A Burglar's Guide To The City by Geoff Manaugh
I recently finished reading A Burglar's Guide To The City by Geoff Manaugh. It is probably one of the best books I've read this year so far. At the core of the book is a realization that not everything we see is as it seems by appearance. Sometimes there are hidden walls, objects that could be "ladders", and hiding places right in plain sight that burglar's use to commit crimes. I'm no burglar, but some of the things in this book really remind me of myself and how I tend to look at urban environments around me. It's those little details that I'm fascinated by and apparently, those little details on building facades also just so happen to lend nicely to theft. Go figure.
Geoff Manaugh gives a ton of examples of successful and unsuccessful burglars, many of whom could easily have been a separate book by themselves. If you want to a peek into the life of a burglar and the oddities that surround the definition of architectural space, this is a great intersection of the two fields.
Why Calvin and Hobbes is one of the best comic strips ever created
This video sums up perfectly why Calvin and Hobbes was and still is one of the best comics to ever grace newspaper pages. Despite running only within a decade's time, Calvin and Hobbes manages to transcend its own specific generation and go on to inspire many more younger generations after it.
While some other comics feel dated with their pop culture references and artwork, I find that Calvin and Hobbes remains untouched by time. It's fully capable of being fully interesting even after my 10th time re-reading it from start to finish.
The adventure, wit, humor, and companionship that is Calvin and Hobbes (the comic and the characters) is truly unmatched in my opinion.
If you've never read the comic or just need a wonderful bookshelf filler, you should really consider getting this 4-volume complete softcover edition of Calvin and Hobbes.
Bone: The Complete Full Color One Volume Edition
Bone by Jeff Smith is one of my favorite comics. I have the complete edition (a great deal for less than $30!) but I never knew that there was a special hardcover edition (shown above)! I think the image above is showing the Bone 20th Anniversary Box Set which includes full-color pages throughout the entire comic.
Here's a video below of a different hardcover version that's all black and white but with gilded page edges.
Ok, so if you want to get introduced to the comic, get this complete volume for $27.40 or splurge and get this FULL COLOR complete volume for just under $100.
The entire 1973 Trade Marks & Symbols book is online for free
Hmm, this is interesting. The entire 1973 Trade Marks and Symbols book has been photographed, page by page, and posted online for free viewing.
The book features 1500 trademarks from all around the world organized in alphabetical order. So if you need some design inspiration or just want to look at lovely '70s (and earlier) design motifs, here you go!
To Live and Dine in L.A.: Menus and the Making of the Modern City
I'm really intrigued by this book from Angel City Press called To Live and Dine in L.A.: Menus and the Making of the Modern City. The book is by Josh Kun and it's a collaboration between the Los Angeles Public Library and the Library Foundation of Los Angeles to remember old restaurants that have come and gone in LA's history. We often think of LA as a city of entertainment, pleasure, cars, and beaches, but it's also a city filled with a rich history of food and culinary endeavors. This book aims to recall some of that and bring it to the limelight.
The Library Foundation of Los Angeles has a great minisite surrounding this book and there's a Tumblr associated with the book as well. Both are incredibly fascinating -- especially the photos.
If you want to explore the LAPL's collection of menu's on your own, you can do so online! A large portion of their menu collection has been digitized.
Old Los Angeles Restaurants is another great site if you want to read more about LA restaurants that are no more.
Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self by Susan O'Malley
My favorite book of the moment is this title from Chronicle Books. The book is the work of Susan O'Malley, an artist who passed away in 2015, but not before asking tons of people of all ages what advice they would give themselves if they could meet themselves at 80.
The question is a heavy one, often forcing people to look deep into themselves and their decisions. The question has this sort of redeeming, uplifting quality to it, able to lift people out of bad times and make them see how good everything is -- even when it seems really bad.
Her work in transforming these small quotes into colorful, vibrant posters makes this book just a pleasure to look at and read. I highly recommend picking up a copy and keeping it near you.
