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Rating: 
Summary: The Art of the Show
Review: At first glance I was thinking: A biography? Great photos? A retrospective? But my take is that the book is a sensitive professional retrospective that is highly visual with warm feelings shared by a wise master. John Hench was the person who had the talent and artistic vocabulary to fully articulate the design ideas from Walt Disney's creative explosions, much like Roy Disney had the financial genius to complete his brother's business dealings.The linear progression of the book is interesting--starting with a general "ballpark", if you will, of show then moving into the mechanics of storytelling, then the individual pieces (character), and color (tone, detail, expression), and then leaving the reason for doing it all, Mickey, as an afterword. A nice, gentle touch and progression, that explains the insanely detailed and labor-intensive process of design that is digestible and awe inspiring at the same time. A great accomplishment by the authors. The visual format of the book is fantastic because it reflects the subtle nuances and character of the author without spelling everything out for the reader. It should be noted that 90% of the book's illustrations were perspectives, not section or plan views. Perspective gives the feel of the place--plan and section just tell someone how to build an object. Again, another subtle and powerful detail built into the book that speaks volumes about how John Hench helped create the special feelings in his designs that make Disney work well. In conclusion, a phenomenal read. A must-have for designers and artists as well as Disney enthusiasts. John's influence on modern design is pretty deep, and the book is an excellent reference for anyone involved in a creative venture to study the wonderful marriage of artistic excellence and public enjoyment.
Rating:
Summary: Getting in side Walt's head
Review: This book is the Disney version of being John Malkavich. More than ANY living person, John Hench, knows Walt's history, philosophy and design theories. In fact, John Hench IS the artist behind much of the how and why of designing Disney theme parks from Disneyland (1955) to Disney's California Adventure (2002). More than just a book of inside trivia on why and how certain attractions look and work this is the observations of human behavior and understanding of all of us that Walt (and Hench) had, and used, to create these magically places we all love. As an Disney Imagineer I was fortunate to have known and worked with John Hench and co-author, Peggy Van Pelt. Herein they tell the real story behind how Disney's magic comes into being. As great as their words, John and Peggy have included lots and lots of John's stunning artwork--much of it never before published or show outside the Disney archives. Walt (and John Hench's) philosophy in this compact and rich book is applicable across the corporate spectrum. This book should set side-by-side with the larger (though less revealing) "Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look..." John Hench once told me, "I make all decisions with my heart." This book is for the heart and your head (left and right hemispheres) will enjoy it as well.
Rating: 
Summary: A nice addition (edition?) for the Disney fanatic
Review: This is a pleasant little book authored by one of the original Imagineers, John Hench. We are treated to an inside look at the designing of the Disney parks, with an emphasis on the original Disneyland, although pretty much every park, including Animal Kingdom and DCA, gets some mention. There are plenty of color illustrations, mostly concept paintings and sketches, many of which I hadn't seen before. This is not a book for the casual Disney fan, but if your interest in Disneyland borders on the obsessive, there are lots of nifty facts and anecdotes to be found here. For example, when Space Mountain was being built, the author insisted the enormous steel T-beams be mounted backwards, to provide a smooth surface to project show effects; the Snow White wishing well was built next to Sleeping Beauty's Castle solely for the purpose of keeping guests from tossing coins in the nearby lake and waterfall; and a pond was built next to the long gone House of the Future to serve as a water supply for the attractions cooling system. If minutiae like that is your bag, this is the book for you. It makes a nice companion peice to the book "Walt Disney's Imagineering."
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