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5 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 buyer beware Jul 11, 2007
I feel so ripped off. I'm astounded by the other reviews unanimously giving this book 5 stars. They must all be the author/publisher's friends, is the only explanation I can come up with. It is not worth the money at half or a quarter of the price. In fact, if this was on a sale table going for ridiculously cheap, I still wouldn't buy it. It is small, it is paperback (I know I should have looked more carefully at the description), it is not printed on paper that is conducive to showing off photography. Even if it was, the pictures themselves are nothing special. They are faded, not artistic shots at all. It appears to me that it is a third generation copy of leftover postcards from 20 years ago. I was hoping for something like a glossy, high-quality coffee table book. I have learned an expensive lesson. Pay attention to who the publisher is. If it's not from a big name publishing co. it is probably because it was rejected by them and was self-published by the author hoping to make a buck off some unsuspecting internet customer. I'm disappointed that Amazon allows this.
2 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Wow! Beautiful! Dec 13, 2006
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (12/06)
World traveler, Vicki Landes, portrays Europe in the most delightful way one can imagine. She captures, through her precise eye, sights of delight, wonderment, and beauty in her enchanting coffee table book.
Enchanting it is as Landes takes the reader through various areas of Europe, evoking not only sight through pictures, but through the other senses. Although one would think that her photos would only induce appreciation through site, Landes' photos are so defined that they look real. I found myself touching the pictures, expecting to feel the bright green ferns. I imagined the smell of the water blooms, and almost heard the pipe organ in the Fraumunster Church.
The other thing I found delightful was to see photographs of places I've been to: Linderhof Fountain, Temple of Venus, city view from a castle in Heidelberg, Cologne Cathedral, and of course the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Going through Landes book was like revisiting Europe.
"Europe for the Senses" is more than a picture book. Landes also explains some of the architecture as well. An example is, "Pisa a collection of clay-colored roofs being interrupted by a pallid square of marble structures. Contain a smirk when you ponder Pisa's only claim to fame is an engineering failure; imagine the perplexing mixture of pride and embarrassment for its creator, knowing the world remembers you for this crooked tower too unstable to ring its own bells."
Landes adds a wonderful section on Austria. To me, Austria is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever been to. The photos of garden urns and fountains are magical. I love the statues in the gardens and have tried to recreate the same atmosphere in our own courtyard. She also adds photos of the various frescoes in the St. Charles Cathedral.
Secondly, I love the Netherlands, and of course Landes added a wonderful section. She explains "Rows of colorful tulips as far as the eye can see...it's tulip time in the Netherlands. As each flower greedily reaches for the sun, countless visitors at the Keukenhof Gardens snap pictures and purchase bulbs and seedlings." It is obvious that Landes was one of those snapping pictures. The rainbow of colors that are portrayed in the photos of "Europe for the Senses" is spectacular and the hyacinths are so true to form that I feel like putting my nose into the picture. In fact, I'm sure I can even smell the flowers!
2 of 7 found the following review helpful:
The perfect giftbook for Europhiles. Oct 07, 2006
Europe For The Senses: A Photographic Journal by author, traveler, and photographer Vicki Landes is a breathtaking collection of full-color photographs from around Europe. Images range from wildflowers to the Leaning Tower of Pisa juxtaposed against an aerial view of flying to Pisa, to Luxembourg's American Military Cemetery, and much more. Most photographs have a brief commentary in the form of text, printed in a handwriting-style font and reminiscing fond memories as well as recounting historical facts about the images that portray classic locations. A joy to page through, and the perfect giftbook for Europhiles.
2 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Wish I was there! Aug 11, 2006
I was thinking about a trip to Europe, but after a friend showed me a copy of "Europe for the Senses" Wow, I have to go. The pictures are so inspiring along with the discriptions, I'll make sure I don't miss the Black Forest. Such a great book, it now has a home on my coffee table.
4 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Outstanding! Apr 06, 2006
I live in Germany, myself, and this book was made by one of our (school) student's parent. No bias here, really, when I say this is the best book I've ever seen like this. Europe has a lot of beautiful books published about various sites and cities. This one tops them all! Just absolutely beautiful!
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