L.A. Times Notable

Authoritative, eye-popping, and massive, Art of Modern Rock is the first and last word on contemporary concert posters. An art form that has grown hand-in-hand with the independent music scene, the posters have emerged from visually creative street-level notices to prized collectibles rendered in a variety of styles and media. It features more than 1,600 exemplary rock posters and flyers from over 200 international studios and artists. Additionally, profiles and quotes from the pioneers in the field and their emerging heirs share nearly 500 gloriously packed pages of poster after mind-blowing poster. Art of Modern Rock is the long-anticipated sequel to co-author Paul Grushkin's The Art of Rock. As brash and colorful as the burgeoning scene it documents, Art of Modern Rock is the must-have book for music and poster fans and collectors.

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Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits
by Mark A. Vieira

This book presents in depth the work of George Hurrell, the photographer who more than anyone else was responsible for inventing the Hollywood "glamour" portrait - the essential publicity tool for the major studios during the Golden Age of the movies. The book traces his immense impact on the portrayal of the leading stars year by year, from his arrival in California in 1925 until his departure in 1943. During that time, he photographed all of the greatest personalities at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Brothers and Columbia, as well as independently.

The prints come from the Chapman Collection, one of the most extensive archives of original Hurrell photographs in the world, and they include a number of rarities and surprises. Although some photos by Hurrell are familiar and frequently reproduced, most of the images in this book will come as a revelation, since they have not been published in over half a century.

The genesis of the pictures is examined in a remarkable text by Mark A. Vieira, himself a highly regarded portrait photographer, who came to know Hurrell well during the photographer's later years. Vieira explains in detail Hurrell's technical feats of lighting and retouching. And drawing on first-hand accounts, he vividly recreates the lively interplay between the photographer and his subjects at the shooting sessions in which these portraits were taken.

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Leg
by Donna Karan Corporation

The world-famous fashion designer documents the allure of the leg from classical times to the present, encompassing painting, sculpture, illustration and film in more than 100 color and black-and-white photographs.

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Atlas Of The North American Indian
by Carl Waldman

Combining clear, informative text with a wealth of maps and illustrations, this unique resource on Native Americans offers comprehensive coverage in a single volume. History, culture, languages and lifestyles of American Indian groups across North America are included. This long-awaited revision has an appealing new design and incorporates many political and cultural developments, such as the creation of the Canadian territory Nunavut and Indian gaming, as well as new archaeological discoveries and theories. Also included are new and updated maps, a glossary, updated appendixes, and an expanded bibliography.

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To unofficially tie-in with the new film Escape from the Smithsonian: Night at the Museum 2, John Schuster offers a collection of articles on actual museum exhibits that are creepy, verge on the paranormal or are just plain mysterious. Haunting Museums will include intriguing articles on such diverse topics as "Edison's Last Breath" from the Henry Ford Museum; "The Swastika on the Spirit of St. Louis" and "The Disappearance of Amelia Earhart" from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum; and "The Hope Diamond Curse" from the Smithsonian Institute. Schuster also delves into cursed gems and jewels, shrunken heads, artifacts and tales from "The Mainless Lions" at the Chicago Field Museum to "The Mummy on the Titanic and Its Curse" from the British Museum and American Museum of Natural History, and much more.

Jazz: The First Century
by John Edward Hasse and Tad Lathrop

Often referred to as America's classical music, jazz signified a new form of musical expression that illustrates the pace of the twentieth century. Edited by the Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution, John Edward Hasse, Jazz: The First Century illustrates the circumstance surrounding jazz, illuminates its contributors, and conveys the many varieties that it takes, from cool jazz and improvisation to fusion and hip-hop. This landmark collection also examines the overlap between jazz and other art forms such as film, literature, painting and dance, as well as television and radio.

High Style
by Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield

Gone are the days of drab yoga clothes and wheatgrass cocktails - glamour and decadence are back in a big way. Jaime Rummerfield and Ron Woodson, two of today's hottest Los Angeles designers, will teach you how to create beautiful, over-the-top spaces and enjoy them with your friends, family, dogs and neighbors. Drawing from vintage Hollywood with a fresh modern twist, Ron and Jaime's High Style can truly help you bring back the good life.

Both Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield have been named one of House Beautiful's Top 25 Designers. Ron and Jaime merged creative forces in 2004 and opened Woodson & Rummerfield's House of Design in Los Angeles. The dynamic duo's work pushes the boundaries of decadent glamour and the hyper modern aesthetic.