New Design Books: ‘The Motorcycle – Design, Art, Desire’ (Phaidon / Dec 2020)

September 23, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

An essential and compelling exploration of the design, history, and culture of the motorcycle – an icon of the machine age…

Motorcycles are ubiquitous in the world’s streets and cities, evolving over decades in engineering and design to meet individual transportation needs. With the coming demise of the internal combustion engine and the rise of electric powered vehicles, motorcycle design is being revolutionized by new technologies, the demands of climate change, and global social transformation. The Motorcycle: Desire, Art, Design traces the exciting evolution of this automotive icon – and the culture of desire, freedom, and rebellion that surrounds it.

Motorcycle showcases 100 superb examples of motorcycle design from the late 19th century to the present day and beyond to the technological innovations of the future.

Beautifully illustrated with newly commissioned photography and archival ephemera, this visually arresting survey will prove compulsive reading to design lovers and motorcycle fans alike.

Art, Arts & Literature, Documentaries, History, Videos

Art Video: ‘The Mystery Of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers’

Video September 23, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The eventful history of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, which have changed hands many times since they were painted for Paul Gauguin’s arrival in Arles.

Van Gogh’s paintings of Sunflowers are among his most famous. He did them in Arles, in the south of France, in 1888 and 1889. Vincent painted a total of five large canvases with sunflowers in a vase, with three shades of yellow ‘and nothing else’.

Business, Fitness, Videos

Fitness Industry: ‘How Gyms Are Preparing For The Future’ (WSJ Video)

Video September 23, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

How might the coronavirus pandemic transform the fitness industry? To find out, WSJ spoke with the CEO of Planet Fitness, an independent gym owner, and an industry analyst to learn about what we can expect for the future of fitness.

Travel, Videos

Morning News Podcast: Supreme Court Nominees, Covid-19 Deaths, stimulus

Audio September 23, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

GOP Senators push to confirm Supreme Court nominee by election day, U.S. coronavirus death toll tops 200,000, and Illinois man has kept Richard Nixon’s unfinished sandwich for 60 years.

Travel, Videos

New Travel Videos: ‘The Headlands Of Brittany’

Video September 23, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

We take you to discover the coastline of the French region of Brittany and its gems of natural beauty. With its 70-metre-high cliffs, the Cap Fréhel has some of the most dramatic scenery in the region. Further west, there are spectacular views over the Morlaix Bay, home to more than 60,000 seabirds. Out in the Atlantic, Ouessant is the last island before America. We end our journey at sunset at the Raz peninsula, looking out onto the Atlantic, at the tip of Europe.

Impressive and colourful landscapes, the scent of the moorlands, crashing waves and the call of seabirds: open your eyes, nostrils and ears! Looming above an emerald sea, the pink sandstone cliffs of the Cap d’Erquy headland are crowned by wild moorlands where the colours are ever-changing. The dazzling yellow of gorse flowers in spring is followed by violet heathers in summer. This nature reserve is home to a variety of plant species and is a haven for seabirds. Erquy is also a fishing-port, known for its scallops. Not far away, the majestic cliffs of Cap Fréhel provide one of the best views in Brittany. On a clear day, you can enjoy a panoramic view that stretches from the Cotentin Peninsula and Jersey all the way to Paimpol: it’s mind-blowing!

Books, Podcasts, Reviews

Great Books Podcast: ‘The Old Man And The Sea’ By Ernest Hemingway (1951)

Audio September 22, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The Great Books presents: John J. Miller is joined by Missy Andrews of the Center for Literary Education to discuss Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.

The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel written by the American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951 in Cuba, and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction written by Hemingway that was published during his lifetime. One of his most famous works, it tells the story of Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman who struggles with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Cuba.

Interviews, Podcasts, Science

Top Interview Podcasts: Nobel Prize Geneticist Sir Paul Nurse – “What Is Life?”

Audio September 22, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

In his new book, Paul Nurse, Nobel prize winner and director of the Francis Crick Institute, addresses a question that has long plagued both philosophers and scientists – what does it really mean to be alive?

Speaking to Madeleine Finlay, Paul delves into why it’s important to understand the underlying principles of life, the role of science in society, and what life might look like on other planets.

Sir Paul Maxime Nurse FRS FMedSci HonFREng HonFBA MAE, is an English geneticist, former President of the Royal Society and Chief Executive and Director of the Francis Crick Institute.

Business, History, Videos

Film Business: ‘The Rise And Fall Of Kodak’ (WSJ Video)

Video September 22, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

At its peak, Kodak was the early 20th century equivalent of Google or Apple, possessing a near monopoly in the film business. But those days are long gone. Here’s why the company’s glossy image failed to withstand the test of time.

Photo Illustration: Carter McCall/WSJ

Travel, Videos

Travel Videos: ‘Ancient Myra’ (Demre) In Turkey

Video September 22, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Myra (Ancient Greek: Μύρα, Mýra) was an ancient Greek, then Roman Greek, then Byzantine Greek, then Ottoman Greek town in Lycia, which became the small Turkish town of Kale, renamed Demre in 2005, in the present-day Antalya Province of Turkey. In 1923 its Greek inhabitants had been required to leave by the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey, at which time its church was finally abandoned. It was founded on the river Myros , in the fertile alluvial plain between Alaca Dağ, the Massikytos range and the Aegean Sea.