Norman Bel Geddes Designs America accompanies a landmark exhibition exploring the career of Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958), one of the 20th century's foremost theatrical and industrial designers. This companion volume explores Bel Geddes's life and career in comprehensive detail through nearly 100 projects, ranging from streamlined airplanes, ships, and cars, to stage sets, appliances, and much more. Both the exhibition and the book bring together never-before-seen drawings, models, photographs, and films drawn from the Ransom Center's Bel Geddes collection. He is perhaps best known for his Futurama display for the General Motors Highways and Horizons exhibit at the New York World's Fair of 1939-40, which to this day remains a useful model for city planning and design. The exhibition is curated by Donald Albrecht, who contributed the book's introduction and serves as its editor. In addition to Albrecht, who has written the introduction, twenty scholars have contributed essays. The exhibition I Have Seen the Future: Norman Bel Geddes Designs America opens in September 2012 at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, and will travel to the Museum of the City of New York.

Not since Brian Froud's conceptual design work with Jim Henson on the classic films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth has he created a faerie world with such imagination, dimension, depth, and detail. Trolls features new and classic work by both Brian and his wife, Wendy, woven together along with artifacts and symbols of the natural world to create a fascinating revelation about the world of trolls. The book explores trolls and troll culture, revealing their philosophies, their home life, and their world attitudes through their tales, mythology, and archaeology. Trolls affirms that trolls are real, that they have lived and are living now. The texture of the world and the deeply immersive, cinematic images will appeal to the legions of fantasy — and Froud — fans.

Prefabrication offers a simple path to the green home of your dreams, and in her latest book, Prefabulous author Sheri Koones highlights the many ways of using prefabrication to create almost-off-the-grid homes-houses that are not only environmentally friendly but often operate at nearly zero annual energy cost. Taking energy from the grid when necessary and returning any excess energy produced, almost-off-the-grid homes function on a fraction of the energy required by most houses, and additionally are more comfortable, healthier, quieter inside, and far cheaper to operate. As energy costs continue to rise, the almost-off-the-grid house proves its worth. Prefabulous + Almost Off the Grid profiles more than 30 of the most energy-efficient homes in the United States, and this hardworking guide reveals how homeowners can achieve similar results with floor plans, the latest, most efficient technologies, and multiple images of the exterior and interior of each home.

Puppyhood showcases adorable puppies in life-size photographs taken at six weeks old. The book itself is oversize at 13 by 11 inches, allowing enough space to bring each of these little ones to life. Twenty-five breeds are captured in engaging photographs, showing all the details that make puppies so irresistible, from their pink bellies to their tiny teeth, soft ears, and oversize paws. The book features the most popular breeds, including the French bulldog, Labrador, golden retriever, and Parson Russell Terrier. Puppyhood is a unique gift book for dog lovers everywhere.

From the writer and photographer who brought us the bestselling Cattitude series, here comes a uniquely canine perspective on living the good life. Through charming photographs and clever aphorisms, Dogplay: The Canine Guide to Being Happy takes a light-hearted look at how our four-legged friends embrace the everyday and maintain their eternal optimism. Whether it's advice about enjoying food (tap into the mind/body/snack connection), appreciating the simple things (explore new backyards but know your way home) or de-stressing (consider fresh air God's Prozac), these words of canine wisdom are sure to ring true for human readers as well. Kim Levin's signature black-and-white photography and Christine Montaquila's insightful humour make this adorable book a must-have for any dog lover, or anyone who needs a reason to smile.

Celebrated exploration photographer George Steinmetz takes his art to a new level in Desert Air, the first comprehensive photographic collection of the world's extreme deserts, which receive less than four inches of precipitation per year. Steinmetz has spent 15 years on this epic body of work, capturing remarkable and surreally beautiful visions of deserts, from China's great Gobi Desert to the Sahara in northern Africa to Death Valley in California. Much more than a visual journey, these images are enriched by the exciting stories behind Steinmetz's adventures in some of the world's most difficult and challenging areas — from smuggling his paraglider into Libya to getting arrested for spying in Iran, to crashing into a tree in western China. Desert Air reveals extraordinary desert ecosystems that together form a kind of disparate family of coevolved landscapes; similar, yet each unique in its own way.

With the launch of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry somehow managed to recapture lightning in a bottle. This new incarnation of Star Trek was an instant hit, and its popularity inspired four films and three spin-off television series. To commemorate the show's 25th anniversary, Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 provides a fresh, accessible overview of the entire series, including an authorized guide to all 178 episodes. Featuring rarely seen and now-classic photography and illustrations, this visual celebration of the voyages of Captain Picard, his crew, and the Enterprise-D offers a loving look back at the Emmy and Hugo Award-winning series.

W Magazine (W stands for World of Style) will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2012 with a book featuring the most fabulous high points over the last 40 years. W is an award winning publication, one of the world's greatest and best known fashion magazines. It was founded in 1971 as a sister publication to Women's Wear Daily and was owned by Fairchild Publications until it was purchased by Conde Nast in 1999. Its long time creative director Dennis Freedman and editorial director Patrick McCarthy left the magazine in 2010 and were replaced by Stefano Tonchi, who is now its editor in chief. Often the subject of controversy, W magazine is renowned for its provocative, influential and often groundbreaking fashion features by such photographers as Steven Klein, Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Steven Meisel, Tim Walker, Craig McDean and Juergen Teller. W is the only fashion magazine that will dare to devote an entire magazine to one feature narrative by one photographer (such as Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt or Madonna, both by Steven Klein). W covers not only fashion & beauty, but everything style, design, celebrity and artistic related in not only American and European culture and society, but throughout the world. The book will be divided into three sections; Who, Where, and Wow, with a foreword by Stefano Tonchi and introductory essays to each of the three sections, one of which will be written by magazine contributor Lynn Hirschberg.

Colour is where it's all happening in photography today, and New York City is colour photography's greatest subject. New York in Colour presents the best colour photography of New York over the last century and celebrates one of the world's most visually vibrant cities. From such iconic landmarks as Times Square, Central Park, and Coney Island to neighbourhoods and locales unknown even to many New Yorkers, colour photography provides a new perspective on the city. More than anything else, though, it is New York's famous energy, anarchy, and diversity as observed on the city's streets and in its public spaces that have inspired many of the photographers in this collection. New York in Colour shows the city as an ever-changing visual collage, 'a beautiful catastrophe' as the Swiss architect Le Corbusier famously described it. Organized in thematic sections that capture the vibrancy and poetry of the changing streetscape — such as the skyline, the teeming streets, the constant motion, the nerve centres of activity, the famous landmarks, the water's edge — New York in Colour is destined to be a classic photographic survey of the world's most exciting city.

Mars Attacks is a series of science fiction trading cards produced by Topps in 1962, depicting the gruesome invasion of Earth by Martians. The story unfolds over the course of the 55 card series, showing futuristic battle scenes with Martians, and their cruel, often bizarre methods of attack and torture. The series culminates with a human insurrection and the destruction of Mars. The short lived series retained it's devoted following and quickly became a collectors item and remains hugely popular and influential today. Tim Burton's 1996 movie adaptation of the story brought Mars Attacks back to the forefront of pop culture and the upcoming 50th anniversary in 2012 will do the same, introducing the story to a new generation of fans. The book Mars Attacks will be the only book ever created on the topic (the series was reprinted only once, 18 years ago in 1994 and is a collectors item). The book will include rare and never before seen material (sketches, concept art, test market materials), as well as an introduction by the series' creator, Len Brown, and an afterword by Zina Saunders, daughter of the original artist.

The unprecedented box office success of 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, and the ensuing pop culture phenomenon, took Lucasfilm by surprise. Fans had to wait nearly a year for the first action figures to appear. But as of 1978, an industry unto itself was born, consisting of Star Wars books, trading cards, magazines, video games and merchandise. Thirty five years later, these printed book and magazine covers, trading cards and collector's items continue to expand the limits and celebrate the iconography of the Star Wars galaxy through painting, illustration and graphic design. Now, the third book in the Star Wars Art series, Illustration, collects the very best of these artworks, as curated by George Lucas: more than three decades of book jackets; art from StarWars Insider magazine and role playing guides; limited edition prints; Topps' Star Wars Galaxy trading cards; marketing artwork from LucasArts video games and Lucas Licensing; and one of a kind works generated for collectible merchandise. Featuring previously unpublished, rarely seen, or fan favourite art from John Alvin, Brett Blevins, Rick Buckler Jr., Dave Dorman, Tommy Lee Edwards, Hugh Fleming and many others, Star Wars Art: Illustration celebrates the wide range of styles, influences, and tones that illustrators have brought to bear on a galaxy far, far away ...

Harper’s Bazaar is America’s longest-running fashion magazine, revered for its style-setting contributions to fashion, photography, and graphic design. Under the direction of Glenda Bailey in this decade, the magazine has maintained its position as a prominent cultural icon. Bailey is known for commissioning dazzling visual features that frame fashion in the context of contemporary pop culture and aesthetics. Shot by well-known photographers and featuring supermodels and supercelebrities, Bazaar’s fashion photography is always beautiful—and entertaining. Harper’s Bazaar: Greatest Hits is a collection of more than 300 photographs that chronicle the best fashion of our time. A celebration of fashion, a romp through a riotous and eventful decade, and a banquet of contemporary imagery, Harper’s Bazaar: Greatest Hits is also a glamorous object in itself.

Compiled by photographer and blogger Nichole Robertson, PARIS IN COLOR is a journey through the world's most romantic city, colour by magnificent colour. At once a work of art and a window into the heart of Paris, these vibrant photographs will surprise and delight anyone who loves the City of Light.

John Knoll was 14 years old when the first Star Wars film (Episode IV) came out in 1977, and it changed his life. By the time the first prequel, The Phantom Menace, was released in 1999, he was its visual effects supervisor — in charge of all special effects — a position he held through Episodes II (Attack of the Clones) and III (Revenge of the Sith). With Knoll as tour guide, this deluxe addition to Abrams' 365 Days series provides the single most comprehensive collection of Star Wars images, including breathtaking 360-degree panoramic shots of sets and models, as well as concept art, props, film stills, and memorabilia. The only book that covers all six films, Star Wars: 365 Days is Knoll's spectacular survey of the visual world created by those films. It shows us George Lucas and his crew creating their universe on location and in the studio — in pages dense with imagery and information, documenting a remarkable sustained creative effort by hundreds of devoted filmmakers and craftsmen.

The complete behind-the-scenes story of the three monumental Christopher Nolan Batman films. Based on in-depth interviews with Nolan and all of the films' key cast and crew, the book reveals the films' creative process with lavish art and never-before-seen photography.

Seventy years after his father left to be a mapmaker for the war in Europe, Emerson Johansson received a package that had been lost in the mail for decades. The parcel contained a most extraordinary gift: an exquisite book Johansson's father lovingly made by hand, detailing an unforgettable adventure they shared together just months before his departure. With maps, drawings, watercolors and photographs, this artifact and family heirloom recounts a mountainous winter landscape alive with the dangers and magic of an alpine blizzard. Destined to become a Christmas classic, The Lost Christmas Gift is a faithful reproduction of the magnificent hand-crafted present Johnasson's father sent him, and a poignant reminder that the best gifts transcend time and distance, renewing our gratitude for the resilience of memory, the bonds of family, and the kindness of strangers.

Everywhere we turn, experts are telling us to eat more whole grains, for heart health (whole grains are of course rich in the fibre that reduces cholesterol), weight loss (they're filling and don't lead to blood sugar spikes), even cancer prevention (whole grains were recently found to be chockfull of antioxidants). Whole Grains for a New Generation capitalises on this growing interest in whole grains, but interestingly, health is not the focus here. Although the health benefits are undeniable, the focus of this book is easy recipes promising great flavour, the health benefits are simply an added bonus. Liana Krisoff shows how easy it is not only to incorporate whole grains into your diet, but really how delicious these grains can be. Here are 175 recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Dinner and Dessert, meant for everyday cooking and requiring no special ingredients or equipment. Recipes include Cornmeal Pancakes with Plum Compote; Black Quinoa with Chicken Confit, Mushrooms, and Pickled Red Onion; Calamari and Farro Salad with Mango, Lime, and Basil; Sweet-Spiced Roast Chicken with Barley and Apricots; Whole Roasted Rainbow Trout with Zucchini Couscous; and more. These are delicious recipes that are free of extraneous steps and include make-ahead and time-saving tips as well as other techniques and ideas for easily incorporating whole grains into everyday meals. Canning For A New Generation introduced a younger audience to an age-old method of preserving and cooking that only makes sense given the newfound DIY interest among home cooks. Whole Grains for a New Generation continues in this vein, offering another beautiful package that introduces age-old grains and new fresh flavours to mainstream, young and hip home cooks seeking out healthful and delicious ways of eating.

With Dwight attending Tippett Academy this semester, the kids of McQuarrie are on their own, no Yoda to help them navigate the treacherous waters of school. Then Sara gets a gift from Dwight; a cootie catcher (fortune teller) in the form of Chewbacca. It's a Fortune Wookiee, and it seems to give just as good advice as Yoda, even if, in the hands of the girls, it seems too preoccupied with romance. In the meantime, Dwight is fitting in at Tippett a little too well, and it's up to his old friends at McQuarrie to remind their buddy that it's in his oddness that his greatness lies.

Every color has many aspects, many variations, and many meanings. Red, for instance, can mean passion, or suffering, or anger. How are these aspects represented in works of art from Titian and Bosch to Matisse and Warhol? Painters use colors to convey a message as much as they do for surface appeal. In design and fashion, color is omnipresent as well, but incredibly varied in its significance. This fascinating book focuses on the most important colors in art — red, blue, yellow, black, white, green, and gold — and looks at them through some 200 beautifully printed works.

No punches are pulled in this fascinating biography that covers the life and work of the prolific artist George Bellows. Having spent most of his adult life in New York City, Bellows left behind an extraordinary body of work that captures life in this dynamic city: bustling street scenes, ringside views of boxing matches, and boys diving and swimming in the East River. Art reproductions and photographs from his youth round out the book.