Batchelder Tilemaker

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding biography of a unique 20th Century entrepreneur.
Review: Ernest Batchelder's ceramic enterprize grew from a home-based business to a nation-wide enterprize: Batchelder Tilemaker follows his life and works, starting with his 1908 venture into entrepreneurship and his establishment of the 1930s Batchelder-Wilson company showrooms. An outstanding, revealing title surveys his life and artistic achievements.

Rating:
Summary: Batchelder Tilemaker
Review: Not the greatest tile reference, the detail in the photos is poor and hard to see. Most of the historical reference in this book is accurate, but poorly written. I would not purchase this book early in a library building journey, save it for when you have excess money to spend and are just trying to fill and round out your collection.

Rating:
Summary: Batchelder Tilemaker
Review: Not the greatest tile reference, the detail in the photos is poor and hard to see. Most of the historical reference in this book is accurate, but poorly written. I would not purchase this book early in a library building journey, save it for when you have excess money to spend and are just trying to fill and round out your collection.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly written, fair photos
Review: When the back cover of a book informs you that the author is reputable, rather than the subject is well written - take it as a warning.

This sophomorically written book is not intended for Arts & Crafts devotes, it is meant for tour guides who wants to get an "Ooo!" or a giggle out of a bus load of little old ladies.

While the photos are fair, I found myself wishing I could actually see what they were showing. I guess the little old ladies are use to not being allowed too close, but I'd like to zoom in, please.

Throughout the book, the reader is assured that the author is highly praised by the Governor of California. Perhaps taxpayers should insist their Governor spend his time more selectively.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly written, fair photos
Review: When the back cover of a book informs you that the author is reputable, rather than the subject is well written - take it as a warning.

This sophomorically written book is not intended for Arts & Crafts devotes, it is meant for tour guides who wants to get an "Ooo!" or a giggle out of a bus load of little old ladies.

While the photos are fair, I found myself wishing I could actually see what they were showing. I guess the little old ladies are use to not being allowed too close, but I'd like to zoom in, please.

Throughout the book, the reader is assured that the author is highly praised by the Governor of California. Perhaps taxpayers should insist their Governor spend his time more selectively.

Rating:
Summary: A paperback version would have been better...
Review: While specific to the works of Batchelder, the photo supplements leave much to be desired - they are too general (a photo of a tiled room is nice, but a few more detail photos would have been most welcome!) and there are simply not enough of them (especially when compared to works referred in text). Overall, I found the book too big (and expensive) for the content delivered.