Precious

I tend to enjoy history and science books so finding Precious was a real joy for the other side of my brain. The photography was inspired and, in a guilty pleasure sort of way, I really enjoyed reading about the famous and beautiful and learning just a bit about what made them tick.

I am so happy I purchased this book. The photos are beautiful and fresh, and the commentary is pretty revealing about what these famous people have in their minds (some good, some bad). The design of the book is eye-catching...perfect for your table, and to inspire conversation. I definitely think these talented photographers created something worth every penny. Plus, in today's world where people are mostly jaded and cynical, I think it's pretty cool that two artists decided to do something completely unselfish for a good cause. Bravo!

This is such a unique idea and the photography is absolutely brilliant! I love knowing what celebrities value and seeing them highlight these values in photos that differ from the usual fashion spreads. And it's adorable that photographer Nigel Parry included photos of his children - after all the proceeds of the book go to the Starlight Children's Foundation! Side note: this makes an amazing gift! Well done all around!

This book is truly an accomplishment. After looking at so many high-profile photographer's books, I found all of the books to be self centered and all the same. This book is absoloutely different. Not only are each of the photographs unique, but the design of the book is a refreshing change from every other photo book out there. The quotes from all of the subjects in the book are revealing. The manner in which each person was photographed so creative and a nice change from the way that we're so used to see some of the celebs. These are two amazing photographers and its so good to see that they're putting their talents to work for such a great cause.

PRECIOUS is a unique and very fine book of photography by Nigel Parry and Melanie Dunea who came up with the idea of approaching the luminaries they usually photograph with a single question: "What part of you is precious?". The result is a series of close-ups of eyes, lips, and mouths - all body parts considered by the subjects to be the most precious part of their appearance, life, and career. Each page is given full play to even a small part of the body designated by the subject and an added short comment by the subject accompanies the elegantly designed layout. The subjects are wide ranging: Renee Fleming, Johnny Depp, Twyla Tharp, Tommy Hilfiger, Lukas Haas, Elijah Wood, Harrison Ford, Meg Ryan, Paul Theroux, Paul Giamatti - the list goes on covering not only Hollywood stars but also figures from the dance, theater, fashion, model, music, and literature worlds. This is a fascinating coffee table book that is probably more intimate than any single monograph of any one of the subjects!