Other books that might interest you

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  Under the Dome - Politics Crisis...

  Alan M. Hantman, Sen. Harry M....

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  The domed US Capitol Building is recognized around the world as America's most iconic symbol, the forum for representative democracy, and the physical stage for the transfer of executive power. As the United States grew in size and complexity, the Capitol was built, rebuilt, enlarged, and extended many times under the direction of the few who have served as Architect of the Capitol. This official heads the agency dedicated to preserving and upgrading this magnificent structure, and all the buildings and grounds of Capitol Hill. 
   
   
   
  In Under the Dome, Alan Hantman, the Architect of the Capitol from 1997 to 2007, provides a personal account of how the Capitol works as a physical space; who runs it, how and why decisions are made about the security of the Capitol and the people who work there, and how politicians think about the Capitol Building. He also recounts security threats to the Capitol during his tenure—including the 1998 shooting murder of two police officers and the Capitol evacuation on 9/11 as a hijacked airplane approached—that underscore one of his greatest challenges as Architect. The tension between securing the Capitol and opening it to the public drove the design and construction under his direction of the Capitol Visitor Center, the largest expansion of the Capitol in its history, increasing its size by seventy percent.

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  The Forger’s Spell - A True...

  Edward Dolnick

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  As riveting as a World War II thriller, The Forger's Spell is the true story of Johannes Vermeer and the small-time Dutch painter who dared to impersonate him centuries later. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of one of the most beloved and admired artists who ever lived. As Edward Dolnick reveals, his true genius lay in psychological manipulation, and he came within inches of fooling the world. Instead, he landed in an Amsterdam court on trial for his life. The Forger's Spell is the gripping, true tale of this almost perfect crime.

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  Flint - a lithic love letter

  Joanne Bourne

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  'A very British love-letter to the beauty of flint' Daily Telegraph
  Joanne Bourne has been in awe of flint as long as she can remember.
  It was all around her where she grew up in Kent: used for garden walls, to edge drives and weight dustbin lids, as well as to build pubs, churches, Roman villas and castles. For centuries it was the only building stone available.
  It is also magical. Made from the remains of plankton and sea sponges, it is second only in hardness to a diamond and can be used to make fire. Part of human development for three million years, it was used as a weapon to hunt and in war, and hung as protection against thunderbolts and fairies.
  In a deeply personal love letter to this extraordinary 'biogenic' rock, Bourne traces its geological, architectural and social history and invites us to roam with her in search of it on her beloved North Downs.
  Fusing science, poetry, history and a profound love of landscape, this is her heartfelt, thoroughly persuasive tribute to the stone she calls 'an art project of the great divine'.

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  Soulful Stitch - Finding...

  Cas Holmes, Deena Beverley

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  A thoughtful, meditative guide to the ways creative textile art can soothe and comfort us during challenging times.
  Renowned British textile artists Cas Holmes and Deena Beverley, each well known for their richly textured, deeply evocative work in stitch, collaborate for the first time in this important and timely book. Beautifully illustrated with a wealth of work from both artists along with other embroiderers and textile artists from around the world, Soulful Stitch documents a wide range of stitched responses to crisis, both personal and global. With invaluable advice on how to develop your own work in times of trouble, it explores:
  • How the restrictions and trials of everyday life can inform your textile work, enabling you to develop imaginative new approaches.
  • The healing power of stitch to soothe and console, with the simple act of putting needle into fabric providing a mindful route to inner calm.
  • Practical ways to continue with your textile art practice in the face of seismic life changes, finding creative opportunity in difficult situations.
  • How to use found objects, repurposed threads and personal items to create deep emotional resonance in your own work.
  Both authors have recent lived experience of having to navigate new paths through big life challenges, making this book particularly heartfelt. It truly demonstrates how even in the toughest times, creativity in textile art can keep you afloat.

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  Drawing the Line - What to Do...

  Erich Hatala Matthes

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  Recent years have proven rife with revelations about the misdeeds, objectional views, and, in some instances, crimes of popular artists. Given more access than ever thanks to social media and the internet in general, the public has turned an alert and critical eye upon the once-hidden lives of previously cherished entertainers. But what should we members of the public do, think, and feel in response to these artists' actions or statements? It's a predicament that many of us face: whether it's possible to disentangle the deeply unsettled feelings we have toward an artist from how we respond to the art they produced. As consumers of art, and especially as fans, we have a host of tricky moral question to navigate: do the moral lives of artists affect the aesthetic quality of their work? Is it morally permissible for us to engage with or enjoy that work? Can we separate an artist from their art? 
   
   
   
  In Drawing the Line, Erich Hatala Matthes offers insight and clarity to the ethical questions that dog us. He argues that it doesn't matter whether we can separate the art from the artist, because we shouldn't. Matthes argues both that the lives of artists can play an important role in shaping our moral and aesthetic relationship to the artworks that we love and that these same artworks offer us powerful resources for grappling with the immorality of their creators.

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  Journey to the Crystal Caverns -...

  Isabelle Quinn

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  Journey to the Crystal Caverns: A Magical Tale of Bravery and Friendship is an enchanting adventure that follows a group of unlikely heroes as they embark on a quest deep into the heart of a forgotten realm. When a mysterious crystal map surfaces in the quiet village of Elderwood, young Mira, a curious and courageous girl, teams up with her loyal best friend Theo, a clever fox with a knack for finding trouble. 
  Together, they are joined by a band of brave companions—each with their own unique gifts and secrets—as they venture through ancient forests, across shimmering rivers, and into the legendary Crystal Caverns, a place whispered about in bedtime stories and old songs. But danger lurks in the shadows, and an ancient darkness stirs beneath the glittering walls of the caverns. 
  Guided by courage, bound by friendship, and tested by challenges they never imagined, the adventurers must learn to trust one another and believe in themselves if they hope to unlock the caverns’ true magic—and protect their world from a growing threat. 
  A tale of wonder, heart, and heroic discovery, Journey to the Crystal Caverns reminds us that even the smallest light can shine bright in the darkest places.

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