BOOK NOTES: Mad for Mod holiday picks

Here's a list of Mad for Mod's recommended holiday gift titles for design lovers, released by some of the most notable art book publishers in the world. Some are fun and quirky, some are instructive; all will continue to give inspiration and pleasure  for years to come. (One of my favorite things about my job is being able to leaf through these gorgeous books, and call it "work".)

• Three from Taschen publishers

100 Illustrators

Mind-bending designs by the biggest players in the highly competitive field of illustration ...

This volume includes a self-portrait by each illustrator, examples of his/her work, and a profile about each by NY Times arts writer Steven Heller.

Zaha Hadid: Complete Works 1979-2013

This is the most comprehensive book ever written about the phenomenal, often controversial design work of Baghdad-born architect Zaha Hadid. The photos are stunning, and the high quality and lustrous sheen of the book's paper is notable. (At 612 pages and a hefty weight, this volume is meant for coffee table display, not carrying around!)

Menu Design in America, 1850 -1985

Menu Design is a deluxe volume, filled with more than 750 illustrations of a unique graphic art form that we generally take for granted. Menus, and the art that decorates them, have become defining mood-setters as well as keepsakes and marketing tools. This book also presents a fun and fascinating history of the phenomenon of dining out in America.

• from ACC publishers

  Contemporary Designers' Own Gardens 

This book takes readers on magical 12-country journey to secret gardens created by 

twenty of today's most innovative garden designers. Vertical gardens, kitchen gardens, play gardens, oasis gardens ... they're all here. What a treat to look at on a cold, wintry day!

• from Princeton Architectural Press

  

Southern Makers: Food, Design, Craft, and Other Scenes from the Tactile Life

If you're a crafts aficionado, you'll be fascinated by this collection of lively interviews with an eclectic assortment of inspired ceramicists, textile artists, toy makers, brewers and even a chocolate maker. The book could also serve well as a tour guide for the arts hubs of the American South: Asheville NC, Charleston SC, Athens GA and Nashville TN.   

The Designer says; The Architect says; The Film-maker says: 

Quotes, Quips and Words of Wisdom

Princeton Architectural Press has released 3 volumes in its entertaining "Words of Wisdom" series, and each is a feast of witty observations and thought-provoking ideas. This very portable collection (great for airplane reading!) would appeal to anyone curious about the concepts and personalities that have shaped the art of visual communication over the past century.

 

• from Ten Speed Press

  Modern Art Desserts: Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Confections, and
             Frozen Treats, Based on Iconic Works of Art

The cover and subtitle of this jazzy book pretty much say it all! Even if you're not a skillful baker (and -- let's face it -- you have to be, to make many of these recipes) you can still enjoy the photos and descriptions of this collection of "edible masterpieces". They're all based on paintings by great artists such as Mondrian, Matisse, and the happy cakemeister himself -- Wayne Thiebaud.