What your coffee-table book says about you
By Aynsley Karps
Published: August 22nd, 2008 | 12:05pm
Enough already with the lighthouses and Van Gogh prints! Transform the coffee table book’s wimpy rep (and boost your own) by implicitly showing your awesomeness and giving guests something punchy and spunky to peruse while waiting another 20 minutes for you to find your keys.
Take a look at these 10 captivating books that will for sure rack you up some cool points and are perfect for keeping guests occupied and entertained while you’re busy doing something else. Win-win, right?
YOU ARE: A WANNABE PROJECT RUNWAY JUDGE
Dos And Don’ts 2: 13 Years Of Vice Magazine’s Street Fashion Critiques (Vice Books)
By Gavin McInnes
336 pages
$20
The main idea: Fashion commentary with a witty, crude twist.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table: It’s bold enough to say what everyone else is thinking. The second volume, which came out early August of this year, is almost twice the amount of pages of the popular original published in 2004.
What guests will think of you now: “I better watch what I wear around her!
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: A WILD AND CRAZY PARTIER
No Regrets: The Best, Worst, And Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever (Grand Central Publishing)
By Aviva Yael and P.M. Chen
$16.99
144 pages
The main idea: Pretty self-explanatory.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table: You’ll feel like your bad decisions are trivial compared to the ones of those featured. The two authors also spent a year going to tattoo conventions and parlors to find the most insane pieces of body art.
What guests will think of you now: “She must have a badass tattoo.”
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: A DIY DIVA
Sweater Surgery: How To Make New Things With Old Sweaters (Quarry Books)
By Stefanie Girard
$19.99
160 pages
The main idea: Ways to recycle your old sweaters and create new items and accessories.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table: It shows you’re environmentally conscious, crafty, and innovative.
What guests will think of you now: “I can only imagine what she could do with my ratty cable-knit.”
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: AN ADVENTURE TRAVELER
Make the Most Of Your Time On Earth: A Rough Guide To the World (Rough Guides)
$29.99
608 pages
The main idea: 1,000 must-do’s around the globe.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table: Ironically, it will make you want to get off the couch and explore the world!
What guests will think of you now: “I wish my life was as spontaneous and thrilling as hers.”
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: A PROUD OWNER OF THE ALMOST FAMOUS DVD
The Rolling Stone Interviews (Back Bay Books)
By Jann S. Wenner (Editor) and Joe Levy (Editor)
$17.99
496 pages
The main idea: The best interviews from the magazine’s 40-year history.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table: Rolling Stone interviews are notorious for bringing out the undiscovered truths and candor among the world’s most influential cultural figures. Some of the famous interviews featured include Kurt Cobain in 1994 (three months before his suicide), Keith Richards in 2002, and John Lennon in 1970.
What guests will think of you now: “She appreciates what a thought-provoking question can uncover.”
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: A PHOTOGRAPHY BUFF
Purple Anthology: Art Prose Fashion Music Architecture Sex (Rizzoli)
By Olivier Zahm and Elein Fleiss
288 pages
$60
The main idea: A collection of Purple Fashion’s revolutionary photographs that changed the idea of fashion photography in the 1990s by bringing in artists to shoot fashion editorials.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table: The anthology portrays the progress and connection between art and fashion during the past 15 years.
What guests will think of you now: “What a style pioneer! I wonder what she’ll be on to next.”
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: A MUSIC AND FOOD LOVER
I Like Food, Food Tastes Good: In the Kitchen With Your Favorite Bands (Hyperion)
By Kara Zuaro
$17.95
272 pages
The main idea: One-of-a-kind treats that bands cook up when on the road, like Death Cab for Cutie’s Veggie Sausage and Peanut Butter Sandwich.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table:Most people love music and food, which means that anyone can really benefit from reading this cleverly original and fun book.
What guests will think of you now: “She would totally channel Fat Mike when making NOFX’s mac and cheese combo.”
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: A COOL COMIC NERD
Superheroes: Fashion & Fantasy (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
By Harold Kota and Andrew Bolton
160 pages
$50
The main idea: A discussion of the dress of superheroes, including how it influences designers and street wear and the real-life metaphors for their costumes and powers.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table: First off, it’s published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art — the authors are curators at the Costume Institute. Second, it’s an intellectual exposé behind everyone’s favorite make-believe idols. It’s a museum book that actually makes you look cool.
What guests will think of you now: “Maybe I should go to Comic Con with her next year!”
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: A FORMER PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR
Dream Dictionary: An A to Z Guide To Understanding Your Unconscious Mind (Gramercy)
By Tony Crisp
$9.99
480 pages
The main idea: Formatted like a dictionary, this book allows you to look up a keyword and find a straightforward analysis.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table: Granted, if you were to truly follow dream analysis, this book would probably be on your nightstand instead of the coffee table. But anyone can relate to the material, and it’s interesting to figure out what your subconscious is trying to tell you through some random object like an orange.
What guests will think of you now: “Now I know who to call after a nightmare at 4 a.m.”
Order it on Amazon
YOU ARE: A STREET ART ENTHUSIAST
Graffiti World: Street Art From Five Continents (Harry N. Abrams)
By Nicholas Ganz
$35
376 pages
The main idea: An in-depth look at leading graffiti artists with an extensive amount of photographs and information about the artists’ influences and backgrounds.
Why it deserves a spot on your coffee table:The author delves into all the trends and distinguishable aspects of graffiti art, let alone the fact that he follows the subculture around the world.
What guests will think of you now: “It takes an inspired person to find art in an unconventional context.”
Order it on Amazon
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COMMENT TOPIC: What coffee-table books do you recommend?
Issue #35
Comments
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EricaPhillips (4 months)
I recommend 'The Travel Book' published by Lonely Planet. My grandma gave it to me for Christmas last year. Every country in the world has a two-page spread with beautiful photos and a brief description. The only drawback? The thing weighs a TON.
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