Books about Awe inspiring from Amazon.com

The great popularity of fantasy and science fiction themes in films, books, graphic novels, and computer games has created a continuing demand for artists who can conceptualize and draw convincing space ships of tomorrow, as well as other fantasy vehicles such as cars, tanks, and sea-going vessels of the future. In this book, artist and designer Keith Thompson presents a practical course for art students. He starts with advice on finding research and reference materials, and then advises on using them as inspiration before sketching out original ideas for finished illustrations. The book’s extensive main section presents a “mechanical workshop” of fantasy designs for students to copy and adapt to their own story needs and specifications. It gives attention to the techniques of drawing, shading, and coloring. The author analyzes each of the book’s fantasy vehicles in terms of how and why artists came to their final design, how well the vehicles fit into the story being told, and how they would move, sound, and perform. Clear instruction is supplemented with more than 400 vivid, step-by-step color illustrations of sample projects..
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Do you cringe when a linebacker flattens a quarterback? Hold your breath when a field goal sails toward the goalpost? Watch in amazement as a touchdown pass spirals down the field? Behind those big hits, long kicks, and sensational throws is a science that will give you a whole new perspective on the game of football.

A combination of Stephen Hawking and Mike Ditka, physicist and football fan Timothy Gay breaks down the fundamental laws of physics that govern America's most exciting spectator sport. To illustrate the science behind the game, he highlights some of football's recent memorable moments, along with legendary feats from the likes of Franco Harris and Joe Montana.

Did you Know?

• Newton's Second Law of Physics proves that Dick Butkus hit running backs with the force of a small killer whale.
• The average force with which a football must be kicked during kickoff is 450 lbs. But for an instant, the force may be as much as a ton.
• Shaun Rogers, firing off the line of scrimmage, can develop as much as four horsepower by himself.

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Price: $2.66 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In her first collection of short stories, Just Plain Folks, Lorraine Johnson-Coleman writes about the everyday lives of ordinary African Americans in a small Southern town. These lively tales concern parts of the African American experience that history books don't often address. Many of the stories focus on one aspect of that experience, such as the importance of naming or the role of the preacher in the community. Johnson-Coleman tacks a short essay onto the end of each tale, which provides further historical and cultural context for the story. These afterwards are interesting, but they do make this collection seem a bit like a textbook.

Other stories in the collection, such as "Miz Lullabel, The Devil, and the Sunday Hat," are adapted from old folktales. In that story, a black woman bets the devil a new hat that she can cause marital discord in a household that had been so full of love that the devil has been unable to cause any trouble. It takes her about 10 minutes work--and after she's done, the devil thinks she's so powerful that he's afraid to get near her. While much of the book is devoted to fond, funny recollections of life in the South, the final segment of the book contains several moving stories about racial conflict. "Hagar's Children" and "Sara's Special Babies" both describe the aftermath of an incident in which a white man kills a young black couple. A black man who discovered the bodies tells his version of the story, then the white man's wife tells what she knows. These stories are vivid and well told. Readers who are curious about African American traditions and those who have a yen for folksy wisdom will likely enjoy reading about the extraordinary people in Just Plain Folks. --Jill Marquis.
Price: $3.94 [Notify me when price goes down.]