books tagged “Non-Fiction” (non-fiction / non fiction)

Once upon a time in the United States, before the ubiquitous yellow arches of a certain hamburger chain spread like chicken pox, eating on the go was an occasion. Those long-gone days when customer service was number one--and meals were dished up by enthusiastic young women costumed to resemble drum majorettes--are captured in this compilation of vintage photographs and memorabilia, crammed to overflowing with nostalgia. [via]

Chicken soup is a cherished staple of virtually every cuisine in the world. Illustrated with warm, playful pastel drawings, this diverse collection of over 50 terrific recipes from every corner of the globe showcases the endless versatility of chicken soup, offering a completely new take on the standby your mother once served. [via]

For the woman who wants to look professional, well-dressed and comfortable all week long but is often bewildered by the vast array of designs and colors available to her, this comprehensive wardrobe guide provides a wealth of practical answers to the perennial question, "what to wear?" Using small silhouetted figures, it presents page after page of fashion options, each in a variety of well-coordinated color combinations. Acclaimed clothing designer Jeanne Allen explains why certain colors work together, suggests color proportions for each outfit, and offers essential tips on accessories such as jewelry, belts, and scarves. Also included are ideas for more casual outfits that go beyond the office. Eschewing rigid dressing for success formulas, Dressing with Color will prove to any woman that her wardrobe combinations can be as flexible and interesting as she is. [via]

Here's to the three greatest pleasures in life: a cigarette before and a martini after. Drinking, Smoking & Screwing celebrates these less-than-holy pursuits and unlocks the sweet mystery of sin with a sordid selection of essays, stories, excerpts, and poetry from noted libertines such as Mark Twain, Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, Vladimir Nabokov, Spalding Gray, and Dorothy Parker. Also deliciously wicked is the introduction, penned by Bob Shacochis, author of Swimming the Volcano and not one to shy away from a drink, a smoke, and a... Well, you get the point. He writes, "Not to defend smokers, drinkers, and fuckers would be a terrible mistake.... The world might be simple and clean, but it wouldn't be deliciously, fascinatingly, pathetically human, would it? Nor would it be much fun." And, damn, is this book fun. --Tod Nelson [via]

The lure of the siren, the comeliness of the mermaid, the elegiac beauty of Ophelia -- in page after page of captivating paintings by such artists as J.W. Waterhouse, Frederick Lord Leighton, Gustav Klimt, Edward Burne-Jones, and other Pre-Raphaelites, this exquisite volume takes a mystical journey into the deep waters where romantic art flows together with female enigma and timeless mystery. These sensuous images -- many inspired by literary scenes from the likes of Homer's Odyssey, Mallory's Morte d'Arthur, and Tennyson's Lady of Shalott --seduce the eye and beguile the mind, making From the Deep Waters a visual delight and a gift to be treasured. [via]

A lively introduction to Irish cooking, this delightful volume contains 47 traditional recipes. [via]

Using innovative photographic technology Fel ice Frankel captures on film events at the submicroscopic le vel with an accompanying text by George Whitesides that expl ains each image and how and why the captured phenomena occur . ' [via]

Stories of hunting big game in the West and notes about animals pursued and observed. [via]

In an engaging celebration of one of the food world's happiest marriages, respected author and chef Janet Fletcher offers cooks everywhere over 80 mouthwatering ways to pair pasta with peak-season vegetables and lively sauces. Organized alphabetically by vegetable, the book's appealing suggestions for combining pasta with fresh produce are quick to prepare, light on meat, and rich in flavor -- perfect for time-pressed cooks who want to serve wholesome meals. From a summer repast of Linguine with Green and Golden Zucchini to a winter feast of Penne with Cauliflower Sauce, Pasta Harvest tempts beginner and expert cooks alike to savor pasta with vegetables at their seasonal best. [via]

A showcase for the world's most magnificent birds of preyeagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and vulturesthis comprehensive volume offers an exciting glimpse into the world of raptors, their unique adaptations, and their remarkable ability to survive despite growing threats to their environment. Compiled from data collected by the author during more than 30 years of researching, tracking, photographing, and writing about birds of prey, the book provides a complete resource on raptor species as a group, with page after page of captivating images and detailed information that go beyond the usual field guides or scientific publications on the subject. Hendrickson's striking, full-color photographs are accompanied by an illuminating text that draws on the author's personal vignettes and intimate portraits of the various species he has followed and studied over the years, as well as revealing statistics that signal a dangerous decline in many raptor populations. Naturalists, birders, photographers, and anyone concerned with the survival of these exceptional creatures will find this a compelling and invaluable volume. [via]

Real Thai has gone vegetarian! Everyone loves Thai food, but it's not easy to find truly meatless dishes. Thai cooking expert Nancie McDermott has developed inventive variations on traditional recipes, providing health-conscious cooks with a repertoire of meatless dishes that captures the vibrant spirit of Thailand. A helpful glossary introduces readers to the seemingly mysterious yet widely available ingredients and equipment used in Thai cooking and offers tips for finding or substituting them. With an emphasis on the classic techniques, ingredients, and flavors of Thai cuisine, this groundbreaking cookbook provides one hundred delicious recipes for everyday meals and special occasions. [via]

The Sex Box seduces the reader with a trio of illicit collections of erotic writings--a broad range of haunting, arousing, satisfying tales, including the sexiest stuff by such acclaimed authors as Milan Kindera, James Joyce, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, D.H. Lawrence, Anais Nin, and many others. (each book) 45,000 print. [via]

The stuff of men's lives is sublimely catalogued in this entertaining look at the clever, indispensable and occasionally foolish paraphernalia men routinely used in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s for grooming, smoking, eating, drinking and other essential activities. Includes 150 color illustrations of typical men's trappings of the day. [via]

Originally published in 1961, before the United States escalated its involvement in South Vietnam, Street without Joy offered a clear warning about what American forces would face in the jungles of Southeast Asia: a costly and protracted revolutionary war fought without fronts against a mobile enemy. In harrowing detail, Fall describes the brutality and frustrations of the Indochina War, the savage eight-year conflict-ending in 1954 after the fall of Dien Bien Phu-in which French forces suffered a staggering defeat at the hands of Communist-led Vietnamese nationalists. With its frontline perspective, vivid reporting, and careful analysis, Street without Joy was required reading for policymakers in Washington and GIs in the field and is now considered a classic. [via]

Now widely recognized as one of the early twentieth century's most extraordinary photographers, Tina Modotti was remembered until recently more for her relationship to Edward Weston than for her own strong, sensuous work. This comprehensively produced biography, now published for the first time in paperback, captures in over 100 striking photographs and a sympathetic, meticulously researched text the fullness of a life wholly committed to political, personal, and artistic freedom. From her early days in Hollywood as a silent film actress, through the creative, fruitful years in Mexico with Weston and her political exile in 1930s Europe, to her sudden death in 1942, Tina Modotti's courage, clear vision, and dramatic flair made her one of the most internationally controversial and widely admired artistic figures of her day. Perceptive and authoritative, Tina Modotti lifts the veil on a fragile life of iron. [via]

Unequalled in their grace, earthiness, and expression of sensual longing, the love poems of Pablo Neruda are perhaps the most lyrically written and widely read of this century. A perennial best-seller since it was published in Chile nearly 70?years ago, Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair is now offered for the first time in a beautiful gift edition. A superb translation by W.S. Merwin and striking, richly colored illustrations bring the poems of this classic volume vividly?to life, making it an eloquent, evocative gift for lovers and poetry lovers everywhere. [via]

In this memoir of her buying, renovating, and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany, Frances Mayes reveals the sensual pleasure she found living in rural Italy, and the generous spirit she brought with her. She revels in the sunlight and the color, the long view of her valley, the warm homey architecture, the languor of the slow paced days, the vigor of working her garden, and the intimacy of her dealings with the locals. Cooking, gardening, tiling and painting are never chores, but skills to be learned, arts to be practiced, and above all to be enjoyed. At the same time Mayes brings a literary and intellectual mind to bear on the experience, adding depth to this account of her enticing rural idyll. [via]

From the Jolly Green Giant to bumbling Cap'n Crunch, advertising characters are as much a part of twentieth-century America as the familiar products they symbolize. Culled from one of the world's most extensive collections of promotional product icons, What a Character! presents a nostalgic assortment of advertising figures, including some of the most popular characters ever created. Lively, full-color photographs and an informative text offer an entertaining look at the remarkable history and enduring design of these pop culture icons, with their timeless appeal for consumers of all ages. [via]