...maybe 3-1/2 Stars. The basic principles in this book are pretty solid; it's the basic presentation here that leaves a bit to be desired.
This is one of several books that I have with this great, sideways physical format & dimensions: Drawing: A Creative Process, and Basic Perspective Drawing: A Visual Guide being 2 others easily worth mentioning. In any case, Rapid Viz helps creative people with getting their ideas onto paper: quickly, clearly, and in a systematic fashion. Quick & accurate sketching in any medium can be the foundation for finished, professional work. In fact, as this book explains, using a systematic process in developing our ideas can save us a great deal of time in the long run. This book details this systematic process. The ideas here aren't completely new: it's the gathering of these ideas into a single book *for the 1st time* that makes this 'a new method' in its presentation. It's split almost evenly into 2 halves: the first explaining the basics of perspective; the second detailing the specific steps in this quick visualization process. Perspective is clearly the foundation here, which leads me to my biggest criticism: if half this book gives us watered-down perspective, why not just get a full-blown perspective book? And some would say the 2nd half of this book is simply common sense. Of course the answer here is equally simple: common sense isn't always that common(!). It really *can* help to have this process clearly stated in a book. But the entire thing has this sort of watered-down, unfinished look, making it seem like maybe a better version could be just around the corner. As it turns out, there *is* a newer, 3rd edition of this book, and it's actually available today. Since I haven't yet bought this newer version I thought I'd detail my current thoughts in this 2nd edition's review. I actually like to think of Rapid Viz and Ching's Drawing: A Creative Process together as being 2 sides of the same coin. Whereas Ching's book isn't clear & concise but has visual detail & depth, Rapid Viz *is* clear & concise but *lacks* visual detail & depth. If these two could be combined, it might make for a really great single book on rapidly visualizing the creative process. Both have their benefits and, in my opinion, are basically worth getting. Yet I'm not exactly confident others will agree. Maybe the new Rapid Viz 3rd Edition has improved on these ideas...

*UPDATE*- I just bought the new 3rd edition, and I'm very sorry I did- it's a smaller-sized version, a completely unnecessary downgrade, and for me a total & complete waste of money- at best. This here 2nd edition is easily the one I recommend!

If you are seriously interested in tackling the tougher aspects of drawing: ie, drawing from your imagination, perspective, visualization--this book may be what you are looking for.

I have almost every conceivable how-to drawing book, and while this book seems deceptively simple, it's exercises are profound. He has you learn a visual recognition and intuitive understanding of perspective, and applies it to later studies on form, shading, perspective plans, etc..

DO THE EXERCISES, DON'T JUST READ IT.

He tries, in essence, to teach you to apply 3-dimensional thinking to simple shapes at first, and builds on that.

I can't recommend this book more heartily.

If you have been sketching for years then read someone else's review for a more accurate portrayal of this book. 3D, Perspective, Techniques, Depth, Light, Shadows: Previously, these were all completely beyond me. Practice is the key; the ability to sketch does not lie in a book, but rather in the pencil you are holding. This book gives you a starting point for practice. I've gone from appalling to amateur in a couple of months.

It's almost forgivable that, as the Reader on May 23, 2004 pointed out, there are errors in the exercises, as the goal of the book is to get over the little errors and express one's self quickly. However, the exercise the above mentioned reader is referring to is based on a distorted cube - not all of the parallels share the same vanishing point... Oops.

Besides a few technical flaws, I think this book covers one crucial aspect of design I see lacking in many new designers I see coming out of schools these days - the ability to visualize with a pencil.

I suggest to any designer who is not comfortable with drawing freehand, however, it's no replacement for life drawing