Reading

Andy Warhol: Giant Size

Andy Warhol Giant Size is spectacular, just like the eccentric genius, himself. The life and career moments are beautifully depicted in this hardback book. Over 2000 images are displayed and many have never been seen published before. As he lived over the top, he worked very much in the same manner. It is said that he rarely threw any piece of paper away from recieipts from restaurants to the postcards that he received. All of these fascinating photographs and memoribilia have been compiled for your viewing pleasure. Hundreds of art works, tickets, personal correspondence, letters, celebrity head shots, press clippings, notes, film stills and almost any other piece of ephemera are included within the pages of this huge 15 pound book.

The Andy Warhol Giant Size book gives insight into the workings of Warhol, public and private, along with many stories behind the works of art. One of the features shows the famous Warhol ‘Mao’ series and also has a section devoted to a trip to China in 1982. There are things like a boarding pass, souvenir from the hotel in which he stayed and his passport positioned beside a picture of Warhol. The photograph was taken in Beijing at the Forbidden City where a Mao portrait was dispayed in the background.

The one and only publication that is available featuring Warhol’s complete life, words and works is Andy Warhol Giant Size and is offered in the best bookstores online and off. The book presents a sort of visual biography that gives a look behind the scenes within the art scene of New York from the 1950’s to around the 1980’s. It gives a new perspective to people inside the art world, as well as outside, as to the endlessly fascinating life and works of Warhol.

The large hardback book is intended for entertaining guests and inspiring conversations, along with providing an inside look into the mind of the genius.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Andy Warhol, Beijing

Donating Books

One of the best ways to instill the love of reading into the lives of others is by donating your used and unwanted books. The most avid of readers can literally run out of space to store but only their favorite texts. Others practice reading a book once without ever having the desire to crack it open again. Then there are those whose families have outgrown certain books. Any of the above is reason enough to reach out to those that are normally not exposed to the wonder and joy of reading by sharing your unwanted books.

Most charitable organizations accept books that are in relatively good condition. A number of charities send out flyers to residential areas soliciting for donated clothing and household goods. The most convenient aspect of this type of donating is that the charity picks up the items from your front stoop. No scheduling, packing or hauling heavy boxes involved!

Second-hand or re-sale book stores are also wonderful places to donate your goods. Most stores are eager to accept your used items as donations and if you prefer, many will donate any commission earned to a reputable charity on your behalf.

Other organizations that can benefit from your used books are the local school district and library. If they have plenty of your particular titles on hand, they often will place your donations in an annual book sale that in turn, benefits these civic organizations in other ways.

Lastly, nursing homes and rehab hospitals often house libraries in their buildings, or at the very least, have bookcases in their common areas. These facilities are ones in which the inhabitants, most whom are incapacitated at some level, would enjoy the reprieve of getting lost in a newly found, donated book.

By donating your used and unwanted books to one or more of the above organizations, you are sharing more than your possessions; you are sharing the wealth of knowledge.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Charitable organization, Donation

A Book Makes the Perfect Gift

Whether buying for the relative who has everything, a supervisor at your place of employment or a friend you are just getting to know, a book can be the perfect gift. No doubt, reading is a pastime that some people enjoy daily and some not much at all. Regardless of this broad difference in time spent reading, a good book can certainly fit into anyone’s lifestyle.

For the relative you know, gift a current book about a favorite hobby or interest. There are multitudes of hobby-related books available ranging from general to specialized topics, suitable for your recipient depending upon their location, vocation or aptitude level. If your relative is an avid gardener and lives in the southern US, a gardening book dedicated to their particular climate zone would be greatly appreciated. Not only will your recipient be pleased to receive a gift they can use, they will be warmed by the fact you thought to customize your purchase.

On the other hand, if your goal is to remain neutral in your gift-giving, such as when gifting to your boss, a beautiful book of scenic photographs or unbiased illustrations would be appropriate. Whether your supervisor feels comfortable taking the gift book home or leaving it at the office, it will adorn their space and provide reading interest to their guests.

A motivational book or book of quotations would be among the best of gifts for an acquaintance or new found friend. No matter their age or place in life, uplifting stories and quotes are generally a welcomed respite. If your acquaintance happens to be one that does not read regularly, a book of short stories and quotes would not intimidate them and may actually develop them into passionate readers of the future.

No matter the occasion or the recipient, a book makes the perfect gift. During your search, you may just find a few books to gift yourself!

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: E-book, Gift, Gift book

Books to Soothe a Grieving Soul

There are many ways to grieve. However, one of the best sources of comfort at a time of grief can be a soothing book. In whatever manner a person chooses to grieve, a book can be an empathetic companion or perhaps the only understanding voice they may hear.

Although we all eventually learn that death is a part of life, our first loss comes not only with deep sadness but also with the stark realization that our own existence on earth is limited. One of the very best books for the newly bereaved is Elisabeth Kubler Ross-On Grief and Grieving, co-written with David Kessler in 2005. On Grief and Grieving is a follow-up of Dr. Ross-1969 breakthrough book, On Death and Dying, as both books describe the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

The bereaved often seek solace in books of faith. The Bible, Torah and Koran are among the many books of faith that are read, recited and quoted by people in their deepest times of need. Renewing one’s faith provides a purpose for living in an imperfect world.

Life after death is a topic that may gain great interest to those that have lost loved ones. For those racked with intense pain, there is hope in the words of books such as Raymond Moody’s Life after Life and Glimpses of Eternity. In the former book, Dr. Moody shares the near death experiences of over one hundred people, the majority of whose experiences are fantastically similar and extremely positive. The latter text describes incidents whereby multiple people share in the beautiful death experience of their loved one.

All in all, when counseling and friendships are unable to soothe an aching soul, the perfect book may be able to reach areas no one else can touch. Reading about grief, faith, and the positive aspects of death can truly help us move on and appreciate life.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: David Kessler, Grief, Kübler-Ross model

Vacation is Just a Book Away

Do you need a break but don’t have the leave time or can’t afford to get out of town, let alone out of the country? A vacation abroad doesn’t always mean you must physically travel to the interesting or exotic places. You can certainly explore the world via a book or two.

Simply decide what locale or locales youd like to visit some day and peruse your local bookstore or library for relative nonfiction topics such as travel guides, historical texts and cultural books. Learning basic information about a locale, including common phrases spoken, important holidays, long standing traditions and political protocol, will be invaluable when you decide to book your trip. Other important topics to consider exploring in advance of traveling include seasonal weather conditions, immunizations required, money exchange rates and travel documents necessary for entrance.

Of course, there is the possibility you may be at a point in life where taking an exotic vacation is far from reality. Perhaps you have very small children or just begun a demanding new job. Until you can get away, you can certainly vacation through the lives of characters in a book set in your favorite locale. Again, peruse your bookstore or library to find fiction that is set in your dream destination. When reading quality fiction, you will not only be entertained but will also benefit from the little facts and tidbits borne of the author’s research. Good authors perform excellent research and thus, when reading an exciting tale about an exotic setting you will not only experience the story – you will gain valuable local insight.

Reading books and guides about your favorite vacation locale will boost your enthusiasm, bringing you closer to making the commitment to travel when the timing is right. In addition, the knowledge gained from these books will ensure you are a prepared and confident visitor, creating a more relaxed and enjoyable excursion. Bon Voyage!

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Books, Recreation, Shopping, Tourism, Travel

Stay Safe while Shopping for the Holidays

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Usually I have most of my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving. This year, though, I seem to have fallen behind. As much as I love buying and making gifts that my loved ones will enjoy, I’m not a big fan of crowded malls. They inspire too much frustration and anger. Even when I’m able to keep my own mind calm, I’m disturbed by the way that other people behave.

That’s why I’m going to do a lot of shopping online this year. I’ve already made an extensive list. Now I just have to go through and decide which items will bring the most joy to those who receive them. In recent years, I have found that I can get great deals from overstock sites. They often have prices that rival Black Friday specials. I’ve found video games, books, designer dresses and TapouT shirts for as much as 50 percent off.

When buying from online stores, you have to make sure that they are legitimate. It really pays to use caution when buying products online. You can often spot fraudulent sites by their poor designs and grammar. If a website has misspellings throughout its pages, then you have to wonder how professional they really are.

I find that payment services such as PayPal are good ways to avoid fraud online. When you use PayPal, you don’t have to give online stores your credit card or bank information. The payment service acts as a middleman that protects your private information. You can even make route bank payments through PayPal.

Some online stores don’t take PayPal payments because they prefer credit card payments. Check the fine print on your credit card contract to make sure you are protected from fraudulent charges. You should also pay close attention to your statements to make sure that all of the charges are legitimate.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Black Friday, Electronic commerce, Online shopping, PayPal

The Perfect Gift for a Writer

The age of computers has brought tremendous advantages for writers-speed, spell check, and ready access to research via saved resources or the Internet. It has also come with a bevy of not so great things such as carpal tunnel syndrome, eyesight issues, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Perhaps the answer is to reduce the time spent sitting and typing while staring at a monitor. That requires dictation and unless you are going to hire a personal assistant, voice recognition software may be the answer. After some research, the best known software of this type is Dragon Naturally Speaking.

Some people believe that speaking to a computer is only something that is done on Star Trek, but the technology has come a very long way in the last few years and is now available to those of us in the 21st Century as well.

Dragon not only allows you to dictate a letter, but control your computer through simple verbal commands. Initially, the software creates a voice profile to establish a baseline for your commands; Dragon excels at this process (which is probably the most important stage). Equal to the many things you can do with your computer, is the number of commands that you need to know to become truly proficient. But once you are up to speed, you will be able to dictate documents and navigate through various commands faster than using a keyboard and mouse.

In various tests, Dragon Naturally Speaking performed extremely well in accuracy, ease of use, and speed. Although you may think that you should slow down your speech to achieve greater accuracy, this software actually performed better at a normal conversational pace. The Premium version ranked higher than the home version as it has customizable commands and is blue tooth compatible. If you are an avid computer user, the price difference is nominal compared to the benefits of the Premium version of the software.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Speech recognition, Star Trek

How To Deal With Stress

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

All psychologists and medical doctors agree that stress can be one of the worst things for you, your body and well-being. While we all know it is bad for us, at times there is no escaping it. But there are various ways that we can deal with it and deal with it well. In fact, there are ways when you could use your stress to your advantage.

One of the ways that stress can give you an advantage is that you will, more than likely, have more nervous energy. To combat this go for a walk or a run, or do any type of physical exercise. The exercise will calm your nerves, combat stress and have the added bonus of getting you physically fit. Many studies have shown that when you exercise, endorphins are released in the body and help to alleviate further stress down the road.

Another way that you can deal with stress is breathing exercises. Breathing exercises have been known to keep people more alert and also help combat high stress level. More oxygen within the body and the brain allows us to feel rejuvenated in a matter of minutes.
When you are feeling overwhelmed and there seems to be no outlet, literally take yourself out of the equation. For 5 minutes, go somewhere, anywhere, that is calm and where you can take a mental health time-out. Unless you are an E.R. doctor, there is no excuse why you couldn’t take a few minutes to collect your thoughts and calm your nerves.

These are just a few techniques that can help you and that have helped me. When I had money troubles, the only thing that helped me more during one of the most stressful times in my life was Payday One, which helped me get back on my financial feet. Hopefully your problems are less worrisome and can just be helped by some fresh air, breathing and exercise.

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: Combat Stress, Mental health, Physical exercise

Reading Is For Life

The world around us, if seen carefully, can be summed up in a few words. Everything you do or say can be written down and read. That is the beauty of words. They can hold something so pure within themselves that they can evoke extreme emotions from people yet, in today’s world, in an era when there is more awakening than there was previously, people fail to understand the importance of the written word.

However, there are those who understand what it is like to read and be enlightened and for them, reading is like a life-long ailment. Try as hard as they may, they will never rid themselves of it. It is reading books, journals and other literature that keeps them ticking through the years. Acquiring knowledge is simply a by-product and they are only happy to learn from what they read.

Reading can be a hobby or a passion for people and if it’s either, it can transform people completely. What one can learn from books is incomparable and unachievable through any other medium. Though people may try and substitute books with e-books and other materials, the fact remains that nothing can replace the experience and thrill of reading a hardbound book.

Reading and learning is a vicious cycle that once a person enters, he cannot leave without being transformed. And once he is, the thirst for acquiring more always remains. He reads more to learn more. Though areas of interest may be different for each person, the fact remains that books form an important part of a person’s life.
The best means of time travel, books can help people experience and learn from an era long lost by civilization and peer into the future that is yet to be imagined. When such a medium is available to people, is it any wonder why some folks are drawn to books like a moth is to a flame?

Filed Under: Reading

Categories