Editorial: Imagination Books
Forest - Nature Through Watercolors A wonderful collection of beautiful watercolor paintings, showcasing the sublime, wild and amazing power of Mother Nature through the beauty of the brush stroke...Get it now!
A visual feast of 49 weird, wonderful and architecturally astounding swimming pools from around the world. This book is a sumptuous celebration of swimming pools as playgrounds of pioneering design and architectural excess. Banish memories of crowded leisure centres and sun lounger-clad lidos, these are pools designed for pleasure, not purpose. Swimming pools are no longer simply places to swim, they are versatile sites of activity and excess. They can be vital lifelines providing communities with safe access to water, domestic symbols of affluence, and the avant-garde spectacle of hotel developers. Naina Gupta uncovers some of the most spectacular swimming pools from around the world, including Berthold Lubetkin's modernist Penguin Pool at London Zoo, the world's largest infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands, Ricardo Bofill's blood-red garden pool in Spain, and London's unparalleled Sky Pool. Extraordinary Pools also includes 4 extended essays on various aspects of pool culture, such as the use of empty swimming pools in California by skateboarders. Illustrated throughout with awe-inspiring colour photography, Extraordinary Pools is a mosaic of exceptional public and private pools, reasserting the protean quality of the swimming pool as a space of activity, pleasure and excess.Ver libro
Saint-Exupéry might have had the Little Prince say that he liked the desert because that is where camels can hide out. Dubai is one of the seven Gulf Emirates and has become a high-tech avantgarde metropolis where superlatives are superfluous. Major wonders of architectural imagination and scale include the National Bank of Dubai, Clock Tower, Creek Side and Dubai Internet City. It also operates the world's largest man-made harbour in Jebel Ali, which features a major water desalination plant. It is the world's third largest trans-shipment hub after Hong Kong and Singapore. Nonetheless, Dubai preserves close ties to the past, based on Bedouin tradition, camel racing, falconry, pearl diving and the world of palm groves. The land thrived before the era of oil derricks and is now preparing to live again after they leave as it invests in higher education that heartily welcomes women. Time-honoured legends of Arab cavalries that swept across the deserts still survive in horse races that display equestrian tradition against a background of exclusive state-of-the-art driving machines: Welcome to this sneak preview of the 21st Century!Ver libro
Join the Club. It's Okay to be "Duuuuuuuh!" Everyone is guilty of doing it: Committing an act so outlandish, so stupid that the first thought that comes to mind is, “Duuuuuuuh!” “Duh!” moments happen all the time. They can strike at any moment. At any place, at any time of day, when you least expect them: You Super Glue a quarter to your forehead betting a friend it won’t stick . . .”Duh!” Your boss asks you to leave "early" to run an errand and then to stay late . . . “Duh!” Your mother-in-law comes to visit after you buy her a “one-way” ticket . . . double “Duh!" Need more examples? Okay, you asked for it. You report a local family disturbance to the police and the officer comes to your door . . . ”Duh!” Your blonde girlfriend hears accidents happen close to home, so she moves . . . ”Duh!” You think becoming a vegetarian means you can’t eat Animal Crackers . . . ”Duh!” Stand up. Take a bow. You are not alone. Now one laugh-filled volume brings them all together…the whole “Duhs!” and nothing but the “Duhs!” . . . THE BOOK OF DUH! This fun-filled treasury features the funniest, most outrageous “Duhs!” of all. Of course, who are we tell you that. You have lived these (and probably more). If not, join the club. It is okay to be “Duh!” This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.Ver libro
Rough Trade Book of the YearResident Book of the YearA Rolling Stone Book of the YearA Mojo Book of the YearA Sunday Times Book of the YearFormed in 1988, Lush were part of the London gig scene during one of the most vibrant and creative periods in UK music. Now, Miki Berenyi tells all.From the bohemian ways of her father's social circle to the privileged glamour of her mother's acting career, Miki's young life was a blur of travel, celebrities and peripatetic schooling. But frequent relocation, parental neglect and the dark presence of her abusive grandmother resulted in crippling shyness, mental-health issues and a vulnerability to exploitation.The route out of this hole was music - a passion shared by schoolmate Emma Anderson. The teenagers began attending gigs together and would ultimately go on to form Lush. Talented and exuberant, the band became hot property, swiftly transitioning from shoegaze icons to Britpop darlings.Re-living the tours, recording sessions and music-industry madness they experienced along the way, this uncompromising memoir documents Lush's thrilling rise and untimely fall. Yet at the heart of the book are Miki's own battles: the conflict between her mouthy public persona and her thin-skinned private identity; the trials of being a woman in an infuriatingly male world; the struggle to find a middle ground between 'safe' indie obscurity and 'sell-out' international success. Miki also explores her complicated relationship with Emma - one that has fluctuated between camaraderie and rivalry over the years - and addresses the devastating tragedy that led to the band's split.Told through frank confession, wry humour and searing emotional honesty, this is the incredible tale of a trailblazing woman and a seminal band.Ver libro
This bundle examines the final centuries of imperial China, covering the Southern Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties—each a defining era of resilience, expansion, and eventual decline. From the Southern Song’s struggle against northern invaders to the Ming’s golden age of exploration and the Qing’s rule over a vast multiethnic empire, this book explores the triumphs and challenges that shaped China's final imperial dynasties. Uncover the Southern Song Dynasty’s advancements in naval power and economic strength as it resisted Mongol pressures. Witness the Ming Dynasty’s efforts to restore Chinese rule, construct the Forbidden City, and send Admiral Zheng He on legendary voyages. Finally, explore the Qing Dynasty’s rise to dominance, its territorial expansion, and the internal and external conflicts that led to the empire’s collapse. This book offers a deep dive into the political, military, and cultural forces that defined the last imperial reigns of China, providing history enthusiasts with a compelling look at the end of an era.Ver libro
Finnish mythology is filled with stories from northern gods and goddesses, magical animals and feisty forest spirits. Finland was an agricultural society for hundreds of years and before that the inhabitants were hunter-gatherers. Our mythology and folktales are intertwined with the surrounding nature, clear lakes, northern lights and the forest, which was the home of all kinds of mysterious events. In this book you will become familiar with old Finnish gods and goddesses and ancient festivals. We will go through different deities that represent different seasons. All of these gods and goddesses have different messages for us and they can teach us valuable lessons, about ourselves, nature around us, and the universse. Summer Solstice was the time to honor the thunder god Ukko, who brought the rain and life with him. This was the time to party and be merry. All kinds of spells and magic was performed during this magical day. The biggest festival of the year, however was the harvest festival Kekri. This was the time when the spirits and ghosts wondered among the living. Ancestors were remembered and they were invited to join the festivities. Many of the modern Finnish Christmas traditions, are in fact, based on the old Kekri celebration. In March when the earth woke up from it's sleep, the goddess Akka was celebrated. Spring equanox was known as matopäivä the day of the snakes. During this day, snakes woke up from hibernation and they danced to honor the earth goddess. This book is perfect for anyone who is fascinated by history, folklore and old European cultures and anyone who is interested in magic, myth and lore. You will learn about ancient customs and traditions and how you can implement these teachings in your personal life. Niina is a folklorist and mythology researcher. She has created multiple courses on her native Finnish folklore.Ver libro
