American Staff Writer

For the record, I like big books; the ones that spread all across the coffee table with huge, four-color illustrations.

The ones that are well put together.

The ones with slick, glossy paper and that hefty, need-to-be read feel.

Yeah, I like big books.

The Art and Mythology of the Da Vinci Code is a big book.

But I don't like it.

Written by David Morris, at first glance it seems that this book is designed to supplement the novel; to give the reader extra information about the setting behind the book, the Da Vinci Code and about Da Vinci, himself.

First glances can be deceiving.

Instead of a supplement, this book seems more of a way for yet another author to capitalize on Dan Brown's novel. Filled with luke-warm photographs and travel-brochure style writing, the Art and Mythology of the Da Vinci Code, while pretty, is poorly executed.

Morris had the opportunity to take us deeper inside Da Vinci's mind and his time, instead he rushed something into print to capture a few extra bucks from those fans of Brown's work.

Now, don't get me wrong, there's room in the publishing world for books like this one -- but they should be vetted and reviewed and, well, just better executed.

I don't blame David Morris for wanting to make money.

I don't blame him for wanting to write.

But I don't hold him accountable for producing something that is, obviously, an attempt to capitalize on someone else's work.