Also check out Lonely Planet's Eat Pray Love mini-site, with great ideas about travelling to Italy, India and Bali.

One of the books that everyone was particularly excited about at the Raincoast Fall 2010 sales conference earlier this year was Networking for People who Hate Networking by Devora Zack (I think we could all relate!), and so we were really happy to see Macleans magazine review the book last week:

[Networking for People Who Hate Networking] starts with a reminder to introverts that they process the world differently. Whereas extroverts tend to discover “what they think by discussing their ideas,” introverts process by reflecting and thinking through, even writing down ideas. They shy away from meeting strangers. “If you don’t have the gift for chatter,” she writes, “focus on what you do have, a predisposition to watch and gather data. Tap into your high level of focus, combine deep listening with well-formed questions, and you need never be at a loss for conversation...”

Whereas extroverts dazzle with light banter, introverts excel in the aftermath of meetings and events with thoughtful follow-up. Focus on one or two people you’d like to keep in touch with, and send a personalized note via actual mail, referencing something they said from your introductory conversation. Or, if it’s an email, send an article or link relevant to your conversation. “Being thoughtful is better than just sending information about yourself, which can be perceived as too aggressive,” says Zack. “You’ll make a smashing second impression.”

Devora, who is a recognized expert in the field of leadership development, has also just recorded this new video about the book: 

Later this fall, Chronicle Books are publishing the first book to cover the entire scope of fashion icon Anna Sui's 20-year career.

With a shimmering foil-stamped cover and more than 400 photographs, the book celebrates Anna Sui's influence—from her first show that snared the support of supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Kate Moss, to the role she's played in making the babydoll dress one of fashion's most iconic silhouettes—and gives fans ran access to the designer's creative design process.

In this video, Anna Sui talks about creating the book: 



Anna Sui is available in October.

The Guardian newspaper is reporting that Durham University, England, will be offering a course on Harry Potter this Fall. Apparently around 70 of Durham's undergraduates have already signed up for the module 'Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion', which will be offered for the first time as part of the university's Education Studies BA degree:

Thought to be the first course in the UK focusing on the works of JK Rowling, the module will require undergraduates to set the series "in its social, cultural and educational context and understand some of the reasons for its popularity", and to consider Harry Potter's relevance to today's education system.

Awesome. 

D.I.Y. Delicious is perfect for crafty green types who have graduated from simple weekend jam and baking activities. The book goes beyond pickling and preserving into fermenting, culturing cheese, and brewing sodas and tonics. A total of 75 recipes and more than 50 step-by-step, colour photographs lead the way to stocking a pantry that uses fewer ingredients to make delicious staples at a much lower cost. 

In the mold of hipster classic Craft, Inc., Creative, Inc. will teach all types of creatives—illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, animators—how to build a successful business doing what they love. Meg and Joy explain everything from creating an outstanding portfolio to navigating the legal issues of starting a business. Accessible and full of practical advice, Creative, Inc. is an essential for anyone ready to strike out on their own.

Canadian author,  journalist, activist and blogger Cory Doctorow recently shared his memories of Igor Kenk and his Queen West store in a review of KENK: A Graphic Portrait for Boing Boing: 

I've known Igor since I was 18 years old, and truth be told, I found him confusing, likable, maddening, hilarious, charismatic, criminal, and even honourable after his own fashion. The Slovenian entrepreneur and bike-mechanic was a packrat (Kenk implies that he is a pathological hoarder, and I think this fits) and a seamy, rough-and-ready type who seemed to have stepped out of the pages of a Bruce Sterling story. He occupied a succession of shops at the western end of Queen Street in Toronto, long before the neighbourhood became fashionable, back when it was a depressed and seedy little strip in the middle of nowhere.

Read the full review here.

Last month at the San Diego Comic-Con, Portman updated MTV on where things are at with the movie:

And if literary mash-ups are your thing, don't forget about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, and the latest Quirk Classic Android Karenina!  

You know that all our new and recent catalogues are available to download online, right? Of course you did. 

Well, I just wanted to let you know that the Chronicle Books Craft catalogue for Fall 2010—with new books from Amy Butler and Lotta Jansdotter—is now available to download (PDF) at your leisure. Happy crafting! 

Modern North: Architecture on the Frozen Edge by Julie Decker features buildings located in northern Canada, Scandinavia, and Alaska that exemplify the most compelling possibilities of contemporary architecture in the extreme conditions of the North.

The book was recently reviewed for architecture and design magazine Azure:

How timely to read Julie Decker’s book about building in the Arctic. As oil exploration is accelerating in the North, so too is settlement planning. This fascinating collection of essays explains how indigenous dwellings have informed what the editor calls “new northern architecture.” No one aesthetic defines this type of building: architecture is northern primarily by the way it responds to the North.

And a longer review of Modern North can be found at online architecture magazine Re:Place:

Modern North reveals to us a contemporary response to building in the Arctic, as by necessarily adhering to the climate’s strict functional requirements, these structures represent a new form of architecture which is at once both modern and specific to its context. These projects are themselves works in progress, as their designers continue to evolve in their balance of technological prowess with each firm’s own unique relationship to one of the world’s toughest building sites. Likewise is it accompanied by a sense of awe, certainly by those of us who look to the frozen tundra of the North from the safety of our cities straddling the 49th parallel.

Read more about the book here. 

Vancouver Then and Now

The archival images are from a variety of periods, but most date from 1890 to 1930. Most of the contemporary photographs are taken by Karl Mondon, often providing dramatic depictions of the changes that have taken place.

                                             Kitsilano Beach              

                         NOW                                                      THEN

PHOTO CREDIT:
Now: Karl Mondon
Then: City of Vancouver Archives

The book was published by Thunder Bay Press in California, and is part of
a series of books on the same theme.

Hope to see you there!!

Photojournalist Dan Eldon was only 22 when he lost his life on assignment in Somalia. 

An artist, an activist, and an adventurer, Eldon had led a relief mission across Africa, worked as a graphic designer in New York, studied (intermittently) at four colleges, travelled through Europe, Africa, Japan, and the United States, founded a charity for Mozambiquan refugees, directed a film, written a book and started up his own photography business all before his tragic death.  

The creative journals he left behind became the basis for the bestselling The Journey Is the Destination published by Chronicle Books, and his life inspired the founding of Creative Visions, which supports “Creative Activists” who use media and the arts to create positive change in the world.

The foundation have recently redesigned daneldon.org, their website dedicated to Eldon, and have launched The Dan Eldon Project, a collection of clothing inspired by Eldon's life to support their work. 

You can read more about Eldon's life and legacy Dan Eldon: The Art of Life.

A core group of architects embraced the Coast with its particular geography and values and they have left behind a legacy of beautiful and inspired dwellings. Today, architects have picked up the thread and they continue to explore and celebrate the principles established by their predecessors.

Produced by Leah Mallen at Vancouver's TwoFold Film, Coast Modern is a documentary about the legacy of modern architects on the west coast of North America. Filmmakers Michael Bernard and Gavin Froome travel from Los Angeles to Vancouver and explore the history of modern architecture from 1922 up to the present:

The film is still in production and yet to be released. In the meantime, if you're interested in historic west coast modernism, you might want to pick up Forgotten Modern: California Houses 1940-1970, a beautiful book on the innovative mid-century architects working on the west coast, and NorCalMod: Icons Of Northern California Modernist Architecture which documents history of modernism in the Bay Area.

Or, if you're a feeling in the need of something more kitsch, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture takes a look at the iconic 1950s coffee shops and car-oriented mid-century architecture of Southern California (we still have a few copies in stock!).

I know you would never treat your books like this, would you? 

Graphic artist Jason Munn of one-man studio The Small Stakes talks about his beautiful book of music posters, published by our friends at Chronicle Books, with GrainEdit:

When Chronicle and I first started to talk about the book, there was a lot of different ideas on how the posters should be presented, the format of the book and so on. We agreed on presenting the posters very simply, one per page, chronologically by year. I definitely wanted to keep the book simple in design, and I think Chronicle did a wonderful job on the design, layout, and production of the book. The end result is a simple catalog of many of my posters with some added features that lend itself well to the design, like the use of metallic inks throughout the book. One of my favorite parts of the book is the back cover, which may sound kind of weird, but I love the large field of silver with just the radio/barcode at the bottom.

Read the full Q & A and see more images from the book here. 

Of course, all this ass-whupping Austen action started with Lizzie Bennett kicking seven shades of shih tzu out of the undead in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and its prequel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, but we're not going to begrudge them that. Well played ladies... 

And, if you haven't seen it before, here is the fantastic trailer for PPZ: Dawn of the Dreadfuls:

(via Mashable)

Author Richard Poplak and illustrator Nick Marinkovich will be discussing KENK: A Graphic Portrait at the Toronto Reference Library on Saturday July 31st 2010. The event runs from 2:30-4:00 pm and entry is free. 

The Italians have a secret. Over the centuries, they have pioneered more than 300 shapes of pasta, each with a history, a story to tell, and an affinity for particular foods.These shapes have evolved alongside the flavors of local ingredients, and the perfect combination can turn an ordinary dish of pasta into something sublime.

In The Geometry Of Pasta (available in September), critically acclaimed chef Jacob Kenedy presents authentic recipes featuring a delectable selection of pasta types, while award-winning designer Caz Hildebrand illustrates each pasta form with stunning black-and-white designs.

Opposites attract when Day meets Night and Night meets Day in the delightful new picture book Day & Night!

Available next month, the book is based on the Pixar short Day & Night, which which premiered with Toy Story 3.

In this video, Teddy Newton and the creative team behind Day & Night explain how they made the charming short: