Category Archives: Books

Books, Films, Reviews, Television, Travel, Videos

New Travel & Film Books: “Poldark’s Cornwall” By Gill Knappett (Jan 2021)

November 28, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

For those longing to know where their favorite scenes in “Poldark” were filmed, Pitkin’s latest addition to the Film Locations series goes behind the scenes of the hugely popular TV series and follows in the footsteps of Ross and Demelza along windswept cliffs, rugged coastline, and untouched, pristine beaches. From Padstow to the Lizard peninsula, Cornwall takes center stage, providing the breath-taking backdrop that brings the series to life.

The latest awarding-winning adaptation of Winston Graham’s Poldark, produced by the BBC, captured the hearts of millions of viewers worldwide. Over its five seasons, it brought the region’s rich heritage back to life, with tales of smugglers, shipwrecks, and the secrets of the mines gripping viewers’ imaginations. Filled with walks in beautiful places and useful information about the region and the series’ filming locations, this is a perfect introduction to Britain’s best-kept secret.

About The Author

Gill Knappett has worked on many Pitkin books over a 20-year period, specializing in royal titles and Britain’s best-loved places to visit. Her Pitkin titles include Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, The Queen, and Walk London.

Books, Cities, Foreign Affairs, Interviews, Politics, Videos

Interview: Fareed Zakaria – ‘Ten Lessons For A Post-Pandemic World’ (Video)

Video November 28, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Fareed Zakaria of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” discussed his latest book “Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World.” The discussion covered the consequences of the pandemic and how COVID-19 could reshape the nation and the world, globalization and the digital age.

Books, Culture, Landscape, Photography

New Photography Books: ‘In Search Of Elsewhere’ By Steve McCurry (2020)

November 27, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

In Search of Elsewhere takes us across the globe and offers new perspectives on many of the locations that the photographer has already made famous – from India, Myanmar and Cuba, to Kashmir and the white-washed temples of the Himalayas. Each image is reproduced at large format and in remarkable detail and this new compilation reveals the incredible depth of his work.

A unique collection of previously unseen images spanning Steve McCurry’s extraordinary career.

Steve McCurry is known for creating some of the most iconic images of recent times and in this new collection, he shares previously unseen photographs from his incredibly rich archive.

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Adventure, Books, Travel

Train Travel Books: ‘Tales Of The Rails’ (Gestalten)

November 24, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Tales of the Rails embraces traveling by train and explores the infinite discoveries to be made onboard, from spectacular scenery and colorful cities, to the many different characters in the carriage.

Discover 13 impressive train routes from around the globe, learn about Japan’s record-breaking bullet train, then slow down to experience an overnight journey on one of Britain’s last sleeper carriages. Studying where and why these routes exist, and discovering facts about the people that keep the engines running, this fully illustrated book is an ode to the golden age of train travel.

Nathaniel “Natty” Adams is a writer and custom suitmaker currently living in Baltimore, USA. He is the co-author of two gestalten books on men’s style, I Am Dandy and We Are Dandy. A long-term train travel enthusiast, he is transfering that passion into his first children’s book.

Ryan Johnson lives in Oakland, California, where he makes, he paints, he draws, and he moves pixels, infusing his love of color into each of his works. His clients include NPR, Bloomberg Businessweek, Smithsonian, and Boston Globe.

Art, Arts & Literature, Books, History, Uncategorized

Art Books: Watercolor – A History (Marie-Pierre Salé)

November 22, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The most comprehensive and best-illustrated history of watercolor painting ever published.

The term watercolor calls to mind atmosphere, luminosity, and immediacy―qualities that derive directly from the quick-drying, translucent nature of water-based pigments. In Watercolor: A History, Louvre curator Marie-Pierre Salé provides an authoritative and beautifully illustrated account of this versatile and widely beloved artistic medium.

Salé’s incisive text traces the development of watercolor from the thirteenth to the twentieth century in Europe and the United States, encompassing every type of work―from plein-air sketches to finished studio pieces―and a wide variety of artists. Here are Dürer’s detailed animal studies, Turner’s landscapes, Cézanne’s tireless explorations, Sargent’s light-dappled sketches, O’Keeffe’s pioneering abstractions.

This handsome volume features more than three hundred full-color illustrations, specially printed on Munken paper to capture the vibrancy and texture of the original works. It is sure to be welcomed by art historians and art lovers alike.

Architecture, Books, Home Design, Homes, Photography

New Architecture Books: ‘Escapology – Modern Cabins & Cottages’ (2020)

November 21, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Escape from 2020 and give your mind a getaway with Escapology: Modern Cabins, Cottages and Retreats. Curated by Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, the 265-page book takes you to 24 dreamy homes around the world where you can mentally cozy up around a wood-burning fire and immerse yourself in mother nature.

One minute you’ll be in a rugged mountain lodge and the next you’re held up in a minimal Scandinavian cabin surrounded by foilage. The duo even highlights their own retreat on Ontario’s Drag Lake. Filled with impressive photographs, this book might even inspire you to turn your own abode into your dream retreat.

Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan―Scottish interior designers, TV hosts, and property speculators―are cabin aficionados who divide their time between homes in Canada and their beloved Scotland. iEscapology: Modern Cabins, Cottages and Retreats is a stunning book of modern-day retreats―bucolic weekend escapes by the sea, remote getaways in the woods, and rustic mountain hideouts―to inspire peaceful and quiet living. The authors genuinely believe that cabin time has a remarkably positive impact on our health, wellbeing and our happiness.

Whether it’s a rustic cottage nestled deep within a Nordic forest, a robust mountain lodge in Montana, a breathtaking treehouse in Canada, or a steel-walled, one-room “hotel” in Denmark, these retreats share one vital aspect in common: they proffer the chance to escape and to and live in harmony with nature, far from the madding crowd. Part style bible and lifestyle manual, the book features a beautiful collection of classic and contemporary cottages and cabins, each accompanied by an informative design profile and beautifully photographed images.

And of course, the book is also packed with practical building and design advice that fans of Colin and Justin have grown to love. You’ll find relevant information about different types of dwelling styles, builds, sustainability/off-grid living, tiny homes, renovation on a budget, room zonings, décor and everything in between.

Architecture, Books, Home Design, Homes, Uncategorized

1960’s New Zealand Homes: ‘I never met a straight line I didn’t like’ (Book review)

November 21, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

During the 1960s, Christchurch, New Zealand exploded with a creative force which developed into a distinct style of architecture that was widely admired and imitated and remains influential today.

This is a book about a modern architectural movement that bubbled up in a small, conservative city at the bottom of the world.

For a decade Christchurch architects worked with a potent energy and urgency, creating hundreds of homes (and many of New Zealand’s best public and commercial buildings) in a regional style that is arguably the closest thing the country has to a modern indigenous style of architecture.

The 12 homes illustrated in the book are just a small representation of the style and architects of the period. They remain as intact examples of the ideas, materials and optimism of the time.

Article reviewing book

New Books: ‘Billy Wilder On Assignment’ (Video)

Video November 19, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Billy Wilder on Assignment: Dispatches from Weimar Berlin and Interwar Vienna Billy Wilder

Edited by Noah Isenberg Introduction by Noah Isenberg Translated by Shelley Frisch

Acclaimed film director Billy Wilder’s early writings—brilliantly translated into English for the first time Before Billy Wilder became the screenwriter and director of iconic films like Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot, he worked as a freelance reporter, first in Vienna and then in Weimar Berlin.

Billy Wilder on Assignment brings together more than fifty articles, translated into English for the first time, that Wilder (then known as “Billie”) published in magazines and newspapers between September 1925 and November 1930. From a humorous account of Wilder’s stint as a hired dancing companion in a posh Berlin hotel and his dispatches from the international film scene, to his astute profiles of writers, performers, and political figures, the collection offers fresh insights into the creative mind of one of Hollywood’s most revered writer-directors.

Wilder’s early writings—a heady mix of cultural essays, interviews, and reviews—contain the same sparkling wit and intelligence as his later Hollywood screenplays, while also casting light into the dark corners of Vienna and Berlin between the wars. Wilder covered everything: big-city sensations, jazz performances, film and theater openings, dance, photography, and all manner of mass entertainment. And he wrote about the most colorful figures of the day, including Charlie Chaplin, Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Prince of Wales, actor Adolphe Menjou, director Erich von Stroheim, and the Tiller Girls dance troupe.

Film historian Noah Isenberg’s introduction and commentary place Wilder’s pieces—brilliantly translated by Shelley Frisch—in historical and biographical context, and rare photos capture Wilder and his circle during these formative years.

Architecture, Books, Home Design, Homes

Books: ‘Out Of The Woods – Architecture & Interiors Built from Wood’ (2020)

November 19, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

This book explores the innovative and inspiring ways architects are using this universal building material. Spanning grand Alpine escapes to tropical getaways, plywood penthouses to mass timber high-rises, Out of the Woods documents their progressive and inspiring creations from the foundations up.

Humans have been building homes from wood for thousands of years, and yet, in a contemporary world of option and innovation, the most primitive resource could in fact be the most pertinent.

Stretching back to historic Japanese houses, becoming synonymous with resort accommodation, and intertwining itself in the modern trend of hygge, its tactility and warmth have influenced countless architectural design movements. Timber is fast emerging as a viable material of choice, a safe, sturdy, and sustainable alternative to concrete. Architects are rediscovering wood’s universal appeal, thanks to recent technological advances.

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Architecture, Books, Home Design, Homes

Top Architecture Books: ‘Scott Mitchell Houses’

November 16, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The first volume on his work, Scott Mitchell Houses is an exploration of the architectural designer’s impressive portfolio of projects. Mitchell’s houses are studies in space, materiality, and light. Emphasizing an elegant economy of space, his projects respond to the natural appeal of their locations, be they bucolic retreats on Long Island or resplendent beach houses overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The utilization of monolithic concrete, glass and steel curtain walls, and cantilevered roof planes reduces each building to its essential elements, cultivating a sense of balance and repose.

Merging formalist spatial logic and an atmosphere of calm, the work bridges disparate architectural typologies to create places that are both poetic and profound.

Mitchell’s monolithic forms draw on the surrounding environment via floor to ceiling windows that open onto vistas so cinematic that Tom Ford utilized one of Mitchell’s homes in his neo-noir drama Nocturnal Animals. Through previously unpublished photographs, readers are given an exclusive view into eight pivotal projects that span the globe from the Hamptons to Melbourne, featuring images by Ross Bleckner, Scott Frances, Trevor Mein and Steve Shaw.

A foreword by Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger, contribution by fashion designer Calvin Klein, and essay by architecture and design writer and author Michael Webb further highlight the seductive style of Mitchell’s work.