The Croods" takes us back to a previously undiscovered era known as the Croodaceous period when Mother Nature was still experimenting. Trying to find their evolutionary niche are The Croods family. " The Art of The Croods" traces the evolution of the comedy adventure movie with over 400 pieces of concept art character sketches storyboards & digital paintings & key talent interviews." ...

To celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit a sumptuous full colour art book containing the complete collection of more than 100 Hobbit sketches drawings paintings & maps by J.R.R. Tolkien. When J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit he was already an accomplished amateur artist & drew illustrations for his book while it was still in manuscript. The Hobbit as first printed had ten black & white pictures two maps & binding & dust-jacket designs by its author. Later Tolkien also painted five scenes for colour plates which are some of his best work. His illustrations for The Hobbit add an extra dimension to that remarkable book & have long influenced how readers imagine Bilbo Baggins & his world. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit the complete artwork created by the author for his story has been collected in The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Including related pictures more than one hundred sketches drawings paintings maps & plans are presented here preliminary & alternate versions & experimental designs as well as finished art. Some of these images are now published for the first time & others for the first time in colour. Fresh digital scans from the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford & Marquette University in Wisconsin allow Tolkiens Hobbit pictures to be seen more vividly than ever before. The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien has been written & edited by Wayne G. Hammond & Christina Scull two of the leading experts on Tolkien & authors of the acclaimed J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator The Lord of the Rings: A Readers Companion & The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion & Guide. ...

The best Hot Rod cars are Art on four wheels & this book is nothing less than a gallery of the best Hot Rods profiling the machines in stunning color top builders with studio portraits of their work & commentary on their most outstanding custom creations. This book celebrates the unique marriage of mechanical know-how & inspired sense of design & style. Built from the ground up pieced together from salvaged parts rebuilt with classic looks & futuristic technology
- these are racing cars as works of art as powerful & compelling on the page as they are on the street & racetrack!
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From the Acadamy Award-winning studio that brought us Toy Story Monsters Inc. & the blockbuster Finding Nemo comes The Incredibles a hilarious & action-packed story of a family of superheroes banished to a boring suburban existence. Until... Mr. Incredible gets duped into an evil scheme & his family charges in to the rescue. The film is wonderfully graphic bringing an early-60s retro look to the superhero genre. The Art of the Incredibles once again pulls together the fabulous & otherwise never-seen movie concept art with"es from the creative team of artists designers & directors. With an 8-page gatefold & fabulous color art it is a visually stunning book that will appeal to the adult animation audience. ...

In trouble with the law? Sure you are getting the best possible advice? Meet Mr Loophole. Nick Freeman is Britains highest profile lawyer & he has won more cases & attracts more media attention than any other lawyer in the country. Learn every trick in the book from the man whos defended the greats. Mr Loophole is famous for forming winning quirky & innovative defences
- even when a case appears indefensible. In the process he has revolutionised the way in which law
- particularly motoring law
- is practised. In this book Nick explains his unique approach to the law & in the process identifies his killer loophole principles


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This is the ultimate book for poster fans & film buffs around the world. With over 1500 international posters from 1945-2005
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Until 30 years ago restaurateurs were considered the most important figures in any restaurant's success with chefs consigned to the kitchen. This process began to change with the elevation of chef-patron Paul Bocuse in the late 1970s & has continued with the rise of the celebrity chef. Restaurateurs are hugely important but rarely written about & significantly under-appreciated. The profession other than its commercial & social aspects has a fundamental human appeal: restaurateurs derive their name & profession from the French verb restaurer when their role was to restore the health of travellers battered by the potholes of French roads in the early 19th century. The role has changed a lot since then & continues to evolve in fascinating ways. Despite the interest & increased professionalism of many restaurateurs however the restaurant business is still one of the most financially risky. In the UK only the construction industry sees more liquidations. Brands & chains have also made life difficult for the independent restaurateur. But these individuals all have an extraordinary story to tell stories that will appeal to those disenchanted with a corporate world give inspiration for the next generation of would-be restaurateurs & provide a compelling read for anyone interested in the modern restaurant. Learn how Alan Yau lost control of Wagamama in a family feud & how Danny Meyer with two hugely successful restaurants behind him (Union Square Cafe & Gramercy Tavern) opened Blue Smoke a barbecue restaurant without appreciating that all New Yorkers consider themselves barbecue experts so they all thought he was doing everything wrong. Behind each of these successes is an equally dramatic story of something that went very badly wrong. When they got the tricky recipe right they succeeded in creating some of the world's landmark restaurants. Covering subjects as diverse as finding the right location & the importance of getting the design right; to choosing the best chef & deciding what food to serve; to managing staff & dealing with difficult customers every story is fascinating different & has something to tell about the creation of a successful restaurant. ...

This is a companion volume to a series of four books about 20th century art. Each book can be read independently & is accessible to the general reader. However as a series they form the main texts of an Open University third-level course Art of the Twentieth Century" which examines the fundamental changes that have taken place in the concepts of art during the 20th century. The " Course Reader" consists principally of writings by art historians & art theorists originally published as free-standing essays or chapters in books & gives readers access to a wide range of different authorial voices & perspectives on art beyond those explored in the four accompanying course texts. Drawing on material relating to the rest of the course the book reflects the diversity of art-historical interpretations & of different theoretical approaches to 20th century art." ...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE TIMES BESTSELLER MAIL ON SUNDAY BESTSELLER GUARDIAN BESTSELLER AMAZON TOP TEN BESTSELLER LIVE MAGAZINE BESTSELLER IRISH TIMES NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER THE SECRETS OF PERFECT DECISION-MAKING Have you ever... Invested time in something that with hindsight just wasn't worth it? Overpaid in an Ebay auction? Continued doing something you knew was bad for you? Sold stocks too late or too early? Taken credit for success but blamed failure on external circumstances? Backed the wrong horse? These are examples of cognitive biases simple errors we all make in our day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are & how to spot them we can avoid them & make better choices
- whether dealing with a personal problem or a business negotiation; trying to save money or make money; working out what we do or don't want in life & how best to get it. Already an international bestseller THE ART OF THINKING CLEARLY is essential reading for anyone with important decisions to make. It reveals in 100 short chapters the most common errors of judgement & how to avoid them. Simple clear & always surprising this indispensable book will change the way you think & transform your decision-making
- at work at home every day.

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The Art of Travel" is Alain de Botton's travel guide with a difference: an exploration of why we travel & what we learn when we do. As seen on Channel 4 Few activities seem to promise is as much happiness as going travelling: taking off for somewhere else somewhere far from home a place with more interesting weather customs & landscapes. But although we are inundated with advice on where to travel to we seldom ask why we go & how we might become more fulfilled by doing so. With the help of a selection of writers artists & thinkers
- including Flaubert Edward Hopper Wordsworth & Van Gogh
- Alain de Botton's bestselling " The Art of Travel" provides invaluable insights into everything from holiday romance to hotel minibars airports to sightseeing. The perfect antidote to those guides that tell us what to do when we get there " The Art of Travel" tries to explain why we really went in the first place
- & helpfully suggest how we might be happier on our journeys. " Richly evocative sharp & funny. De Botton proves himself to be a very fine travel writer indeed". (Sunday Telegraph"). " Delightful profound entertaining I doubt if de Botton has written a dull sentence in his life". (Jan Morris). " An elegant & subtle work unlike any other. Beguiling". (Colin Thubron " The Times"). Alain de Botton was born in 1969 & is the author of non-fiction essays on themes ranging from love & travel to architecture & philosophy. His bestselling books include " Essays in Love"; " The Romantic Movement"; " Kiss & Tell"; " Status Anxiety"; " How Proust Can Change Your Life"; " The Pleasures & Sorrows of Work"; " The Art of Travel"; " The Architecture of Happiness & Religion for Atheists". He lives in London & founded The School of Life & Living Architecture."


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