Holiday Book Gift Guide 2015
- Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of wonder: pronged ants, horned humans, mice on toast and other marvels of Jurassic technology
Written by Lawrence Weschler
At Los Angeles’ Museum of Jurassic Technology, things aren’t always what they seem. It’s a collection of art, science, ethnographic, anthropological, and historical artifacts presented as much in the spirit of the “wonder cabinets” of the 16th century as in the spirit of a straightforward natural history museum. In this exploration of the place itself and the man who created it, Weschler illuminates the truth and wonder that can be found in the outlandish.
- The Secret History of Wonder Woman
Written by Jill Lepore
The perfect entry point for someone who doesn’t yet know that the world of comic books is a fascinating place.Lepore—a professor of American history at Harvard University and a staffer atTheNew Yorker takes a fascinating look at the most popular female superhero of all time and illuminates much of the unknown history about how the character played a role in the women’s rights movement, as well as the life the man who created her, William Moulton Marston, who found inspiration in (among other things) his wife, his live-in mistress, Vargas girls, and birth control activist Margaret Sanger.
- Jane, the fox and me
Written by Fanny Britt
This award-winning graphic novel is ostensibly for children, but thoughtful adults will find themselves in its pages, too. Jane, the Fox, & Me tells the story of Hélène, an outcast middle schooler who takes refuge in the pages of Jane Eyre. Hélène’s tale is spun quietly, through soft pencil strokes and splashes of color that mirror her struggles, comforts, and, eventually, her hope.
- Producing Country; The Inside Story of great Recordings
Written by Michael Jarrett
What exactly does a music producer do? Michael Jarrett’s stunning oral history traverses the decades ofcountry music to answer that question. These jacks-of-all-trades help pick the perfect songs for each artist, assemble an optimal band of session musicians, and shape raw talents into proven hit makers. Each entry in this comprehensive, fast-paced volume shares an insider’s story behind a classic album or track to illuminate how it was made. Even if you’re not a big country fan, the book deftly navigates the places where early country intersected with rock and pop in unexpected ways—look for cameos from unexpected artists like Buddy Holly, Ray Charles, and Al Green. And if you’re already a fan of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, or Clint Black, you’ll learn a lot about how your favorite songs came to sound the way they do.
- Genius!: The most Astonishing inventions of all time
Written by Deborah Kespert
Where would we be without the light bulb or the airplane? (Bored in our own dark houses, probably.) Get the backstories on 21 inventions that changed our world, from the ancient Archimedes screw to space-age rockets, in this brightly illustrated book that’s perfect for budding inventors and kids of all ages.
- A Readers Book of Days: True tales from the lives and works from writers for everyday of the year
Written by Tom Nissley
Enliven your morning cereal with a glimpse of the day in literary history, whether it’s real world events (Mary Shelley getting the idea for Frankenstein) or the dates of fictional scenarios written into beloved books (the prom in Stephen King’s Carrie). Also included: The dates when famous authors were born and died, and when they met, reviewed one another, started affairs, and more. Perfect for the next time you need to know when Herman Melville met Abraham Lincoln, or when Arthur Rimbaud got his leg amputated. (The author is a former Jeopardy champion, which should be no great surprise.)
- I Lost it at the Video Store; A film makers oral history of a Vanished Era
Written by Tom Roston
Before binge watching and high-definition video on demand, watching a film required gas in your car and a well-stocked rental store. Roston’s oral history of the VHS revolution in the 1980s is like an archaeological dig guided by filmmakers (Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell) who got their education on magnetic tape.
- Map: Exploring the World
Written by Victoria Clark
Whether you’re interested in history, cartography, or design inspiration, this book is sure to class up your coffee table. The hefty tome is an exhaustive catalogof more than 300 versions of how we represent the world, from virtually unrecognizable sketches of landmasses a thousand years ago to modern art projects.
- Opulent Oceans: Extraordinary Rare book Selections from The American Museum of Natural History Library
Written by Melanie L. J. Stiassny
Most people don’t have many opportunities to experience the underwater universe of Earth'soceans firsthand. Instead, we rely on photos, drawings, and
essays like the ones in Opulent Oceans to bring us closer to the ecosystems that cover over 70 percent of the planet. From whales to coral, this book from
the American Museum of Natural history covers the vast world of oceanography with lovely detailed illustrations including 40 frameable prints. For the
natural-science devotee who likes to stay dry, we also recommend the AMNH’s
Natural Histories: Extraordinary Rare Book Selections from the American Museum of Natural History Library
by Tom Baione (basically a companion text to Opulent), as well as
Creatures of the Deep
by Erich Hoyt for amazing underwater photos, and
Bird Love
by Leila Jeffreys for the prettiest bird photos you’ve ever seen.
- Plotted: A Literary Atlas
Written by Andrew Degraff
What did Robinson Crusoe’s “Island of Despair” look like? Or the Mississippi River journey in Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Or how about
the mind-bending travels through time and space in A Wrinkle in Time? This collection of maps from literary classics helps to turn those imaginary spaces
into a physical reality with stunning illustrations. The colorful cartographic take on old favorites makes it easy to dive right back into beloved literary
worlds.
- A History of Baseball in 100 Objects
Written by Josh Leventhal
Every gift guide for dads is sure to contain something baseball-y, but this one is actually worth investing in (sorry, baseball mitt shaped oven mitt).
It’s exactly what it says it is—a complete history of America’s favorite pastime told through 100 objects, from documents to equipment to merchandise.
It’s visually stunning and textually informative in equal measure, with full-page photographs accompanied by stories, context, and historical significance.
Great for the reader who wants to reminisce while they learn something new.
- Headstrong: 52 Women who changed Science and the world
Written by Rachel Swaby
Maria Mitchell—one of the 52 women profiled—was among the first Americans to discover a comet and was the first female American astronomer. As a professor
at Vassar, she bucked curfew rules to hold her astronomy classes (gasp!) at night. Swaby’s book is the kind of quick read that you can devour in a couple
of days or pick up every now and again, and shines a light on the women who have been a powerful force in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering
for centuries.
- Cats Galore: A compendium of Cultured Cats
Written by If you’re a cat person, even highbrow culture can be improved upon—so long as you add whiskers and a tail. That seemed to be the personal motto of late
English artist Susan Herbert (1945-2014), who gained international acclaim for her hyper-realistic paintings of sophisticated felines. Herbert’s watercolors
portray tabbies and tomcats alike posing and prancing their way through scenes borrowed from famous works of film, art, opera, ballet, and literature.
Feline Hamlet? Check. Tuxedo cat-with-cigar as Charlie Chaplin? Check. A furry Venus ascending from a clamshell in a surprisingly dignified reinterpretation
of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus? Check. This volume culls images from four of Herbert’s previous compilations and groups them by section, based on whether
the kitties are on-stage, on-screen, or on-canvas stars.
- Bad Luck, Hot Rocks: conscience Letters and Photos from the Petrified Forest
Written by Ryan Thompson and Phil Orr
The Petrified Forest National Park of northeast Arizona’s Painted Desert was designated a national monument in 1906, in part to protect the 200-million-year-old
deposits of petrified wood that formed there during the late Triassic period. Only problem? Visitors can’t seem to keep their hands off them—they frequently
pocket bits of petrified wood (colloquially known as “rocks”) as souvenirs. Later, many of them regret the move. That’s when the thieves mail the rocks,
along with cathartic letters, back to the park. Bad Luck, Hot Rocks, compiles the confessions, from the heartrending to the hilarious. (The thefts are
often seen to be the starting point for strings of bad luck.) Visual artist Ryan Thompson became interested in the phenomenon on a 2011 park visit. So
he and coeditor Phil Orr mined the park’s archives for the most interesting letters (there are more than 1200 of them) and photographed the rocks in question.
Ironically, the park can’t actually return the rocks to the land: It would undermine geologic research being done there. While the erstwhile souvenirs
land in a pickup truck–size “conscience pile” in a secluded area of the park, at least the hearts of their returners are a little less heavy.
15. Bob Dylan all the songs
The story behind every track
Written by Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon
This is the most comprehensive account of Bob Dylan's work yet published with the full story of every recording session, every album, and every single released during his remarkable and illustrious 53-year career.
Bob Dylan: All the Songsfocuses on Dylan's creative process and his organic, unencumbered style of recording. It is the only book to tell the stories, many unfamiliar even to his most fervent fans, behind all the 492 songs he released. Organized chronologically by album, Margotin and Guesdon recount the details that led to the composition of Dylan's recorded songs, what went on in the recording studio, what instruments he used, and behind-the-scenes account of the great artists that Dylan worked with.
Philippe Margotin has written numerous books on music, including biographies of U2, Radiohead, and the Rolling Stones.
Jean-Michel Guesdon is a producer and musician. His talents as a musician, composer, and sound engineer enable him to have a unique perspective on Dylan's work.
16. Sinatra100
Written by: Charles Pignone, Tony Bennett, Steve Wynn, Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra and Tina Sinatra
On the centennial of his birth, Sinatra 100—with the participation of his three children—is an intimate and dramatic visual portrait of Frank Sinatra, revealing many of the previously unseen moments in a remarkable life. Of course, Sinatra’s legacy speaks for itself. An entertainer of mesmerizing talent, charisma, and style, he is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, and Academy Award-winning actor, and a cultural icon.
From inciting bobby-soxer riots and achieving teen idol status in the 1940s to the incredible recording career, the film career, the Rat Pack and Las Vegas, Sinatra 100 has the unseen photographs (and the iconic ones) as well as a rare trove of memorabilia and ephemera—over half of it never before published. With a majority of the text based on unpublished personal interviews and conversations with Frank Sinatra and his friends, family, and colleagues, Sinatra 100 unparalleled in its scope and depth. It’s the ultimate Sinatra gift, both for the fans who think they’ve seen it all and those just discovering this inimitable artist.
17. Beatles Gear
Written by Andy BabiukThis ultimate guide to all the gear used by the Beatles details exactly which guitars, drums, amplifiers, and keyboards the Fab Four embraced throughout their brief but revolutionary career, from their earliest days as the Quarry Men to the dissolution of the Beatles in 1970. It provides fascinatingly fresh insights into Beatle history, exploding myths and uncovering dozens of new stories along the way. John, Paul, George, and Ringo's moves from cheap early instruments to the pick of 1960s technology are carefully and entertainingly documented in an easy-to-read narrative, fully illustrated with many previously unseen photographs, a cache of rare memorabilia, and a unique collection of specially photographed instruments used by the Beatles.
As we continue to find new ways to explore their sound, from vivid remasters of their original recordings to cutting-edge video games, the Beatles remain at the forefront of popular music. This landmark book is perfect for the fan absorbed by music rather than hairstyles, for the tribute-band member with an eye for detail, and for any reader with an abiding interest in the 1960s. With a foreword by acclaimed Beatle author Mark Lewisohn, Beatles Gear tells it like it was.
Adult coloring books are all the rage right now. Stress relieving, gets you away from a computer or phone screen and let’s your mind relax. There’s nothing better than a gift of a wonderful set of colored pencils, markers or crayons and a fantastic coloring book. These suggestions below are all aimed at the adult in your life that needs a break and loves to express themselves with color.
Lost Ocean
By Johanna Basford
Harry Potter Coloring book
By Scholastic
The Official Outlander Coloring Book
By Diana Gabaldon
The Official Game of Thrones Coloring Book, A song of Ice and Fire
By George R. R. Martin
Tolkien’s World, a coloring book
By Ian Miller
These are just a few of the books you can find. There is something for everyone from Star Wars, Dr. Who, Grims Fairy Tales, Sherlock; the mind palace, Color Me Drunk, A drinking and coloring activity book, Disney Princesses, Fantastic Cities, Magical Creatures and many, many more.