From our January/February 2007 issue:
Pacific Encounters: Art & Divinity in Polynesia 1760-1860
Text by Steven Hooper
This book is like wandering through a natural-history museum but, of course, the artifacts aren't behind glass - they've been photographed and placed on the clean, crisp white pages in front of you.
About this book: University of Hawaii Press; $42
Tropical Minimal Text by Danielle Miller, Photos by Richard Powers
A gift for: someone you're hoping to inspire to build their own island home - one that you can visit.
Highlights: The Outdoor Spaces section, in which clean lines and sharp edges are juxtaposed against the organic shapes of the jungle.
Did you know? The best feng shui combination in a fishpond is eight gold and one black fish.
About this book: Thames & Hudson; 192 pages; $40
Designing Paradise: The Allure of the Hawaiian ResortText by Don J. Hibbard, Photos by Augie Salbosa
A gift for: the architect whose ideal island getaway is Hawaii.
Highlights: Drawings and photos - both archived and contemporary - illustrate the evolution and allure of Hawaii's resorts from small, 19th century hotels into today's renowned escapes.
Did You Know? Kaanapali, on Maui's leeward coast, was Hawaii's first master-planned destination resort.
About this Book: Princeton Architectural Press; 216; $50
Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban: 100 Great Recipes for Cuban Entertaining Text by Glenn Lindgren, Raúl Musibay and Jorge Castillo, Photos by Marty SnorlumA gift for: your favorite wanderlust-inflicted foodie.
Highlights: These "three guys from Miami" translate countless years of genuine Cuban eating experience into "the" guide to preparing 100 Cuban recipes, from chorizo (Spanish sausage) to tostones (fried plaintains).
Did You Know? Cawy Bottling Co. is Cuba's equivalent to Coca-Cola, producing such soft drinks as Coco Solo (coconut-flavored soda) and Jupiña (pineapple soda).
About this Book: Gibbs Smith; 248 pages; $29.95
Cruise: Identity, Design and Culture (MP)Text by Peter Quartermaine & Bruce PeterA gift for: Cruise-enthusiasts keen to learn the evolution of passenger vessels embarking on entertaining ocean voyages.
Highlights: The contrast of eras, such as a cruise line's Art Deco poster art, black and white images of improvised deck games and an illustrated cut-away of the world's largest cruise ship in 1999, sprinkled throughout the book.
Did You Know? As of 1995, caviar and champagne served atop floating surfboards were staples for guests when Seabourn vessels were in port.
About this book: Rizzoli New York; 160 pages; $29.95
Down the Shore: A Photo Tour of the Jersey Coast
Photos by Bob Krist (ISLANDS contributor)A gift for: anyone who has summered at the shore.
Highlights: Think pulled salt-water taffy, long-lines at dusk waiting for ice cream, amusement park rides on the boardwalk and an eternal beach stretched beneath a painted sky at sunset. The photographer exposes every facet of the much-loved Jersey shore.
Did You Know? The Ocean City Baby Parade has been held every year since 1909. One entry's imaginative-take on the film Men in Black is seen on page 27.
About this book: Photo Tour Books, Inc.; 96 pages; $24.95
From our December 2006 issue:
Inside Cuba
Text by Julio Cesar Perez Hernandez, Photos by Gianni BassoA gift for: a progressive American who patiently waits for the day Cuba's border opens to us.
Highlights: A cover bound in cloth that looks as if it were taken from army fatigues; Che Guevara's face is imprinted on the back. Inside is a journey of unassuming honesty - ragged homes laden withreligious iconography and, conversely, gallantly ornate manses and hotels.
Did you know? Coppelia is not only the name of a ballet, but of a favorite Cuban treat - a chain that sells luscious gelato-like ice cream.
About this book: Taschen; 416 pages; $49.99
Marley Legend: An Illustrated Life of Bob Marley
Text by James HenkeA gift for: someone whose hazy college days are long past but who still finds the time to spin vinyl.
Highlights: Organic items you actually pull out of the book, such as a copy of Bob Marley's handwritten lyrics for "Turn Your Lights Down Low" and "Waiting in Vain", and a 50-minute CD filled with song clips and Marley waxing poetic on his personal beliefs.
Did you know? The grandson of Halie Selassie - a former emperor of Ethiopia said by Rastafarians to be the living incarnation of God - gave Marley his grandfather's ring; Marley often said that the ring seemed to emit heat while on his finger.
About this book: Chronicle; 64 pages; $35
Living in Sri Lanka
Text by Turtle Bunburry, Photos by James FennellA gift for: one who dreams of high-styling his or her way across Asia.
Highlights: It's a virtual walk-through of luxurious homes and accomodations, revealing the palatial (chandeliers and four-poster beds), the rustic (trees and plants that because part of the overall design) and the eclectic (walls covered with posters, painings and gorgeous murals of birds, trees and elephants).
Did you know? Director David Lead filmed Bridge on the River Kwai on the Kelani River is Sri Lanka.
About this book: Thames & Hudson; 208 pages; $40
Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom
Photos by Stephen WilkesA gift for: anyone who traces their family to one of the more than 12 million immigrants who passed through Ellis between 1892 and 1954.
Highlights: The photographer examines the lesser-known southside of Ellis Island, a maze of medical and quarantine rooms where the 1.2 million people who failed their initial exams were sent for further evaluation.
Did you know? What began for this photographer as a one-day photo shoot evolved into a five-year project. This book is a rare glimpse into these closed-to-the-public rooms.
About this book: W.W. Norton & Co.; 144 pages; $75
Singapore: State of the Art
Text by Joseph R. Yogerst, Photos by R. Ian LloydA gift for: the person who feels most sated in a cultural melting pot.
Highlights: An intimate look at Singapore's diverse cultures. The Southeast Asian island is more exotic than you might think.
Did you know? Theater-sitting high jump - being first out of your seat and to reach the car park after a show - is considered a "national sport" by Singapore's Chinese community.
About this book: R. Ian Llyod Productions; 144 pages; $29.95
St. John US Virgin Islands Living Art
Photos by Steve Simonsen (ISLANDS contributor)A gift for: one whose idea of perfection is a Caribbean isle preserved as a U.S. National Park.
Highlights: Images that leap off the pages. St. John resident Steve Simonsen captures the astonishingly beatiful landscape and seascape - elements of his island home that he dubs "one of nature's masterworks."
Did you know? Simonsen has successfully "circum-snorkellated" the entire island.
About this book: Steve Simonsen Photography Inc.; 198 pages; $60
Dive in Style
Photos by Tim SimondA gift for: divers passionate about exploring the earth's blue corners.
Highlights: Excellent underwater images that introduce the unique marine life and topography in each of 26 locales, mixed with topside images that will sweep you away.
Did you know? You can dive the Indonesian archipelago of Komodo from aboard the Silolona, a newly built phinisi - a type of boat crafted by the Konjo people in Sulawesi, and certainly one of the most stylish, live-aboard options.
About this book: Thames & Hudson; 288 pages; $40
Humankind
Photos by Yoshio Komatsu and Eiko KomatsuA gift for: a cultural explorer.
Highlights: A photo journey that captures the emotions of the world's people - a vivid reminder of our commonalities that ultimately provides a greater understanding of the human race.
Did you know? Yoshio Komatsu's inspiration for this book came from "The Family of Man," a 1955 photo exhibition at New York's MoMA.
About this book: Gibbs Smith; 472 pages; $39.95
From our November 2006 issue:
Designing the Seaside
Text by Fred GrayA gift for: a lover of the roaring '20s who also reminisces of childhood summers spent at the seashore.
Highlights: Impeccable research, old black-and-white photos of spas and bath houses, funky posters of skirt-clad bathing beauties and cartoons illustrating the implausible perils of vacationing at the seaside.
Did you know? Doctors used to prescribe different regions or resorts for invalids suffering particular complaints.
About this book: Reaktion; 336 pages; $40
Tropical Minimal Text by Danielle Miller, Photos by Richard Powers
A gift for: someone you're hoping to inspire to build their own island home - one that you can visit.
Highlights: The Outdoor Spaces section, in which clean lines and sharp edges are juxtaposed against the organic shapes of the jungle.
Did you know? The best feng shui combination in a fishpond is eight gold and one black fish.
About this book: Thames & Hudson; 192 pages; $40
Designing Paradise: The Allure of the Hawaiian ResortText by Don J. Hibbard, Photos by Augie Salbosa
A gift for: the architect whose ideal island getaway is Hawaii.
Highlights: Drawings and photos - both archived and contemporary - illustrate the evolution and allure of Hawaii's resorts from small, 19th century hotels into today's renowned escapes.
Did You Know? Kaanapali, on Maui's leeward coast, was Hawaii's first master-planned destination resort.
About this Book: Princeton Architectural Press; 216; $50
Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban: 100 Great Recipes for Cuban Entertaining Text by Glenn Lindgren, Raúl Musibay and Jorge Castillo, Photos by Marty SnorlumA gift for: your favorite wanderlust-inflicted foodie.
Highlights: These "three guys from Miami" translate countless years of genuine Cuban eating experience into "the" guide to preparing 100 Cuban recipes, from chorizo (Spanish sausage) to tostones (fried plaintains).
Did You Know? Cawy Bottling Co. is Cuba's equivalent to Coca-Cola, producing such soft drinks as Coco Solo (coconut-flavored soda) and Jupiña (pineapple soda).
About this Book: Gibbs Smith; 248 pages; $29.95
Cruise: Identity, Design and Culture (MP)Text by Peter Quartermaine & Bruce PeterA gift for: Cruise-enthusiasts keen to learn the evolution of passenger vessels embarking on entertaining ocean voyages.
Highlights: The contrast of eras, such as a cruise line's Art Deco poster art, black and white images of improvised deck games and an illustrated cut-away of the world's largest cruise ship in 1999, sprinkled throughout the book.
Did You Know? As of 1995, caviar and champagne served atop floating surfboards were staples for guests when Seabourn vessels were in port.
About this book: Rizzoli New York; 160 pages; $29.95
Down the Shore: A Photo Tour of the Jersey Coast
Photos by Bob Krist (ISLANDS contributor)A gift for: anyone who has summered at the shore.
Highlights: Think pulled salt-water taffy, long-lines at dusk waiting for ice cream, amusement park rides on the boardwalk and an eternal beach stretched beneath a painted sky at sunset. The photographer exposes every facet of the much-loved Jersey shore.
Did You Know? The Ocean City Baby Parade has been held every year since 1909. One entry's imaginative-take on the film Men in Black is seen on page 27.
About this book: Photo Tour Books, Inc.; 96 pages; $24.95
My Maine: The Coastal Watercolors of Normand Chartier Text by Normand Chartier
A gift for: a nostalgist of Atlantic coast maritime culture.
Highlights: Watercolor illustrations portray the full slate of seaside life: lobster traps piled at the end of a dock, glassy water on a windless day, clapboard cottages perched on stilts over the sea.
Did you know? The artist is a well-known children's book illustrator with more than 70 publications to his credit.
About this book: Down East Books; 96 pages with 75 color reproductions; $30
French Island EleganceText by Michael Connors, Photos by Bruce BuckA gift for: someone who reads Baudelaire and prefers gilded furniture, but doesn't mind windswept hair and sand in her swimsuit.
Highlights: Informative text explains the French-speaking Caribbean islands' art history and colonial roots; indulgent photographs reveal dwellings and their décor, which spans from later Louis-period styles to Directoire and Empire.
Did you know? Plantation owners lived so lavishly that to be si riche comme un Créole ("as rich as a West Indian") was a popular phrase in Paris during the colonial period.
About this book: Abrams; 176 pages; $40
