Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works (2nd Edition) | List Price: $40.00
Discount Price: $17.39
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Binding: Paperback
Good Introduction to Typography [Posted on 2007-06-13]
I read this book for my first typography class at design school. It does a good job of giving the reader a feeling for different styles and personalities of letterforms. It is also written in a fun style that makes the book entertaining and easy to read for those just entering the design field.
Overly basic and poorly organized [Posted on 2007-07-15]
I am a relative newbie to the study of typography, but still this book is far too basic. I learned a single fact which I had always been curious about - that the letterforms of smaller-point type are different from (not just smaller than) larger-point type in the same face - and that is a pretty elemental thing that most people interested in type are already aware of.
More suprisingly, there are some serious issues with the layout and typography of this book. Some sidebars, which are in small type, are set in yellow. Small yellow print on white paper? Surely a legibility no-no. Also, each page serves as its own mini-essay (and I do mean MINI; on most spreads, only the right-hand page has any text, and even then sometimes only half a page) but lacks a headline, so the reader has no idea what the page is about.
The only useful element in this book is the various type examples, which could easily be found elsewhere.
Quest for clarity in the brave world of Media2.0 [Posted on 2007-11-18]
This is quite an interesting and humoristic little book that should be made a must read for all bloggers, web designers and other web 2.0 communicators. Erik Spiekermann and E.M Ginger bring a very educated viewpoint to the never boring debate of form v.s. function and substance v.s. style. There is no doubt that they're choosing style and more specifically the role of Typographic style on effective communication. A debate started quite some time ago with Gutenberg!
Typography Lacking Focus [Posted on 2008-02-25]
The first thing that must be said about "Stop Stealing Sheep & find out how type works" is that its purpose is simply not clear. If it's supposed to be a book for beginners to learn about type, it lacks effective headings, and (maybe most importantly) a glossary; despite typographic differences within the text, importance of information is not well designated, which leads one to ask, how is a beginner to know what's vital? Likewise, the exceedingly simple analogies re: Type in the main text and lack of info-richness show that this book is not for the expert. So who is this book for? Therein the problem.
"Stop Stealing Sheep..." is undeniably well-designed(read: pretty); it is clear that the authors put a good deal of time and enthusiasm into creating the layout, finding and creating visual elements and atmosphere for their book. Each page has a picture of its own, so out of the roughly 159 pages (not counting appendices), 77 of them have text, subtract the mostly blank title spreads and you have 65-70 pages of actual text. And the pages that do have text don't contain a large amount; If it seems like I am criticizing the info-density of "Stop Stealing Sheep..." I am; this book may very well be a stereotypical 'airhead': gorgeous, but lacking substance.
I would like to temper the above statement by adding that the side-bars do contain some very interesting historical facts about type; the meat of the book, it seems, is in these side-bars. Another aspect of "Stop Stealing Sheep..." that I enjoyed is that the authors give a lot of visual examples; every other-page highlights the fonts mentioned by setting them below the side-bar for the reader to examine (I spent much time with this book analyzing 'handgloves' written in different type). Another way the authors express their concepts is by "showing" them, i.e. in talking about type-faces for forms(i.e. applications), the authors gave an example of a form on the adjoining page -- the amount and quality of these examples are perhaps the trade-off for the lousy main text.
Not being a viable textbook, reference guide, beginner's primer, nor coffee table book, it is best defined as a 'browsable' just above a magazine. There are a lot of good lessons in the little volume, but they are hampered by poor organization. Still, I am not of a mind to condemn "Stop Stealing Sheep..." completely, though I will be forthright in saying it is not a worthy purchase. My recommendation is that typography beginners and experts make best use of "Stop Stealing Sheep" by perusing it at a bookstore, or checking it out at the library.
note: My review refers to Spiekermann, Erik and Ginger, E.M. . Stop Stealing Sheep & find out how type works. Mountain View, CA: Adobe Press, 1993 | I am aware of there being a 2nd Edition(2002) with some changes - this review does not refer to the new edition.
Used GTA 4 Game - XBox 360 - Excellent Condition + Fast S&H [Posted on 2008-09-30]
I am very satisified with the quality of the game that I received. They were very fast with a turn-around as far as shipping was concerned. When I emailed them to ask about the status of the shippment, I got a very fast response that same day. Plus, a follow-up email the day the actual item had finished shipping. All-in-all, I am very satisfied with this seller and the product. Thank you.
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