Book Review: Arquivistas: 150 Spectacular Rare Crystal Images by Tatiana Dorow

Arquivistas: 150 Spectacular Rare Crystal Images by Tatiana Dorow is a large-format photography book that celebrates 100 unique mineral specimens within the exclusive Dorow Collection. The crystals range in size from several ounces to an astounding 5,170 pounds. A glimpse into the collection begins with a foreword by Alan Hart, CEO of The Gemmological Association of Great Britain and Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum London, an introduction from collection founder, Tatiana Dorow, and an intimate view of a mesmerizing Brazilian Enhydro Quartz Sphere, with prehistoric water delicately encapsulated in a naturally occurring inclusion. More than 150 full-page images follow, with each crystal in the curated selection artistically photographed to unveil distinctive color, inclusions, and structure.

Arquivistas is a visually stunning collection of images. It is amazing to me the wide variety of colors, shapes, structures, and details of these crystal. Some of the chosen staging for the pictures are an amazing contrast or compliment to the featured crystal. Some of the images looked like some of the images of space or underwater. Some looked more like landscapes, and others were great examples of the crystallization and wonder that is naturally formed. I think that the images are awe inspiring and engaging, and that anyone with even a vague interest in the topic would be please looking through the pages of this book. 

Early Book Review: Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur

Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur is currently scheduled for release on April 25 2023. In 2012, Matika Wilbur sold everything in her Seattle apartment and set out on a Kickstarter-funded pursuit to visit, engage, and photograph people from what were then the 562 federally recognized Native American Tribal Nations. Over the next decade, she traveled six hundred thousand miles across fifty states—from Seminole country (now known as the Everglades) to Inuit territory (now known as the Bering Sea)—to meet, interview, and photograph hundreds of Indigenous people. The body of work Wilbur created serves to counteract the one-dimensional and archaic stereotypes of Native people in mainstream media and offers justice to the richness, diversity, and lived experiences of Indian Country. The culmination of this decade-long art and storytelling endeavor, Project 562 is a peerless, sweeping, and moving love letter to Indigenous Americans, containing hundreds of stunning portraits and compelling personal narratives of contemporary Native people—all photographed in clothing, poses, and locations of their choosing. Their narratives touch on personal and cultural identity as well as issues of media representation, sovereignty, faith, family, the protection of sacred sites, subsistence living, traditional knowledge-keeping, land stewardship, language preservation, advocacy, education, the arts, and more.

Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is a stunning and important book. The photography is absolutely wonderful, and I could page through this book for hours to appreciate each image. More important, the text and purpose of this book is incredibly significant and I found the book to be highly engaging, informational, and meaningful on multiple levels. I think letting each of the interviewed individuals choose how that wanted to be photographed, and how their words were shared untouched went a long way in sharing their real and authentic voices, experiences, and perspectives with readers. Reading this book was as close to meeting such a variety of individuals and communities from across the country as I am likely to ever have a chance to personally. I feel like I learned a great deal, and will continue to learn more as I explore more ownvoices works by indigenous individuals. I thought I had a much better grasp and understanding on how colonialism and bigotry had shaped this country and all of its people, but I feel like I have a much better understanding of how little I actually knew after reading this book. This book has inspired be to continue my learning and understanding, and I hope it will have the effect on a wide variety of readers. 

Book Review: Holding Space: Life and Love Through a Queer Lens by Ryan Pfluger

Holding Space: Life and Love Through a Queer Lens by Ryan Pfluger features 100 stunning color photographs of queer, interracial couples taken by a renowned photographer for the New York Times Magazine, Time, Rolling Stone, and more, this incredible photo and story collection depicts modern love and relationships in all their joy, vulnerability, and affection. Throughout 2020 and 2021, during a time of intense personal and political upheaval, artist, advocate, and photographer Ryan Pfluger set out to capture intimate images of queer, interracial couples, along with personal insight into their relationships in today’s world. Featured together for the first time in Holding Space, this unique collection of modern love in its many forms across the spectrum of race, sexuality, and gender identity and gives space to these couples to share short, revealing stories about their relationships.

Holding Space: Life and Love Through a Queer Lens is a wonderful collection of honest and frank interviews about the featured couples and their relationships and experiences. There is discussion on how they make their relationships work, and in some cases why they did not work out. But there is also discussion about the discriminations and challenges that come from society's expectations, bigotry, and the so much more. This is a great exploration of identity, diversity, and relationships that is accessible to anyone. It was lovely to get fresh and differing perspectives on the impact that family, race, gender identity and its fluid nature, and society can have on individuals and couples. 

Book Review: Going Places by Jody Hildreth

Going Places by Jody Hildreth is a cute picturebook for all ages. Do astronauts use the bathroom? What about Santa Claus? Can you go while on the go? Everyone's got to go to the bathroom. That's a fact of life! Readers will join whimsical acorn characters in hilarious scenarios in which people have to find a bathroom while out and about. With rollicking rhyme and plenty of humor, this story is sure to make young readers laugh out loud.

Going Places is exactly what you might expect from the cover. Cute acorn figures in a variety of places needing to 'go'. The text is cute and easily understood, and the images of the acorn figures are well staged and enteraining. I think this is an all around fun book that readers of all ages can enjoy.

Early Book Review: Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish by David Liittschwager

I received a sample of Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish by David Liittschwager, which is scheduled for release on April 5 2022. My review is based on that sample, not the full book.  

This is a book of photography that reveals the unnerving beauty of three notoriously mysterious sea creatures--the jellyfish, octopus, and seahorse--and how they perceive the world. The jellyfish, the octopus, and the seahorse are among the most wondrous species on Earth--as well as some of the most difficult to document using traditional photography methods. This collection showcases 200 of Liittschwager’s most revealing photographs, paired with penetrating essays that explain how a creature without a brain or without bones perceives the world. Bestselling science writers Elizabeth Kolbert, Jennifer Holland, and Olivia Judson explain the biology and advanced cognitive abilities of these spineless denizens of the deep, exquisitely evoking their unnerving yet undeniable charisma. In these pages, you’ll glimpse a seahorse only half an inch tall, a moon jelly spinning off a snowflake-shaped clone, and the blinking comb jelly, which may be the most ancient living animal on Earth. Both enlightening and profound, this book documents the expanding frontiers of marine science, creating a powerful testament to the value and beauty of these little-seen--and endangered--species.

Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish is a book that captured and kept my attention with the stunning photography. I was amazed by the images on the page, and then glad to see the information about each of the creatures on the page. While jellyfish might not be my favorite swimming partner, I have always been fascinated by their movements and grace in the water. The brilliance of the octopus and the fragility and size of the seahorse have always captured my attention as well. Getting to see them all in such stunning photographs with some information about their nature that I have not known before made this book a must read for me. I am eager to see it in bookstores and libraries. I think this will be a great book for anyone interested in the subject matter and the photography.  

Book Review: Amazing Temples of the World by Michael Kerrigan

Amazing Temples of the World by Michael Kerrigan offers readers an intimate portrait of some spectacular and unusual places of worship dating from the fourth millennium BCE to the present. Ornate or spartan, immense or intimate, from the Middle East to California, this book features such impressive places of worship as the Mahabodi Temple, India, built in the location where Buddha is thought to have achieved enlightenment; the fifth century BCE Temple of Confucius in Qufu, China, the largest Confucian temple in the world; Abu Simbel, in southern Egypt, the great carved monument to the Pharaoh Ramses II; the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, the spiritual home of the world’s 25 million Sikhs; and the Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, London, the biggest Hindu temple outside India. With more than 180 photographs, this book includes more than 150 places of worship, from Ancient Greece and Rome, through traditional synagogues to modern Buddhist, Taoist and Sikh temples organized by region.

Amazing Temples of the World is a collection of stunning temples from around the world. I liked that the images included ancient and modern places of worship, including those in a wide variety of repair. The contrast between the ancient ruins, the well maintained and highly decorated, and the simplicity of some of the temples was wonderful to see. I loved getting the opportunity to see places that I am not likely to get to see in person, for a variety of reasons. It was also interesting to see that even across several continents, spanning a variety of religions and centuries, there is a similarity of reverence and majesty in all locations regardless of the obvious differences.

Early Book Review: Monkeys: Apes, Gorillas and other Primates by Tom Jackson

Monkeys: Apes, Gorillas and other Primates by Tom Jackson is currently scheduled for release on October 14 2021. As our closest relatives in the animal world, monkeys have always fascinated and amused humans in equal measure. Monkeys is an outstanding collection of photographs showing these complex, intelligent animals in their natural habitat. Arranged in chapters covering anatomy, family, behavior, feeding and young, Monkeys features a wide variety of monkeys and apes, including baboons, gorillas, orangutans, macaques, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, marmosets, gibbons, mandrills and chimpanzees. The smallest monkey is the pygmy marmoset, which can be just 117 millimetres (4.6in) in length with a 172-millimetre (6.8in) tail and weighing just over 100 grams (3.5oz); while the massive Grauer’s gorilla can weigh over 180 kilos (400lbs). With full captions explaining how the species act in a group, communicate, hunt and feed, and rear its young, Monkeys is a brilliant examination in 230 outstanding color photographs of these remarkable primates.

Monkeys is a wonderful collection of primate photography. My youngest is animal obsessed, so have have seen countless books and documentaries about animals of all kinds. I have to say that I have never before seen such a wonderful collection of primate photographs. The information provided for the pictures is succinct while still being informative and interesting. The eyes and facial expressions  of the various primates run just a wide range, much like those of people. The variety of size, coloration, habitats and more just might inspire further reading and care about the damage being done to habitats where some of these amazing animals live.  This book holds up after several looks and I think those intrigued by primates and animals in general will enjoy this book. It definitely belongs in libraries, but interested collectors and various school libraries might want to add this to their collections as well. 

Book Review: The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World: What the Tiniest Forms of Life can Tell us about Existence and our Place in the Universe by James Weiss

The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World: What the Tiniest Forms of Life can Tell us about Existence and our Place in the Universe by James Weiss is a nonfiction book. James Weiss was feeling lost in life when he first discovered his interest in the microscopic world. With his own microscope and a little homespun ingenuity, he began to capture thousands of hours of stunning footage of the creatures that he found around him: the local pond, at the beach, in a puddle. What he found astounded him, and it became his mission to reveal the beauty of the microcosmos to everyone. James presents this beginner's guide to the invisible life that surrounds us. From the most simple single-celled life, to complex micro-animals, James reveals the secrets of a world that we rarely consider. Navigating the births, feasts, tragedies, idiosyncracies and deaths of a cast of tiny characters, learn how these lifeforms work and what lessons they can teach us about our own existence. You'll discover fascinating absurdities: that a cell can be both its own daughter and its own mother. That immortality really does exist, and it comes in the form of a teeny, tentacled medusa. And that seeing the wonder of nature from a new perspective can literally save your life.

The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World is an accessible and engaging introduction and explanation of the microscopic world. I thought the balance of personal narrative, scientific explanations, and photographs to be well done.  I thought the technical and scientific explanations were understandable and interesting to read. In fact, it made me a little sad that I did not pursue my interests in this kind of science when I was in school, although my struggles with math holds no small part in that. I appreciated the inclusion of references, resources, and an index in the endpages. Too often on or more of these are skipped for one reason or another. I think young adult and adult readers alike could really enjoy, and get a great deal out of this read. I know that I will be revisiting my galley of this book many times.

Book Review: The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science by Philip Ball

The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science by Philip Ball is a visual and intellectual treat. Chemistry is not just about microscopic atoms doing inscrutable things; it is the process that makes flowers and galaxies. We rely on it for bread-baking, vegetable-growing, and producing the materials of daily life. In stunning images and illuminating text, this book captures chemistry as it unfolds. Using such techniques as microphotography, time-lapse photography, and infrared thermal imaging, The Beauty of Chemistry shows us how chemistry underpins the formation of snowflakes, the science of champagne, the colors of flowers, and other wonders of nature and technology. We see the marvelous configurations of chemical gardens; the amazing transformations of evaporation, distillation, and precipitation; heat made visible; and more.

The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science does a great job of showing the wonder of chemistry to those that might not otherwise look to closely. I was in awe at the images, and think the book is well worth a look to enjoy based on those pages on their own. However, I found the explanations of the images and science involved to be well written and accessible. In fact, I found some beauty in the structure and details of the science itself. I think this is a wonderful book showing the true beauty that we do not often appreciate in our world- sometimes because it is so big or small that we cannot see it, and sometimes because we are just not noticing. I liked that there was a glossary, list of sources for the used quotations, and other important pieces of information in the the endpages. That is something that sometimes gets left out, and seeing it included always makes me happy.

The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science is a great book to simply look at and enjoy the stunning images, but it is also a book that explains the wonder of science and the natural world that creates these things.

Early Book Review: Abandoned London: Discover the Hidden Secrets of the City in Photographs by Katie Wignall

Abandoned London:  Discover the Hidden Secrets of the City in Photographs by Katie Wignall is curretly scheduled for release on May 14 2021. It seems bizarre that in a place as crowded, noisy and expensive as London there are still wasted unused spaces. The relentless drive for regeneration across Britain’s capital deceives us into thinking that every spare building and patch of ground is under development. But this vast metropolis of more than 10 million people hides many secrets and unexpected treasures from the city’s unique 2000-year history. In Abandoned London, read about the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, a facility created in 1858 to deal with ‘the Great Stink’, and now London’s Italian-Gothic cathedral of sewage; or the subterranean Finsbury Park underground reservoir, a space capable of holding five million gallons of water and today used as an occasional movie location; or the remnants of Highgate’s overground steam railway station, now a protected bat habitat; or the Clapham deep-level shelters, constructed in World War II and designed to provide protection for locals against aerial bombing raids; or the Haggerston public baths, part of an early 20th century building programme devised to improve London’s hygiene. These photographs of abandoned places capture a moment in time. Some of the buildings have since been demolished or refurbished, but many are still there, neglected and uncared for. These places have great value and a rich significance, offering us a glimpse of past worlds.

Abandoned London is a captivating look at the abandoned spaces in London. It was fascinating to see and learn about some of these locations, as every city and town has these types of location but few stop and think about the beauty and visual interest they hold. I have always had a love for the broken, abandoned, or simply slightly off kilter buildings or features of nature- so this collection really hit the sweet spot for me. There is a solemn beauty that can be found in the forgotten or neglected, and this book captures that idea while teaching readers a little bit about each of these places, and what the future might have in store for them.  Those with an interest in the location, architecture, history, or the forgotten will all find something here that capture's their eye and their interest. 

Book Review: Lockdown Walks: A Picture Story by Netty Cracknell

Lockdown Walks: A Picture Story by Netty Cracknell is a story of lockdown walks in pictures, showing loneliness, serenity and hidden beauty during this bleak and unpredictable time. Many people recounted afterwards that they had explored local areas during lockdown on their allocated once a day 'exercise' and found lovely places they never knew existed. The author was no exception. All photographs within this book were taken during the initial coronavirus lockdown period and were within walking or cycling distance of the author's house in Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex. 

Lockdown Walks is a nice collection of images. I wish the walks I took with my family during lockdown were so picturesque. I liked the collection and found it interesting to read the snippets of thought about each of the pictures and how they came about. It made me think back on some of the walks and extra time I have gotten to spend with my family. It also encouraged me to continue to take advantage of the extra time I have now, and to look for new places to explore around me. I might not have lovely water and fields to walk by, but there is still beauty to be found in every town and neighborhood- if only we take the time to enjoy it. 

Early Book Review: Horses by Paula Hammond

Horses by Paula Hammond is currently scheduled for release on August 14 2020. From the Azteca to the Appaloosa, Choctaw to the Palomina, Brumbys in Australia to the Mongolian, from rare breeds such as the Polish Konik to the semi-feral Pyrenean Pottok, Horses celebrates a wide variety of breeds from all around the world. Ranging from dressage to police horses, from racing horses to rodeo and polo, the book looks at the anatomy and life-cycle of foals and yearlings, colts and fillies, stallions, mares and geldings around the globe. It includes draft horses and warmbloods, light horses and thoroughbreds, gaited horses, ponies and breeds that have become feral. Each photograph is accompanied by a caption with fascinating information about the characteristics of each breed. Illustrated with 200 outstanding color photographs, Horses is an exquisitely produced work packed with lively information about this beloved animal.

Horses is a lovely collection of photographs. Horses are majestic on any given day, even when they are being stubborn or silly. This book does a great job of capturing the wonder of horses, using a wide variety of breeds and landscapes. It was nice to browse through the pages, simply enjoying the images. It was also nice to go through the book in a slower, more thoughtful manner, to read the information offered on horses. I think the text was well written and interesting, but as expected it was the photographs that really captured my attention and kept it as I looked through the book. I think horse lovers, and animal lovers in general, will enjoy the book and find a place for it in their collection.

Book Review: Abandoned Industrial Places: Factories, Laboratories, Mills and Mines that the World Left Behind by David Ross

Abandoned Industrial Places: Factories, Laboratories, Mills and Mines that the World Left Behind by David Ross explores the discarded detritus of our modern mechanized age. Discover the grand Ore Dock in Marquette, USA, squatting isolated in the waters of Lake Superior; or the abandoned Caspian Sea oil rigs and drilling gear in Azerbaijan; or the enormous, gaping pit of the Mirny diamond mine in Sakha Republic, Russia; or the wall of latticed steel towers of the Duga radar in Chernobyl, Ukraine; or the Domino Sugar Refinery, Brooklyn, New York – formerly the world’s largest sugar refinery when built in 1882; or the still contaminated Fisher Body Plant 21 in Detroit, USA, a place where General Motors created some of their great marques for almost a hundred years. Filled with more than 200 memorable photographs from every part of the planet, Abandoned Industrial Places provides a strange and often spooky insight into the life and workings of industries long since ceased.

Abandoned Industrial Places is a beautiful book. I grew up splitting my time between a small greenhouse and a small manufacturing company (my family was very busy). Because of that industrial locations and machinery are special to me, and I have always seen a special kind of beauty in it while others just saw grease and metal. I thought the pictures were nicely varied, in industry and location. The colors of the buildings, machinery, and in some cases nature reclaiming space were attention grabbing. Some were bold, others muted, but they were well balanced. I really enjoyed studying the photographs and thinking about the impact the rise and fall of each of these locations had on their communities and the individuals that worked there- and how many small moments have been forgotten over the years.

Abandoned Industrial Places is a fascinating look at locations that have been abandoned over the years. Some images are beautiful, others are haunting, but they are all thought provoking. 

Early Book Review: Rail Journeys by David Ross

Rail Journeys by David Ross is currently scheduled for release on March 14 2020. There is always a sense of adventure when going on a railway journey. Whether it is aboard the Orient Express from London to Istanbul, or travelling the Transcontinental railroad through the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific coast, or riding the Serra Verde Express through the Brazilian rainforest, With 200 outstanding colour photographs, Rail Journeys  takes the reader on a journey through some of the most unusual, romantic and remarkable landscapes in the world. Places where trains still offer romantic and astounding experiences of rail travel at its best.

Rail Journeys offers readers a combination of accessible text and stunning images of railroads and trains. Readers can glimpse the Coast Starlight, which carries passengers from Los Angeles along the Pacific coast to Seattle and all points in between. Then there is the 7,000 kilometre Trans-Siberian, crossing the entirety of Mongolia and Russia from Beijing to Moscow. Some many unique and fascinating images and details about train travel around the world. I found myself studying the images of landscapes, stations, tunnels, and trains more intensely that I thought I would. I was captivated by the images more than anything else, but when I took the time to read the text I found it to be interesting and informative. I am very much a homebody, but think train travel would be one of the few ways I would be glad to travel.  I just loved the photography so much that it over-shadowed the work that must have gone into that text even though it was well done.  

Rail Journeys is a book that I could see as a great gift for train and travel lovers alike. I know a could people that are train enthusiasts that I think would fully appreciate this book. 

Book Review: After the Final Curtain: America’s Abandoned Theaters by Matt Lambros

After the Final Curtain: America’s Abandoned Theaters by Matt Lambros documents the current state of the once opulent movie theaters that were designed to make their patrons feel like royalty.  People would dress up to visit. But as time went on it became harder and harder to fill the 2,000+ seat theaters and many were forced to close. Today, these palaces are illuminated only by the flicker of dying lights. The sound of water dripping from holes in the ceiling echoes through the auditoriums. From the supposedly haunted Pacific Warner Theatre in Los Angeles to the Orpheum Theatre in New Bedford, MA ― which opened the same day the Titanic sank ― Lambros pulls back the curtain to reveal what is left, giving these palaces a chance to shine again.

After the Final Curtain: America’s Abandoned Theaters offers readers a look at the once beautiful movie theaters in their current states, along with information on the location. I found a sad beauty in most of the pictures, a faded grandeur and a look at what was glorious inthe past. I have always loved theaters- the magic and wonder in getting lost in a story and someone's acting or musical talent  isa wonderful thing. The faded glory of these theaters hold on to some of this wonder, as sad as the state of some of these buildings are in. I think that Lambros did a wonderful job of documenting these locations, and the changes in the world that triggered some of this decay. I really enjoyed learning about some of the projects that have happened, and are still happening, to preserve, restore, or repurpose some of these buildings. While we cannot go back, providing space for history and the arts to live on is a wonderful thing. I only wish more of these buildings had futures as bright as their pasts.

Book Review: Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed Again (and More Heartwarming Letters from Kitty) by Jeremy Greenberg

Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed Again (and More Heartwarming Letters from Kitty) by Jeremy Greenberg is a collection of funny letters and heartwarming photos from cats to their person. Tess wants you to know that she intends to continue throwing up freely as long as the new baby gets to—fair is fair. Ovid would like to inform you that he’s giving up one of his nine lives in order to avoid a visit to the vet—he’ll miss you and knows you understand. And Quinn assures you that she’ll protect you from whatever it is that’s rolled under the table with all the righteous fury in her little body—even if only turns out to be a dropped olive.

Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed Again is an amusing book with short letters from felines to their humans. Cat lovers will relate to the letters, and find some humor there. Every cat owner has had at least one of these situations, if not more, in their homes. The letters are clever, with different tones depending on the cat it was attributed to. The pictures of the cats were enjoyable to look at, with some that were fairly standard pictures and others that had goofy or interesting expressions. As a whole the book was a fun diversion for a few minutes. It is not a book that I would add to my collection, but it might be a good gift for very devoted cat lovers. 

Early Book Review: Close to Birds: An Intimate Look at Our Feathered Friends by Roine Magnusson, Mats Ottosson, Asa Ottosson, Kira Josefsson

Close to Birds: An Intimate Look at Our Feathered Friends was written by Mats Ottosson and Asa Ottosson will photographs by Roine Magnusson and the translation to English by Kira Josefsson. It is currently scheduled for release on October 22 2019. The stunning and intimate photographs capture the beauty and detail of each bird's form, as well as their unique character and personality. The accompanying short essays share charming and often-hidden details from birds' lives. Discover why robins sing so early in the morning and learn the science behind the almost magical iridescence of mallard feathers. Close to Birds shares the irresistible joy and marvel of birds.

Close to Birds is an interesting read. I like that I learned about the birds included, not the basics of habitat and diet, but the scientific studies and opinions on the birds with the inclusion of quotes about them. I do need to admit that I have a different opinion from the authors, and that we diverged right away. I find birds fascinating and interesting, but unlike our authors I do not find that all people find them more interesting than other creatures. So, this insistence that birds are so much more interesting than other creatures bothered me from the start. However, the essays were accessible and had some tidbits of information that were interesting. The star of this book is not the text. Rather the stunning photography of birds that captured them clearly, up close, and in living color. The images were very much worth my time and I think animal lovers, and birders in particular, will want to give this a look. Those that are birders and share a deep love of birds will very much enjoy the essays as well.

Early Book Review: Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's South Side by Lee Bey

Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's South Side by Lee Bey is currently scheduled for release on October 15 2019. Inspired by Bey’s 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial exhibition, Southern Exposure visits sixty sites, including lesser-known but important work by luminaries such as Jeanne Gang, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Eero Saarinen, as well as buildings by pioneering black architects such as Walter T. Bailey, John Moutoussamy, and Roger Margerum. Pushing against the popular narrative that depicts Chicago’s South Side as an architectural wasteland, Bey shows beautiful and intact buildings and neighborhoods that reflect the value—and potential—of the area. Southern Exposure offers much to delight architecture aficionados and writers, native Chicagoans and guests to the city alike.

Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's South Side is a lovely book of photography with well written and interesting information about the buildings pictured.The tone was very conversational, making it an enjoyable read.  It was very interesting to learn about the history surrounding some of the locations, as well as the current uses, and hope for the future. I have never been to Chicago, and have no current plans, so I was glad to see a piece of the city, particularly since it does not always receive this kind of attention. I think those from the area, and those that are interested in architecture, photography, and Chicago's history will all get a great deal from exploring this book. 

Book Review: American Carnival by David Skernick

American Carnival by David Skernick captures the magic of the rides and games and the carnies and clowns who make the carnival their home. Meet Kat the sword swallower, Ember the fire eater, and the Human Fuse, Brian Miser, who sails through the air on fire! As day fades to dusk and the lights come up, smell the cotton candy, feel the vertigo of the Silver Yo Yo, and hear the laughter and screams. The panoramic images allow you to see the fair as if you were standing there yourself. 

American Carnival is a look at the surface of carnivals. The games, the rides, and the people. Some of the images were stunning, and I loved the work with lighting and the way he let the subjects of the images choose their own poses and stance. I do wish we could have seen more, perhaps some of the less bright and bold of the carnival, but I am more interested in the down and dirty of the work that actually goes into making this look that exciting than the facade. The photography was well done, but and some of the little stories about taking them were amusing, but I felt like there is so much more that could be done with the subject matter.  

Book Review: Minibeasts: True Rulers of Our World and the Key to our Survival by Alan Henderson

Minibeasts: True Rulers of Our World and the Key to our Survival by Alan Henderson offers readers insight into the micro world of the minibeasts reveals the critical roles these true rulers of our world play in our future survival. Simply put, without the invertebrates (insects) and other tiny critters, humans would not survive. While outlining the importance of the minibeast world, this book is also a visual feast of detail and color, capturing form and behavior that the naked eye isn’t normally able to see when encountering these small creatures. The result is a book that captivates the reader while at the same time inspiring a new appreciation for these magnificent animals. Lavishly illustrated with breathtaking macro-photography, each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of minibeasts and includes introductory text followed by images and informative captions. Among the topics covered are the jobs minibeasts perform that enable life on earth to exist, as well as the ways in which they have evolved to suit their environments and how we borrow ideas from them in the fields of biotechnology, engineering and design. As we will come to realize, from new medical drugs to hi-tech robotics, minibeasts provide a wealth of material for humans to draw on to help solve our 21-century problems.

Minibeasts is a fascinating book for the photography alone. The close up images of the insects are simply amazing ad well worth looking at all on their own. Add in the details about their adaptation and tricks to survive and this book is one that will stand up to multiple explorations. So many people think of the little creatures of the world as nothing more than pests or problems, but this book shows us the complexity, beauty, and ingenuity of these creatures as well as the role the play in the world.  The text is solid, in depth enough that I learned a great deal and was highly engaged, but not so technical that I ever felt left behind or talked down to. There is even some humor in the chapter headings and information, so there is really nothing I can find to say against reading this book- unless of course the very idea of anything creepy crawly makes you shudder.  I think that young adults and interested middle graders would get just as much from this book as any interested adult. 

Minibeasts is a visually stunning book and a very informative read. I think that this should be in libraries and personal collections for anyone that is even vaguely interested in photography, biology, and the natural world.