Stop Motion: Passion, Process and Performance

I received Barry Purves' 'Stop Motion: Passion, Process and Performance' as part of my graduation present, and I think I can say with all honesty that it's probably the best book I've read within the past year or so - if not longer, in that it truly encouraged an excitement and embracing of something I'd previously had only brief (though not forgotten) encounters with. I initially borrowed the book last summer and was immediately enthralled with the fact that it's not simply a basic overview or dry list of techniques - it's a very personal and insightful reflection on the world of stop-motion animation and what it's like, as an artist, to breathe in the unique joys and challenges of that medium on a daily basis.