Skyscrapers: A History of the World’s Most Extraordinary Buildings
by Judith Dupré (Black Dog & Leventhal)
Billed as a perfect gift for “people who like to look up when they walk down a city street,” “Skyscrapers” offers a chronological tour of the world’s tallest buildings. Readers begin with the Home Insurance Building built in Chicago in 1885, and at 180 feet considered the first skyscraper ever built, and ends with the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia (set to finish in 2018) which will be a whopping 3,281 feet, the first-ever building to reach and pass the 1 kilometer mark.
Shake
by Carli Davidson (Harper Design)
The funniest and furriest book on our holiday gift list is this gorgeous photo book, surefire hit for the dog lover on your list. Photographer Carli Davidson captures the humorous, lovable and sometimes even a little ugly side of man’s best friend in the lush color photo spread of dogs shaking their heads.
All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release
by Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin (Black Dog & Leventhal)
A perfect gift for the Fab Four fanatic — a massive 600-plus page book that reveals the intricate back stories (only an obsessive could appreciate) of every Beatles song ever made. Some choice factoids: We learn that it took 18 takes to get “Love Me Do” right; that John Lennon’s mic was off during the performance of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” on Ed Sullivan; and that there is a beat missing from the song “Here, There and Everywhere.”
Into the Cage: The Rise of UFC Nation
by Nick Gullo (Fenn-McClelland & Stewart)
For those who can’t get enough of the Octagon, this book’s a winner. Author Nick Gullo traces the rise of mixed martial arts fighting from its first show in 1993 to its popularity now. With rich black-and-white photos, the book also features in-depth articles about the training that a prize-fighter must undergo to win the UFC.
Humans of New York
by Brandon Stanton (St. Martin’s)
One of the biggest hits on Amazon this season, “Humans of New York,” which started as a blog with over a million fans, has translated its street snaps into book form. Of the thousands of street portraits of New Yorkers that the laid-off Chicago bond trader turned photographer posted on his blog, only 400 make it into the book. Some are fun, like this young girl in the West Village; others sad. But they’re all New York.
Star Wars: Frames
by George Lucas (Harry N. Abrams)
For the diehard Star Wars fan, these are exactly the droids you’re looking for. The $100 gift book — in a ornate wood-inlaid box with sculptures of Darth Vadar and Yoda — features six books with 1,416 individual frames from six Star Wars films hand-selected by George Lucas himself. This limited-edition book will look perfect next to the action-figure collection.
The Vatican: All the Paintings
by Anja Grebe (Black Dog & Leventhal)
Skip that expensive flight to Rome — for less than $100, you can give the of this Vatican best-of. In this massive celebration of the world’s greatest art collection, 976 works of art are featured — among them 661 classic paintings on permanent collection in Vatican City — including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and his Pietá and the Raphael frescoes. Nearly 200 of the paintings come with short essays written by author and art historian Anja Grebe.
The Gramercy Tavern Cookbook
by Michael Anthony and Dorothy Kalins (Clarkson Potter)
Since its opening in 1994, Danny Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern has held rank as one of the most popular dining destinations in the city. Now it’s sharing its secrets, with its first recipe book. The 125 recipes are broken up by season, and unlike some other big celebrity cookbooks these are “three-star recipes that you can actually cook,” says one reviewer.
Beautiful Lego
by Mike Doyle (No Starch Press)
This breathtaking art book is for the child at heart. With 200 pages of the best Lego art in the world, from 77 artists, you’ll be stunned by the jaw-dropping creations, everything from a Freddie Mercury portrait to highly-detailed Harley Davidson recreations to the Tower of Babel. Our favorite is the adorable Lego mini-Abraham Lincoln.
Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Ten Speed Press)
Capitalizing on the successes of his two bestselling cookbooks — last year’s “Jerusalem” and veggie-focused “Plenty” — British chef Yotam Ottolenghi has released “Ottolenghi,” which has already been out in the UK since 2008, in the US. The cookbook features 140 recipes from his four eponymous restaurants (with many more sweets and baked goods than his other cookbooks) in his characteristic easy-to-follow recipes inspired by his childhood in Jerusalem mixed in with a little North African, American and Italian cuisines.
Vanity Fair 100 Years: From the Jazz Age to Our Age
by Graydon Carter (Harry N. Abrams)
In honor of Vanity Fair’s 100th anniversary, more than 600 issues and thousands of images have been paired down to 456-pages (at a hefty 8.2 pounds) of the famed magazine’s history from an illustration of Josephine Baker to a modern black-and-white photo of model Kate Moss. The magazine is broken down by decade and includes a section of “Wisdom and Whimsy,” some of the best writing and quotes ever published. Topping it all off are the Vanity Fair Oscar party picks.
The Wes Anderson Collection
by Matt Zoller Seitz (Harry N. Abrams)
For the hipster in your life who has it all comes a the first comprehensive coffee-table book that chronicles director Wes Anderson’s seven films — among them “Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Moonrise Kingdom.” As twee as it is beautiful, the book includes behind-the-scenes photos, artwork and makeup inspirations, storyboards, and illuminating interviews with Anderson conducted by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz.
Remodelista
by Julie Carlson (Artisan)
A best-of the popular home design blog Remodelista.com, this photo-heavy book offers varied inspirations for those looking for the high-meets-low, shabby-chic house decor vibe. The book is broken up into several sections, among them “12 Houses We Love,” or tours of homes across the country, “Resources We Swear By” or 278 shops that the blog routinely visits for advice, and how-to’s on maximizing space and beautifying bathrooms and kitchens.
Daniel: My French Cuisine
by Daniel Boulud and Sylvie Bigar (Grand Central)
At 5-pounds, 400-pages, it’s one of the most celebrated and anticipated cookbooks this winter. Written by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, it marks the 20th anniversary of his three-Michelin-starred restaurant Daniel. The book is broken up into three parts, each increasingly digestible for the at-home cook. The first part covers dishes he makes at Daniel (impossible), then iconic dishes from Lyon, France, where Boulud was raised (hard), and finally some simple menus to cook at home (easier). By the end of the book, you’ll learn how to perfect everything from rabbit porchetta to tarte Normande.
Guillermo del Toro Cabinet of Curiosities My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions
by Guillermo del Toro and Marc Zicree (Harper Design)
A peek into the disturbed and brilliant mind of director Guillermo del Toro, responsible for “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Pacific Rim,” the book consists of notebooks written by the director over two decades. The strange mix of the macabre and the beautiful is enlightened by interviews with and quotes hand-selected by del Toro. Includes lots of star power, too, with a foreword by director James Cameron and an afterward by Tom Cruise.
George Hurrell’s Hollywood: Glamour Portraits 1925-1992
by Mark A. Vieira (Running Press)
Creator of the quintessential Hollywood glamour shot and fondly referred to as the “Rembrandt of Hollywood,” photographer George Hurrell’s photos—which spanned 70 years—featured the “who’s who” of Tinseltown. His camera subjects include Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Clark Gable and Diana Ross. His final muse, Sharon Stone, writes the foreword.
