Press

House of Worth: The Birth of Haute Couture

978-0-500-51943-1

“With gorgeous color images of Worth designs, paintings, and archival fashion drawings and photographs, this sumptuous book is recommended for readers interested in the history of haute couture and French fashion.”

— Library Journal (starred review)

“The images accompanying the extensive biographical information are sure to inspire any sewer or student of fashion…The House of Worth will interest fashionistas and historians alike”

— Threads

A House Party in Tuscany

978-1-760-76257-5

“[An] enchanting look at cooking in the Italian countryside… Guinness provides readers recipes for creating their own culinary escapes… Life under the Tuscan sun proves exceptionally dreamy in this alluring collection.”

— Publishers Weekly

“A stunning book in every way. Amber Guinness paints such a dreamy, evocative picture of her home in the Tuscan countryside and of the sumptuous feasts she cooks there. I long to be there with her and to eat everything in this book.”

— Skye McAlpine

“A truly beautiful book with food as colorful as paintings and thoughtful menus guided by the Tuscan seasons.”

— Emiko Davies

Houses That Can Save the World

978-0-500-34371-5

“This manifesto …is also a welcome sourcebook of ideas for creating environmentally responsible houses.”

— Library Journal

“This hopeful book …chronicles the architects, designers, engineers, builders, and artists who are leading a design revolution …A resource for anyone building or adapting a home and looking to preserve the planet.”

— The Detroit News

How to Be an Art Rebel

978-0-500-65164-3

“How to make looking at art more fun… Young viewers…will come away with new tools, ideas worth mulling… Solid insights.”

— Kirkus Reviews

“A refreshing look at artwork through the ages.”

— Booklist

Most worthwhile… Leo the cat proves to be a reliable guide to the art of different ages… The book is distinguished by the quality of its insights and fresh language [and] also benefits from good-quality color reproductions, and a politically enlightened inclusiveness.”

— The New York Times Book Review

“A hip cat narrates this playful, irreverent guide to all types of fine art… Museums, here we come!”

— People

How to Draw a Graphic Novel

978-0-500-66020-1

“Aspiring artists will find solid advice in this sophisticated, well-considered guide. Colorful panels walk readers through the creative process, from pre-drawing planning to layout and formatting to analog and digital tools to inking and coloring, proofreading, and getting published… Useful as a teaching tool, this introduction to graphic creation will attract both browsers and the artistically inclined.”

— Booklist

How To Light Your Dragon

978-0-500-65197-1

“The art is a wild and wonderful amalgamation of bold colors and striking design. The typography almost steals the show with its marvelous variety. Yet it is the message to sit down and tell someone that they are loved that gives the book its true firepower.”

— Kirkus Reviews

How to Write About Contemporary Art

978-0-500-29157-3

“Finally. A book that teaches you how to write and think clearly about art. I can imagine this book inspiriting future generations to write legibly and intelligently art criticism, a field that's become too hermetic and convoluted for its own good. Revolutionary, radical and long overdue. Bravo!”

— Kenneth Goldsmith, poet and founder, UbuWeb

“Fantastic… a straight-forward must-read for every writer, reader, artist and designer. Williams holds your hand, explaining why you need to do it, what you need to do, and how to do it.”

— FullScream.com

“Thrillingly clear … a beautifully formed guide to writing […] should be required reading across every creative discipline. Essential!”

— Dressingtheair.com

“A thoroughly sensible and accessible guide to writing that could almost be applied to any subject.”

— artbookreview.com

“Illuminates contemporary art writing, providing insights into what we write about when we write about art…[Williams] reenvisions what it means to be a professional art writer and outlines the methods, ethics and even the financing that could see the role of the writer codified and professionalized in a new and important way in the art world of tomorrow.”

— Burnaway

“With How To Write About Contemporary Art Gilda Williams has created an illuminating, engaging and urgent guide to contemporary art-writing. While this is clearly essential reading for arts students and those at the start of a career in arts writing or criticism , it is equally invaluable for anyone involved in the art world that needs to transmit information and ideas in written form about contemporary art. So that’s basically all of us.”

— Hans Ulrich Obrist, co-Director, Serpentine Gallery

“Bless you, Gilda Williams, for reminding us that fear is the root of bad writing, and for showing us how to take courage. Art writing can be deep, accurate, surprising, and even beautiful—and with any luck, How to Write about Contemporary Art will spark a renascence of the deep, accurate, surprising, beautiful art writing we so badly need.”

— Barry Schwabsky, art critic, The Nation

Artforum correspondent Williams applies lessons in graceful prose to the field of art writing… [She] excels when looking at excerpts from accomplished critics, including Rosalind Krauss and Walter Benjamin, and when giving nuts-and-bolts advice for crafting specific genres of art-world documents (catalogue essays, short news articles, academic essays, and the like) [This] how-to provides enough art-specific insights to cut through the garble so common in the field.”

— Publishers Weekly

“In outlining exactly how an auction catalogue differs from a museum’s wall label and a magazine review, down to the vocabulary and tone each should accommodate, Williams gives insight to the inner workings of very different industries: academia, auction houses and mainstream and professional press. Her systematic analysis of the current state of art writing is a first [and her] methodology is flawless.”

— frieze

How Turner Painted

978-0-500-29483-3

“Illuminates a key dimension of [Turner's] art… One learns about the painter's materials…and the paints that existed in Turner's time… An authoritative picture of Turner's methods, leaving the reader to concur that 'one can only marvel at the results.' … A valuable addition to the literature on Turner.”

— Choice

Hyperborea: Stories from the Arctic

978-0-500-02622-9

“Breathtaking photographs of the stark beauty of stunning, rarely recorded Arctic landscapes… In rich, lush color, Arbugaeva captures strong emotion both in the people she meets and the places she visits… This volume serves as powerful documentation of a singular region of the world, testifying to both the crisp, frigid spectacle that Siberia offers and the boundless talent of the photographer who recorded it.”

— Booklist (starred review)

“Born in the remote port of Tiksi in northeast Siberia, Arbugaeva has spent much of her career capturing her homeland from air, land and sea.”

— New York Times Book Review

I See a City: Todd Webb's New York

978-0-500-54552-2

“Beautifully produced and edited… Webb's photographs vividly convey life in the Big Apple as the soldiers came home and as the country regained normalcy after the war… A rare synthesis of observation and emotional engagement.”

— Black & White

The Iconic American House: Architectural Masterworks Since 1900

978-0-500-02295-5

“[An] attractive exploration of 50 houses from the last century… Exquisite photographs capture the buildings and their landscapes… A treat for any art, architecture, or photography lover.”

— Publishers Weekly

“The modernist's new design bible.”

— Interiors

“A chronological panorama of 50 American houses…with fine photography… Leaves this reader in close agreement with the author and enjoyably educated by his book.”

— Interior Design

“From Fallingwater and Farnsworth to more modern gems like The Pierre…The Iconic American House celebrates the country's residential masterpieces… Each property is accompanied by floor plans, drawings, informative text by Dominic Bury, and photographs by Richard Powers.”

— Uncrate

The Iconic British House: Modern Architectural Masterworks Since 1900

978-0-500-34374-6

“Here are 50 British homes designed since 1900, which set themselves apart by embodying a 'spirit of adventure.' And what an adventure.”

— House & Garden

“[A] hefty, decade-hopping survey of modern domestic architecture in Britain… The book's 50 featured domiciles—lushly photographed by Richard Powers—are pointedly diverse in style and context but unified by their creative flair, ingenuity, and ability to induce acute house envy. Don't say you weren't warned”

— Architectural Record

The Iconic Interior: 1900 to the Present

978-0-500-02333-4

“Packed with information…[An] impressive book.”

— House & Garden

“Emphasizes the breadth of diversity of style and imagination in residential architecture and interior design.”

— Designers Today

“A panoramic and delightful tour of a century of changing taste.”

— Interior Design

“A sophisticated tour of exceptional domestic spaces from the early 20th century to now.”

— *Wallpaper

If I Had a Crocodile

978-0-500-65305-0

“The rhyming and rhythm are irresistible, ideal for storytime, with plenty of fun vocabulary… Strikingly composed illustrations are as important as words… Snappy images and jazzy rhymes make this a delight to read aloud.”

— Kirkus Reviews

If I Had a Dinosaur

978-0-500-65099-8

“This book is perfect for building rhyming skills in young readers. The cheerfully thoughtful and detailed illustrations by Alex Barrow make this an instant bedtime classic.”

— ArtDesk

If I Had a Polar Bear

978-0-500-65306-7

“Told in lilting rhymes…'If I Had a Polar Bear' sneaks in fun facts along with joyous imaginings… Barrow's pencil and Photoshop illustrations are fun. Keep your eyes open for the subtle homages to Ludwig Bemelmans' Madeline as well as to Norman Rockwell. This is an ebullient story of a child's unfettered imagination.”

— Star Tribune