Best of
Canon

2008

FreeDarko Presents: The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game


Bethlehem Shoals - 2008
    The NBA of the moment is a league of hugely charismatic celebrities, crackling aesthetic intrigue, sociopolitical undercurrents, and raw humanity: every Kobe Bryant pump-fake or LeBron James dunk holds within it a Shaq-size load of meaning. The Macro-Phenomenal NBA Almanac is a one-of-a-kind guide to this tumultuous and exciting league. In a series of brilliantly illustrated chapters—from Master Builders like Tim Duncan to Destiny’s Kids like Amare Stoudemire to Lost Souls like Lamar Odom—the almanac breaks down the styles of the NBA’s most colorful characters, showing what each one reveals through his play and conduct, both on the court and off. Filled with some of the smartest, funniest sportswriting known to fankind, this book will cast an entirely new light on one of our favorite games.

Sonic Select: Book One


Ian Flynn - 2008
    See Sally embark on a dangerous mission in "The Quest" while Tails proves himself for the first time in "Tails' Tallest Tale." Thrill to the early adventures of Sonic and Knuckles in "Panic in the Sky" and "Lord of the Floating Island."

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook


Heston Blumenthal - 2008
    In this beautiful book, we hear the full story of the meteoric rise of Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck, birthplace of snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream, and encounter the passion, perfection and weird science behind the man and the restaurant.

SuicideGirls: Beauty Redefined


Missy Suicide - 2008
    This giant tome provides a timely look at the fascinating women who created and inhabit the SG community. With an introduction by SG founder, Missy Suicide and images of hundreds of SuicideGirls world-wide, this title shines a light on a new female aesthetic - a look reminiscent of vintage Betty Page and Bunny Yeager photos, but with a decisively 21st century edge. "There's no other place in the media to see girls (like these) who are tremendously smart and beautiful in their own way" says Missy, "Everywhere you look you just see the super-thin, super-tall, bleach blonde Baywatch babe. There are a lot of people out there who want to see a different kind of beauty."

Performance


Richard Avedon - 2008
    It's what we do for each other all the time, deliberately or unintentionally. It's a way of telling about ourselves in the hope of being recognized as what we'd like to be."--Richard Avedon, 1974The preeminent stars and artists of the performing arts from the second half of the 20th century offered their greatest gifts—and, sometimes, their inner lives—to Richard Avedon. More than 200 are portrayed in Performance, many in photographs that have been rarely or never seen before. Of course, the great stars light the way: Hepburn and Chaplin, Monroe and Garland, Brando and Sinatra. But here too are the actors and comedians, pop stars and divas, musicians and dancers, artists in all mediums with public lives that were essentially performances, who stand at the pinnacle of our cultural achievement. The celebrated author and critic John Lahr offers an elegant assessment of Avedon’s achievement. Four supremely talented artists from the performing arts—Mike Nichols, André Gregory, Mitsuko Uchida, and Twyla Tharp—contribute lively and moving memoirs about their collaborations with Avedon.

Nothing Nice to Say


Mitch Clem - 2008
    Enter Nothing Nice to Say. Mitch Clem's Nothing Nice to Say leaves no mohawked, leather-jacket-clad stone unturned in its mission to expose the awesomeness and the absurdity of punk culture. Sometimes esoteric and always hilarious, Nothing Nice is so punk you'd think the book was bound with safety pins.

The Emerald Tablet


P.J. Hoover - 2008
    When Benjamin stumbles upon a portal to another world in his hallway, he discovers he's not human, and must master his telegen powers in an otherworldly summer school.

A Peculiar Feeling of Restlessness: Four Chapbooks of Short Short Fiction by Four Women


Amy L. Clark - 2008
    The four chapbooks collected in A PECULIAR FEELING OF RESTLESSNESS, three of them finalists and one of them the winner of the Rose Metal Press first annual short short chapbook contest, all revel in the succinctness of their form, the underlying tension anchored beneath each story of 1,000 words or less. These stories are peculiar; they resonate with restlessness. They are deft, they are gritty, and they are lyrical. Laughter, Applause. Laughter, Music, Applause by Kathy Fish, Wanting by Amy L. Clark, Sixteen Miles Outside of Phoenix by Elizabeth Ellen, and The Sky Is a Well by Claudia Smith combine four multi-layered portrayals of beautiful uneasiness into a collection rich with wit, grace, and originality.

The Ghost Soldiers


James Tate - 2008
    His characters are often lost or confused, his settings bizarre, his scenarios brilliantly surreal. Opaque, inscrutable people float through a dreamlike world where nothing is as it seems. The Ghost Soldiers offers resounding proof, once again, that Tate stands alone in American poetry.

Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai


Masaaki Hatsumi - 2008
    Known as budo taijutsu, these specialized moves allow the practitioner to evade and receive an attack even from an opponent wielding a sword. Hatsumi covers such topics as Kihon Happo (Eight Basic Movements), Kosshijutsu (Attacks Against Muscles), Koppojutsu (Attacks Against Bones), Jutaijutsu (Flexible Body Arts), Daken Taijutsu (Fist Punching and Striking), Ninpo Taijutsu (Bodily Arts of the Ninja), discussing and demonstrating the many techniques which will enable the fighter to punch, kick and finally lock or control the body of his adversary.As Hatsumi tells us, the techniques have been secretly passed down from the masters to their students for more than a century, and have become the foundations for a range of other martial arts including judo, karate and aikido. This book will thus enhance the readers understanding of the roots of these various disciplines as well as provide fascinating insights into the spirit of the way of the warrior and the martial arts. Includes over 300 step-by-step photos and rare drawings.

Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon


May Pang - 2008
    I didn't want to intrude on these moments, but John insisted. He felt that I captured him in ways that no one else did because of his comfort level with me...For years, only my closest friends got to see these photos--which were literally tucked away in a shoebox in my closet. They were surprised that these images did not convey the John that was portrayed in the press during our time together. In fact, they saw a side of John seldom seen."--From INSTAMATIC KARMAJohn Lennon is the most famously photographed Beatle--everyone from Iain MacMillian to Annie Lebowitz took iconic images of him--but there have never been pictures of him like these taken by May Pang, Lennon's girlfriend from 1973 to 1975. In INSTAMATIC KARMA, they're collected for the first time. With very few exceptions, these photos are that rare thing: never-before-seen images of an icon. The photos here show Lennon in a variety of settings: at work, at play, at home, and away. They show a playful Lennon, a casual, unguarded Lennon; they're the kind of photos one lover takes of another. May has written rich captions to accompany her photos--taken together, they tell a simple story of the time May and Lennon spent together; a time, according to legend, when Lennon was unhappy and unproductive, estranged from his family and bandmates. Pang's photos clearly tell another story--they show Lennon clowning around, working on his hit album "Walls and Bridges," embracing old friends and family, hanging out in their apartment on Manhattan's East 52nd Street, relaxing in the country in upstate New York or spending peaceful days swimming in the waters of Long Island.The photographs in INSTAMATIC KARMA are both color and black & white, casual Polaroids and more composed shots. Each one is an intimate glimpse into a fascinating time in John Lennon's life.

Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi


Jon M. Gibson - 2008
    The chapters move from his early life through career highlights like 'Fritz the Cat' and 'Lord of the Rings', and examine his influence on those who came after him.

Across the Universe


Paul McCartney - 2008
    A beautiful souvenir folio of 29 songs from the movie that uses Beatles songs as an amazing backdrop for a beautiful and whimsical love story. Includes many pages of full-color art from the movie. Songs include: Across the Universe * All My Loving * All You Need Is Love * Blackbird * Dear Prudence * Helter Skelter * Hey Jude * I've Just Seen a Face * Let It Be * Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds * Revolution * Something * While My Guitar Gently Weeps * and more.

Later Novels and Stories: The Château / So Long, See You Tomorrow / Stories and Improvisations 1957–1999


William Maxwell - 2008
    While he continues to explore his signature subject matter—one boy’s life in small-town Illinois—he also broadens his canvas to depict scenes from adult experience. His protagonists include a young American intoxicated by postwar France, a middle-aged New Yorker tending the illusion of family happiness like a pot of African violets, an old man haunted by shame and loss and regret. His voice, always one of the wisest and kindest in American fiction, now becomes also one of the most intimate, a quiet Midwestern voice that communicates the melancholy joy of being alive and of seeing things exactly as they are.The Château (1961) is a story of innocence–innocence rebuffed but sometimes also rewarded with the return of affection and wonder. The setting is France in 1948, the place and its people still recovering from the German occupation. A newlywed American couple spends two weeks in the Loire Valley at the château of Mme Viénnot, an impoverished aristocrat whose actions and motivations are inscrutable to her paying guests. These young Americans are anything but ugly. They are earnest and generous, misunderstood and misunderstanding, and, like their hostess, exquisitely vulnerable.So Long, See You Tomorrow (1980) is an Old Testament tragedy played out on the Illinois prairie. It is told by a witness to this tragedy’s devastation—an old man much like Maxwell who, some 60 years after the murderous events he describes, struggles to forgive his failure to reach out to the survivors. Part autobiographical memoir, part imaginative re-creation of a crime of passion, it is unique in form and, in the words of Charles Baxter, “an unobtrusively perfect example of literary art.”In these two works Maxwell reaches the summit of his art as a novelist, but he is no less a master when he takes up shorter forms. All his best short stories are collected here, including “Over by the River” and “The Thistles in Sweden,” two classic evocations of New York City life, and the complete contents of Billie Dyer (1992), a companion volume to So Long, See You Tomorrow collecting seven fictionalized portraits of figures from Maxwell’s youth. The volume concludes with 40 delightful "improvisations"—fairy tales that Maxwell wrote mainly to entertain his wife—and the essay “Nearing Ninety” (1997), his moving valediction to a lifetime of reading and storytelling.

MUTUALITY: CLAMP works in CODE GEASS


CLAMP - 2008
    

Venezia: Food and Dreams


Tessa Kiros - 2008
    She shares these special moments with foodies and fans in "Venezia: Food and Dreams." This stunning book is so much more than a cookbook. It's a personal journal, a travel guide, and a memoir about Tessa's love for Venice, Italy, and its special place in her heart—and palate.In "Venezia," cooks awake to 105 amazing recipes and 120 four-color photographs focusing on the fascinating city and its famous fare. Chapters include Eating in Venice, Essential Recipes, Cicchetti (small bites), Antipasti, Zuppa/Pasta/Gnocchi, Risotto, Secondi, Contorni (sides), and Dolce (sweet things)."Venice is like when you hear a piece of music that scoops down into your soul, or notice a real tear getting ready to drop from the eye of an unlucky child. One of those rare moments when you grasp the magnificence of this world. Yes, Venice is one of those places." --Tessa Kiros

Holistic Anatomy: An Integrative Guide to the Human Body


Pip Waller - 2008
    Holistic Anatomy presents an authoritative study of anatomy, physiology, and pathology but expands the discussion by connecting the science of the body to a variety of alternative modalities to explore how human beings exist within—and interact with—their environment, and how they experience existence in emotional and spiritual terms. Basic scientific terminology and detailed descriptions are interwoven with informal, sometimes humorous observations, facts, and ideas about life. The mechanisms, structure, and functions of the body are explored, along with how they relate to spiritual and energetic paradigms, emotions, and ecological principles. The first half of the book covers basic anatomy and physiology, describing each major system of the body and how they interrelate. This part includes a thoughtful discussion of aging and the dying process. The second half focuses on models of health and disease, both traditional and holistic. Topics include western pathology, emotional health, five element medicine, and the spiritual cause for disease.

Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko


Blake Bell - 2008
    Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko is a coffee table art book tracing Ditko's life and career, his unparalleled stylistic innovations, his strict adherence to his own (and Randian) principles, with lush displays of obscure and popular art from the thousands of pages of comics he's drawn over the last 55 years.

Le Corbusier Le Grand


Phaidon Press - 2008
    Born Charles Edouard Jeanneret in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the self-named Le Corbusier was the creator of some of the most important and impressive buildings of the past century - Villa Savoye at Poissy, the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut at Ronchamp, the Parliament Building in Chandigarh, India. He was also an accomplished painter, sculptor, furniture designer, urbanist and author. His work and social theories continue to be a dominant force in the world of architecture and design, while his elegant round black eyeglasses are still a signature look for architects around the world.Organized chronologically and drawing on an array of archival material, including sketches, photographs and correspondences, Le Corbusier Le Grand depicts not only the vast and varied output of Le Corbusier, but also the major events, people and forces that shaped the life of an artist who continues to fascinate those in and outside the architectural world.

As I Am: Songbook


Alicia Keys - 2008
    This matching folio features all 14 songs from the 2007 release by this R&B superstar. Includes: As I Am (Intro) * Go Ahead * I Need You * Lesson Learned * Like You'll Never See Me Again * No One * Prelude to a Kiss * Superwoman * Sure Looks Good to Me * Teenage Love Affair * Tell You Something (Nana's Reprise) * The Thing About Love * Where Do We Go from Here * Wreckless Love.

Postcards from Portugal: Memories and Recipes


Tessa Kiros - 2008
    Embroiders the recipes, traditions and Portuguese way of living together.

Early Novels and Stories: Bright Center of Heaven / They Came Like Swallows / The Folded Leaf / Time Will Darken It / Stories 1938-1956


William Maxwell - 2008
    “I had no idea then,” he later wrote, “that three-quarters of the material I would need for the rest of my writing life was already at my disposal. My father and mother. My brothers. The look of things. The Natural History of home . . . All there, waiting for me to learn my trade and recognize instinctively what would make a story.”With his second book, They Came Like Swallows (1937), Maxwell found his signature subject matter—the fragility of human happiness—as well as his voice, a quiet, cadenced Midwestern voice that John Updike has called one of the wisest and kindest in American fiction. Set against the background of the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, this short novel presents the loving character of Elizabeth Morison, a devoted wife and mother, through the eyes of those whom she is fated to leave decades before her time.Edmund Wilson described The Folded Leaf (1945) as “a quite unconventional study of adolescent relationships—between two boys, with a girl in the offing—in Chicago and in a Middle Western college: very much lived and very much seen.” He praised this “drama of the immature” for the compassion Maxwell brings to his male protagonists, whose intensely felt, unarticulated bond is beyond their inchoate ability to understand.Time Will Darken It (1948) is a drama of the mature: a good man’s struggle to keep duty before desire and his family’s needs before his own. It paints a portrait of Draperville, Illinois, in 1912, a proud and isolated community governed by gossip, where an ambitious young woman must not overreach the limits society has placed on her sex, and an older, married gentleman must not encourage her should she dare.Together with these major works, this Library of America edition of Maxwell’s early fiction collects his lighthearted first novel, Bright Center of Heaven (1934), out of print for nearly 70 years, and nine masterly short stories. It concludes with “The Writer as Illusionist” (1955), Maxwell’s fullest statement on the art of fiction as he practiced it.

Peep Show: The Scripts and More


Jesse Armstrong - 2008
    Meet Mark and Jeremy: two very ordinary weirdos. Mark, a middle-aged man trapped in a twentysomething's body, is the sensible one—a loan manager with seven GCSEs ("back when a GCSE actually meant something") and an unhealthy obsession with World War II. His flatmate, Jeremy, is a grade-A work-shy freeloader with sketchy fruebds. He dreams of being a world-class musician but can't seem to get out of bed in the morning. They hate themselves, each other, and the world. This is their story. Uniquely filmed—shot from the characters' point of view and edited so the viewer hears their unspoken thoughts, as well as the dialogue between them—Peep Show has attracted both a cult following and critical acclaim. Now, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, the creators of the show, have pulled together and annotated the scripts of all five series and written hilarious extra material to take us even deeper into the minds of our socially inept and wonderfully weird heroes and their slightly strange friends. A perfect example of British comedy writing at its very best, this book is the perfect present for quirky comedy fans everywhere.

A Long Long War: Voices from the British Army in Northern Ireland 1969-98


Ken Wharton - 2008
    This was a war against terrorists who knew no mercy or compassion; a war involving sectarian hatred and violent death. Over 1,000 British lives were lost in a place just 30 minutes flying time away from the mainland.The British Army was sent into Northern Ireland on August 14, 1969 by the Wilson government as law and order had broken down and the population (mainly Catholics) and property were at grave risk. Between then and 1998 some 300,000 British troops served in Northern Ireland. This is their story - in their own words - from first to last.There are stories from some of the most seminal moments in the period of the Troubles in Northern Ireland - detailed accounts of firefights at Crossmaglen from the commanders on the ground at the time; an incredible story from a British Army sniper in Londonderry, 1973; an account from the first squaddie on the scene at Penny Lane after the 1988 funeral killings of the two corporals; the 1988 Ballygawley coach blast which killed 8 Light Infantrymen, with a first-hand account by one of the survivors; the case of the missing Christmas Club money in the Ardoyne; Gerry Adams' 'birthday treat' at a vehicle checkpoint, accounts by plain-clothes intelligence officers on the streets of Belfast ... and many more. The brave men and women of the Ulster Defence Regiment, many of whom were murdered in their homes or at their places of work, occupy a prominent place in the book.The author has also conducted a great deal of original research to produce a roll of honor for all service personnel killed in Northern Ireland. A major contribution to research, the list differs to its 'official' MoD counterpart to a surprising degree. It includes more than 20 names before the first official casualty, Gunner Robert Curtis (1971) and more than 10 after the last official casualty, L/Bombardier Stephen Restorick (1997).Receiving a remarkable amount of cooperation from Northern Ireland veterans eager to tell their story, the author has compiled a vivid and unforgettable record. Their experiences - sad and poignant, fearful and violent, courageous in the face of adversity, even downright hilarious - make for compelling reading. Their voices need to be heard.

Albion Dreaming: A Popular History Of LSD In Britain


Andy Roberts - 2008
    This engaging book looks at the use of LSD in British society, from its arrival in 1952 to the present day. It provides a hidden history of a controversial drug and how it permeated British culture. The author explores LSD's use by the medical profession in treating a variety of psychological and mental problems. At the same time, The Ministry of Defense believed they were on the brink of harnessing LSD as a battlefield incapacitation drug which would enable wars to be won without loss of life. But LSD's popularity rose with its use among the British counterculture, from the 1950s beatniks through to the late 80s acid house parties. At its height, when it was legal, LSD affected the lives and philosophies of significant individuals (politicians, scientists, writers, educators, entertainers, artists, journalists) as well as ordinary people for good and bad. This book is the first to explore LSD's amazing influence on British culture and society.

Inner Tantric Yoga: Working with the Universal Shakti: Secrets of Mantras, Deities, and Meditation


David Frawley - 2008
    'Inner Tantric Yoga' presents the deeper tradition of Tantra, its multidimensional vision of the Divine and its transformative practices of mantra and meditation that take us far beyond the outer models of how Tantra is usually presented today.

New York Dolls: Photographs by Bob Gruen


Bob Gruen - 2008
    Comprised of singer David Johansen, guitarists Johnny Thunders and Sylvain Sylvain, drummer Jerry Nolan, and bassist Arthur “Killer” Kane, the Dolls are the acknowledged influence of bands as diverse as Blondie, the Ramones, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Morrissey, the Smiths, and the Sex Pistols. Legendary photographer Bob Gruen has compiled the first photography collection devoted to the New York Dolls and their iconic and unprecedented style.  Featuring over two hundred unforgettable images New York Dolls: Photographs by Bob Gruen celebrates one of the most important bands in music history.

Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture


Robert Bruce Thompson - 2008
    But two decades ago, real chemistry sets began to disappear as manufacturers and retailers became concerned about liability. ,em>The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments steps up to the plate with lessons on how to equip your home chemistry lab, master laboratory skills, and work safely in your lab. The bulk of this book consists of 17 hands-on chapters that include multiple laboratory sessions on the following topics:Separating Mixtures Solubility and Solutions Colligative Properties of Solutions Introduction to Chemical Reactions & Stoichiometry Reduction-Oxidation (Redox) Reactions Acid-Base Chemistry Chemical Kinetics Chemical Equilibrium and Le Chatelier's Principle Gas Chemistry Thermochemistry and Calorimetry Electrochemistry Photochemistry Colloids and Suspensions Qualitative Analysis Quantitative Analysis Synthesis of Useful Compounds Forensic Chemistry With plenty of full-color illustrations and photos, Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments offers introductory level sessions suitable for a middle school or first-year high school chemistry laboratory course, and more advanced sessions suitable for students who intend to take the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry exam. A student who completes all of the laboratories in this book will have done the equivalent of two full years of high school chemistry lab work or a first-year college general chemistry laboratory course. This hands-on introduction to real chemistry -- using real equipment, real chemicals, and real quantitative experiments -- is ideal for the many thousands of young people and adults who want to experience the magic of chemistry.

Nothing But Red: The Anthology Inspired by the Death of Du'a Khalil


Skyla Dawn CameronEllen McCord - 2008
    They proceeded to stone and beat her to death, a supposed "honor" killing for allegedly falling in love with a man of a different faith. Several camera phones recorded the entire incident from the front row, and videos later surfaced online.One month later, popular filmmaker Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) expressed his despair and outrage at the misogyny in all cultures on a fan-run blog. "Because it's no longer enough to be a decent person," he wrote. "It's no longer enough to shake our heads and make concerned grimaces at the news. True enlightened activism is the only thing that can save humanity from itself. I've always had a bent towards apocalypitic fiction, and I'm beginning to understand why. I look and I see the earth in flames."Her face was nothing but red."The arts anthology Nothing But Red was conceived as a way to raise both awareness of the issues he spoke of, as well as money for the charity Equality Now. Poetry, prose, and visual art comprise this unique collection.Edited by:Skyla Dawn CameronFull list of contributors:Ann AguirreMechele ArmstrongJudy BagshawDavid BakerAnne BarringerKimberly BeaHanne BlankCL BledsoeMelinda BlountJill BolandKerry BuddElaine CorvidaeKevin CraigMaggie DoughertyLeigh DragoonCatherine EganSasha ElliottDana EvansElizabeth FrankStephanie GayleValentina GnupGila GreenLiza HamiltonReina HardyJanna HastingsStacey HillJody HouserTom HulleyBarbara HuntAbha IyengarDale JacobsonLee KendallJulie KlumbLaure LackeyGuy LancasterNora LandryRae LindleyVirginia LoreBobbi LurieJennifer MacaireMehrin Masud-EliasEllen McCordVirginia McRaeMGm. julesNick MonteleoneScott NeighGill O'HalloranMK ProiettaWJ RayAlex RemyJ.E. RemyClare RoachSonia RupcicLilith SaintcrowJasmine SantosWayne ScheerLisa SchleipferLeah SchnelbachEllen SheeleyLynn TaitAngela ToddJessica TudorRuth WalkerJoss WhedonLise WhiddenPeter WongAndrena Zawinski

The Painter, the Creature, and the Father of Lies


Clive Barker - 2008
    Representing more than 25 years of writing, THE PAINTER, THE CREATURE, AND THE FATHER OF LIES contains: •All the introductions he’s written for his own works (prefaces in fiction and non-fiction books, liner notes on CDs/laserdiscs/DVDs, introductions in graphic novel adaptations, text of theatre playbills, and more); •All the forewords and afterwords he’s written on other people’s works (books, graphic novels, etc.); and •Essays and articles written for magazines on the horror genre and other topics. These have never been collected together and many are nearly impossible to track down. Furthermore, from Barker’s personal archives: a couple of unpublished pieces, including an unused self-penned introduction to Volume 1 of the BOOKS OF BLOOD from 1983 written from the point of view of a demon interviewing Clive Barker. The editors, Phil and Sarah Stokes, who operate the official Clive Barker website at www.clivebarker.info, have spent the past several years compiling these 100 separate pieces to produce a truly definitive work. This collection features a new foreword by Barker, an introduction by the Stokes, and new illustrations by Barker. The numbered and lettered edition will contain bonus material: cover images for the majority of publications in which the nonfiction pieces were first published. If you haven’t read any of Barker’s nonfiction, you’ll find that it’s just as compelling, enjoyable, and well-written as his fiction. These pieces cover the inspirations for his works, insights into the creative process, and musings on art and the horror genre. Not currently scheduled to be published anywhere else, don’t miss this landmark collection from a modern master of horror and dark fantasy.

A Taste of My Life


Raymond Blanc - 2008
    His cooking has been described as 'an extraordinary process of creativity, passion, subtlety, indeed genius'. His life and career to date have been utterly dedicated to the search for culinary perfection.Raymond is entirely self-taught and over the years has been developing and refining his philosophy of food and eating. Such is his reputation that his restaurant near Oxford, Le Manoir, was awarded two Michelin stars even before it opened in 1984. He has taught many of Britain's most successful chefs, including Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal. He has maintained extraordinary levels of excellence at Le Manoir for over two decades and it remains one of our premier destination restaurants.Now, for the first time Raymond is going to share the fruits of all that hard work and experimentation, and reveal the secrets of his gastronomy. Woven around stories from his years at the sharp end of the food business are his thoughts about where food is going and a passionate appeal for sustainable cuisine. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in food and cooking, this is the definitive book by a culinary genius.

State of the Union: Fifty Political Poems


Matthew ZapruderDara Wier - 2008
    Wide-ranging writers bring their bold voices to this collection, including Eileen Myles, Matthew Rohrer, Rebecca Wolff, Terrance Hayes, Joe Wenderoth, and Tao Lin.“Walking by Hope Street”Look at the landscape,A lot of damage, no?But we are here together,And of needing me, hereThe world needs me,We are too alone.And what of our orange daylight,Growing darker as the lamplitTrees grow dark. ThereIs not enough to say.But our hands, our gentleFrozen hands sift throughThings like numbers out of breath.It will all be okay, I promise.Promise who? Promise the faded land.—Noelle Kocot“Literary Agency”Coretta ScottKing has died, the otherday. Dreamunrealized. Lostand found, lost again, bathosmy motivationmy Elysiandream. The placeinsideuntutored, incorruptible,without relation. That’ssomething to hold onto,and uncontingencydressing the wound. That’ssad and just “what it is.”It is what it is.That’s what I saywhen I can’t bear the news.—Rebecca Wolff

Go, Go America


Dan Yaccarino - 2008
    So fasten your seat belt and get ready to go, go through fifty states of fun! Snappy, often humorous facts fill each page along with Yaccarino's bold, colorful, quirky illustrations. Also included are maps and cleverly designed backmatter with information every kid needs: state mottos, state flowers, state birds, state trees, state nicknames, etc. This is a rollicking road trip to be visited again and again by readers of all ages on the go, go. About the author: Dan's inspiration for this book came from the road trips he took with his own fabulous family as a kid. He says, I spent a lot of time in the back seat of the family station wagon with my brother and sister as our family traveled the East coast on many road trips. I have amazing memories of touring Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, eating frogs' legs in Georgia, and watching gator wrestling in Florida. These days, Dan travels with his wife and two children to many of the very same destinations. He's even caught himself shouting, Don't make me pull this car over!

Letters of John Keats to His Family and Friends


John Keats - 2008
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Dressage in the Fourth Dimension


Sherry L. Ackerman - 2008
    For philosopher and dressage instructor Dr. Sherry Ackerman, dressage is much more. It — along with riding in general — can be a transformational art and an avenue for reflection, exploration, and self-knowledge through which a rider can experience liberation from the individual, egoistic self.This second, revised edition of Dressage in the Fourth Dimension is a pioneer work in awakening “dressage consciousness.” Drawing on such diverse sources as sacred geometry, ancient Western and Eastern philosophies, and esoteric spirituality, Ackerman seeks to heal humanity’s alienation from nature through riding. She points us toward the liberation from societal conditioning and normative thinking, and, ultimately, from our own egos. Her concept of the fourth dimension requires us to leave the analytic, objective mind behind and enter into the mystery of inspiration.A short, unique, thought-provoking work that has enjoyed a word-of-mouth reputation among horse people for years, Dressage in the Fourth Dimension will challenge riders’ assumptions about their horses and themselves.

The Elements of Music: Melody, Rhythm, and Harmony


Jason Martineau - 2008
    These in turn are corresponded to language as musical metaphor. This, in combination with novel graphics and symbols, carries the reader to a basic understanding of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic principles, as well as Western musical notation. A great primer on music theory for the novice or professional, as well as an invaluable resource for composers and students, it includes the following:- A rich unfolding of metaphors and illustrations to elucidate a notoriously impenetrable and abstract subject.- The properties of the overtone series and how it influences harmonic and melodic thought.- A discussion of epigrams and dialectics exploring how meaning is carried through time.- Rhythm and meter as the marking of time and the organization of it into self-similar structures.- From the circle of fifths to intervals, triads, and later seventh chords and extensions.- How major/minor key tonality and modulation occur, and how they differ from music based upon drones or other types of scales.- How form and structure reflect the relationship of humans to time and emotional states.- A wealth of scales, rhythmic patterns, and notation references in the appendices.

The Pocket Guide to Games


Bart King - 2008
    The tradition of game playing without computers, joysticks, boards, or game pieces is celebrated in this collection of games that can be played by all ages. With tools such as balls, beanbags, broomsticks, and ropes, parents and teachers can organize dozens of hours of fun and challenging activities for parties, summer camps, neighborhood gatherings, and school groups. Includes active games and quiet games in a range of variations including: Bull in the Ring Cross Tag Do This, Do That Kaleidoscope Lady of the Land Old Buzzard Potato Race Shadow Tag, and more! Lexile: 1020LBart Kingtaught middle school for many years. He's written 28 books, including The Big Book of Girl Stuff, The Big Book of Boy Stuff, The Big Book of Superheroes, The Big Book of Gross Stuff, and Bart's King-Sized Book of Fun. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

The Western Literary Canon in Context


John M. Bowers - 2008
    Even if you haven't read some of them, you've undoubtedly heard of them—their mere titles are synonymous with greatness.But what exactly is the Western literary canon? Why does it contain certain works and not others?What is its history? What is its future?Most important: What do particular works in the Western canon tell us about the development of literature and civilization?You explore these and other thought-provoking questions in The Western Literary Canon in Context, a thorough investigation of more than 30 key works of the Western canon and the critical roles they played—and continue to play—in the development of Western literature. Over the course of 36 lectures, award-winning professor and author John M. Bowers of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas takes you from the formation of the Bible to the postcolonial literature of the late 20th century, revealing the exciting stories behind these classic works and their often surprising connections with one another.It's an insightful approach that will reshape your thoughts about the evolution of literature and will open your eyes to the hidden dialogue among Western civilization's most cherished and influential authors.

The Boys' Book 2: How to Be the Best at Everything Again


Martin Oliver - 2008
    Hours of serious fun are guaranteed.Including: How to make your own flag and start your own country, how to escape from an angry bull, how to walk a tightrope, how to make an igloo out of sugar, how to putt perfectly, how to make a top secret safe, how to celebrate scoring a goal, how to make a lava lamp, how to ride a camel, how to do a rain dance, how to write a righteous rap, how to make your own letter seal, how to abseil, how to fall like a stuntman and how to dam a river.

The Selected Letters of Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder


Allen Ginsberg - 2008
    Ginsberg introduced Snyder to the East Coast Beat writers, including Jack Kerouac, while Snyder himself became the model for the serious poet that Ginsberg so wanted to become. Snyder encouraged Ginsberg to explore the beauty of the West Coast and, even more lastingly, introduced Ginsberg to Buddhism, the subject of so many long letter exchanges between them. Beginning in 1956 and continuing through 1991, the two men exchanged more than 850 letters. Bill Morgan, Ginsberg’s biographer and an important editor of his papers, has selected the most significant correspondence from this long friendship. The letters themselves paint the biographical and poetic portraits of two of America’s most important—and most fascinating—poets. Robert Hass’ insightful introduction discusses the lives of these two major poets and their enriching and moving relationship.

The Non-Adventures of Wonderella: Volume 1


Justin Pierce - 2008
    which might make her the most authentically American superhero in existence. Her awkward situations and active avoidance of heroic deeds can only be categorized as "Non Adventures".This text collects the first 99 Non-Adventures of Wonderella comics, alt-text commentary for each comic, bonus comics and a drinking game.

Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Arts in the Atlantic World


T.J. Desch Obi - 2008
    T. J. Desch-Obi explores another cultural continuity that is as old as eighteenth-century slave settlements in South America and as contemporary as hip-hop culture. In this thorough survey of the history of African martial arts techniques, Desch-Obi maps the translation of numerous physical combat techniques across three continents and several centuries to illustrate how these practices evolved over time and are still recognizable in American culture today. Some of these art traditions were part of African military training while others were for self-defense and spiritual discipline.Grounded in historical and cultural anthropological methodologies, Desch-Obi's investigation traces the influence of well-delineated African traditions on long-observed but misunderstood African and African American cultural activities in North America, Brazil, and the Caribbean. He links the Brazilian martial art capoeira to reports of slave activities recorded in colonial and antebellum North America. Likewise Desch-Obi connects images of the kalenda African stick-fighting techniques to the Haitian Revolution. Throughout the study Desch-Obi examines the ties between physical mastery of these arts and changing perceptions of honor.Including forty-five illustrations, this rich history of the arrival and dissemination of African martial arts in the Atlantic world offers a new vantage for furthering our understanding of the powerful influence of enslaved populations on our collective social history.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Screenplay


Eric Roth - 2008
    Scott Fitzgerald's work of the same name. Coming out soon, starring Brad Pitt and directed by David Fincher

Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads, Soups and Stews


Bernard Clayton Jr. - 2008
    Book by Clayton, Bernard, Jr.

Horror Panegyric


Keith Seward - 2008
    The first novel, Lord Horror, was the most recent work of literature after Last Exit to Brooklyn to be banned in England and obliged Britton to serve a term in Strangeways Prison. Savoy's "franchise of Lord Horror productions," Seward writes, "is provocative, original, visionary, and contains at least one outright masterpiece (Motherf*ckers). Young writers should be looking at it the same as they do Naked Lunch, i.e. as a work that shows them what the possibilities are in the hands of a master." "Lord Horror," Britton has said, "was so unique and radical, I expected to go to prison for it. I always thought that if you wrote a truly dangerous book -- something dangerous would happen to you. Which is one reason there are so few really dangerous books around. Publishers play at promoting dangerous books, whether they're Serpent's Tail or Penguin. All you get is a book vetted by committee, never anything radically imaginative or offensive that will take your f*cking head off. Ironically, I think it would do other authors a power of good if they had to account for their books by going to prison -- there are far too many bad books being published!" Following the essay are excerpts from the three difficult-to-find novels Lord Horror, Motherf*ckers: The Auschwitz of Oz, and Baptised in the Blood of Millions. Rounding out the volume is a timeline of Lord Horror productions that includes the novels, comic books, and recordings for which Savoy Books has earned its worldwide notoriety.