Book Reviews

Photographer Bunny Yeager first attained fame as a beautiful and popular pin-up model in her own right—one of the most photographed in Miami. Upon retiring from her successful first career in front of the lens, Yeager soon embarked upon a new endeavor by expertly transitioning from subject to artist.

San Francisco-based photographer Richard Nagler’s career spans nearly 40 years and in that time, his images have become a treasured part of many private and public collections. For this latest book project, titled Looking At Art: The Art Of Looking, Nagler stationed himself in front of various art works in museums across the globe.

From the late 1960s to today, David Bowie’s spark of creative genius has burned white hot, allowing him to build an impressive career and a highly unique body of work. He has the unmatched ability to successfully harness the best trends in music, art, photography and fashion and blend them together to form unique and ever changing performance personas with their own musical style and look. Each one of his characters seems to be an entirely different person offering an eager audience new musical and visual experiences. Most of us are familiar with albums like, The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars, Heroes, Diamond Dogs and Young Americans.

Captain Charlotte T. McGraw began her career as a talented studio photographer for MGM but when World War II began—and our country needed her—McGraw bravely walked away from the safety and glamour of Hollywood and joined the Army. She became the official Women’s Army Corps photographer and her assignment was to capture images that would have a positive influence on how American women viewed serving in the military. The Captain’s amazing—and often very dangerous—journey took her through Africa, England, Asia, the Pacific and military hospitals around the USA. Along the way, she met a variety of famous and interesting people from General Eisenhower to war correspondent Ernie Pyle all the while documenting the very real and important role the WACs played in the war effort.

As a student Carole Noon soon discovered that her future would be greatly influenced, and altered, for the better when she attended a lecture given by the famous Dr. Jane Goodall. Inspired by this amazing and life-changing event, the young wildlife biology student soon found herself working with Dr. Goodall on her ChimpanZoo program. Using the many skills and valuable knowledge she gained from her time with the program, in 1997 Dr. Noon established the Save The Chimps Sanctuary. This book—Opening Doors: Carole Noon And Her Dream To Save The Chimps—chronicles this wonderfully inspiring true story of one woman’s passion and heartfelt dedication to saving the lives of these highly intelligent primates.

Based on the legendary image-maker Art Wolfe’s popular lecture series, The Art of the Photograph (Amphoto Books, ISBN: 978-0-7704-3316-1, $29.99) is Wolfe’s story of his own artistic discovery and experiences as a professional photographer shooting in the field. Utilizing his formal training as an art instructor, Wolfe teaches readers how to explore the elements of design to make compelling and emotionally engaging photographs. Together, Art Wolfe and Rob Sheppard offer the kind of simple yet eye-opening advice that can instantly change anyone’s photos. Extraordinary photos of the world’s cultures, wildlife, and varied landscapes round out this essential curriculum to provide the most thorough and imaginative volume on composition.—From liner notes supplied by the publisher.