Thursday, July 17, 2008

A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good by Mark Gonyea

Calling all designers, artists and lovers of aesthetic orderliness! You can now cleverly indoctrinate your children into the principals of chic with this straightforward introduction to graphic design. But this little gem isn’t just for mini Warhols. Through unintimidating sentences and bold geometric illustrations, Gonyea teaches the language of color, size ratios, lines, and balance. It will soon become clear that good design makes all the difference in the world. In Gonyea’s opening example, a pair of equally-sized red and green circles appears completely balanced. Make the green one bigger, and the green circle becomes more important. Then make the red circle into an “o”… and suddenly the red circle is all you will notice. The ways of manipulating the viewers’ perception are myriad (though the author reminds us not to go overboard!) Check out A Book About Design and find ample inspiration for your next coloring project.

JD

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

The Genizah at the House of Shepher by Tamar Yellin




If you loved "The Ghost of Hannah Mendes" and "The History of Love," this multi-generational family saga is for you! In The Genizah... a family feud over possession of the so-called
Shepher Codex, discovered in the grandparents Genizeh (attic) creates an adventurous mystery. Interesting novel!


Petropolis by Anya Ulinich


Petropolis is an incredible story about a naive Russian emigre who embarks on a challenge-filled journey across America, in search of her father - cross-cultural confusion and bitter sweet, but a worthwhile read.


SRC