This book is wholly overrated here. I own this book and have been forced to use it at a large higher education institution. I have taught at the college level for 12 years teaching drawing at all levels at several different schools. This book is a mediocre example of a drawing text book. The focus in this book is on rote exercise and traditional technical drawing knowledge. There are only a couple chapters where the authors make any attempt at understanding drawing's broader explorations and contemporary manifestations. There is nothing new or insightful here, the assignments are old stand-bys and traditional or beginner in nature. It is a decent book for a beginner but surely nothing extraordinary. If you want a book that gives practical, innovative, inspired and multifaceted (both creative and technical)lessons and projects in contemporary drawing you should look to book like "100 Creative Drawing Ideas" by Audette. This sort book offers really interesting takes on some extraordinary drawing projects from professors around the country. This books is practical in that the whole book is organized in theme; both contemporary, creative and at times more technical in nature. But all the projects shown in Audette's book have real depth and multi-layered lessons in drawing. The "Drawing: A Contemporary Approach" by Sale, Betti, has not a single project to compare. The title is completely misleading, this a traditional drawing "textbook" not by any measure a great book on contemporary approaches to drawing, not at all.
