Thursday, November 8, 2012

Eric B. Recommends:

Paris, 1975. Camille sifts through letters of condolence after her mother's death when a strange, handwritten missive stops her short. At first she believes she received it by mistake. But then, a new letter arrives each week from a mysterious stranger, Louis, who seems intent on recounting the story of his first love, Annie. They were separated in the years before World War II when Annie befriended a wealthy, barren couple and fell victim to a merciless plot just as German troops arrive in Paris. But also awaiting Camille's discovery is the other side of the story, which will call into question Annie's innocence and reveal the devastating consequences of jealousy and revenge. As Camille reads on, she begins to realize that her own life may be the next chapter in this tragic story.


Energized and inspired by the 2008 elections, celebrated illustrator Maira Kalman traveled to Washington, D.C., launching a year-long investigation of American democracy and its workings. The result is an artist’s idiosyncratic vision of history and contemporary politics.
Whether returning to America’s historical roots at the Lincoln archive and Jefferson’s Monticello, or taking the pulse of the present day at a town hall meeting in Vermont, an Army base in Kentucky, and the inner chambers of the Supreme Court, Kalman finds evidence of democracy at work all around us. Her route is always one of fascinating indirection, but one that captures and shares in hundreds of beautiful, colorful reasons why we  are proud to be Americans.


Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Biography

Widely and enthusiastically acclaimed, this is the authorized, definitive biography of one of the most fascinating but troubled figures of the twentieth century by the nation's leading Cold War historian. In the late 1940s, George F. Kennan—then a bright but, relatively obscure American diplomat—wrote the "long telegram" and the "X" article. These two documents laid out United States' strategy for "containing" the Soviet Union—a strategy which Kennan himself questioned in later years. Based on exclusive access to Kennan and his archives, this landmark history illuminates a life that both mirrored and shaped the century it spanned.
 

Two masters of offbeat Internet humor combine the mindless fun of children’s coloring books and the hilariously soul-crushing realities of modern adult life

With over 150 videos and 65 million Youtube views to their credit, Ryan Hunter and Taige Jensen know how to make people laugh. Their YouTube video, “Hipster Olympics” racked up nearly three million hits and quickly attained worldwide cult status amongst both the cool crowd (and those who like to poke fun at them). Their recent hit “The Walken Dead” was viewed over 600,000 times in less than three weeks. Now, the duo put their prolific creative talents to work in Coloring for Grown-Ups.

The artwork may resemble that of a children’s activity book, but look closer. Offering an ironic look at the stereotypes, habits, and challenges of modern adulthood, Coloring for Grown-Ups includes:
• A “Hipster or Homeless?” coloring page
•The 6 Steps to Abandoning Your Hopes and Dreams checklist
• An “Adulthood A to Z,” (“A is for Anti-Depressants”, “B is for Bills”)

Darkly humorous—and fun for any occasion —Coloring for Grown-Ups is the perfect stocking stuffer for reluctant adults of any age.

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