Rating: 
Summary: awesome
Review: I have not read the whole book, most of it, she makes you go through drawing exercises and shows you that drawing is not foreign to someone who thinks they can't draw, you subconsiously start to use your right brain and tap into the power of your own creativity
Rating:
Summary: A must have...
Review: ...for beginners. Betty Edwards does not claim that you will become a professional artist in 5 days, however she does promise results as long you have the patience and time to do her exercises. I have also met many an art teacher who highly recommend this book to students who are interested in learning how to draw. In addition, Edwards includes chapters explaining how she came about this teaching technique, that is used in many schools today, as well as the scientific reasoning behind a person's ability to draw. Her approach to teaching is what gave me the ability and confidence to become a Fine Arts major in college. I have nothing but praise for this book and it's author.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: My drawing skills are zero and I wanted to learn how to draw so I bought this book. I've only done the first couple exercises so far. Wow! What a difference a book can make.
Rating: 
Summary: For beginners only!!!
Review: This book is a definate must for people with no drawing experience. They will definately gain the results promised in this book and compared to the way they drew before, it will show remarkable results. BUT this does not mean you will be able to draw in a professional sense(despite of what some reviewers say). That would be an insult to any real professional who has invested years of hard work in his/her craftsmanship. For example, an analphabet would tell you he doesn't have the talent to read an write because no one ever taught him. But suddenly he gets lessons and after a couple of months he finally is able to read and write. Yet, does this make him a writer? Most people can read and write, but only a few are writers. It's the same with this book, most people never learned how to draw and this book will put you on the right track, not more. Stay realistic and don't kid yourself, every profession needs hard work and experience. If you see this book as a book to get you started, I would rate it 5 stars, but if you expect to actually be able to "really" draw, get: "The natural way to draw" by Kimon Nicolaides, after you've done the exercises of Betty Edward's book. Nicolaides' book is based on actual art classes. He used to be an art teacher at the New York Art Academy in the 1930's. But beware, it's years of hard work, but you'll never regret it!
Rating:
Summary: A remarkable book!
Review: This is, without question, THE book to buy for anyone who wants to explore the "other" side of your brain. Our schools do a good job teaching the left brain - which is where words and numbers come from. But the right brain has been woefully uneducated in the American system, for most of the last half-century. Thus, we are only educating "half" the brains of students until we recognize that art unlocks powerful forces - creative thinking, insight, and the wonderful manifestation of "visual literacy" - being able to draw what you see.The book doesn't purport to take its readers to the level of so-called "high art," but it does an amazing job offering basic skills of drawing that anyone can learn. No one would expect an elementary school student to produce Shakespearean prose just because she knows how to read. Likewise, no one expects you to produce masterpieces of creativity just because you learn to draw. Drawing is tantamount to reading - a tool to THINKING. Get this book and open up your mind!
Rating:
Summary: Validation for drawing reality
Review: Thank you Ms. Edwards! I stopped drawing for years because my sketches in school were consistently considered stiff and too representational. This book got me started sketching again without having to be self-conscious about the artistry of the picture. Her validation of drawing exactly what you see as a worthwhile skill, and quite probably a necessary step on the road to a freer expression was a revelation.
Rating:
Summary: There IS an artist in you, it's time to meet!
Review: It sounds silly but it really is like meeting a new you. I don't know about other users of the book but for me the experience of it was almost therapeutic. My view of myself as an artist - forget artist!, I just wanted to be able to draw - was limited to very basic, crude representations. Stuff I would only show to my pets. The more I tried the more I convinced myself that I couldn't draw. Not so. I was just thinking, analysing and working, not seeing and perceiving. The solution is really that simple yet that far reaching. The book goes on to explain the principles at work - Left side/right side hemispheres of the brain, perception, lighting and shadows and negative space to name a few. It's heavily illustrated (naturally) and easy to read. There are plenty of exercises and dozens of uses for your new skills, it's just left for all of us to take the time to meet somebody new.
Rating: 
Summary: Only for people who REALLY can't draw
Review: I'm sure this book might help some. I was under a different impression when I bought this book, I expected more, some excersizes for more advanced artists and not just for beginners, but this book is strictly for those who simply can not draw. This book just wasn't for me and so I found it unhelpful.
Rating:
Summary: Quite simply the best book on drawing what you see
Review: Drawing is the basis of most art so this fundamental skill is taught first in most traditional settings. What this so often fails to do is teach the perceptual underpinnings of draughtsmanship, focussing instead on the academic, 19th century "école" practice (itself a product of the Renaissance studio system) of repetition, copying and study of master works which emphasise the mechanics of drawing. While valuable, for the vast majority of students this may only yield results after years of rigorous application and for some will never work. Despite having taken the traditional art school route this book taught me that there was still much to learn about how to see. Perhaps more importantly it showed me how much misinformation I had been exposed to and had accepted blindly for many years, only to have my eyes opened (literally!) the first time I picked it up. I haven't had the opportunity to check out this latest edition but if it is even better than the first then it will prove even more invaluable. For beginners hoping to draw for the first time or more experienced artists who feel their drawing could take a step up, this cornerstone work will enable you to unlock your hidden potential allowing you to produce work that will surprise even you!
Rating:
Summary: I really can draw! You can too!
Review: This book has honestly made my dreams come true. For years I said how much I wanted to be able to draw. In fact, I told people it was the one thing I always wished I could do. I really believed that I had the artistic ability of a baked clam. This book changed all that. I am really drawing, and though I am no Picasso, my drawings are quite good. The only thing I needed to supply was time. The book gave me everything else I needed to learn how to really "see." Thank you Betty! Thank you so much!
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