How to Look At Everything [Paperback]

David Finn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000 | Series: How to Look at

David Finn, an acclaimed photographer, implores readers to experience the world visually, with sensitivity, imagination and passion in this text on how to develop an enriched way of seeing.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Finn, who previously wrote How To Look at Photographs and How To Look at Sculpture, has broadened his scope in this delightful and personable book, which could well be used as a textbook for an art appreciation class. The subject of the book is "not what we look at, but how we can open our minds and hearts to see more than the literal image and be inspired by the vision." Amid tasteful illustrations, this engaging source touches on subjects such as "the mind's eye," "the gift of light," "forms that shape our lives," and "music to the eye." The meandering discussion is eclectic and informative, often including poetry and quoting various historical figures: "There appears to be something about seeing that reaches deep into the psyche and is quite apart from other mental faculties. Leonardo da Vinci called it 'the best and most noble' of our senses." The overall perspective, however, is Finn's own, refreshingly open-minded and not strictly based in the Western tradition. Recommended for all public libraries.DJennifer L.S. Moldwin, Detroit Inst. of Arts
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; First Edition edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810927268
• ISBN-13: 978-0810927261
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,929,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not what is promised, February 15, 2001

By 

audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: How to Look At Everything (Paperback)

Maybe I took the title and reviews too literally, but I think this book should be called "Things I Look At" -- a title which promises less interesting content, and delivers just that.

Here is a short excerpt (page 50): "The other day I saw a tree right in front of the office building in which I work; I couldn't believe that I had never noticed it before and I admired its wonderfully graceful branches. .... On a cold winter day I saw a policewoman directing traffic and speculated about the clothes she must be wearing to keep herself warm."

First, why should I trust this author to teach me to see things anew when he hasn't noticed a beautiful tree he passes frequently? Secondly, while the premise of the book rests on the idea of enriching one's visual appreciation, the author's decriptions are consistently impoverished. I would hope that the author would proceed to tell me what it is that makes the tree branches graceful -- paint a verbal picture and teach me how to look at the tree. Or tell me how to approach a painting, to see it from afar and then approach it -- what do I look for that makes it special and beautiful. This never happens; instead it is a series of personal anecdotes that rarely probe very deeply.

Pictures are interesting, some in color, but again they are not used to accomplish what the title promises.

A disappointment unless one is interested in the author rather than the subject of the title.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not to put to fine a point on it..., December 11, 2004

By 

John Johnson (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Look At Everything (Paperback)

but this book is worthless. The one key phrase in the book, "with passion," is obvious. The rest of the book is meaningless filler about the author's experience looking at things. It's just devoid of content.

2 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Freshen your perspective with this book., November 5, 2000

By 

"sshadwick" (Laguna Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Look At Everything (Paperback)

Once again Finn prompts a new way of seeing just as he did with museums, sculpture and photographs in his earlier books. His book will open your eyes to another way of seeing the world.