Lighting Books

This is one of the best photography books I've read, and hands down the best lighting book! If you're new to lighting, you'll want to read this book more than once, because it has so much information! Dedicated chapters on lighting principles, reflection and the "family of angles," surface appearances, shape and contour, lighting metal, lighting glass, types of lights, portrait lighting, lighting white-on-white and black-on-black all work together to make this an essential text book for any photographer. Be sure to pick this book up at the store!

Irene Abdou Photography
http://www.photoswithsoul.com

This is an exceptionally good book, written from a simple to understand perspective. I bought it on the back of the mostly positive reviews from others and I'm glad I did. (BTW, for the small numbers of critics, I'm not a "strobist", this was a new word to me I'd never heard until someone here mentioned it - but it's a useful site anyway and I don't know what the criticism's about).

But back to the book.
It teaches you the basics without any fluff, but with plenty of photographed examples of rights and wrongs, but more importantly why and how they're right and wrong, and how to avoid the latter. I now both understand and enjoyed learning about some of the basics about light, which to be frank, bored me senseless at school.

It's not a "how to light something in this situation" book, it's a "how to know what the pitfalls are so you can avoid them, and use better technniques" book. It tells you how to light, and presents really good discussion and examples of problem surfaces, for instance, glass and metals, and informs you in simple language you how to get the best results, without paying a fortune for lighting equipment (unless you want to). I know I've already learnt something useful from it, though Im only 80 pages in, and I've already given some other photographers tips on how to improve their photographs which I've found have worked for mine.

In short, recommended, a really good, informative and practical book. Very glad I bought it :D

I was looking for some literature regarding lighting that would cover basics for product photography. Unfortunately, most books endulge in a certain high level lingo that would confuse most of the readers. One could easily see which author has more experience based on the level of simplicity he or she uses in order to explain some concepts. A friend of mine lent me this book and I have now the chance to write a short review about it.
First of all: the book is excellent. The paper and printing quality (full color for all photographs and diagrams) are outstanding. One can easily see essential details in images, like different textures and apperance of surfaces under various lighting setups. So this is a big plus.
The book is divided in 10 chapters as follow:

1. How to learn lighting; this chapter gives you basic information regarding general lighting principles, the way the author chose the examples and - most important - why did he chose those examples, the rationale behind all exercises and some hints for the way you should approach each exercise (procedures, goals - what you should get) and also some general information about shooting equipment that one needs in order to perform the exercises in the book.

2. Light: the raw material for photography. This chapter explains in detail, but not to boredom and in a very plain and explicit manner the properties of light that each photographer should know and understand in order to take proper images. What I most liked is the fact that the author starts from a basic principle (almost as an axiom) that the most important factor for photography is not the gear but the light and the way a photographer understands and uses light.

3. The management of reflection and the family of angles. Basic information about the way light is reflected by various materials and surfaces, discussions on the placement of the sources of light relative to the observer (camera) in order to get different results, polarization and some exercises that helps you apply the theory.

4. Surface appearances. This chapter elaborate a bit more some concepts from the previous chapters, with focus on surface appearance, textures, boundaries and some many other information about way different objects appear in different lighting setups. Many exercises included, things that you should try by yourself.

5. Revealing shape and contour. A very good read about methods of adding 3D appearance to 2D images using shadows, tonalities, surface detail etc. This is a chapter with a lot of info about "providing real life appearance" of your 2D images.

6. Metal. How to photograph metal surfaces. Detailed examples and information about reflection on metal surfaces, ways to reveal detail and avoid loss of detail in different lighting setups, information and exercises on photographing metal boxes, special challenges imposed by round metal objects (like globes) and the special issues such photos pose.

7. The case of the disappearing glass. This is one of the most interesting chapters and deals with photographing glass and glass objects. Various methods are explained and actions needed for succesful photographs are detailed in very clear steps, with plenty of rationale and concepts in behind. A special section deals with glass objects with liquid inside, that act as lenses and pose special problems to inexperienced photographer.

8. An arsenal of lights. This chapter will be the favourite for portrait shooters, people that want to learn and understand ways of lighting for portraits. The images are "disassembled" in their components by each light source in order to familiarize yourself with the effects of light characteristics, placement, intensity etc.

9. The extremes. This deals mainly with high-key, low-key and special (under or overexposed) images, situations that require such artwork and the interaction of environment (backgrounds etc) and the objects to be photographed.

10. Traveling light. This deals entirely with strobes (flash photography) and with special issues using flash. If you are new to concepts like guide number, bounce, feathering etc., this chapter will place more... light to it. Also, provided are a lot of practical examples that you should also try.

Overall this is one of the best educational books about photography - in general - and lighting - in particular - I have ever read. The language used is plain, concise and extremely to the point, the concepts are extremely well explained, reasons for different results are given and principles are well laid, just to be followed.

I would STRONGLY recommend (actually I have already ordered one for myself) this book to anyone is interested in understanding more the light, lighting, studio setups and general knowledge about light and photography, actually the most important ingredient for each image you might take.

The explanations "how to" are great. For those who want to go further in lighting comrehension and fundamentals. I tried some of the exercises, and it...works.
Highly recommended (it is a strobist.blogspot.com/ choice).
I don't think this book is for the very beginners.

If you are just starting or have been working for awhile with artificial lighting I really recommend you buy a copy of "Light, Science and Magic" , third edition. I have never come across as comprehensive yet down to earth guide for understanding and using the properties of light as this book. I have no connection with the authors and in fact only recently (early Sept. 08) bought a copy after hearing certain people here on photo.net rave about it. I was skeptical because of the title and feared it was yet another lighting cookbook of cookie cutter approaches to using light. it emphatically is not . It is very useful even if you never intend to never use artificial light. It is both well written and well illustrated.

As a companion volume I also recommend Kirk Tuck's book " Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Lighting" if you are using small strobes such as the Canon, Nikon, Metz or Sony Speedlights. Together these two books virtually 100% of the ideas concepts and practices of using light dynamically to make more creative and visually powerful photographs.

I really like this guide, there are so many little details that are unfolded in this book. I like Scott's goofy humor it's right up my alley.

The layout is nice if you follow his instructions to start at the beginning and read it through, if you skip around you may lose some details.
Yes, you can use it as a reference but Scott has a direction he wants you to use.

I would highly recommend this if your new to Lightroom 2, it will save you time and help you gain some great understanding.

Scott made e-mailing from Lr so easy with my Mac, the masking/sharpening technique was an excellent, I use it frequently with portrait work. Theses are just a couple of great things in this guide.

You can't go wrong with this guide, I highly recommend it to new, intermediate and experienced users.

Scott Kelby has done it again.
In The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers, Scott Kelby uses photos from some of his professional photoshoots as examples to take the reader step by step through organizing, developing, and printing your digital photographs. Along the way he points out all of the hidden secrets and nuances that make Lightroom 2 such a powerful package. Things most of us could never discover on our own were we to purchase and use Lightroom 2 without Scott's help.
Because, among other things, Lightroom 2 is a workflow program Scott recommends readers do not "jump around" in the book, but rather, start at the beginning and work right through chapter by chapter. Since it is a 419 page tutorial this seems a little daunting, but believe me, it is well worth the effort.
If you are a digital photographer, whether professional or amateur, and want to use Lightroom 2; do yourself a favor and purchase Scott Kelby's excellent book.
You won't be disappointed.

Scott Kelby has again written a book that makes getting started using Lightroom 2 easy.

Scott Kelby's books teach me in such a way that I end up being much more adept at actually using the software. I'm not a professional, and his step by step methods show me what to do and how to do it as only a professional can.
Makes me a better photographer, and much better at using both Lightroom and Photoshop.
Buy, read and enjoy.

I had never used Lightroom before in my life.. I wasn't even sure what all it COULD do. I just knew that a lot of people recommended it so I thought I'd give it a try. I installed the software and then stared at it blankly. I had no clue where to begin. I clicked a few buttons but got really lost really fast. I began to wonder if I'd wasted my money. But luckily I'd also picked up Scott Kelby's book. :)

First of all i LOVE Scott's humor. I love "mental breaks" and always get a chuckle out of his chapter introductions. I read the intro to the book which recommends downloading a video, and his sample files so you can follow along. I think some of the chapter 4 pictures may be mis-filed under chapter 5 though so if you can't find a picture, check another chapter file.

So I stayed up past 1am the first night going through the first 5 chapters. I was hooked and amazed! His book was easy to follow and really got me excited about what this program can do. The first 3 chapters or so are all about organization. A part of me wanted to skip this part, but i didn't.. it's worth a read. It's amazing what they've built into this.. much different than the organizer used in Photoshop Elements. It has ways to compare photos side by side, or show a before and after edits... very cool stuff! Finally I got to the first chapter on developing photos. Good stuff.

I'm only half way through the book, but at least I'm up and running. I know enough to be dangerous. :) Enough to be excited and in love with Lightroom! I love that he even showed you the settings to get that trendy gritty look in your photographs!

I haven't looked at any other Lightroom books but if you're new to Lightroom I can attest that this book is fantastic. it'll teach you step by step the proper workflow to maximize your use of Lightroom! So hurry up and hit that Buy button! :)

I haven't gotten through the entire book yet but I am impressed with it so far. The author talks about techniques in an interesting manner making you want to read more. I have a multitude of Maya books and so far this one is my favorite.

was very pleased and excited to see such a great new refreshing book on texturing. Great book for a beginner or advance maya user. Great visuals and will touch on many different topics and will show you technigues on creating difficult textures in maya.

This book is written for intermediate Maya artists and it begins by covering some basic skills. In addition to lighting and texturing it goes on to cover a lot of valuable techniques. Since textures and lighting require good rendering setups, the author explains raytracing, mental ray, global illumination and HDRI. Those subjects are covered in more detail in other books but the author goes a long way in introducing them. Overall, it's a great way to advance your skills.

I had certain expectations when I chose this book and I found that it lived up to almost all expectations I had. This book gives you an overview of a large range of Maya's texturing and lighting utility nodes and it explains to the reader all their individual attributes. At the end of each chapter useful tips and tricks are explored in the form of step-by-step tutorials - from lighting to texturing and rendering techniques. One chapter is devoted entirely to Maya's lighs, another to only 2D texturing nodes, a third to 3D texturing nodes, and so on.
It is a good book for people who have already some experience in using Maya and want to broaden their knowledge.
That said the book contains 13 topical chapters plus a 14th chapter filled with "additional techniques". However, the last three chapters (12-14) can only be found as PDF files on the accompanying CD. The printed book itself finishes with chapter 11. The book could also do with an update to bring it in line with the extensive changes to Maya's UI since the release of version 8.5, but if you use your brain a little you can use Maya's online reference to help you locate menus that have been moved or renamed since this book was published.

I bought this manual to help me ugrade from Maya 7.0 to Maya 8.5 and it's become my most prized and relied upon resource. Every tutorial I've gone through has worked perfectly (no missing steps or errors so far), Mr. Lanier writes coherently & well, and each new topic is presented in a straightforward and matter-of-fact fashion.

As a professional Video Game Artist, I've reccommended this manual to our enitire company of 300, and will continue to do so to everyone else. In the past, decent documentation on the finer points of Maya has been elusive, but Mr. Lanier has saved us! I will be adding his other manuals to my library.

I have purchased all of Bill Lemon's books and this is by far his best and most informative. The clarity of his concepts and techniques are as clear and catching as the images in the book. Bill Lemon keeps getting better and better. Cannot wait for the next one!

OUTDOOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY: THE COMPLETE DIGITAL GUIDE TO TAKING SUCCESSFUL OUTDOOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHS, by Bill Lemon
COPYRIGHT © 2008 by Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

One of Ernest Hemingway's most celebrated stories begins: "This is a clean and pleasant cafe. It is well lighted. The light is very good and also, now, there are shadows of the leaves." These words came to mind over and over as I perused the pages of Bill Lemon's absolutely gorgeous book, Outdoor Glamour Photography.

The book is a collection of lovely models, nude or partially clad, against a backdrop of varied settings, ranging from wheat fields, haunting forests, railroad tracks, and beat-up trucks. The facial expressions, the lighting, the contrast between the background and foreground, the composition, the choice of clothing--all are perfectly planned and lovingly explained in language accessible to an amateur or even an inexperienced photographer. The specifications of the camera and settings used are highlighted for easy reference. The results are stunning! Here is the life's work of a professional and teacher who knows what he's doing and shares how he does it. His appreciation of nature, the female body, and the technique of his trade all blend into an artistic masterpiece that must be seen and savored like a delicate soufflé.

What Hemingway is to fiction, Bill Lemon is to reality--without the angst of the proprietor of "A Clean, Well Lighted Place. "Nada, y pues nada" is replaced by Keats' "thing of beauty" - a "joy forever." This book would be a welcome addition to any coffee table and any photographer who wants to explore the feminine mystique.

There are a number of these "How To" photography books out there, but this is the best! First of all the information is right to the point and not vague. The overall composition makes it easy to use if you need to go back and look something up. Being this is not a hardback the quality of resolution and paper is surprisingly good. The models used in the photos are all top notch! There is not a weak photo in the entire book. Besides the great female models it includes the nationally famous "Equine Rock Star", Little Black Shiner. Believe me folks, you'll throw your other glamour photo books away when you get this. Enjoy it!

Bill has produced his best work in this volume of photography. Bill continues to dazzle his audience with his posing and shooting techniques.
This is a must have book, loaded with a vast quantity of posing ideas, following Bill's tutorial will enable the photographer to see light in a new way. Learn from one of the best with Outdoor Glamour Photography. Copy the posing and lighting ideas to create your own dynamic portfolio of sensational images.

If you're interested in outdoor glamour photography, this could be one of the most useful books you'll ever read. Lemon's book is packed full of specific and practical tips for experienced photographers alongside beautifully artistic sample photographs taken by Lemon himself.

Lemon opens with a brief introduction that gives an overview of some of his general techniques: he details how he uses his light meter, how he measures and perfects white balance, and why he shoots in fine JPEG as opposed to a raw format.

The rest of the book consists of photos accompanied by information about how Lemon set up and achieved various effects in the shoot. For each photograph, Lemon explains the lighting used, why the location was chosen, and information about the pose chosen for the model. A small sidebar box gives the camera, lens, shutter speed, and F-stop used. Woven throughout Lemon's descriptions are helpful tips on every imaginable aspect of photography from how to best use a polarizing filter to how to take into account texture and color when choosing a background for a model.

The photos included in the book are spectacular. All feature female models in various stages of undress (from completely nude to fully clothed) posed against every possible background--woods, grassy fields, old logs, rusted pick-ups, barns, haystacks, and corrugated metal walls. Most of the pictures are a full page in size; a few are impressive two-page spreads. Some of the photos may strike photographers as a bit too Playboy in style, but for the most part, they are tasteful and quite artistic. Lemon is clearly a talented photographer and Outdoor Glamour Photography gives enough information to help aspiring photographers benefit from his wealth of experience.

This book is very in depth and easy to read. I have done lots of lighting for theater and concert, but not film or video. This book taught me a lot. It is specific to lighting for film and video so if you are looking for more information on theater lighting or automated lights for concerts, this book only has a few pages on that. But for film and video it Rocks! I would even recommend this book to anyone interested in lighting.

I gleaned a lot of information from this book. There is not a ligting, electrical connection that is not explained to my satisfaction. Take the time to read all then keep this book handy as a reference. Just showing that you have the book, proves that you know what you are talking about.

Great book, lots of detail for any working Lighting tech, or aspiring tech. Great for a indi-film makers library.

A MUST HAVE for the inside scoop into the Industry.

If your planing a career in the motion picture or television business than this book will greatly advance your technical knowledge of the business. If your an old pro at the business the book is great for a quick reference to prepare you for a shoot.

This book provides the reader with many common sense points of advice that are all very relevant and helpful. It covers many circumstances on an international scale that allows you to feel more at home taking the picture of someone you don't know as well as helpful advice on payment for the picture. This book is essential for anyone with an interest in this sort of work... Bravo to Mr Sammon for writing yet another great reference.

I found this book very helpful. It has great photos that illustrate his points, and it is easy to understand. The thing I would have found more helpful is if he had included more about where to take the exposure, etc., but I realize that is covered in another book..... I loved the book and will reread it many times. Very inspiring. Thank you, Mr. Sammon.

After reading Peterson's books (understanding exposure, beyond portraiture, understanding shutter speed, and more) this book feels not technical enough. It misses technical information that would be very useful to people who'd like to learn, such as f-number, shutter speed, distance from object, metering mode and method etc. Though this information did appear in a few pages, it was not available throughout the book.

Still, the pictures are very appealing and the author does explain how he took them. A lot of emphasis was put on the social side of potrait photography. How to approach, how to get friendly, how to share your pictures. Also, the artistic sides are covered, how to "direct" your model, how to give attention to details (background, framing, light, shadows, etc.). Some technical aspects are indeed mentioned and a few tricks on exposure and light metering and white balance. Also the last few lessons in the book are some photoshop "how-to"s.

I liked the book. I enjoyed the pictures, I did my best to learn the messages from the lessons and liked a lot the authors attitude and explanation way.


To get a good understanding of what lessons are expected in the book take a look at the table of contents. Lessons are titled by the main tip that they deliver.

Rick Sammon is known for his travel and adventure photo guides, but FACE TO FACE offers something different: a focus on the art of making people pictures using a range of methods to capture subjects. These take the form of lessons contrasting different approaches to images and people, using Sammon's own subjects and methods as examples. It's an excellent guide for any photography library, particularly those specializing in portrait photography.

Face to Face by Rick Sammon is one of my favorites books on portrait photography.

It's full with stunning pictures of people from many places around the world. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book.

But in addition to the great pictures, the text is also very informative and entertaining.

Part 2 is my favorite part of the book and full of useful stuff. For example, Rick explains why you should not place the subject in the center for most shots, or why shooting both horizontal and vertical is a good idea for most subjects.

I like the authors writing style. The book is easy to read and the text is a perfect fit for the beautiful images. It never gets boring or too technical. It's clear that the author knows and lovers what he is doing and this is reflecting in his images and his writing.

If you want to improve your photography, I highly recommend this book.

THIS WAS AN INTERESTING READ ALL AROUND. VERY INFORMATIVE, AND WELL WRITTEN. I ENJOYED THE SHORT CHAPTERS, IT MADE IT EASIER TO TO PICK UP WHERE I LEFT. THE AUTHOR DOES A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING LIGHTING IN A WAY THAT ANYONE CAN UNDERSTAND, NOT JUST PEOPLE IN THE LIGHTING FIELD. GOOOD JOB SAGE.

This has sparked my interest in lighting design! This book is very useful. GET IT!!

Very relevant to a lighting class that I am taking for my major (interior architecture)!

This book offers students a great introduction to the world of lighting design. It contains a logical path through this design process while giving the reader a sufficient amount of examples, pictures, etc. along the way. Having used this text myself, I feel it was an excellent course book and I am confident it will be a useful reference to have in the future.

This book is so fantastic that I emailed the author directly. Here is what I told him:

I really LOVE your book! (LOVE...LOVE...LOVE IT!) It is just what I wanted and needed for my students. I am planning to use it for my new online lighting class to launch spring 2009. I have found your power points helpful also...thank you so much!

Here is what I didn't tell him:

The Architecture of Light reads like a lighting novel instead of a textbook...I just wanted to keep reading and reading. It is the ONLY lighting textbook I've ever read that didn't put me to sleep! The Architecture of Light is not only interesting and practical; it also easy to read, easy to understand and I could hear Sage's enthusiasm seeping through the pages as I read it.

Sage Russell offers readers a refreshing perspective on how to create with light and his book truly transformed my understanding of this subject. Educators, designers and students alike will find his book to be a valuable & excellent resource on their path to understanding and mastering lighting concepts and techniques.

I loved it...and so will you!

i got the reward when i made the decision to purchase this bible!! This should be in everyone home as a foundation for the family. This bible is just beautiful and full of tradition. thanks!!!

This Bible is beautiful. I always loved Thomas Kincade Paintings and if you do as well you will definately not be dissapointed. I bought this Bible for my husband and I for our anniversary and were very delighted. I would definately buy it again and would recommend. Well worth the money!

This bible is more beautiful than the pictures give it credit for. It is a real keepsake and a perfect present for someone special. Well worth the money. I am seriously thinking about buying one for myself (bought this one as a gift)

I got two of these and gave them as gifts to my mother and mother in law for Christmas. Both of them were thrilled. The book is beautiful and still easy to read, even with all of the illustrations, most of which are in the middle of it.

The cover is a simple white leather & not illustrated like I expected. The inside pictures are quite beautiful. A perfect wedding gift.

Lighting the Dark Side is a collection of three novellas and three short stories. William Potter entices his audience with action, mystery, fear, and romance. His first story engages his readers with a tale between a geek and gorgeous woman. A story which seems destined to fail from the beginning. However, Potter develops the relationship with such finesse that the ending is up for grabs.

Second, an artist desperately tries to thrive and discover love despite his family's domineering ways. In the next story, Potter treats his readers to a hard-boiled crime story filled with all the fixings. That includes an unexpected twist at the end. Potter also gallantly writes a scenario of the world ending story thriller as a flash fiction piece.

Up to now, Potter's stories contain a character-driven and emotional quality which sets them apart from many other stories. However, his last two stories are the most fascinating to read by far. They expose the human condition, with all its flaws and potential, and challenge his characters to behave as they see fit in that immediate circumstance. In the story, Blessing or Curse, he pinned the title appropriately, referring to a large lottery win. However, a kidnapping for ransom which follows changes the outcome.

Potter uses concise dialogue and the story is about a twist of fate. His last story is about a lost teenager and a man with a rescuer complex. It is probably is his best story but also most complex tale in the collection. The intermingling motives of the two find their way together against a world that does not understand them. These characters help each other and themselves. They find refuge in honesty in each other. In a sea of confusing societal impositions, they learn to rediscover trust.

Potter's writing skills shine as a storyteller throughout his collection. His ability to intersperse back story and control the speed of the plot is especially important when it comes to character development. I highly recommend Lighting the Dark Side to all readers. His stories captivate the mind in all respects. I hope to see more works from William Potter soon!

These stories are so character driven that if you don't already know someone like them (including yourself), you'll wish you did! I also found the first story to be the strongest. Each paragraph seamlessly builds onto the one before and just when you could imagine yourself living with these characters for a long, long time it's over way too soon. But I don't want the praise of Bent, Not Broken to in any way diminish the great plots, storytelling and characters of the other 5 stories. They all have a very unique story to tell. Each, in its own way, is a wonderful story with interesting and real people. We need more works such as these. You will definitely enjoy each journey and beg for more.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (9/08)


"Lighting the Dark Side: Six Modern Tales" consists of six short stories, all of which are very different and unique, spanning the full gamut of fictional genres. The six short stories included in the book are: "Bent, Not Broken," "In the Gray," "Prominent Couple Slain," "May 18, 2010," "Blessing or Curse?," and "Surviving the Fall." After reading all three of the novellas and all three of the shorter works, I can honestly say that I enjoyed each and every one of them.

My favorite novella in the book was the very first one, "Bent, Not Broken." It is about a man named Dwayne Johnson who is plagued by severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We watch Dwayne struggle as what are normal day to day activities for most of us are much more challenging for him. His anxieties are compounded by the fact that his co-workers gang up on him by moving things in his cubicle that he needs to have just so. You can't help but to feel for the poor guy. Dwayne meets a girl and falls in love with her, but his many issues will be the cause of much strain and difficulty in the relationship.

It is in this first novella that the meaning of the title of the book, "Lighting the Dark Side," is revealed as well. Dwayne's girlfriend Dee-Dee is in a mud bath reflecting and meditating. On the phone to Dwayne she tells him that she is "just spending some time lighting the dark side." She says, "everyone has a dark side" which is "that ugliness about our personality that scares the people who see it." What we need to do "is to fight it, to turn a light against it." (p. 65)

Each story draws you in within the first few sentences and will hold your attention through the completion. All of the characters are well developed and seem very real. I became so involved in each tale that I found myself wishing that these weren't short stories and that each work was a full-length novel instead. Don't get me wrong, the writing was very thorough and the stories were not lacking anything, but I enjoyed the characters and the writing style so much that I just wished that they were longer! In the author's biography that was sent along with the book it states that he is "re-working two full-length novel manuscripts for publishing" and if these works are anything similar to "Lighting the Dark Side: Six Modern Tales" then I can't wait to read them!

If you are looking for an easy, light-hearted read, Lighting the Dark Side is probably not the book you are looking for. If you are looking for a book with rich character development and an unafraid look at the darkness in those characters lives, be prepared for a good book.

Potter has a way of building the characters in his stories so that you can begin to understand what they are going through, and you care what happens to them. That's not to imply that all of the characters are nice, or even likable, but that only adds to the realism of this collection of short stories. We all have to deal with people like the type found in these stories in out daily lives.

These stories show a lot of insight into the dysfunction of people as they deal with love, betrayal, and a host of personal/family/relationship issues in a realistic world where nothing is perfect and sometimes the best you can hope for is to live to try again tomorrow.

Potter has a gift for getting down to what really makes his characters tick. He examines their hopes fears and motivations in a way that captivates the attention and makes you want to keep reading to find out more.

It was a very captivation book, and one that was well worth the time I spent reading it.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/08)

"Lighting the Dark Side" contains a collection of six refreshingly different short stories. Each one is very unique and cannot be compared to the others. I really enjoyed reading the stories. They are about human nature and how we deal with hardships. Sometimes we overcome them, sometimes we obliterate them and sometimes we just make adjustments in ourselves to live with them.

What I discovered really interesting is that in almost every story, I found aspects of myself in the characters. This allowed me to feel like I could relate to what they had going on inside themselves. Some of these aspects ranged from a desire for vigilantism in situations with no other way out; a desire to help others by going way beyond what is expected; and that need to ask myself why I allow things to happen when I know the outcome ahead of time. Kind of like, why did I do that again? The examples in the stories are so much more interesting than any story that I have possibly lived.

Each short story or novella is very complete within itself, however, I found myself wishing that the stories would go on longer. I wasn't ready to leave the lives of these interesting characters. This is what made the book even more fun because I found myself thinking about the stories later on, wondering what happened to people that never even existed. The characters are very well developed and intricately woven into their plots that they seem very real. Their humanity is expressed through their shortcomings, and their need to change their situations.

This book, "Lighting the Dark Side," by William R. Potter, will definitely be enjoyed by all fans of fiction. I think that it would make an excellent selection for a reader's group or for a college course. I would love to hear the interesting discussions that will be held about these stories.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK..IT IS SO EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND. ITS WORTH THE FULL PRICE. HIS TIPS WORKS AND HE SPEAKS FROM EXPERIENCE NOT FROM A PHD ....YOU WILL ENJOY THIS BOOK AND THEN PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS.

This book is insightful and very pratical.. a good handbook to guide parents along..
namaste!

Parenting With Fire: Lighting Up the Family with Passion and Inspiration

I Love all of Shmuley's books. He does NOT give you the "Jewish way" he gives you the human way of doing things. He does not "preach" to you but makes you realize there is a better/different way. I will continue to purchase and take to heart his books and advice.

This was such a quick read and the author has a great down to earth style to his writing. I was very humbled by this book. I think it gives such excellent ideas about living your best life and creating the same for your children. I'm going to 4 baby showers this year and I will be giving this book as a present to every one of the moms!

This is a great and a MUST read! He does have religious references-- after all he is a Rabbi-- but, if you take his religious references as just that, an example, he has a great message of intregity.