Arts and Culture

Outdoors; it’s always the best time of year! Especially when the whole world lies open before us. But where are the greatest experiences beckoning to adventure seekers and outdoor fans? Experiences such as being on an aurora borealis safari in Tromsø, Norway; taking a stand-up paddling trip on Italy’s Lago D’Idro; or mountain biking through Austria’s Salzburger Land with a view of the Alps.

A lot has happened in the world of railroads since the first train station opened in Darlington, northern England, almost 200 years ago. Today's railroad station buildings are as wonderfully diverse as their locations, ranging from what G. K. Chesterton called "cathedrals of the Industrial Revolution" springing up along high-speed rail lines, to charming country stops that rarely see a passenger.

This volume studies, in chronological order, three types of large clocks-wall, cabinet and free-standing, with particular attention to clocks from France, England, Holland, Scandinavia and the German-speaking countries. The emphasis is on French clocks due to recent great interest in the trade of these among collectors.

This unique series of paintings takes the viewer on a graphic, visionary journey through the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual anatomy of the self. From anatomically correct rendering of the body systems, Grey moves to the spiritual/energetic systems with such images as "Universal Mind Lattice," envisioning the sacred and esoteric symbolism of the body and the forces that define its living ...

This definitive reference for beachcombers is also a beautiful addition to any coffee table. Pure Sea Glass surveys the history of glass manufacturing, explains the weathering process that creates frosted gems from fragile shards of old glass and tableware, and offers tips on how and where to find the best pieces.

The new Pure Sea Glass Identification Deck is a fun, valuable tool for casual beachcombers and serious collectors alike. Author Richard LaMotte offers gems of glass history and scientific clues that can help determine the age, origin, and value of a shard.

For the first time, Lucasfilm has opened its Archives to present the complete storyboards for the original Star Wars trilogy?the world-changing A New Hope and its operatic sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi?as well as never-before-published art from early conceptual and deleted scenes.

From Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston to Doug Chiang, Ryan Church, Iain McCaig, Erik Tiemens, and the next generation of animation and video-game artists, Star Wars Art: Concept collects, for the first time ever, the very best Star Wars conceptual artwork.

The Story of Marvel Studios is the first-ever, fully authorized, all-access history of Marvel Studios’ creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

On January 10, 1999, a mobster walked into a psychiatrist’s office and changed TV history. By shattering preconceptions about the kinds of stories the medium should tell, The Sopranos launched our current age of prestige television, paving the way for such giants as Mad Men, The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones.

Featuring never-before-seen unit photography, storyboards, costume and concept designs, and behind-the-scenes photos from Academy Award–winning director Steven Spielberg’s first musical, West Side Story: The Making of the Steven Spielberg Film is a loving chronicle of the years of effort that went into bringing a beloved story back to the screen for a new generation.

His personal relationships had failed. His career tracks had dead-ended. Now his health was threatened. Neale Donald Walsch, at age 48, was financially destitute and in a state of chronic depression. From this low place of frustration and desperation, Neale vented his ire by writing an angry letter to God on a yellow legal pad.

This book and its companion volume are the first in English to survey the entire range of Scandinavian glass companies and designers. Their beautiful glass has spawned one of the hottest collecting fields today. The volumes are divided by color, with the dark tones of Smoke and the clear crystal of Ice included in this book.

Italy. The name sparks images of gondolas, the Trevi Fountain, and Michelangelo’s David. Indeed, travelers who visit only Venice, Rome, and Florence will find plenty to hold their attention—but they will also miss out on so much more of what Bella Italia has to offer . . .

Let’s face it, without the larger-than-life character and imagination of the art that complements it, metal just wouldn’t have had the same impact. From the colorful, outlandish, yet sophisticated use of visuals for album artwork and posters, to the immediately recognizable logos of such bands as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Metallica, Slayer, and a host of others across ...

What does the future of urban living look like? Joel Beath and Elizabeth Price explore this question drawing inspiration from a diverse collection of apartment designs, all smaller than 50m2/540ft2. Through the lens of five small-footprint design principles and drawing on architectural images and detailed floor plans, the authors examine how architects and designers are reimagining smal