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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The Art of Urban Sketching is both a comprehensive guide & a showcase of location drawings by artists around the world who draw the cities where they live & travel. This beautiful volume explains urban sketching within the context of a long historical tradition & how it is practiced today. It

Includes:: profiles of leading practitioners a discussion of the benefits of working in this art form & shows how one can participate & experience it through modern-day social networks & online activity. The book is illustrated with over 700 beautiful contemporary illustrations &

Includes:: artists profiles & extended captions where these urban sketchers share their stories tips & tools. With sketches & observations from more than 50 cities in more than 30 countries the book offers a visually arresting storytelling take on urban life from different cultures & artistic styles as well as insight into various drawing techniques & mediums.



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Throughout history some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves & each other. They have inspired debate dissent war & revolution. They have enlightened outraged provoked & comforted. They have enriched lives & destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers pioneers radicals & visionaries whose ideas shook civilization & helped make us who we are. ...

Throughout history some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves & each other. They have inspired debate dissent war & revolution. They have enlightened outraged provoked & comforted. They have enriched lives & destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers pioneers radicals & visionaries whose ideas shook civilization & helped make us who we are. Offering ancient wisdom on how to use skill cunning tactics & discipline to outwit your opponent this bestselling 2000-year-old military manual is still worshipped by soldiers on the battlefield & managers in the boardroom as the ultimate guide to winning. ...

Harper Collins is proud to present its new range of best-loved essential classics. Opportunities multiply as they are seized. Written in the 6th century BC Sun Tzus The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise that is still revered today as the ultimate commentary on war & military strategy. Focussing on the principle that one can outsmart your foe mentally by thinking very carefully about strategy before resorting to physical battle this philosophy continues to be applied to the corporate & business world. Sun Tzus timeless appraisal of the different aspects of warfare are laid out in 13 chapters including sections on Laying Plans Waging War & Terrain. Words that are as resonant today in every aspect of our lives as they were when he wrote them. ...

One of the earliest guides to traditional whittling this reprint of a 1930s classic preserves all of the original projects & text & adds updated drawings for the contemporary whittler. This manual is still sought after by whittlers because it explains how to carve many items popular in American tramp art & more complicated items that are not included in most whittling books such as continuous wooden chairs hand tools puzzles balls inside spirals swivels entwined hearts & buildings inside bottles. ...

In Wreck-It Ralph Disneys expert team of concept visual development & story artists explore the hidden world of video games from classic 8-bit arcade games to the most modern & inventive offerings of the digital age. At the center of this hilarious & wildly original video-game-hopping adventure is Wreck-It Ralph an arcade game bad guy who breaks all the rules when he sets off on a mission to prove he can be good. The Art of Wreck-It Ralph captures the fresh artistic vision of the film & the aesthetic journey of the filmmakers through interviews with the films many artists including a foreword by director Rich Moore & a preface by John Lasseter. Illustrated with character sketches storyboards visual development paintings colorscripts & more this behind-the-scenes look at Disneys latest 3-D animated epic is a treat for video game & animation lovers alike. ...