Bookpedia : GQ Book Library : Genre : A

ISBN: 0500283281

ListPrice: £24.95

Edition: New Ed

Summary: I am a maskartist, constantly looking for inspiration.Body paint, or decoration of the human skin is closely linked to masks and global traditions connected to maskuse. I love this book, and find it extremely useful in my work with masks. Not only when I decorate my own things, but in teaching and sculpting too. This book sends you on a spiritual journey of a special magical kind. I highly recommend it. I have had even 4 year - old pupils studying it for a long time with great joy, before their own decoration - work began.. good questions came up and started discussions about far away cultures.Wonders appeared.Get it!

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ISBN: 3822848018

ListPrice: £7.99

Edition: Taschen 25th Anniversary Ed

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ISBN: 9780810957893

ListPrice: £8.95

Summary: This is a high quality book, well designed and with LOADS of images - a great visual resource for those that love pulp comics, kitsch packaging, and hokey folk art.
Sometimes the text gets in the way, but as a former sort of goth I found this very entertaining.

ISBN: 9780811853194

ListPrice: $22.95

Summary: Pac-Man. Frogger. Super Mario Bros. These classic videogames are burned into the collective consciousness of an entire generation, thanks to countless hours spent at pizza parlors and bowling alleys across the country. Now artists such as Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, and Ashley Wood put their memories to paper, canvas, and wood to create original works of art inspired by the art of the videogame. Chuck Klosterman shares his thoughts in his distinctively insightful and entertaining style in a foreword on how videogames created a new playground for artistic expression. With more than 100 thought-provoking, amusing, and simply fun pieces of original art, "i am 8-bit" is a pixilated stroll down memory lane.

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ISBN: 9782930182018

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ISBN: 9781856695671

ListPrice: EUR 25,00

Dimensions: 0.63 x 8.35 x 6.54 in

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ISBN: 9780732267636

Summary: Imprint. Veronika believes her life is entirely meaningless. She takes an overdose of sleeping tablets in an attempt to end her life. Instead of dying, she wakes up (five days later) in a mental hospital. But her dismay worsens as she experiences a heart attack, and is told that the damage is so severe that she only has five days to live.

ISBN: 9781855852358

ListPrice: CDN$ 32.11

Dimensions: 0.39 x 11.73 x 11.65 in

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ISBN: 9780571163373

Summary: THE BOOK OF LAUGHTER AND FORGETTING is a rare and precious jewel. In many ways this is an experimental novel, the seven different parts of the book are compared by the author to Beethoven's variations upon a musical theme. These different variations either describe, converge upon, or dance around the story of Tamina, a Czech exile who ran away from the communists with her husband only to see him die of disease soon afterward. As time passes she becomes obsessed with the mortal fear that she will forget him. She cannot go back to her homeland but she can try to get her husband's love letters back, to bring some of his laughter back into her life, to remind her that she is not alone.
Tamina's homeland meanwhile, still languishes and suffers under the boot of the Soviet Union. The intellectuals who were so excited about communism in the late 1940s can't believe how wrong it goes over the next twenty years and try to correct their mistake. But the Soviets will have none of their "stalking a lost deed" as Kundera calls it--just as the Czechs are succeeding in relaxing the strictures of totalitarianism, in storm the Soviet tanks in 1968, ending the "Prague Spring" and delaying freedom in Eastern Europe for another twenty-one years.
Published in 1978, three years after Kundera escaped the Iron Curtain and set down new roots in France, this book is also an important historical document. (I actually read it for the first time as an assignment for a 20th Century European history class in college in 1991--I'm still grateful to the professor.) It is important because it warns us of the insidious dangers of "forgetting." One of the first things the communists did after crushing the Prague Spring was to fire some one hundred forty-five Czech historians from the universities in an attempt to erase the memory of the people. It is frightening how well they might have succeeded if the Soviet economy had stayed strong for another generation or two.
THE BOOK OF LAUGHTER AND FORGETTING is touching and erotic, a moving and inspired intellectual feat. It is not humorous, but if you are open to the experience, it will inspire "serious laughter, laughter beyond joking." Kundera has a gentle, straightforward style that evokes rich and vivid images (at least as translated by Michael Henry Heim--I look forward to reading Aaron Asher's in the future). For anyone who has loved, for anyone who has a memory, for anyone who appreciates the freedom we have in this society, THE BOOK OF LAUGHTER AND FORGETTING is a must.

ISBN: 9781855851221

Summary: Following "The Cover Art of `Blue Note'", this is a selection of the best of the covers produced by the "Contemporary" and "Pacific Jazz" record labels during the boom days of West Coast jazz in the 1950s. Unlike "Blue Note", which was an East Coast operation, these two labels were based in and around Los Angeles, on the West Coast, and there is a Californian feel to the covers they produced.

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ISBN: 9780316905428

Illustrator: Glen Baxter

Dimensions: 0.40 x 8.30 x 5.90 in

Summary: Glen Baxter's art appeals to a universal sense of the ridiculous. His drawings fuse the familiar with the absurd and breathe life into verbal and visual cliches, whether literary, social or cultural. This book brings together 35 of his artworks.

ISBN: 9780714839936

ListPrice: $29.95

Dimensions: 0.90 x 11.20 x 9.60 in

Summary: For more than a century the comic book has been one of our most familiar, yet least appreciated popular art forms. As vehemently criticized as it is passionately defended, it has evolved from humble beginnings into a graphically sophisticated and culturally revealing medium. At a time when vintage comics are fetching huge prices at auction, this book traces the history of the medium from comic papers for kids, through the underground "comix" movements of the 1960s and '70s, to the glossy book-format "graphic novels" of today. Organized thematically, it investigates comic art's varied genres - including humour, adventure, underground and alternative - and charts the rise, fall and rise of the medium. In so doing, Roger Sabin highlights the careers of the creators behind some of the best-known characters in modern fiction - from Superman to Sid the Sexist, Tintin to Tank Girl. He examines not only the stars and "first wave" of comic art but also the names who are currently providing comics with a new lease of life, taking such familiar material as the manic clowning of Leo Baxendate ("The Beano"), the observational adventure of Frank Hampson ("Eagle"), the bombastic power-plays of Jack Kirby ("The Incredible Hulk") and the underground scatology of Robert Crumb ("Zap"), as well as less well-known themes and names: the surreal 1950s retro of Dan Cloves ("Eightball"), the gothic superheroics of Todd McFarlane ("Spawn"), the inspired lunacy of Chris Donald (

ISBN: 9781855850965

Dimensions: 0.55 x 11.73 x 11.73 in

Summary: Over a period of 50 years, the jazz-record company "Blue Note" has acquired a reputation for producing fine album covers, and this is a selection of some of the best. It includes a concise history of the company and a portrait of Reid Miles, who designed almost 500 record sleeves. Some jazz enthusiasts consider a Reid Miles sleeve to be as evocative of the jazz scene as the trumpet timbre of Miles Davis or the plaintive phrasing of Billie Holliday, and his innovations in typographical design have influenced magazines such as "The Face", "Blitz" and "ID".

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ISBN: 9782940361083

ListPrice: $30.00

Edition: illustrated edition

Dimensions: 0.90 x 10.40 x 9.00 in

Summary: An inspiring showcase of covers that have challenged the predictable mainstream "look" of DVDs. The follow-up to the highly successful CD Art, DVD Art looks at an international collection of innovative graphic design within the ever-growing area of DVD covers and packaging. From movie to music packaging, DVD Art explores both the creative inspiration behind the work - in terms of artwork, typography, materials, printing techniques and formats - as well as the practical considerations and restrictions such as record company stipulations, inclusion of essential material, and budgets.
The first design book to look at the creativity within this growing market, and its future potential, DVD Art will be an essential purchase for anyone with a professional or personal interest in graphic design, packaging and product design.

ISBN: 9781855851542

Summary: Following the publication of "The Cover Art of `Blue Note'" and "California Cool", this book by the same authors returns to the American East Coast of the 1950s and 1960s to examine the jazz album covers of the "Prestige", "Atlantic" and "Riverside" labels. The hard-edged, straight-ahead playing of New York's jazz musicians, such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charlie Mingus, Thelonius Monk, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, was reflected in the moody, monochromatic photography, quirky graphics and bold typography of the record covers. The look, like the sound, was intelligent, disciplined and sophisticated. The book features the best of these covers - style classics which have stood the test of time and remain as influential today as when they first appeared.

ISBN: 9780140285215

ListPrice: $16.50

Dimensions: 1.34 x 7.83 x 5.08 in

Summary: 'A big, ambitious novel with a rich historical sweep and a host of narrative voices. Its subject is a vicar's ludicrous expedition in 1857 to the Garden of Eden in Tasmania, [as] meanwhile, in Tasmania itself, the British settlers are alternately trying to civilise and eliminate the Aboriginal population ...The sort of novel that few contemporary writers have either the imagination or the stamina to sustain' - "Daily Telegraph".

ISBN: 9780140066289

Dimensions: 0.50 x 7.70 x 5.10 in

Translator: P. Kussi

Summary: Milan Kundera is one of the writers and intellectuals closely affiliated with Alexander Dubcek's, Prague Spring, that failed attempt to create a safe haven for "socialism with a human face." Soviet tanks ended The Prague Spring before it could really begin in 1968.
Kundera, who was unrepentant, suffered exclusion from the writer's union, loss of his teaching post at the Prague Film School, denial of a passport and the banning of his plays--and that was just the beginning.
Labeled a pariah, Kundera refused to practice Issac Babel's "aesthetics of silence." He simply went right on writing, earning a worldwide reputation that eventually rewarded him with the 1973 Prix Medicis Etranger for his hilariously funny novel, Life is Elsewhere. Kundera, still better known in Europe than in the United States, is a highly accomplished, polished and sophisticated writer.
In The Farewell Party, we have a contemporary Czech novel washed in the atmosphere of a French or Viennese turn-of-the-century farce. At a health spa and fertility clinic, only a short, four-hour drive from an unnamed European capital, barren but hopeless ladies splash in the mineral waters, hoping against hope for the miracle that will infuse them with new life. Infusion does arrive, in the form of the Mad Scientist, Dr. Skreta, and the book takes on the character of mindless erotic frolic on a gaudily bedecked stage.
The characters are better described as caricatures. There is saucy Nurse Ruzena, newly pregnant, the result of "two fateful hours," there is Kamila, the betrayed wife and Klima, her philandering husband, who just might be the father of Nurse Ruzena's baby-to-be. The absurd accelerates to near-pandemonium as these character-cliches spin and twirl, dazzling us with their antics. The atmosphere alters, however, when a new character enters the scene. This is Jakub, a rehabilitated victim of a Stalinish purge, newly-returned from the dead.
Sexual antics, burlesque, and elegant, high comedy comprise the tone of The Farewell Party and the narrative, as always, weaves its way into graceful and inevitable patterns. But as anyone who has read Kundera knows, darker elements always manage to work their way into what appears, at first glance, to be nothing more than high comedy and farce.
Political overtones begin to gather like darkening shadows, first enclosing Ruzena and Jakub who engage in a seemingly ridiculous argument over a rambling bulldog and end up wanting to kill each other.
Kundera, himself, seems amused at all of this, and he takes it in stride, as if nothing untoward has happened. Things do, however, happen...
Kundera, who wrote The Farewell Party while still living in post-Dubcek Czechoslovakia, obviously decided not to submit to any possible penalties and, instead, remained faithful to himself and his art. The result is a political novel from one of this century's most gifted writers in a time and place in which political novels were most vehemently forbidden.

ISBN: 9889809761

ListPrice: $39.95

Edition: Pap/Toy

Summary: Many of the hot-top artists/illustrators are here!



It clearly shows the vectorial art evolution, the street art huge income and the insane hunger for new approaches, all mix up in and out some (and great) expressive minds from around the globe.



Do get it and get the book & toy package, the design strength and value are impressing. I do not regret a penny spent on this giant book.

ISBN: 9780140157437

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ISBN: 9780230703674

Edition: Airside e.

Dimensions: 1.02 x 9.06 x 5.98 in

Summary: This book is an extremely engrossing read about the real world of high stakes organized crime operating in and out of Italy today. It will have tremendous appeal to real life crime fighters and mob aficionados across the world, not to mention anyone with generational ties to Italy as a homeland. Well written and extremely informative, it engages the reader in a tell-all approach of the extensive world wide implications of organized crime originating in and out of Naples today. Graphic and disturbing, it gives factual details only an `insider' would have access to. Particularly fascinating is the increasingly large part women play in the leading role of organized family clans. `The Godmother', if you will. One could only imagine a blockbuster film coming out of this information. This reader would have preferred more details about how the writer actually infiltrated `The System' but perhaps that will be a follow up to this amazing read.

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ISBN: 9781741141221

Edition: 9

Dimensions: 0.75 x 8.90 x 6.97 in

Summary: The small business sector is, collectively, the biggest business in Australia. New ventures are continually being launched and the successful ones provide hope and a promise of satisfaction to all those who long to be their own boss. Previous editions of this text have been the guidebook for many of these successful business owners. Since its first publication, the small business environment has become vastly more complex, and successive editions have recognized and responded to these changes. This ninth edition is updated to include information on internet marketing and the tax system.

ISBN: 9781580088695

ListPrice: $24.95

Edition: illustrated edition

Dimensions: 1.30 x 12.00 x 8.80 in

Summary: It's an inspired idea--to better understand the human diet, explore what culturally diverse families eat for a week. That's what photographer Peter Menzel and author-journalist Faith D'Alusio, authors of the equally ambitious "Material World", do in "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats", a comparative photo-chronicle of their visits to 30 families in 24 countries for 600 meals in all. Their personal-is-political portraits feature pictures of each family with a week's worth of food purchases; weekly food-intake lists with costs noted; typical family recipes; and illuminating essays, such as "Diabesity," on the growing threat of obesity and diabetes. Among the families, we meet the Mellanders, a German household of five who enjoy cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, and beef roulades, and whose weekly food expenses amount to $500. We also encounter the Natomos of Mali, a family of one husband, his two wives, and their nine children, whose corn and millet-based diet costs $26.39 weekly.
We soon learn that diet is determined by largely uncontrollable forces like poverty, conflict and globalization, which can bring change with startling speed. Thus cultures can move--sometimes in a single jump--from traditional diets to the vexed plenty of global-food production. People have more to eat and, too often, eat more of nutritionally questionable food. Their health suffers.
Because the book makes many of its points through the eye, we see--and feel--more than we might otherwise. Issues that influence how the families are nourished (or not) are made more immediate. Quietly, the book reveals the intersection of nutrition and politics, of the particular and universal. It's a wonderful and worthy feat. "--Arthur Boehm"

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ISBN: 9788434303829

Summary: A major visual exploration of the surreal art of Max Ernst, this monograph invites the reader to enter the colourful and sometimes menacing world of the artist. Designed to offer a fresh and stimulating look at Ernst's oeuvre. it represents and discusses the complete spectrum of his styles, from the early Expressionist-influenced paintings to the Dada and the magnificent, romantic Surrealist canvases. In addition, Gimferrer has included a number of sculptures which explore the disquieting interplay of mass and volume and a suite of collage novels.

ISBN: 9780734763006

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ISBN: 9780330267144

Summary: This is, in every way, a perfect novel. Both humorous and heartbreaking. I found myself deeply moved and very suprised that I enjoyed this novel as much as I did. I have never been very interested in Indian history, and knew close to nothing about it. But upon reading this novel, I found myself drawn into the rich fictional history of the Aziz family, as well as the equally rich history of India. Rushdie may have ruined reading for me, as every book I read will now have much higher standards! Not for light reading, though. I imagine this is a book that you could read over and over and still find something new each time. This is a tough novel, and it takes a lot of work to truly "get it". The only reason I stuck with it is because I had to for class. But it was very rewarding in the end. The novel reveals itself in layers, with recurring themes and motifs that grow in extremely deep and powerful meanings. The character of Saleem, self-described savior of India, is one of the most memorable characters to have graced the pages of a novel. I have heard some people say that this book is a let down in the end, as though it never comes to a full climax. In answer to that: I felt that was the whole point. Saleems dreams are always dreams, they are never completely realized. The language is beautiful and lyrical, and the plot is highly detailed, as though each sentence was carefully planned. Rushdie may be the ultimate architect of this century when it comes to plot building. As a writer myself, I was both green with envy and speechless with awe over this novel. I have never read anything else by Rushdie, but now I definitly plan to!



A couple of tips:

1. There are many different characters, so you may want to make a family tree to keep track.



2. Pay close attention to Rushdie's use of color in the novel, particularly green, saffron and blue, as well as numbers.



3. The narrator, Saleem, breaks away from linear storytelling in a big way. Often, the story jumps around and he gives a lot of foreshadowing. It helps to let go of our western idea of time (i.e. events happening in a timeline) and just let the story unfold. Trust me, once you can let go of your confusion and just let it be, the reading becomes much easier! Also, it's interesting to consider what he chooses to tell us ahead of time, and what he doesn't.



And finally, you will definitly want to brush up on your Indian history! I'm not talking a whole lot, just an Encarta article or something so you know what's going on. Also, when historical figures are mentioned in the book, you should do a little research and find out more about them. This is especially true for the political figures, such as Indira Ghandi.



Like I said, this book is A LOT of work, but worth all the effort.

ISBN: 9780330284783

Edition: New Ed

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Edition: First edition.

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ISBN: 9781580086349

ListPrice: $19.95

Edition: illustrated edition

Dimensions: 0.80 x 9.30 x 9.30 in

Summary: Somewhere at the dawn of our history, a wolf lay down by a Cro-Magnon campfire and the first intimate relationship between animal and human was born. As the millennia passed, we learned to harness the tireless speed and strength of horses and matchless hunting and herding skills of dogs, and thus became the dominant mammals on the planet. We continue to employ and rely on animals to this day, not only for the many heroic and utilitarian services they perform, but also for the peerless companionship and unconditional love they offer.
PEOPLE I SLEEP WITH documents this very special bond between some very special creatures, both domestic and exotic, and their beloved human guardians. This powerful collection of images is by turns poignant, provocative, and whimsical. It is impossible not to marvel at the mastiff and the boa curled protectively around their dreaming boy. Or smile at the sensitive hen snuggled up to her girl, the inky embrace of the tattooed gentleman with napping poodles, or the dapper, delicate scorpion and his dozing young friend. Each photograph captures the effortless intimacy between species as they sleep, sometimes tenderly intertwined, sometimes not even touching, yet always quietly, undeniably connected.

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Summary: High in the sky Snowflake is born and then slowly she begins to fall to Earth, but that is just the beginning of her journey. There are many more miles and forms that she will take before she reaches her journey's final end. Seemingly aimed at Young Adult readers, the emotionally mature reader will quickly notice that Snowflake's journey is a metaphor for the many joys, pains, and inevitable questions of Life itself. The heartwarming message that everything serves a design is delivered with, if not subtle, at least beautiful writing. I had only known Gallico as the writer of The Poseidon Adventure. I am glad to have discovered this wonderful little book among my late wife's personal belongings. It soothed me like no book on grief could. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780900075636

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ISBN: 9780688163938

ListPrice: $50.00

Dimensions: 1.25 x 11.25 x 9.00 in

Summary: Typographics 3 gathers graphic design examples and compiles them into this collection that offers a truly global perspective on the cutting edge of visual communications and innovation.'

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ISBN: 9781843308881

ListPrice: $16.50

Summary: These are the worst covers in the world. The problem is that the book is too short. This is the kind of book that I don't want to end, but to keep going and going. From fingerless fiddlers to folks who can't count the five members in their group (The Master's Four), the worst is here. I know that there are more poor covers out there, find them and report back.