Table of Contents
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The Little Prince
By Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
A pilot stranded in the desert awakes one morning to see, standing before him, the most extraordinary little fellow. “Please,” asks the stranger, “draw me a sheep.” And the pilot realizes that when life’s events are too difficult to understand, there is no choice but to succumb to their mysteries. He pulls out pencil and paper …
Thus begins this wise and enchanting fable that, in teaching the secret of what is really important in life, has changed the world forever for its readers.
Often seen as a symbol of childhood innocence, Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s best-selling book The Little Prince is cherished by children and adults alike across the globe. Ideal for children aged 7 and up.
This beautiful edition contains the definitive translation and all the original illustrations. The Little Prince joins the ranks of A Little Princess, The Secret Garden & Peter Pan as a genuine children’s classic of the twentieth century.
Antoine De Saint-Exupéry was born in 1900 in Lyon. In 1921, he began his training as a pilot By 1926, he had became one of the pioneers of international postal flight. In 1935 he embarked on a record-breaking attempt to fly from Paris to Saigon. Nineteen hours into the flight, his plane crashed in the Sahara desert. He survived the crash but spent three days battling dehydration, limited food and hallucinations. On the fourth day, the was rescued. In part, this experience was the inspiration for The Little Prince. He continued to fly until World War II, during which he took self-imposed exile. On 31 July 1944, he disappeared over the Mediterranean while flying a reconnaissance mission.
Reading this intensely lyrical and mesmerizing book written by an ailing middle-aged adult far away from the country he loved in the middle of war-torn years, I am confronted with emotions that ruthlessly hurt, hidden in the deceiving simplicity of a (supposedly) children’s story just like an elephant was hidden inside a boa constrictor – or was it simply a hat all along? – in the opening paragraphs of this book. I sigh and tear up, and try to resist the urge to pick up the golden-haired child that never stopped until he got answers to his questions and carry him away into safety. But I can’t. Because if I do so, there will never be 500 billion bells in the stars, and we will never wonder whether the rose is still alive – and it needs to be, because we are responsible for those we have tamed.
— Nataliya (Goodreads)
We are all children in adult bodies. Yes we are, don’t think we aren’t for one moment. The fact that we WERE, indeed, children, is a huge part of each of us. It is possible to shed a few appreciative tears on every page of this book if you entertain the thought that the pilot IS The Little Prince. Maybe you won’t think that–maybe you’ll have your own take on the book—that’s the magic about it. This book is translated to English from French. If you understand and/or appreciate French, the deliciousness of that fact can affect you in addition to the sweet storyline itself. The book won’t even take you a whole day to read. Consider honoring the Little You that still remains, and resides within you, and read this salute to childhood, to innocence, and to you. It just takes a ‘Little’ imagination and bravery
— Erin (Goodreads)
The Moon and Sixpence
By W. Somerset Maugham
Based on the life of Paul Gauguin, The Moon and Sixpence is W. Somerset Maugham’s ode to the powerful forces behind creative genius. Charles Strickland is a staid banker, a man of wealth and privilege. He is also a man possessed of an unquenchable desire to create art. As Strickland pursues his artistic vision, he leaves London for Paris and Tahiti, and in his quest makes sacrifices that leave the lives of those closest to him in tatters. Through Maugham’s sympathetic eye, Strickland’s tortured and cruel soul becomes a symbol of the blessing and the curse of transcendent artistic genius, and the cost in humans’ lives it sometimes demands.
William Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874. He spoke French even before he spoke a word of English, a fact to which some critics attribute the purity of his style. His parents died early and, after an unhappy boyhood, which he recorded poignantly in Of Human Bondage, Maugham became a qualified physician. But writing was his true vocation. For ten years before his first success, he almost literally starved while pouring out novels and plays. Maugham wrote at a time when experimental modernist literature such as that of William Faulkner, Thomas Mann, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf was gaining increasing popularity and winning critical acclaim. In this context, his plain prose style was criticized as ‘such a tissue of clichés’ that one’s wonder is finally aroused at the writer’s ability to assemble so many and at his unfailing inability to put anything in an individual way. During World War I, Maugham worked for the British Secret Service . He travelled all over the world, and made many visits to America. After World War II, Maugham made his home in south of France and continued to move between England and Nice till his death in 1965.
I admired Maugham’s narrative voice. In his inimitable style, he flits in and out of the characters’ life as the stolid, immovable writer who is a mere observer, and nothing more. His narrator defies Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle as in observing his characters, he doesn’t change their lives or nature one bit. He has a mild disdain for the ordinary life of a householder and relishes his independence. In Maugham’s hands, Gauguin becomes Charles Strickland, an unassuming British stockbroker, with a secret unquenchable lust for beauty that he is willing to take to the end of the world, first to Paris and then to remote Tahiti. He is cold, selfish and uncompromising in this quest for beauty.
— Rajat Ubhaykar (Goodreads)
Free of caring what anyone thinks of him, Strickland is a Bartleby. He knows his life’s course and will follow it. Explanations are justifications and he is not offering any. Yet, unlike Melville’s “scrivener” whose only words are “I would prefer not to,” Maugham’s protagonist tells us what he does prefer to do. “I want to paint,” he repeats. “I’ve got to.” In these words Strickland speaks for every artist whether the painter, writer, composer, or actor. He speaks for us in our compulsion to create because it is breath itself. Like Strickland, we’ve “got to” and must embrace our audacity.
— Georgia Scott (Goodreads)
The Three-Body Problem
By Cixin Liu
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion.
Liu Cixin, born in June 1963, is a representative of the new generation of Chinese science fiction authors and recognized as a leading voice in Chinese science fiction. He was awarded the China Galaxy Science Fiction Award for eight consecutive years, from 1999 to 2006 and again in 2010. His representative work The Three-body Problem is the BEST STORY of 2015 Hugo Awards, the 3rd of 2015 Campbell Award finalists, and nominee of 2015 Nebulas Award. His works have received wide acclaim on account of their powerful atmosphere and brilliant imagination. Liu Cixin’s stories successfully combine the exceedingly ephemeral with hard reality, all the while focussing on revealing the essence and aesthetics of science. He has endeavoured to create a distinctly Chinese style of science fiction. Liu Cixin is a member of the China Writers’ Association and the Shanxi Writers’ Association.
This book blew my mind so thoroughly that it leaves only destruction in its wake. Where could Liu Cixin have possibly come up with all of these ideas and concepts? No wonder everyone says this is wildly imaginative. Even a single one of the ideas in here would have sufficed for a book of its own, but to put them all together into a single cohesive epic tale is absolutely jaw-dropping. The pacing is relentless and the surprises just keep coming. In fact, it has more twists and turns than most mysteries and thrillers I’ve read. Not only is the story utterly riveting, but it’s also insightful and thought-provoking, touching upon science, politics, philosophy, and history. I found myself glued to the pages. I wanted to inhale the story as fast as I could, but I had to slow myself down periodically to reread and fully absorb all that the book was trying to tell me.
— Yun (Goodreads)
From the opening, I was struck by how much history I didn’t know about China’s Cultural Revolution. It might be obvious to anyone growing up in those parts, of course, but I was almost lost in that story long before I saw that there was anything sci-fi about the novel. This is a good thing. It speaks of good writing. The novel is full of scientist suicides, damn odd hallucinations, all the way to a fantastic virtual reality game that draws intellectuals from around the world before devolving into a suggestive epic space opera featuring some of the most interesting aliens I’ve read about in a LONG time.
— Bradley (Goodreads)
Tokyo Tower
By Lily Franky
Leaving her alcoholic husband, Eiko takes their son Masaya away from Tokyo and back to her hometown in a Kyushu rural mining community. She toils to support him though many years of schooling even after he wastes his time while studying art in a Tokyo university. After graduation he struggles to find work and finally pulls his life together for his mother’s sake, ultimately ending up with multiple jobs as an illustrator and even as the host of a sexually-themed talk show on radio. When Eiko becomes ill with cancer, Masaya invites her to live with him back in Tokyo where the roles of support are reversed.
Masaya Nakagawa (中川 雅也, Nakagawa Masaya), known professionally as Lily Franky (リリー・フランキー, Rirī Furankī), is a Japanese illustrator, writer, and actor. He has appeared in more than 40 films since 2001.
I watched the movie before reading the book. I would say a mother would understand the support and dream building for her children. And as a child who grew up with an ‘artist’ parent at home would relate life experiences to how hard it is to apply self-discipline and keep myself away from self-destruction. A movie for the right group.
— Yali (Goodreads)
I read this untranslated and cried at various parts throughout the book, but towards the end I was just a complete wreck. However, this book had a good balance between humor and sadness. Throughout the book we can see the strong bond between Lily Franky and his mother. Unlike Americans, Japanese people seldom say “I love you” to their family members (this is from my personal experience of growing up in Japan and currently residing in America. I assume there are families that differ). Lily Franky’s mother, like many Japanese mothers, show their love through different ways; for Lily Franky, it was through her cooking, her endless sacrifices to always get him the best goods, etc. As I read, I reflected on how my own mother showed her love to me in indirect ways and cried multiple times. There is a particular quote in the book that mentions how we all will face the death of our mother. It is a thing that many of us fear but it is in our fate. It made me think of the limited time I have with my own mother and how I want to spend time with her more.
— Alisa (Goodreads)
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
By Gabrielle Zevin
On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto “No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World.” A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.
A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
Gabrielle Zevin is a New York Times best-selling novelist whose books have been translated into forty languages. Her tenth novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was published by Knopf in July of 2022 and was an instant New York Times Best Seller, a Sunday Times Best Seller, a USA Today Best Seller, a #1 National Indie Best Seller, and a selection of the Tonight Show’s Fallon Book Club. Maureen Corrigan of NPR’s Fresh Air called it, “a big beautifully written novel…that succeeds in being both serious art and immersive entertainment.” Following a twenty-five-bidder auction, the feature film rights to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow were acquired by Temple Hill and Paramount Studios.
I LOVE THIS BOOK AND IT’S ONE OF THE BEST NOVELS THAT I EVER READ!
I have read several positive reviews about the novel and I was expecting a good book, but I never expected that it will be SOOOOOO good and a truly wonderful reading experience!
This is a book about books. I mean, this story is about novels, novellas, short stories, readers, writers, bookstores… so indeed I think that this a “must-read” to every person with passion for reading and love for books.The style of the novel is quite particular since it’s without a question a novel per se but each chapter is constructed as a kinda self-contained short story but all of them are one big storyline. And a priceless detail is that each chapter is titled for some famous short story written by some other author in the past and that it’s related in some way to something on the chapter. A good book has characters with evolution and due that… this is an exceptional book! Since the evolution of each character is truly remarkable and taking unsuspected paths but all of them interconnected in such wonderful way. Even characters that you don’t expect much at first, they will surprise you totally.
— Alejandro (Goodreads)
I don’t know about you, but I could dwell inside the richly entertaining mind of one A.J. Fickry forever. Or at least every other weekend. Because that’s exactly what this novel simulates: a casual stroll through the mind of a complex, yet vastly simple middle-aged widower whose outlook on life has deflated. Life has knocked him down, as it tends to do, and A.J. finds comfort in the cold embrace of pessimism and gloom…And, of course, in his ownership of the town’s one and only bookstore. But a mysterious “package” popping up in his store will spark a powerful change in A.J., and even the townspeople, who typically view him as a grouchy ol’ book-snob will take notice. The heart of this story explores the process of grief and the regaining of hope—but in a very gentle manner. The tragedies, although deep, are not pronounced within its writing.
— Kristin (Goodreads)
Hachiko Waits: Based on a True Story
by Lesléa Newman
“What a good dog you are. What a fine dog you are. Hachi, you are the best dog in all of Japan.”
Professor Ueno speaks these words to his faithful dog before boarding the train to work every morning. And every afternoon, just before three o’clock, Hachi is at the train station to greet his beloved master. One day, the train arrives at the station without the professor. Hachi waits.
For ten years, Hachi waits for his master to return. Not even Yasuo, the young boy who takes care of Hachi, can persuade him to leave his post.
Hachiko Waits, a novel inspired by a true story, brings to life the legendary Akita who became a national symbol for loyalty and devotion. This is a must-read for dog lovers of all ages.
Lesléa Newman (born 1955, Brooklyn, NY) is the author of over 50 books including Heather Has Two Mommies, A Letter To Harvey Milk, Writing From The Heart, In Every Laugh a Tear, The Femme Mystique, Still Life with Buddy, Fat Chance and Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear. She has received many literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and two Pushcart Prize Nominations. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. Ms. Newman wrote Heather Has Two Mommies, the first children’s book to portray lesbian families in a positive way, and has followed up this pioneering work with several more children’s books on lesbian and gay families: Gloria Goes To Gay Pride, Belinda’s Bouquet, Too Far Away to Touch, and Saturday Is Pattyday. She is also the author of many books for adults that deal with lesbian identity, Jewish identity and the intersection and collision between the two. Other topics Ms. Newman explores include AIDS, eating disorders, butch/femme relationships and sexual abuse. Her award-winning short story, A Letter To Harvey Milk has been made into a film and adapted for the stage. In addition to being an author, Ms. Newman is a popular guest lecturer, and has spoken on college campuses across the country including Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Oregon, Bryn Mawr College, Smith College and the University of Judaism. From 2005-2009, Lesléa was a faculty member of the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. Currently, she is the Poet Laureate of Northampton, MA.
If the people we love are stolen from us,
The way to have them live on is to never stop lovingPeople die, people move on, people forget and are forgotten. How difficult it must be to wait for someone who is never gonna return, Your whole world stops. That’s what happens to Hachiko. People die only when you forget them, and Hachiko could never forget.
I cried and cried and cried some more. If I ever have a dog I know what to call it.
— Sruthi (Goodreads)
This was INCREDIBLE! It’s such an amazing story, it really is. To think that it’s based off a real life story, too, is just great; mind-blowing to be precise. I must say that whilst it’s a very short read, it’s definitely worth it and I loved the story. I love the film which I saw a few years ago and I now love the book, too.
— Jack (Goodreads)
A Matter of Love
by Zhang Haochen
Zhang Haochen, with the imagination of a novelist, writes around the eternal theme of “time” in mature writing style. He wrote 9 completely different stories, narrating “me” and “you” in “time”, showing “you” are the proof that “I” have lived. These stories maybe are like a sand clock, reminding you to cherish people around you, they are like a time machine to help you value every choice, and they are like rough yet gentle hands that stroke your heart daring not to love any more, or maybe a red card or a red light, telling you to let go of some obsessive things.
I’m Waiting for You in the Future
by Liu Tong
Do you occasionally have the thought “It would be great if I could go back to that year”? I feel that if we go back to that year, with our current knowledge and mentality, many things can be changed. Hao Huihui, a 36-year-old university teacher, has an unsatisfactory life and can see the end at a glance. He really wanted to go back to his 17-year-old self, to that sunny and innocent era, and start over. By chance, he really went back. However, he did not have a chance to start over. He is still 36 years old. He became the intern class teacher for the senior year of high school. In class, he met his 17-year-old self, Liu Dazhi, who was in a mess. Hao Huihui knows Liu Dazhi’s future, as well as his luck and misfortune. He wanted to change him. However, when a 36-year-old sophisticate meets a 17-year-old passionate person, everything is far from that simple…
Liu Tong is a young writer, born in Chenzhou, Hunan, graduated from the Chinese Department of Hunan Normal University, and is currently the vice president of Enlight Pictures. Published series of works include “Whose Youth Is Not Confused”, “Your Loneliness, Even in Failure” and “Toward the Light.”
Reading this novel is very real, as if I have relived my youth, remembering my school days and those lovely friends. The author uses his own life experience as the prototype of the protagonist, but it allows us to see too many shadows of himself. , dissatisfied with the current life and unable to change, he began to imagine what it would have been like if it had been before. In fact, there are so many ifs. The best moment is now, and the only way to live longer is to be brave and free.
— Yang ShuangBlue (Douban)
If we are about to give up due to the sluggishness in front of us, please don’t forget the self who once sweated profusely on the playground, the self who was buried in textbooks and exercises and wrote furiously, the self who was scolded by the class teacher for a good friend. You still look resolute, please remember, that is your true self, we are our own wall-facers, and fortunately, we are also our own wall-breakers!
— Xia yu (Douban)
Instead of Words
by Fan XiaoChun
“Instead of Words” is a special collection of essays. It is not fashionable, but it is complex and readable. It is Fan Xiaochun’s random observations and recordings of life and her thoughts based on a lot of reading. In fact, its theme is clear: how a person gradually completes himself/herself. Loving, tenacious, self-aware, fully committed, and aloof. Regarding the reconstruction of life order and inner order, Fan Xiaochun is calm and determined. Her writing is always accurate. The “Index” is perhaps the best way to enter the book. Intuitive and improvisational. This drive to read will make people return to silence and gain strength in silence.
Fan XiaoChun was born in Shanghai in 1987. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York, and is a female director from Mainland China. After graduating from Fudan University with a journalism degree, Fan Xiaochun worked in the “Master” column of the Shanghai TV documentary channel, shooting and producing documentaries on historical figures. In 2012, she went to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York to study for a master’s degree in social documentary, and graduated with the Paula Rhodes Memorial Award. In 2016, Fan Xiaochun published a collection of essays, “Instead of Words.” In 2017, she worked as a resident artist at the Swatch Peace Hotel Art Center to paint and write. In September of the same year, Fan Xiaochun entered Tongji University to pursue a doctorate in philosophy. In June 2018, she published a collection of fictional letters called “Photos That Don’t Exist”. [4] He has filmed documentaries “The Other Eye: Liu Dan”, “Lin Fengmian”, “Xiao Hong” and “Yan Fu”; and published “Pure” and “The Moment No Need to Talk”. The work has won the Paula Rhodes Memorial Award, the First Prize of the China Radio and Television Association Annual Documentary Award, etc.
I feel like this is a book that needs to be stopped after reading a paragraph and cannot be read in one sitting. Although they are all short and concise essays, they carry a very large amount of information and heavy thoughts. You can only read it intermittently, leaving yourself some room to breathe and think, so that the content of this book and personal life experience can truly reflect each other. Reading this book quickly like a giant leap forward, taking in a lot of information at once, is actually not helpful, and you will regrettably lose the possibility of understanding. When I read “The Time You Don’t Have to Talk,” my first impression was that this was my “right moment.” Among them, the abstract thoughts about friendship, life and death, and every detail of life seem to express thoughts that I have gradually and more clearly felt over time, but cannot express them accurately.
— Wang XiaoDao (Douban)
“Instead of Words” is composed of some notes scattered into sentences and paragraphs, like a set of landscape paintings in which the trunks of trees are hidden, showing only clusters of cloud-like leaves. The blank space between those words is like the gap between leaves. The light shines down from the sky, casting fragments that flash and disappear on the earth. This is completely different from the books I have reviewed before, and I thank the author for trusting me to write it well. I had previously taken photos of some sentences in the book and posted them on Weibo. I asked Fan Xiaochun: How many of the sentences I intercepted that day overlap with your most satisfying sentences? She replied that it was very high. In fact, there is no need to ask this question, because the people who wrote these sentences must not be unaware of their value. The article tells the story of the ages, knowing the gains and losses.
— 我讲旧常识 (Douban)
I Am A Cat
by Natsume Sōseki
Written from 1904 through 1906, Natsume Sōseki ‘s comic masterpiece, I Am a Cat, satirizes the foolishness of upper-middle-class Japanese society during the Meiji era. With acerbic wit and sardonic perspective, it follows the whimsical adventures of a world-weary stray kitten who comments on the follies and foibles of the people around him. A classic of Japanese literature, I Am a Cat is one of Soseki’s best-known novels. Considered by many as the most significant writer in modern Japanese history, Soseki’s I Am a Cat is a classic novel sure to be enjoyed for years to come.
Natsume Sōseki (夏目 漱石), born Natsume Kinnosuke (夏目 金之助), was a Japanese novelist. He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, kanshi, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note. In Japan, he is often considered the greatest writer in modern Japanese history. He has had a profound effect on almost all important Japanese writers since.
One of my favourite books of all time, I Am a Cat by Natsume Soseki is a comic masterpiece. Set in Tokyo before the WWI, the primary character is the author’s cat who wanders around the neighbourhood picking up bits of conversation and making fun of its owner and his relationship with his wife and neighbours and students. Words escape me to describe how incredibly funny and perceptive this book it and what a pure pleasure it is to read. If you read one Soseki book besides Botchan, make it this one!
— Michael Finocchiaro (Goodreads)
This book is 100% for any cat owner because, at least personally, I found myself laughing outloud at some of the comments this cat made, but also staring at the page in awe realizing I did the same things that this cat was pointing out were so horrible. I also thought the cat’s voice was wonderful – because he sounded exactly how I imagine my cat, Cody, sounding if he was every able to speak. Amazing book! Highly recommend!!
— Kate (Goodreads)
Design, Form, and Chaos
by Paul Rand
Paul Rand’s stature as one of the world’s leading graphic designers is incontestable. For half a century his pioneering work in the field of advertising design and typography has exerted a profound influence on the design profession; he almost single-handedly transformed “commercial art” from a practice that catered to the lowest common denominator of taste to one that could assert its place among the other fine arts. Among the numerous clients for whom he has been a consultant and/or designer are the American Broadcasting Company, IBM Corporation, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation. In this witty and instructive book, Paul Rand speaks about the contemporary practice of graphic design, explaining the process and passion that foster good design and indicting faddism and trendiness. Illustrating his ideas with examples of his own stunning graphic work as well as with the work of artists he admires, Rand discusses such topics the values on which aesthetic judgments are based; the part played by intuition in good design; the proper relationship between management and designers; the place of market research; how and when to use computers in the production of a design; choosing a typeface; principles of book design; and the thought processes that lead to a final design. The centerpiece of the book consists of seven design portfolios – with diagrams and ultimate choices – that Rand used to present his logos to clients such as Next, IDEO, and IBM.
Paul Rand (born Peretz Rosenbaum) was an American graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs. Rand was educated at the Pratt Institute (1929–1932), and the Art Students League (1933–1934). He was one of the originators of the Swiss Style of graphic design. From 1956 to 1969, and beginning again in 1974, Rand taught design at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Rand was inducted into the New York Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 1972. He designed many posters and corporate identities, including the logos for IBM, Apple, UPS and ABC. Rand died of cancer in 1996. He is buried in Beth El Cemetery in Norwalk, Connecticut.
“Design, Form, and Chaos” is a book about Aesthetics, Process, and Professional growth.
— Mike Peleah (Goodreads)
The book is already 25 years old, but still very relevant and contemporary. The book itself is a nice combination of art album and essays. First part, which I liked most, explores the aesthetic roots of design and shows linkages between art and design. While this part could be seen as a bit theoretical, not practical, it lays out foundation principles. Next part shows these principles put in practice, it demonstrates working process using a number of real examples, including Next and IBM. The final essay is devoted to learning and coaching. I find it a bit boring, “the grass used to be greener” style. Overall, a great book combining reading and visual experience, and calling for re:reading and re:visiting.
I find Rand’s language is quite difficult to read. But same time many things are not outdated and can be applied to the modern day. Big part of the book is where Rand gives case studies of some of his own works – I find that part very interesting, as it shows his way of thinking about the logo (in particular) – how he goes from one idea to the next one, to the next and to the final. It’s fully illustrated with examples, so it’s very easy to follow.
— Maryna Aleksandrova (Goodreads)
Also, he mentions his mentors in the end of the book – those are mostly 1920-1930 artists/designer. He uses lots of quotes, all of them properly attributed, so basically this book can give you tons of links to other books, if you are interested in continuing your exploration of design world.
Design Awakening
by Ikko Tanaka
This book is Mr. Tanaka Ikko’s collection of essays published in mainland China for the first time. He brings readers into his own work and life with his own words, to experience a unique design life, and then to know a real and comprehensive Tanaka Ikko. The rising star at the design award, the “workaholic” in the office, the “gardener” by the podium, the choreographer by the glass window… His extraordinary talent at work is admirable and hardworking; while the youngest kabuki audience, An activist on the theater stage, a jazz connoisseur, a gourmet creative genius in the kitchen… the fun in his life makes people yearn for it. As a designer, Mr. Ikko Tanaka, with his elegant and beautiful brushstrokes, described and recorded pictures full of pictures, he naturally integrated the way of design with the way of life. While enlightening the wisdom of design, he also opened up a wider world for readers. life perspective.
Ikko Tanaka was a Japanese graphic designer. Tanaka is widely recognized for his prolific body of interdisciplinary work, which includes graphic identity and visual matter for brands and corporations including Seibu Department Stores, Mazda, Issey Miyake, Hanae Mori, and Expo 85.
In Search of the Castaways
by Jules Verne
The book tells the story of the quest for Captain Grant of the Britannia. After finding a bottle the captain had cast into the ocean after the Britannia is shipwrecked, Jack and Lady Glenarvan of Scotland contact Mary and Robert, the young daughter and son of Captain Grant, through an announcement in a newspaper. The government refuses to launch a rescue expedition, but Lord and Lady Glenarvan, moved by the children’s condition, decide to do it by themselves.
Novels of French writer Jules Gabriel Verne, considered the founder of modern science fiction, include Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870). Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the “father of science fiction.”
I found this absorbing and exciting, and on par with the three other Jules Verne novels I liked. (The Mysterious Island, Around the World in Eighty Days, and Journey to the Center of the Earth; I thought Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea was boring). Paganel, the conceited, big-hearted, absentminded, eccentric French geographer, is my favorite character so far in all of Verne’s works. The relationship and repartee between him and Major McNabbs is highly entertaining (there wasn’t enough of it!). The rest of the cast are individual and enjoyable as well, especially Lord Glenarvan, Lady Helena, and Robert Grant. I wish Mary Grant and John Mangles had been better developed, but in a novel of this immensity, I suppose deep character development, as well as a few other things, had to be sacrificed for other details. I appreciated that Verne had the ladies along on this voyage, though like Aouda in Around the World, they weren’t as prominent in the story as the men. (Though that’s understandable, considering the type of story it is). Of course, many of the adventures that the searchers encountered were quite fantastical, but they were mixed with enough facts to feel at least somewhat plausible as I breathlessly read or listened to the story. This book was stuffed full … it felt like it could have been two novels at least … but never boring as the characters crossed continents and islands. The global voyaging appealed to my love of travel. I really wish I could have read this in paperback with footnotes.
— Kelsey Bryant (Goodreads)
Beautiful book, remarkable. So many emotions and knowledge it gave to me. Despite that i read this trilogy in wrong order and knew some things about this story, however it was amazing. Thank you, Jules Verne, for you wonderful work.
— Olesya Borovikova (Goodreads)
The Road Less Traveled And Beyond
by M. Scott Peck
The culmination of a lifetime of Dr. M. Scott Peck’s counseling, lecturing, and writing, and the conclusion of the classic bestselling Road trilogy, The Road Less Traveled and Beyond leads us to a deeper awareness of how to live rich, fulfilling lives in a world fraught with stress and anxiety. With the rare combination of profound psychological insight and deep spirituality that has already spoken to millions of readers, Dr. Peck talks about decision making and the choices we make every day in business and at home, and the ethical choices that may affect the very survival of humankind. We learn the difference between good and evil, to overcome narcissism, to love and be loved, to live with paradox, to accept the consequences of our actions all through life, and to come to terms with dying and death. Dr. Peck is a guide on the adventure that is life, learning, and spiritual growth—life’s greatest adventure. Building in depth from the very first chapter to its lyrical and poetic conclusion, The Road Less Traveled and Beyond is an adventure in itself.
M. Scott Peck’s publishing history reflects his own evolution as a serious and widely acclaimed writer, thinker, psychiatrist, and spiritual guide. Since his groundbreaking bestseller, The Road Less Traveled, was first published in 1978, his insatiable intellectual curiosity has taken him in various new directions with virtually each new book: the subject of healing human evil in People of the Lie (1982), where he first briefly discussed exorcism and possession; the creative experience of community in The Different Drum (1987); the role of civility in personal relationships and society in A World Waiting to Be Born (1993); an examination of the complexities of life and the paradoxical nature of belief in Further Along the Road Less Traveled (1993); and an exploration of the medical, ethical, and spiritual issues of euthanasia in Denial of the Soul (1999); as well as a novel, a children’s book, and other works. A graduate of both Harvard University and Case Western Reserve, Dr. Peck served in the Army Medical Corps before maintaining a private practice in psychiatry. For the last twenty years, he has devoted much of his time and financial resources to the work of the Foundation for Community Encouragement, a nonprofit organization that he helped found in 1984. Dr. Peck lives in Connecticut.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I feel like it was one of the best books in terms of usefulness and ability to enlighten. I think the book can be summed up by the idea if we want to be a productive member of society we have to open ourselves to the pain of living, to overcome the pain we must discipline ourselves, we also cannot be loving without this discipline.
— Matthew D. (Goodreads)
I found this book really hard to get into at first. However, after much perseverance I found that Dr Peck is very informative. This book is about thinking and now accepting popular culture. Dr Peck is a psychologist and many of his experiences with patients come through in his work. The thing that came up for me when I was reading this book was a story about a young woman who sounds much like me who suffered alot of frustration at work because most of her colleagues did not meet up to her standards. Many years ago my husband suggested that I ‘make allowances’ for those people who were not as fortunate to be as smart as me. At the time, I actually thought that he was helpfully reminding me not to be so ‘perfect’. Now I see it in this book, that because I continually educate myself and love to learn new things, there is an art to having more compassion for people and getting to understand them better.
— Judith Symonds (Goodreads)
A Garden of One’s Own
by Zhou Zuoren
“My Own Garden” is divided into three series, with a total of fifty-six articles. Among them, “My Own Garden” and “Oasis” are close to literary criticism, while “Tea Talk” is a miscellaneous essay. “Oasis” is full of interest, and its technique has been followed by many of the author’s subsequent essay creations; “My Own Garden” is a mirror of the author’s literary and artistic thoughts at this stage. “The so-called own garden is originally very broad and is not limited to a certain type: whether it is planting fruits and vegetables, whether it is planting medicinal materials, or whether it is planting roses and groundweeds, as long as it is based on his personal consciousness, no matter how big or small he decides, If he has the strength to cultivate the land, he has fulfilled his bounden duty.” Aying said: “The collection ‘My Own Garden’ established the foundation of China’s new literary criticism… The two commentaries on ‘The Sinking’ and ‘Love Poems’ can be said to be very important documents in the history of China’s new literature movement.” It can be said that Zhou Zuoren’s literary criticism theory was completed at this time.
Zhou Zuoren (January 16, 1885 – May 6, 1967) was a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang. A famous modern Chinese essayist, literary theorist, critic, poet, translator, thinker, pioneer of Chinese folklore, and one of the representatives of the New Culture Movement. His original name was Kui Shou (later changed to Kui Shou), with the courtesy name Xing Piao, also known as Qiming, Qimeng, and Qimeng. His pen names were Yashou, Zhongmi, Qiming, and his nicknames were Zhitang and Yaotang. The younger brother of Lu Xun (Zhou Shuren) and the elder brother of Zhou Jianren.
Higuchi Yuko Artworks
by Higuchi Yuko
A collection of Higuchi Yuko’s artwork.
Yuko Higuchi is a Japanese artist based in Tokyo. She has collaborated with various companies including Ladurée and UNIQLO, and has established a cult following.
Winter Journey
by Wan Fang
“Winter Journey: A Collection of Wan Fang’s Scripts” contains four drama scripts by the famous writer and playwright Wan Fang. Among them are “Winterreise” which deals with the theme of confession, “There’s a Poison” and “Killing” which reflect on the theme of family and marriage life, and there is also a re-creation of the famous drama “Thunderstorm”. Most of these scripts use friendly, simple and natural life scenes to carry bold and profound spiritual questioning and exploration, demonstrating the author’s thinking dimensions and ability to control different themes.
Wan Fang, contemporary writer and playwright. Influenced by his father Cao Yu since childhood, he developed a strong interest in literature and drama. In the 1980s, he began to write novels, as well as stage plays, movies and TV scripts. His novels and various scripts have won many awards. Among them, “Winter Journey” won the 2014 Lao She Literary Award for Outstanding Script Award and the 2016 Tencent Academy of Literature Annual Outstanding Script Award; “There Is a Poison” won the Chinese Drama Award, Cao Yu Script Award and Won the Best Screenplay Award at the Shanghai “One Drama” Awards and was selected into the “Chinese Drama Centenary Plays Selection”.
I especially like Teacher Wan Fang’s works. Whether it is “You and Me” or “Winter Journey”, I can feel what she said: “Sincerity is the only way to the reader’s heart.” This book is a collection of screenplays. I didn’t expect that I would be so involved in reading the scripts. My favorites are “There’s a Poison” and “Killing.” Drama is not only a real-time art, the playwright must also compress the dialogue and atmosphere in the shortest possible time to capture the audience’s heart and make them want to go to the theater to watch the play. When I read “Thunderstorm” in high school, I couldn’t read anything. Now I read it with mixed feelings. In life, you walk alone in the world. You, me, and him are all the same.
— Sophie (Douban)
I am increasingly able to understand the meaning of “reading when confused”. Hurt and resentment, repentance and forgiveness are eternal topics. As the article says, “What people really have to face is not the sins committed by others in the past, but the entanglements in their own hearts today.” When the damage has been done, when collective trauma has become a fact, who can pay for it? Once the injury is caused, it is destined to leave traces, even after the baptism of time, scars will remain. The article says, “For a poisonous mind, no matter how sincere your actions are, they will appear evil.” It is true that the way the world looks depends on the way you look at it. I hope it will be more sunny and less dark. The characterization of Poison is also very good, and the conflict makes people think about it. I thought it was the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but it is also about dreams. The reversal of the killing is shocking. Sometimes words and words are also sharp tools for killing people, and it is the same in real life. Don’t let freedom of speech evolve into online violence. Stay sincere, stay kind, be more calm and think rationally, I think this is the meaning that books bring to me.
— Ruoluo Meixi (Douban)
You and Me
by Wan Fang
This year marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Cao Yu, the leading figure in modern Chinese drama. His daughter Wan Fang published a book “You and Me.” The love story of father and mother is told for the first time. Cao Yu published his debut novel “Thunderstorm” at the age of 24. Around the age of 30, he completed some of the most important works in his life: “Sunrise”, “The Wilderness”, “Beijingers”…Known as “China’s Shakespeare”. The surge of creativity of a writer is also related to his emotional experience. Cao Yu had three marriages. Wan Fang is the daughter of Cao Yu and his second wife Fang Rui. For a long time, she has always felt that her parents’ emotions are private. Despite being asked many times, she never talked about it. Until she made up her mind. Write this book with the most authentic and sincere attitude. “You and Me” includes the love letters between Cao Yu and Fang Rui for the first time. And Cao Yu’s letter to his daughter. Going to Beijing to interview Ms. Wan Fang. “It took me 10 years. Only then did I have the courage to face the truth. After writing this book, I unearthed the hidden pain deep in my heart. I found myself stronger than before. “
Wan Fang, contemporary writer and playwright. Influenced by his father Cao Yu since childhood, he developed a strong interest in literature and drama. In the 1980s, he began to write novels, as well as stage plays, movies and TV scripts. His novels and various scripts have won many awards. Among them, “Winter Journey” won the 2014 Lao She Literary Award for Outstanding Script Award and the 2016 Tencent Academy of Literature Annual Outstanding Script Award; “There Is a Poison” won the Chinese Drama Award, Cao Yu Script Award and Won the Best Screenplay Award at the Shanghai “One Drama” Awards and was selected into the “Chinese Drama Centenary Plays Selection”.
No one can be prepared to face death at any time, whether it is that of a loved one or one’s own. If this person says that he is ready, in fact he just has no choice but to accept it and has no other choice. When I read the entire book “You and Me”, my biggest impression was this. Reading the book is very difficult. This difficulty does not mean that the writing is not good or the content is boring or the meaning is obscure. Teacher Wan Fang’s books have none of the above problems. The difficulty for me is that the process of reading is very painful mentally. Several times, I cried while reading it. I don’t know how long it’s been since I cried while reading a book, and it’s incredible that it’s such a prose-style biography. I remember those times when I shed tears. The first time was when the author wrote that he remembered his mother saying that her hand hurt. But at that time, the young author did not understand the pain, let alone comfort his mother. Years later, he remembered that pain. and irreparable regrets, and regretted endlessly; the second time she went to the cemetery to visit her father’s grave. Behind his father’s grave was the tombstone of a baby who died young, and above it was the epitaph engraved by his parents, “The one we both loved most.” little baby”. I have a lovely daughter who is two and a half years old. Because of her, I realized that children have begun to understand many things very early and are not completely ignorant as I once thought. Therefore, when I think of the child who passed away at the age of one, The child, his parents must be so sad, their favorite child, who could laugh, cry, crawl around and just disappear. However, the parents of that child in the Republic of China may no longer be in this world. It is a good choice to read Wan Fang’s “You and Me”.
— Keep251 (Douban)
The first time I came across this book was during the live broadcast commemorating the 110th anniversary of Cao Yu’s birth on that day in August. It may be unfair to say that I want to thank that boy, that young actor, for bringing this book into my world. “You and Me” records that time with parents in the most sincere words. There are a few sentences in the book that touched me. “In fact, there is no place to escape. Whether you turn your back to it or face it, it is there. Some things will disappear as if they never happened. Some things will always exist and are part of your life.” Many times, we are neither warriors nor cowards, and there is a large gray area in between.” There is no place to escape, so face it bravely. In that rich gray area, each of us has The possibilities are endless. Everything we experience will one day show its positive side.
— 十月赴渝州 (Douban)