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Grady Harp wrote on 10/20/2009:

And so Giovanni states in his Foreword to this newest book, a book that is not only a compilation of his three previously successful books - BITES, PRIVATE PARTS, UN*/CUT - but a photographic monograph that includes new work as well. As Giovanni further shares with the reader 'I used the whole array of my working techniques, shot on different type of film - analogue, digital, colour, black and white...With the help of studio lighting I created landscapes of flesh and blood and full-frontal portraits, without negating the snapshot quality of the work.' And for those readers who are unfamiliar with the name of this photographic artist, 'Giovanni' is a nom de plume for a famous fashion photographer in Italy, a man who wishes to remain anonymous to his primary career of classy Italian fashion.

As with his other books, what makes this volume important is not only the fine quality of the photography and the first class design of the book itself, but also the frank courage to focus on that part of the anatomy the world has such difficulty dealing with historically and at present - the male phallus. Just as some famous artists have elected to repeatedly paint haystacks, or a single cathedral form multiple angles and seasons of the year, or pond after pond of water lilies, Giovanni explores the organ of origin in settings and manners that keep the topic fresh and interesting. Alternating between black and white and color and sepia tones he presents models in partial clothing and without clothing, in aqueous atmospheres and in obvious studio environmental poses, Giovanni reprises Bites, then Private Parts, then Un*/Cut and ends his book with 'Above Average - new images not published before. The book ends with a frank interview conducted with a nameless interviewer who poses questions to Giovanni about why and how the artist has elected to pursue this avenue of art and the process he uses to achieve his end result. It is informative and sensitive, a fitting end to a book that is a work of courage