My thanks to Kelly at Book Dirt for calling my attention to the Chronicle Books Give-Away. The prize is $500 worth of books for the winner and one of the commenters on the winner's blog post will also receive those same books--how cool is that?
Not only will those prizes be awarded, but the winner will also be able to pick a favorite charity that will be able to pick out its own $500 worth of books. Do I have your attention yet? Maybe I should be keeping this a secret so there will be less entries and my odds will increase, but I guess I love my readers too much not to let you in on this great contest.
For my charity I'm going to choose the same one as Kelly did--Prospect Elementary School in Blount County, Tennessee--since I don't know of any other particular place and it's in my home town, I'll support that small library as well.
Here are my book choices:
Volume
Writings on Graphic Design, Music, Art, and Culture
Princeton Architectural Press
Princeton Architectural Press
By Kenneth FitzGerald ($24.95)
This sounds like writing about a topic that interests me.
This sounds like writing about a topic that interests me.
Survival City
Adventures Among the Ruins of Atomic America
By Tom Vanderbilt ($25.00)
This is the era during which I grew up. It scared me and fascinated me. I love this kind of stuff.
Absinthe
History in a Bottle
By Barnaby Conrad III ($22.95)
After seeing the Jack the Ripper movie From Hell, I became curious about this substance. Now to learn more.
Ghostly Ruins
America's Forgotten Architecture
Princeton Architectural Press
Princeton Architectural Press
By Harry Skrdla ($29.95)
Ruins are so cool. I love looking at them. Sitting home at looking at the photos in a book would be the next best thing to being there (at least until they come up with the DVD documentary version--now that would be cool.)
I Was Here
A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded
By Kate Pocrass ($16.95)
This might me fun to play with in my future travel adventures.
Ready, Set, Novel!
A Workbook, Plan and Plot Your Upcoming Masterpiece
By Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant, and Tavia Stewart-Streit of National Novel Writing Month ($16.95)
Another thing to add to my collection of writer's resource material.
Grady McFerrin Photo Album $18.95
I've got a bunch of loose photos that should be put in an album.
The Autobiography Box
A Step-by-Step Kit for Examining the Life Worth Living
By Brian Bouldrey ($19.95)
Something that might go hand in hand with my new Wrote By Rote blog.
Cartes Postales
small edition ($18.95)
I've got an old post card collection. Maybe I can take some of them out of the shoe box they are in now and put them in an album.
I've got an old post card collection. Maybe I can take some of them out of the shoe box they are in now and put them in an album.
Participate
Designing with User-Generated Content
By Helen Armstrong and Zvezdana Stojmirovic, foreword by Ellen Lupton ($24.95)
Maybe I can learn something from this and if not I'll pass it over to my daughter who might be able to use it.
Visual Merchandising 2nd edition
By Tony Morgan ($40.00)
This topic interests me for various reasons. It's another book that perhaps I can learn from.
Cut & Paste
21st-Century Collage
By Richard Brereton with Caroline Roberts ($29.95)
This one might be helpful to create experimental stuff for the blogs. If not my daughter might be able to use it as a resource material in her work as a collage artist.
Visual Complexity
Mapping Patterns of Information
Princeton Architectural Press
Princeton Architectural Press
By Manuel Lima ($50.00)
Patterns...I'm interested and curious. Let me see how this book can expand my mind. 
Geometry of Design, Second Edition, Revised and Updated
Studies in Proportion and Composition
By Kimberly Elam ($24.95)
You might get the impression that I've got some artistic bent after some of the books I've picked. It's just a topic that's been on my mind of late. This book's description sounds intriguing.
Graphic Design Thinking
Beyond Brainstorming
By Ellen Lupton, editor ($24.95)
This could have greater application than just visual arts. I'm willing to check it out.
Art Work
Seeing Inside the Creative Process
By Ivan Vartanian ($24.95)
The description says this book covers all types of creative processes. I want to be a creative person.
The Toaster Project
Or A Heroic Attempt to Build a Simple Electric Appliance from Scratch
By Thomas Thwaites ($19.95)
This sounds like something I'd think of but would be too dumb to actually do. Here I can read about someone else doing it.
Circus
Over 50 flaps plus seek-and-find!
By Roxie Munro ($15.95)
There's gotta be a juggler in this somewhere and I like the circus anyway. This might be fun to share with my grandkids.
Moleskine® Address Book Pocket
($12.95)
The address book I have now is about 35 years old, falling apart, and filled with defunct information. I need a new one.
Starry Crown Eco-Journal
By Grady McFerrin ($10.95)
This looks nice and if I don't use it I can give it as a gift.
DIYDesign It Yourself
A Design Brief
Princeton Architectural Press
Princeton Architectural Press
By Ellen Lupton ($24.95)
I'm thinking a lot about design lately--in case that point didn't come across in some of the above picks.
That's my line up and I think they sound pretty good.
Grand Total $499.10 Close enough for me. Chronicle can keep the change.
If you want to play along then follow the link below:
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/happyhaulidays
Do you see anything here that you especially like? Have you read or seen any of these? Let me know if you add your own blog entry to the list so I can come and leave a comment.
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