bookchickdi: coffee table book

Showing posts with label coffee table book. Show all posts

Monday, November 3, 2025

National Geographic's The Traveler's Atlas of the World

The Traveler's Atlas of the World

Published by National Geographic Partners ISBN 9781426223549

Hardcover, $65, 559 pages

Halloween has come and gone and now people will turn their sights to holiday gift shopping. Every year National Geographic publishes a few new titles of coffee table books perfect for gift-giving to your favorite people.

One of the new titles this year is The Traveler's Atlas of the World. It's a beautiful book that combines stunning photos with full color maps that feature drawings of animals, food, and other things found in that country.

The book is divided into six sections- North America & the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, Antartica & the Pacific.

Each country has an information page featuring a quick overview of the country and a side bar of Fun Facts that give the reader the lowdown on Best Known For, When to Visit, Climate/Weather, Plan Ahead, Best-Kept Secret, and Good To Know. At the top of each page is the capital, area in mileage, official language, and currency.

You will also find full two-page spreads on Cultural Treasures (like Stockholm's Old Town in Sweden), Must-Do guides (the wine country in Douro Valley in Portugal) and Top Ten lists (Singapore's Can't Miss Experiences).

If you are a world traveler (or know someone who is), this is a wonderful book filled with information that will make your trips more enjoyable. It's also fun for armchair travelers or anyone who wants to audition for Jeopardy!

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on this tour.

Sunday, October 19, 2025

The Photographs-Iconic Images From National Geographic

The Photographs- Iconic Images from National Geographic

Published by National Geographic Partners ISBN 9781426224409

Hardcover, 461 pages, $50

October is almost over and it's time to turn our thoughts to the upcoming holiday season and gift giving.

This year National Geographic has several beutiful coffee table books, perfect for that person on your gift list who is hard to buy for.

The Photographs- Iconic Images from National Geographic is filled some of the most spectacular photos from the pages of the magazine we all grew up in our families. Now when most of us see photos on a screen- our computer or phone- these photos in this book have more of an impact when viewed in the pages of a book we can touch.

The book is divided into five chapters- Discover (featuring adventure and exploration), Protect (wildlife and conservation), Honor (people and culture), Cherish (landscape and environment) and Reveal (science and technology).

Many of the stunning photos are double-paged and will take your breath away. Stephen Wilkes in 2016 created a composite photo of animals around a watering hole in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania that will appeal to anyone who has ever been on a safari- or who want to go on one.

There are biographies of some of National Geographic most prolific photographers who explain how they became interested in photography and how they honed their craft, like Joel Sartore, whose fascination with endangered animals is shown in the photo below.

One of my favorite photos is David Yoder's Christmas Day 2014 shot of Pope Francis in the Sistine Chapel. It captures the majesty of Michelangelo's ceiling contrasted with Pope Francis' humility.

If anyone on your list is an amateur photographer or just curious about the world acround us,

The Photographs- Iconic Images from National Geographic is a great gift. Families will enjoy looking at it together.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on this tour.

Monday, November 9, 2020

Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia By Tom Stevenson

The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson

Published by National Geographic ISBN 9781426221415

Hardcover, $75, 794 pages

If you have started thinking about holiday gifts and have someone on your list who is an oneophile- a connoisseur of wines- The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia is the perfect gift.

This is the first new edition in ten years and it couldn't have come at a better time. With the pandemic keeping us close to home, many people have turned to cultivating an interest in wines. (I know that my husband and I have done so.)

The book does a very deep dive in to all things wine. From which types of soil are suited to the different varieties of wine to the life cycle of the vine to an anatomy of wineries and vineyards, you will find everything you ever wanted to know about wines.

The book is divided into three parts- Taste and Quality, Wine Through the Ages, and A World of Wine.

There are fantastic photos and detailed illustrations (how white wine is made, for example), a guide to the various tastes and aromas you should look for when tasting wines, and classic food and wine pairings.

Some of the more interesting things that I found included a discussion of orange wine, something new that I was not familiar with (and am not sure I want to be). The photo of a porrón, a traditional wine decanter/drinking vessel found in Catalunya, Spain, made me smile as our daughter-in-law's parents gifted us one and we have yet to master it.

Our porrón

A large portion of the book is A World of Wine, which goes around the globe from the traditional places like France and Italy to the lesser known ones like Mexico, Australia and China. Each country's different wine regions are discussed, and a list of the great wine producers is included.

This comprehensive and beautiful coffee table book would be a wonderful addition to any oneophile's collection, and at nearly 800 pages, it will give them pleasure for years to come. I highly recommend it.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Atlas of the National Parks by Jon Waterman

Atlas of the National Parks by Jon Waterman
Published by National Geographic ISBN 9781426220579
Hardcover, $65, 424 pages

If you are a fan of our country's National Park system, National Geographic has published the perfect book for you. Their Atlas of the National Parks by Jon Waterman is a lush coffee table book designed to please the outdoor traveler.

It begins with a overview of the National Parks system, starting with the creation of the National Parks Service in 1916 signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. This beautiful book has over 200 maps, photos, and illustrations. History buffs will enjoy the many old photos and maps that show the parks as they were. Science fans will be attracted to the topographical maps and information about the flora and animals found in the parks, and art majors will love the historical paintings that feature the parks.

There are so many interesting facts here, like the top fifteen most visited parks (did you guess that the Great Smoky Mountains Park is number one with more than 11 million annual visitors?). The Extremes Map has lots of trivia - the oldest park (Yellowstone, established in 1872), the only park south of the equator (National Park of American Samoa), and the smallest park by area (Thaddeus Koscuiszko Park in New Jersey is .02 acres).

The sections are divided up by region- from the Eastern Coast & Forest Parks to Alaska & Hawaii Parks. There are fun facts interspersed in each section that you can use as ice breakers at a party- Cadillac Mountain is the highest peak on the Atlantic Coast, and from October to March is the first place in America to see the sunrise, and Butch Cassidy's gang hidout in Canyonlands National Park in the rock walls there known as Robbers Roost.

Of course the photos are stunning, as one would expect to find in a National Geographic publication. You'd swear some of them were paintings- like the photo of the Grand Teton National Park, Bear Lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and Snug Harbor Park in Isle Royale National Park- they look so breathtaking.

After extensively covering 32 of the largest and most popular parks, there is a section that gives an overview of the smaller and lesser-known parks, like Mesa Verde in Colorado, Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio, and Virgin Islands National Park.

Atlas of the National Parks is a comprehensive look at some of the most beautiful places in our nation. If you have someone on your holiday gift list who has visited some of them or always wanted to visit them, give them this beautiful book.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on this tour.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Women the National Geographic Image Collection

Women- the National Geographic Image Collection
Published by National Geographic ISBN 9781426220654
Hardcover, $50, 508 pages

National Geographic continues its wonderful collection of gorgeous coffee table books this season with the stunning Women- the National Geographic Image Collection.

The book is divided into six chapters- Joy, Beauty, Love, Wisdom, Strength and Hope. Each section contains full page photos of women from all over the world, of all ages and cultures. The placement of the photos is thoughtful, like the photo of a glorious smiling Dolly Parton holding a banjo (taken by Jodi Cobb in 1978) facing a photo of a Japanese woman singing and playing a samisen stringed instrument (taken by Eliza R. Scidmore in 1912). The comparison and contrast of an Australian Aborginal woman with a tradtional cermonial painted face (taken by Amy Toensing in 2012) with an Italian actress, her face veiled, taken backstage in 1994 by William Albert Allard) is amazing.

The joy of three women sharing a conversation inside a rickshaw in Bangalore, India (taken by William Albert Allard in 2004), school girl friends smoking cigarettes on a cruise down the Seine in Paris (taken by David Alan Harvey in 1989), and a group of women in London in 1966 holding up their compact mirrors to get a peek at Queen Elizabeth (photo by James P. Blair) highlight women in their everyday life.

There are photos of famous women- Amelia Earhart after she landed in Northern Island, surrounded by well-wishers, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti in her spacesuit, journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells- as well as interviews with such powerful women as Christiane Amanpour, Nancy Pelosi, Laura Bush and author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, talking about their successes, failures, and whom they admire.

One of National Geographic's most famous photos- "Afghan Girl", taken in a refugee camp in 1984 by Steve McCurry, highlighting Sharbat Gula's piercing green-eyed gaze is here, paired with a photo of Gula taken in 2002 by McCurry. Her eyes are still as piercing, and the effect of the photos side-by-side is dramatic.

Women- the National Geographic Image Collection is a brilliant look at women around the world, across the ages, in photos taken by the most creative photographers. It's a book to savor, and each time you open it up, you see something new that captures your attention. It would make a fantastic holiday gift for anyone's collection.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting my on this tour. The rest of the stops are here:

Tuesday, November 12th: Instagram: @megsbookclub

Wednesday, November 13th: Instagram: @diaryofaclosetreader

Thursday, November 14th: Instagram: @crystals_library

Friday, November 15th: bookchickdi

Friday, November 15th: Unabridged Chick

Sunday, November 17th: Literary Quicksand

Monday, November 18th: Instagram: @sixminutesforme

Tuesday, November 19th: Amy’s Book-et List

Wednesday, November 20th: Stranded in Chaos

Thursday, November 21st: Jennifer ~ Tar Heel Reader

Friday, November 22nd: Kahakai Kitchen

Tuesday, November 26th: A Bookish Way of Life

Friday, November 1, 2019

Epic Journeys by National Geographic

Epic Journeys 245 Life-Changing Adventures
Published by National Geographic ISBN 978426220616
Hardcover, $40, 415 pages

National Geographic has published a series of coffee table books that are just wonderful. I reviewed Almanac 2020 here, and this week I received a copy of Epic Journeys 245 Life-Changing Adventures.

This beautiful book is divided into seven regions- South and Central America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America and the Polar Regions. Each section gives you travel tips, such as the best times to visit these places and websites to get more information.

Then you get a day-by-day intinerary for each individual trip in the region, highlights from that itinerary, and an essay by someone who has traveled there. I enjoyed journalist Boyd Matson's essay on his father-son trip, where they hiked the Inca Trail in Peru. They had ten straight days of rain, which turned into a snowstorm. Matson's knee locked up, he lost fifteen pounds, and they were trapped in their tent by the rain, yet Matson and his son say it was the best trip ever.

There are pages that list Top Ten Adventures for things like horseback riding, scuba diving, temple tours, and places to see before they disappear, that are perfect for someone who likes to check things off their to-do list.

Whether you want to mountain bike in the Transylvanian Alps, take a train trip across Europe, scuba dive in the Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines, or kayak in Fiji, this is the book for you. If you are the adventurous type, use this as a handy guide to get across the entire world. If you are more of an armchair traveler, this book will take you along on other people's journeys.

National Geographic is known for their photos, and you'll find page after page of stunning photos of the most beautiful sights in the world. Some of the photos- like the overhead shot of a woman swimming with sharks off Tahiti, the Kazan Kremlin, and gondoliers gliding by the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in Venice- literally took my breath away as I turned the page to reveal them.

If you have someone on your holiday gift list who likes to travel, this is a great gift. (And even if they don't like to travel, they'll love the photos.) If you know of a couple who are getting engaged, give them this so they can plan an unforgettable honeymoon trip. Epic Journeys 245 Life-Changing Adventures would make terrific addition to any family's collection. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on this tour. The rest of the stops are here:

Monday, November 12, 2018

Tasting Italy- A Culinary Journey

Tasting Italy- A Culinary Journey by National Geographic & America's Test Kitchen
Published by National Geographic ISBN 9781426219740
Hardcover, $40, 383 pages

National Geographic and America's Test Kitchen have teamed up for a beautiful coffee table book, Tasting Italy- A Culinary Journey. Combining what they both do best, they take the reader on a journey through Italy, using the food of Italy as the basis.

America's Test Kitchen's Chief Culinary Officer Jack Bishop explains in his introduction how the differing climates of Northern and Southern Italy influenced the way that people in these regions ate. Traditionally pasta is a staple in the south, whereas corn polenta is the staple in the north. Olive oil is used more in the south, butter and cream more in the north.

The book is divided into three main regions- Northern, Central and Southern. The North is bordered by Switzerland, France and Austria and so their food is heavily influenced by those countries. It is surrounded by mountains, and therefore has a cooler climate. Fontina cheese and Nutella are among the most famous products made here.

The book is filled with gorgeous photographs of the region, as well as 100 recipes that the reader can try at home. Savoy Cabbage Soup with Ham, Rye Bread and Fontina and Spaghettini with Shrimp are two recipes from Northern Italy calling to me.

Central Italy, home to Florence, Rome and the Tuscany wine region, is probably what most people think of when they think of Italy. We took a trip to Florence this past summer, so I was most familiar with this section of the book, and I enjoyed reliving some of the best meals we have we have ever had by reading this.

Proscuitto wrapped in melon, figs, bistecca (steak), porchetta (pork) and the luscious Chianti wines can be found here in glorious abundance. The Hunter's Chicken recipe will find a place on my table soon.

Southern Italy has the hottest temperatures in all of Italy. The pace of life is a little slower here and you'll find tomatoes, eggplants and lots of fish (anchovies, sardines, cuttlefish and octopuses) and not as much meat. The recipe for Eggplant Parmesan looks incredible.

Tasting Italy- A Culinary Journey is a wonderful book to give as a gift to anyone who has traveled to Italy, and with the holidays coming up it's the perfect time. National Geographic covers the fascinating history of the different regions, and America's Test Kitchen perfectly pairs their best authentic Italian recipes with the history. Even armchair travelers will be entranced by this beautiful book.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Tasting Italy's tour. The rest of the stops can be found here: