HOW TO COVER EVERYONE ON YOUR GIFT LIST.Byline: Rob Lowman Daily News Staff Writer OK, you're down to it. You have to buy gifts for Aunt Marge and Uncle Homer and you're eyeing that ``one size fits all'' sweatshirt that says ``Kiss Me, I'm Polish.'' The only problem is they're not Polish, and they'll probably hate it. There is a solution, however - a trip to your local bookstore, where any size can fit anybody. There are the usual best-sellers to choose from, of course, but here's a selection of books ranging from the typical oversized o·ver·size n. 1. A size that is larger than usual. 2. An oversize article or object. adj. o·ver·size also o·ver·sized Larger in size than usual or necessary. coffee-table tomes to the more unusual. The more unusual, meaning books that may not fit into most holiday roundups but, hopefully, books you can keep coming back to, something like James Burke's ``Pinball Effect: How Renaissance Water Gardens made the Carburetor Possible and Other Journeys Through Knowledge'' (Little, Brown; $23.95). You may be familiar with Burke's work through television, where versions of two of his other works, ``The Day the Universe Changed'' and ``Connections,'' have become series that have played on PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, and the Learning Channel. What Burke does in those books and ``Pinball'' is look at history, not as a linear event but as number of events cross-linked. Reading ``Pinball,'' which is a companion to the ``Connections 2'' series, is much like surfing the World Wide Web. The invention of the light bulb does not begin with Thomas Edison, but is traced back 400 years to Italian miners whose problems eventually led to the ability to create the vacuum that is inside a light bulb. In Weblike fashion, you can pick ``Pinball'' up and start anywhere, and Burke provides ongoing references to other parts of the book. Reading it becomes a fascinating exercise, especially watching ideas left dormant in one era emerge to spur a major invention in the next. The process makes you wonder if the growing use of the Internet will likewise spur the growth of knowledge? Here are some other gift possibilities and maybe even something for yourself. Reference ``The Order of Things: How Everything in the World Is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures & Pecking Orders'' by Barbara Ann Kipfer (Random House; $30) tells us just what those orders are, including just what happened after the Big Bang big bang Model of the origin of the universe, which holds that it emerged from a state of extremely high temperature and density in an explosive expansion 10 billion–15 billion years ago. and who answers to whom in the Mafia. Kipfer even throws in the pecking order pecking order Basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which each bird pecks another lower in the scale without fear of retaliation and submits to pecking by one of higher rank. For groups of mammals (e.g. in Hell, but that's according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Dante, and we'll assume he knows. Speaking of what we should know, there's ``Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers,'' edited by John Holdren and E.D. Hirsch Jr. (Delta; $10.95). OK, so it's not a stocking-stuffer, but for parents trying to figure out what their kids should be reading when they're not surfing the Net, this is a valuable guide. Hirsch (the author of ``Cultural Literacy'') and Holdren recommend reading material for grades one through six. Listed under subject, the short description of the books also suggest the best ways each can be used (read out loud, class project, etc.). However, if you're wondering what you have forgotten about your school days, there is always ``Words That Make America Great: Nearly 200 Timeless Documents That Define the American Character - From the Nation's Beginning to Today'' by Jerome B. Agel (Random House; $30). Actually, these aren't exactly what you might think. While the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are there, the book also includes the first rules of baseball, the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision and Bob Dole's Senate resignation speech. While, most of us probably have reason to quibble QUIBBLE. A slight difficulty raised without necessity or propriety; a cavil. 2. No justly eminent member of the bar will resort to a quibble in his argument. about what's included or excluded, what this book does is remind us of the depth and breadth of this country. And as long as we're in the patriotic mode, there is the ``American Heritage American Heritage can refer to:
James Grover Thurber, Thurber and E.B. White), certainly not the French. ``Atlas of Holy Places and Sacred Sites'' by Colin Wilson Colin Henry Wilson (born June 26, 1931 in Leicester) is a prolific British writer. Biography Wilson was born and brought up in Leicester. He left school at 16 and worked in factories and numerous other jobs while reading in his spare time. (Dorling Kindersley; $29.95) includes everything from Ayers Rock Ayers Rock Rock outcrop, southwestern Northern Territory, Australia. Called Uluru by the Australian Aborigines and located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, it is 1,100 ft (335 m) high and may be the world's largest monolith. in Australia, to Machu Picchu Machu Picchu (mä`ch  pēk`ch), Inca site in Peru, about 50 mi (80 km) NW of Cuzco. , to sites in the Middle East, with interesting photographs accompanied by informative text. ``The Atlas of Literature'' (De Agostini Editions; $35). General editor Malcolm Bradbury Sir Malcolm Stanley Bradbury (September 7, 1932, Sheffield, England – November 27, 2000) was a British author and academic. Life Born in 1932, the son of a railwayman in Sheffield, his family moved to London in 1935, returning to Sheffield in 1941 with his brother helps you find your place throughout literature. It contains 80 essays on such sites as Hawthorne's New England New England, name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. and Cervantes' Spain in an attempt to place the writers in their geographical and social context. ``World Reference Atlas'' (Dorling Kindersley; $49.95) is a useful reference work with information on each nation, covering climate, transportation, politics, history, environment, economics, etc. ``Chronicle of the World: The Ultimate Record of World History'' (Dorling Kindersley; $59.95) covers much of recorded history Recorded history can be defined as history that has been written down or recorded by the use of language, whereas history is a more general term referring simply to information about the past.[1] It starts in the 4th millennium BC, with the invention of writing. in front-page format. Not much depth, but a handy reference guide. ``Hammond's Atlas of the 20th Century'' (Hammond; $39.95) goes through the myriad changes of names and boundaries in this century, chronicling the bloodletting bloodletting, also called bleeding, practice of drawing blood from the body in the treatment of disease. General bloodletting consists of the abstraction of blood by incision into an artery (arteriotomy) or vein (venesection, or phlebotomy). that often led to these changes. ``Spy Book: The Encyclopedia of Espionage,'' by Norman Polmar and Thomas B. Allen Thomas B. Allen (1928–November 8, 2004) was an American painter and illustrator known for a moody and expressionist style that pushed the boundaries of commercial art in the 1950s and 60s. (Random House; $30) provides more than 2,000 entries on everything you wanted to know about espionage, from Mata Hari Mata Hari (mä`tə hä`rē), 1876–1917, Dutch dancer and spy in German service during World War I. Her real name was Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. (probably a dupe) to George Smiley (fiction). The 40th-anniversary ``Guinness Book of Records'' (Guinness Media; $24.95) gives us everything we wanted to know about what people will do to get in the ``Guinness Book of Records. Did you know what the record for spitting a cherry stone Noun 1. cherry stone - the stone seed of a cherry endocarp, pit, stone - the hard inner (usually woody) layer of the pericarp of some fruits (as peaches or plums or cherries or olives) that contains the seed; "you should remove the stones from prunes before cooking" is? Well, I'll let you look that up yourself. ``The Top 10 of Everything 1997'' (DK Publishing; $16.95/$24.95) tells us such gems as what's the biggest selling single of all time (still ``White Christmas'') and which country is the calorie-consuming champ (Ireland). `Mythical Beasts'' edited by John Cherry
John Clifford Cherry (born May 22, 1965) was an Australian Democrats member of the Australian Senate from 2001 to 2005, representing the state of Queensland. (Pomegranate pomegranate (pŏm`grănĭt, pŏm`ə–), handsome deciduous and somewhat thorny large shrub or small tree (Punica granatum ; $29.95) gives us the lowdown low·down n. Slang The whole truth: gave us the lowdown on what happened at the party. lowdown low (inf) n he gave me the lowdown on it → on griffins, unicorns, centaurs, dragons, and the like. The ``Internet Guide for College-Bound Students'' by Kenneth E. Hartman (College Entrance Exam Noun 1. entrance exam - examination to determine a candidate's preparation for a course of studies entrance examination exam, examination, test - a set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge; "when the test was stolen the professor had to Board; $14.95) helps the prospective student look at sources beyond the official college releases by pointing them to online resources to find out what is really being said about the schools. Art ``The Art Book: An A-Z of Artists (Phaidon Press; $35) is a handy, attractive and heavy (as in weight) reference work. Meant to be user-friendly, it is aimed at the casual art lover, not the connoisseur. ``The 20th Century Art Book (Phaidon Press; $39.95) is also fairly limited in scope (each artist has one work shown) but nevertheless useful for the beginner. ``Cezanne'' (Abrams; $75). This was a big year for impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, with major exhibits in the U.S. Six Cezanne scholars co-authored this 600-page volume with more than 100 color plates. For architecture fans there is ``Frank Lloyd Wright: Designs for an American Landscape, 1922-32'' edited by David Long (Abrams; $45), which looks at five historic Wright projects, including three in California. There is also Carla Lind's ``Lost Wright: Frank Lloyd Wright's Vanished Masterpieces'' (Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster U.S. publishing company. It was founded in 1924 by Richard L. Simon (1899–1960) and M. Lincoln Schuster (1897–1970), whose initial project, the original crossword-puzzle book, was a best-seller. ; $35). ``Impressionists Side by Side'' by Barbara Ehrlich White (Knopf; $65) examines the relationships (friendships, rivalries, and artistic exchanges) between such artists as Edgar Degas and Edouard Manet, Claude Monet and Pierre Auguste Renoir Noun 1. Pierre Auguste Renoir - French impressionist painter (1841-1919) Renoir , Cezanne and Camille Pissarro, Manet and Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt and Degas Degas To release and vent gases. New building materials often give off gases and odors and the air should be well circulated to remove them. Mentioned in: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity , Morisot and Renoir, Cassatt and Morisot. ``The Look of the Century'' by Michael Tambini (DK; $39.95) may cause art purists to throw up their hands, but this volumes examines the designs of such items as watches, televisions and blenders, which have helped shape the look of our lives. Fun and informative. Nature and science ``Animal Watch'' by Greg and Mary Beth Dimijiam with a foreword by Jane Goodall (Abrams; $35) attempts to explain why animals do what they do, with 80 color photographs, some of which a quite stunning. ``The Company We Keep: America's Endangered Species'' by Douglas H. Chadwick and Joel Sartore (The National Geographic Society National Geographic Society U.S. scientific society founded in 1888 in Washington, D.C., by a small group of eminent explorers and scientists “for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge. ; $27.50) looks at the story of how species are lost. The book is both illuminating and saddening. ``Robert Bateman Natural World'' with text by Rick Archbold (Simon and Schuster; $60) features 130 works of art by the naturalist painter. His subjects range from ocelots to gorillas, and the striking detail in the works makes this an enjoyable trip through nature. Though, like other works on nature, we are often reminded just how fragile our ecological system is, ``Wildest Africa'' by Paul Tingay (St. Martin's; $45) contains stunning photographs complemented by informative text. Photography ``American Photographs: The First Century'' by Merry A. Foresta (Smithsonian Institution Press; $55 hardcover, $35 softcover) features 200 images from the institution's collection, including daguerreotypes and panoramas of the West. ``Bones'' photographs by Keith Carter (Chronicle Books; $35 hardcover, $19.95 softcover) is for dog lovers with more than 60 beautiful images of man's best friend. ``The Civil Rights Movement: 1954-68,'' by Steve Kasher ka·sher adj. & v. Variant of kosher. (Abbeville Press; $35) is filled with photographs by the likes of Richard Avedon, Gordon Parks and Bruce Davidson. This fascinating work with a foreword by Myrlie Evers-Williams pays tribute to the height of the civil rights movement in the United States, from its beginnings in the mid-1950s, to the assassination Assassination See also Murder. assassins Fanatical Moslem sect that smoked hashish and murdered Crusaders (11th—12th centuries). [Islamic Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 52] Brutus conspirator and assassin of Julius Caesar. [Br. of Martin Luther King Jr. ``Naked Babies,'' photographs by Nick Kelsh, text by Anna Quindlen (Penguin Studio; $24.95) is exactly that: babies, male and female, in their natural state. Quindlen, who is both a mother and nationally recognized essayist, supplies the words, along with a picture of herself as a baby - naked, naturally. ``San Cristobal: Voices and Visions of the Galisteo Basin'' by Christina Singleton Mednick (Office of Archaeological Studies Museum of New Mexico; $50 hardback, $35 paperback) examines the ever-changing but timeless landscape of an area south of Santa Fe, N.M., which was once home to the Tewa Indians. Mednick traces in photography and text the history of the area from its earliest days through the Spanish conquest to its evolution as a modern-day ranch. San Cristobal is impressive in scope, capturing the larger history of the Southwest within its limited boundaries, and heartfelt in its approach to its understanding that we are merely the temporary caretakers of the land. ``LaChappelle Land: Photographs by David LaChappelle'' (Simon & Schuster; $50) takes you into the world of one of America's hottest photographers. His work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Vogue and Details, among other places, and in numerous ads. Outrageous, provocative - often of famous personalities (practically everybody takes part) - his surreal visions are simply unforgettable. ``Blumenfeld: Photographs,'' by William A. Ewing (Abrams; $50) explores the life of one of 20th century's top photographers. Blumenfeld (1897-1969) was best known for his fashion layouts that appeared in such magazines as Vogue, but he also exhibited an interesting social conscience in many of his works. ``The Playmate Book: Five Decades of Centerfolds by Gretchen Edgren (General Publishing Group; $50) contains photos of all the centerfolds that have been published in Playboy since it began in December 1953 up to Miss December 1996. While this is a chance for some people to go down memory lane, it also offers, perhaps unintentionally, a look at Americas changing social and sexual mores. History ``The American Heritage New History of the Civil War,'' narrated by Bruce Catton, edited and introduced by James M. McPherson
James M. McPherson (born October 11, 1936) is an American Civil War historian, and is the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. (Viking; $45), is an impressive work filled with pictures to accompany the text taken from Catton's multivolume history. ``The Gold of Troy'' by Vladimir Tolstikov and Mikhail Treister (Abrams; $60) is subtitled ``Searching for Homer's Fabled City,'' features a biography of Heinrich Schliemann, the German archaeologist whose obsession was locating the real Troy, ultimately accomplished in northern Turkey. ``A Worldwide Illustrated History of Pirates: Terror on the High Seas high seas In maritime law, the waters lying outside the territorial waters of any and all states. In the Middle Ages, a number of maritime states asserted sovereignty over large portions of the high seas. From the Caribbean to the South China Sea'' edited by David Cordingly (Turner Publishing; $29.95) gives us the lowdown on some of the lowlifes (they weren't all bad) who roamed the Seven Seas. ``The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century'' by Jay Winter and Blaine Baggett (Penguin Studio; $40) is a companion to the PBS series that aired in November. World War I may seem distance now, but this first ``man-made disaster man-made disaster Technological disaster Public health An event in which a significant number of people are injured or die as a result of human devices or activities, unrelated to conflicts, and attributed to operator error–eg, Exxon Valdez of the century'' still has repercussions repercussions npl → répercussions fpl repercussions npl → Auswirkungen pl today. The authors take a dual approach to the subject, looking at the cultural history of the conflict and the impact of the war on cultural life. Not to be overlooked. ``The Biographical Dictionary of World War II'' by Mark M. Boatner (Presido Press; $50) is a valuable resource for any one interested in the Big One. The references to the glossary of events and terms in the back of the book is a plus. ``Witnessing America: The Library of Congress Book of Firsthand Accounts of Life in America, 1600-1900'' compiled by Noel Rae (Penguin Reference; $29.95) is a wonderful collection of stories by both ordinary (a private in the Revolution) and famous people (Mark Twain) that gives us a unique look into our past. ``The West: An Illustrated History'' by Geoffrey C. Ward (Little, Brown; $60) is the companion to the PBS series that aired in September. Beautifully illustrated, this volume is a can't-miss for fans of the series or of the Old West. Sex ``The Mythology of Sex'' by Sarah Dening (Macmillan; $27.95) is not the answer to James Thurber's question, but a look at sexual customs, practices and myths, such as that a love vein exists in the left hand's fourth finger, which explains the tradition of wearing the wedding ring there. In mentioning the next book, we'll add the caveat that nobody that we know has test-driven ``The Multi-Orgasmic Man: Sexual Secrets Every Man Should Know'' by Mantak Chia and Douglas A. Arava (Harper San Francisco; $20). It is filled with facts and exercises, but makes us wonder if Thurber was on to something. ``The Intimate Couple'' by Jack Lee Rosenberg and Beverly Kitaen-Morse (Turner Publishing; $29.95 hardcover, $19.95 paperback) and ``Anne Hoopers Sexual Intimacy'' (DK; $24.95) are two self-help books aimed at heightening the sexual experience for monogamous couples. While, like with any self-help book, there is no guarantee that it will work, both do contain useful information. ``The Sex Box'' (Chronicle Books; $29.95) is a small, three-volume set of observations about sex that range from racy rac·y adj. rac·i·er, rac·i·est 1. Having a distinctive and characteristic quality or taste. 2. Strong and sharp in flavor or odor; piquant or pungent. 3. Risqué; ribald. 4. anonymous tidbits TidBITS is an award-winning electronic newsletter and web site dealing primarily with Apple Computer and Macintosh-related topics. Internet publication TidBITS has been published weekly since April 16, 1990, which makes it one of the longest running Internet publications. to the words of great authors like Hemingway and Joyce. Animation ``Tex Avery: The MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. Years, 1942-1955'' by John Canemaker (Turner Publishing; $34.95), is a large book of drawings and sketches packaged with several informative essays about animator Avery's years at MGM. Avery helped create Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck at Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . At MGM, he created such cartoon masterpieces as ``Northwest Hounded Police'' and ``Red Hot Riding Hood Red Hot Riding Hood is an animated cartoon short subject, directed by Tex Avery and released on May 8, 1943 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1994 it was voted #7 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field. .'' ``Chuck Jones: Chuck Reducks'' by Chuck Jones (Warner Books; $26.95) is a sequel to ``Chuck Amok.'' More terrific animation from another great Warner Bros. cartoonist. ``Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind-the-Dreams Look at Making the Magic'' (Hyperion; $50) looks at how Disney's audio-animatronic characters blink and how Walt Disney and Herbert Ryman penciled the first drawings for Disneyland during a weekend in 1952. A fascinating look behind the magic. ``Comics, Comix com·ix pl.n. Comic books and comic strips, especially of the underground press: "the countercultural . . . comix of the sixties and early seventies, with their explicit criticism of American society" & Graphic Novels: A History of Comic Art'' (Phaidon; $49.95) is a scholarly examination of underground comics, including those of R. Crumb. ``The Art of the Hunchback hunchback, abnormal outward curvature of the spine in the thoracic region. It is also known as kyphosis and humpback, and in its severe form a noticeable hump is evident on the back. of Notre Dame'' by Stephen Rebello (Hyperion; $50) chronicles how Disney turned Victor Hugo's dark novel into something, well, Disney. But any quibbles you have with the story shouldn't be extended to the animation, which is stunning. ``Before the Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists'' by John Wanemaker (Hyperion; $60) looks at those illustrators who came up with the first visual images of characters and the cartoons that eventually made their way to the screen. The book covers such classics as ``Fantasia fantasia (făntā`zhə) [Ital.,=fancy], musical composition not restricted to a formal design, but constructed freely in the manner of an improvisation. In the 16th and 17th cent. ,'' ``Snow White'' and ``Alice in Wonderland.'' Entertainment ``The Lost Artwork of Hollywood'' by Fred E. Basten (Watson-Guptill; $40) concentrates primarily on the '30s and '40s, when the studios employed graphic artists, photographers and illustrators to produce artwork for billboards, posters and ads. Included is work by the famous - Al Hirschfeld and Norman Rockwell - as well as many gems by uncredited un·cred·it·ed adj. 1. Not having been credited, as on a ledger: an uncredited deposit. 2. Not having been accorded due recognition: an uncredited discovery. artists. A treat for the cinemaphile. ``Grindhouse: The Forbidden World of `Adults Only' Cinema'' by Eddie Muller and Daniel Faris (St. Martin's Griffin; $19.95) is a pictorial history of the ``other cinema,'' those risque ris·qué adj. Suggestive of or bordering on indelicacy or impropriety. [French, from past participle of risquer, to risk, from risque, risk; see risk.] Adj. , soft-porn and hardcore films that wont make it into most books on Tinseltown. A fascinating, though at times grotesque look at a world that everyone knows about, but one that is rarely acknowledged. ``Falling for Marilyn: The Lost `Niagara' Collection'' by Jock Carroll (Friedman/Fairfax; $25) is a collection of outtakes and publicity photos of Marilyn Monroe made during the filming of ``Niagara'' in 1952. The pictures capture Marilyn at perhaps her loveliest, before she was trapped in her Hollywood persona. Another American Elvis also lives in print. ``Elvis: The Ultimate Album Cover Book'' by Paul Dowling (Abrams; $35) contains pictures of 226 Presley album covers. Meanwhile, ``Everything Elvis'' by Joni Mabe (Thunder's Mouth Press; $29.95) is a collection of kitschy things related to Elvis. ``The Elvis Atlas: A Journey Through Elvis Presley's America'' by Michael Gray and Roger Osborne (Henry Holt; $35) covers every square inch of the Earth that has any connection to the King. ``Hollywood Handbook'' edited by Andre Balazs (Universe/Rizzoli; $25) recounts the history of the Chateau Marmont, that fabled Sunset Boulevard hotel where John Belushi died and everyone who was anyone seems to have slept - sometimes together. Not quite ``Hollywood Babylon,'' but with recollections and essays by the likes of Gore Vidal and Dominick Dunne, not bad. ``Newman'' by Eric Lax (Turner Publishing; $29.95) surveys Paul Newman's screen career. The book is filled with stills and publicity photos of Newman, who cooperated in putting the book together. ``Leonard Maltin's 1997 Movie and Video Guide'' edited by Leonard Maltin (Signet; $7.99) is a reliable reference and a great choice as a stocking stuffer for film fans. ``The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music'' edited by Don Michael Randel Don Michael Randel (born December 9, 1940) is a prominent American musicologist, the fifth president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and a member of the editorial board of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (Harvard; $39.95) contains more than 5,500 figures in the history of music, a comprehensive work. Sports ``Muhammad Ali in Perspective'' by Thomas Hauser (Collins; $55) is a wonderful look at a man who is much more than an ex-boxer. While filled with plenty of reminders of Ali's incredible fight achievements, it also reminds us just how much he has meant to so many people - of all races - outside the ring. ``Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait'' by Rachel Robinson (Abrams; $29.95) is a remarkable look at baseball's first African-American player by his widow, with many previously unpublished family photographs. Like Ali, he was a man who accomplishments went far beyond the playing fields. This book captures his triumphs and struggles with grace and dignity, two attributes that are synonymous with Jackie Robinson. ``Olympic Portraits'' by Annie Leibowitz (Bullfinch bullfinch: see finch. bullfinch Any of several species of stocky, stout-billed songbird (family Fringillidae). Eurasia has six species of the genus Pyrrhula, all boldly marked. The common bullfinch (P. pyrrhula), 6 in. ; $25) is a collection of photos of U.S. Olympic athletes taken before the games. Leibowitz, best known for her Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazine shots, creates a dramatic edginess to these black-and-white photos. And if you want a remembrance of the Games, there's ``Atlanta '96'' (Woodford; $35.95). This official commemorative book has some great photos, including Donovan Baily of Canada winning the 100 meters and the gold-medal jump of Carl Lewis. ``The Best of Sports Illustrated'' (Sports Illustrated; $29.95) is a can't-miss book for fans of the magazine, filled with memorable photos and terrific articles. ``Legends of Hockey'' (Triumph/Opus/Penguin; $40) is ``The Official Book of the Hockey Hall of Fame'' and is worthy of that title, chronicling a sport where the players still sharpen their equipment and everybody gets a stick. ``NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= at 50'' edited by Mark Vancil (Park Lane Press; $50), is a glitzy glitz Informal n. Ostentatious showiness; flashiness: "a garish barrage of show-biz glitz" Peter G. Davis. tr.v. look at how pro basketball has gone from its gritty beginning to its current show-biz demeanor. ``The Passion to Skate: An Intimate View of Figure Skating'' by Sandra Bezic (Turner; 29.95) looks at how this sport has also turned into show biz. And there is ``Dallas Cowboys: Our Story, the Authorized Pictorial History'' by Jeff Guinn (Summit Publishing; $49.95). Only if you must. Oddities ``Unmentionables un·men·tion·a·ble adj. Not fit to be mentioned or discussed; unspeakable: unmentionable words. n. 1. One that is not to be mentioned. 2. unmentionables Underwear. : A Brief History of Underwear'' by Elaine Benson and John Esten (Simon & Schuster; $30) is a liberating examination of fashion. OK, it's done seriously, but who are they kidding? ``Grapes of Ralph,'' with illustrations and text by Ralph Steadman (Harcourt Brace; $35), finds the illustrator of ``Fear and Loathing fear and loathing - (Hunter S. Thompson) A state inspired by the prospect of dealing with certain real-world systems and standards that are totally brain-damaged but ubiquitous - Intel 8086s, COBOL, EBCDIC, or any IBM machine except the Rios (also known as the RS/6000). in Las Vegas'' chronicling the art of winemaking in his own peculiar (make that very peculiar) way. Nevertheless, ``Grapes'' is both informative and funny. Not a bad combination. ``Way Stations to Heaven: 50 Sites All Across America Where You Can Experience the Miraculous'' by Sandra Gurvis (Macmillan, $15.95) maps out all those places where images of Jesus, sightings of the Virgin Mary and similar events have occurred. Could make an interesting road trip. ``The Puzzlemaster Presents'' by Will Shortz (Times books; $12) contains ``200 mindbending challenges'' from Shortz, who is The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times crossword-puzzle editor. These aren't crosswords, but word games that have appeared on segments he's done for National Public Radio. Don't worry, he's included the answers. Literature And if all that isn't enough, there is always old-fashion storytelling. Two quick recommendations: ``Vladimir Nabokov: Novels and Memoirs, 1941-1951; Novels 1955-1962; and Novels 1969-1974'' (Library of America The Library of America (LoA) is a nonprofit publisher of classic American literature. Overview and history Founded in 1979 with seed money from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation, the LoA has published more than 150 volumes by a wide range three volumes; $35 each). One of the greatest authors of the 20th century, his works should be on everyone's shelves. However, if the Russian who gave us that most American of books and characters, ``Lolita,'' isn't your cup of vodka, then the Library of America has plenty of other editions of literary masters to choose from. ``Tabloid Dreams'' by Robert Olen Butler Robert Olen Butler Jr. (b. January 20, 1945) is an American fiction writer. His short-story collection A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain (1992) was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1993. (Henry Holt; $22.50) is a luminous collection of short stories from this Pulitzer Prize winner. CAPTION(S): 9 Photos Photo: (1) Can't think of what to give? Hit the local bookstore for shelf after shelf of worthy ideas. (2) History readers can dip into the real lives of low-life A low-life is an Americanism for a person who is considered sub-standard by their community in general. Examples of people who are usually called "lowlifes" are drug addicts, drug dealers,pimps, slumlords and corrupt officials or authority figures. pirates or look into the events that shaped the 20th century. (3) In art books, it was a big year for Paul Cezanne, or you could look through Frank Lloyd Wright's designs from 1922-32. (4) For photography buffs, there are books on the civil rights movement and an entire tome dedicated to naked babies. (5) Among the subjects not falling under other categories are a book of mindbending challenges, an illustration of winemaking and a brief history of underwear. (6) Animation enthusiasts would enjoy books on Tex Avery, Chuck Jones and the Imagineers at Disney, along with a history of comics and graphic novels. (7) A special atlas may help you find the holy places in the world, but ``The Spy Book'' delves in less-than-holy people. (8) Learn everything you always wanted to know about sex and probably more in ``The Intimate Couple,'' ``The Sex Box,'' and ``Anne Hooper's Sexual Intimacy.'' (9) For sports fans, try books on Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, portraits of Olympic athletes and the best of Sports Illustrated. |
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