As an artist as well as a recreation-enthusiast, I end up in the 700s (Arts & Recreation) almost every time I browse the library’s collection, regardless of what I originally set out to find. There are a wide variety of books in this section, everything from books on art history to Calvin and Hobbes to NASCAR. Here are a few interesting books I found tucked away on the bottom shelf.
- H.O.U.S.E. by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski. H.O.U.S.E stands for Homes that are Outrageous, Unbelievable, Spectacular and Extraordinary – all of which the architecture in this illustrated book definitely is. HOUSE is so colorful and playful and bursting with imagination I thought it was a misshelved children’s book at first – but it’s for adults! The architecture explored in this book is just as out-of-the-box as the illustrations. Discover everything from houses shaped like UFOs, to a giant tree house to an entire home that hangs outside of an apartment window. This book is a fun introduction to innovative architecture.
- “Rebels in Paradise: The Los Angeles Art Scene and the 1960s” by Hunter Drohojowska-Philip. Set in 1960s Los Angeles, this book captures the rebellious spirit of the time and place and chronicles the West Coast explosion of contemporary art. In 1960 LA had few art galleries, and no modern art museums, which opened the door for artists with more avant-garde ideas, including: David Hockey, Ed Ruscha, Judy Chicago and many others. Andy Warhol, though today he is known for the Factory and the artwork he created in New York City, got his first big break in L.A. By the end of the decade the city had blossomed into a thriving art hub in the US.
- “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. For those who haven’t heard of this book with a cult-like following: no, this book is not about Bruce Springsteen. It actually has a lot more to do with those toe shoes, which kind of look like gloves for your feet, that you have probably seen people jaunting around in (also called minimalist running shoes). In “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen,” McDougall journeys to Copper Canyon, Mexico to discover the secrets of Tarahumara Indians – a group whose members have spent centuries mastering techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest. Yes, you read that correctly – hundreds! That’s like running several marathons in a row! And they do it without injury (enter toe shoes), which has a lot to do with the minimalist sandals they wear while running. Regardless of your stance on running footwear, this book is definitely worth picking up!
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