This reviewer angrily objected to the advent of CDs on the grounds that four square-inch cover art simply doesn"t do justice to the medium. This loving, lavish exploration of music graphics by London-based design practice Intro--who themselves design record covers and direct music videos--shows that perhaps this reviewer was a bit hasty.The evolution of music graphics seems to have been galvanised, rather than hindered, by shrinking covers to a third of their former size and encasing them in jewelled plastic. Sampler2 leads you through the evolution of this specialisation, from typography to layout to printing techniques, and explores what designer Adrian Shaughnessy of Intro characterises as a search for authenticity that"s distinct from the instant gratification we often associate with conventional graphic design.But mainly this book gives joy by inundating you with page after page of cover art, the graphics printed on the CDs themselves and the little extras--hand-written liner notes, translucent paper packaging and the like--we"ve grown to expect from the artistry of modern music. --Liz Bailey