say to help your child.

The second half of the book was Q&A: questions that people have asked the author regarding their specific situations and his responses. They were about common situations that you may also deal with. If you've read some of the author's other books, the advice might sound familiar, or at least similar. The advice was generally was good.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Painting with Bob Ross by Bob Ross Inc

Painting with Bob Ross by Bob Ross Inc. ISBN-13: 9781633226524 Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing Released: Oct. 9, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In 1982, The Joy of Painting made its debut on public television. The unrehearsed, unedited show soon became a favorite among aspiring artists and painters. Almost 40 years and 403 episodes after his on-air debut, and decades after his untimely passing, Bob Ross still has enormous global popularity.

Painting with Bob Ross introduces you to the tools and materials you need to paint beautiful landscapes, as well as basic painting techniques, such as how to load your brush and how to paint with a knife. Following the introduction are 16 painting projects, each with a complete list of tools and materials needed and instructions for preparing the canvas. Jump into painting with step one, then follow the full-color painting progressions and clearly written instructions until you’ve reached the final step. This is the only Bob Ross book with all-color images.

Throughout this book, Bob’s quotes encourage you to keep going. You can paint graceful mountains, ocean waves crashing onto rocks, a winter cabin, a lakeside path, a deep forest river, and many more breathtaking views.


My Review:
I grew up watching The Joy of Painting. Bob Ross made oil painting look so magical. His encouraging words have stuck with me. He's the reason that I started painting (though not just oil painting) as an adult. I'd highly recommend his videos, though I'll mention his system requires that you buy his brand of paint and tools if you want to follow his methods exactly.

Painting with Bob Ross shows how to paint 16 of Bob Ross' paintings. The book started by describing the basic techniques of how to load the brush and such and then how to paint a basic tree, mountain, etc. This section was clearly explained, though it's even easier to follow if you can watch Bob Ross do it on a video. The 16 paintings are signed Bob Ross paintings, which suggested to me that there might be videos showing Ross painting them. Yup. I put several of the painting's titles into YouTube (like "Bob Ross Forest River") and it pulled up the original PBS video showing Bob Ross painting the scene. You can watch every step fully explained and demonstrated in real time on the video. Happiness!

So is the book still useful? It tended to have steps like, "Use these colors to make a dark green and follow the tree technique to create a line of trees at the base of the mountain." The accompanying illustration showed what the end result should approximately look like. Basically, if you're familiar with Bob Ross' method, this book should be fairly easy to follow and will help you produce a wide variety of landscapes. If you're a complete beginner or have no idea who Bob Ross is, you might be better off watching the videos.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Kumihimo Wirework Made Easy by Christina Larsen

Kumihimo Wirework Made Easy by Christina Larsen ISBN-13: 9781632506351 Paperback: 114 pages Publisher: Interweave Released: Sept. 11, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Whether new to kumihimo or looking to take your skill to the next level, Kumihimo Wirework Made Easy is the companion you need. Author Christina Larsen will show you how easy it can be to transition from traditional kumihimo materials to wirework with her expert guidance, comprehensive instruction, and inspiring designs. In this must-have resource, you'll find:

A complete guide to understanding wireworking tools and materials specific to kumihimo wirework.

Full step-by-step tutorials for 3 basic kumihimo braid structures perfect for wirework jewelry designs.

Project instructions for 20 inspiring kumihimo wirework designs including earrings, bracelets, and pendants.


My Review:
Kumihimo Wirework Made Easy describes how to create wirework jewelry using a kumihimo square. I've done kumihimo using thread or cords, and the beautiful pictures tempted me into reading this book. However, I think the actual weaving of the wire will be too hard on my arthritic hand...though there's one beginner project I intend to try.

The author described the basic equipment you need--basically, a kumihimo foam square, some soft, thinner wire, and some jewelry making tools and materials. She described her method of making the wire weave neatly and how to do the three basic braid patterns that she uses in the 21 projects. She also described how to finish the jewelry when you complete the wire weaving.

The projects detail what materials you need and the steps you take to make the project. There were pictures demonstrating each step. There were 7 beginner projects, 12 intermediate projects, and 2 advanced projects. The projects were mainly for making bracelets and earrings. There were 9 projects for making bracelets, 7 for making earrings, 4 for necklaces, and 1 ring. Seven of the projects used beads (plus some "variations" on other projects also added beads), and four projects wove leather as well as wire into the braid.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.