bookpagedev

Business & Finance

What’s your number?

Review by bookpagedev

<b>What’s your number?</b> When it comes to their financial future, most people have a number in mind the amount of money they will need to live comfortably but many anxiously wonder if they can really make it. There are 77 million baby boomers in America, many of whom are just now realizing that the corporate pensions, Social Security and inheritances they were banking on might well add up to less than they had hoped. <b>The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life</b> by Lee Eisenberg, examines the most common financial and emotional issues related to the number and how to get a handle on them. Eisenberg, a former editor-in-chief of <i>Esquire</i>, writes with wit and insight as he urges people to examine the life they want to lead, not just how much money they need but what they need it for. While not a how-to book, <b>The Number</b> is designed to help people examine their goals, anxieties and dreams so they can better determine their number and create a financial plan for achieving it.

<b>What's your number?</b> When it comes to their financial future, most people have a number in mind the amount of money they will need to live comfortably but many anxiously wonder if they can really make it. There are 77 million baby boomers in America,…

Business & Finance

Master Your Money Type

Review by bookpagedev

Money is never just about money. There’s always an emotional component to it, representing our fears, desires and doubts. In Master Your Money Type: Using Your Financial Personality to Create a Life of Wealth and Freedom, Jordan E. Goodman helps readers discover their dominant money values, attitudes and behaviors and discusses the emotional baggage standing in the way of improving one’s finances. Host of the radio program The Investor’s Edge and a regular contributor to American Public Media’s Marketplace Morning Report, Gordon is also the author of two previous best-selling books, including Everyone’s Money Book. In Master Your Money Type, he contends that there are six money types, and that readers can work within their type to take action and change what’s preventing them from doing better. Each chapter opens with a type profile and its particular strengths and weaknesses, followed by case studies and recommendations on making emotional and financial path changes that will help readers develop successful strategies to an improved financial plan. The book also includes easy-to-understand cash flow/asset and liability worksheets, quizzes and monthly budgeting worksheets.

Money is never just about money. There's always an emotional component to it, representing our fears, desires and doubts. In Master Your Money Type: Using Your Financial Personality to Create a Life of Wealth and Freedom, Jordan E. Goodman helps readers discover their dominant money…
Business & Finance

Coping with challenging times

Review by bookpagedev

All business books are how-to manuals in some sense, but our three picks this month are perfect for the times. If you’re a CEO worried about customer service or an investor wanting to save what’s left of your portfolio, here’s some advice for the long haul.

How to rescue your retirement The investors hardest hit by the Nasdaq nosedive were retirees who overdosed on stocks, says Wall Street Journal columnist Jonathan Clements. People in their 40s and 50s saw their savings get decimated and are now wondering if they will be able to retire at all.

In You’ve Lost It, Now What?: How To Beat the Bear Market and Still Retire on Time, Clements gives straightforward, realistic advice on how to get your investments (and retirement plans) back on track. Don’t count on another bull market to bail you out, he warns. You’ll have to save yourself.

The good news is that most folks can invest successfully on their own, and Clements’ roadmap is easy to follow. He explains how to balance a portfolio for maximum diversification and stresses keeping trading costs and fund-management fees to a minimum. He shares his stock picks (he’s a “huge, huge, huge fan of index funds”), tells what type of bonds to buy, and shows how to invest in real estate without purchasing properties. His biggest piece of advice: save a lot and start now.

This is a book for the average investor, and the advice is clear and sensible. Focus on little things like holding down taxes and rebalancing regularly. Diversify and don’t bet the farm on one investment. And did I mention save like crazy? How to save the corporate soul Does a corporation have a soul? Yes, says author David Batstone, and he can prove it. “I will show that a corporation has the potential to act with soul when it puts its resources at the service of the people it employs and the public it serves.” He shares eight principles that define this concept in Saving the Corporate Soul &and (Who Knows?) Maybe Your Own (Jossey-Bass, $26.95, 262 pages, ISBN 0787964808). Stories about businesses gone bad are a dime a dozen these days, but this lively and thought-provoking book takes a different approach. Batstone teaches his tenets (treat workers like valuable team members, think of the company as part of the community, treat the environment like a silent stakeholder) by profiling companies that are doing it right. One of them is Timberland, a New Hampshire-based footwear maker which gives each employee 40 hours of paid time each year to volunteer. Ninety percent of employees take part, returning to work recharged and happier; their positive energy has a ripple effect, Batstone says. The small Hanna Anderrson clothing company invited customers to send used Hannawear back and receive 20% off their next purchase. Thus the Hannadowns program was born, and thousands of needy children got clothes. Both are great examples of corporations that have combined soul with shrewd business sense.

How to wow your customers One of the top five challenges facing CEOs today is improving customer service, a recent study reported. What makes service stand out? “It’s about creating pleasant surprises for customers grown weary of bland, mundane, and truculently impersonal service and keeping them coming back for more,” say the authors of Service Magic: The Art of Amazing Your Customers (Dearborn, $18.95, 224 pages, ISBN 0793164672). Customer service experts (and amateur magicians) Ron Zemke and Chip Bell use magic to explain how to read an audience, create rapport and manage magic recoveries. In magic, the music and lights build excitement, and in business you set the stage by playing to a customer’s senses with sight, sound, smell and touch. Place magic is the first of the three Ps that include process magic and performance magic (think the fish throwing at Seattle’s Pike Place waterfront market).

With chapters on QVC, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Walt Disney, there are plenty of ideas here to emulate. But the real inspiration comes from the mini-snapshots of dozens of companies that bring magic to customers in small, unexpected ways.

All business books are how-to manuals in some sense, but our three picks this month are perfect for the times. If you're a CEO worried about customer service or an investor wanting to save what's left of your portfolio, here's some advice for the long…
Pop CultureArts & Culture

Songs in our hearts

Review by bookpagedev

Another new book reminds us that Broadway and Hollywood have been carrying on an affair, set to music, since the 1920s. A Fine Romance: Hollywood/ Broadway is a lovingly produced celebration of the relationship that became a marriage. Darcie Denkert makes her case by devoting chapters to productions such as West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Cabaret and Chicago, tracing the various transformations from stage to screen. Case in point: Chicago, based on the sensational Jazz Murders of 1924, was first a 1926 play and then a silent film, and was remade in 1942. Jump to the ’60s, and Bob Fosse’s search for a production to feature Gwen Verdon. Thus, the Broadway musical. And finally, the Oscar-winning film of 2002.

Another new book reminds us that Broadway and Hollywood have been carrying on an affair, set to music, since the 1920s. A Fine Romance: Hollywood/ Broadway is a lovingly produced celebration of the relationship that became a marriage. Darcie Denkert makes her case by…
Pop CultureArts & Culture

Songs in our hearts

Review by bookpagedev

Ken Bloom’s new volume The American Songbook: The Singers, The Songwriters &andamp; The Songs provides thoughtful analysis and vital perspective on the sounds and compositions from the era before Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis. Bloom, who is a respected authority on the pre-rock period, carefully distinguishes between the many idioms that emerged, from the marches and minstrel tunes of the late 1800s to the ragtime, boogie-woogie, barrelhouse piano, Broadway musicals and big bands of the ’20s, ’30s and early ’40s.

While profiling key creative figures (George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) and vocalists (Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett), Bloom also shows how elements of blues and jazz influenced songwriters and performers not always identified with these styles, including Irving Berlin and Dinah Shore. He weaves in valuable side essays on related topics, such as war songs and holiday tunes, and spotlights the development of the music publishing industry and the role of song pluggers. The 600 photographs in the book add a stunning visual complement to the text. The American Songbook qualifies as the finest book currently available on the great standards and show tunes.

Ken Bloom's new volume The American Songbook: The Singers, The Songwriters &andamp; The Songs provides thoughtful analysis and vital perspective on the sounds and compositions from the era before Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis. Bloom, who is a respected authority on the pre-rock…
Memoir

Battling demons and Dino

Review by bookpagedev

At 79, Jerry Lewis is getting new mileage out of his 10-year teaming with Dean Martin, during which they made 16 films and did an SRO nightclub act. Written with James Kaplan, Dean &andamp; Me (A Love Story) journeys with the duo from beginning (Lewis was 19, Dino 28) to end (they weren’t speaking during production of their last film). It was Frank Sinatra who put the boys back together, at Lewis’ 1976 Labor Day telethon. Along with some soul-searching about their split ( As sentimental as it sounds, we both had the hand of God on us until even He said, Enough!’ ), Lewis frankly admits to his post-Dino demons, especially his addiction to Percodan. Sadly, he and Martin never did reteam professionally. When not writing about movies, Los Angeles-based journalist Pat H. Broeske likes to watch them.

At 79, Jerry Lewis is getting new mileage out of his 10-year teaming with Dean Martin, during which they made 16 films and did an SRO nightclub act. Written with James Kaplan, Dean &andamp; Me (A Love Story) journeys with the duo from beginning (Lewis…
Memoir

Keeping Tab

Review by bookpagedev

Art Gelien certainly understood the elusive nature of stardom. He was struggling to become a professional ice skater when he was put through the star-making machinery of the 1950s. Renamed Tab Hunter, and promoted as the Sigh Guy, the blonde and handsome heartthrob lived a double life. Publicly, he dated the likes of Debbie Reynolds and Natalie Wood; privately, he romanced actor Anthony Perkins and famed figure skater Ronnie Robertson. Written by Hunter and Eddie Muller, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star has been hyped as a gay tell-all, but it is at its best in examining the 1950s era and recounting the myriad incarnations of Hunter’s career. There were huge films (notably, Battle Cry), live TV appearances, a TV series, forgotten Z-grade horror flicks, dinner theater and, via John Waters’ outrageous Polyester, a revival as a cult film star (opposite leading lady -transvestite, Divine).

As for coming out of the closet: by his own admission, Hunter long dodged and even lied about his sexual orientation. (In my own 1985 interview with Hunter, he not only said he was straight, but also claimed he’d like a date with then-hot TV leading lady Linda Evans.) So why now? Figure, at age 74, it’s a good career move.

When not writing about movies, Los Angeles-based journalist Pat H. Broeske likes to watch them.

Art Gelien certainly understood the elusive nature of stardom. He was struggling to become a professional ice skater when he was put through the star-making machinery of the 1950s. Renamed Tab Hunter, and promoted as the Sigh Guy, the blonde and handsome heartthrob lived a…
Biography

Leading lady

Review by bookpagedev

An icon because she broke through racial barriers, Hattie McDaniel is known the world over for her performance as the feisty Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood examines her 45-year career, during which McDaniel was often at odds with other African Americans because she took roles that some considered derogatory. The fact is, McDaniel made her mark at a time when racism permeated popular culture. Author Jill Watts, a history professor, never lets us forget this. The sledgehammer approach isn’t necessary; McDaniel’s fascinating story and struggle abounds in ironies.

Consider: though her father fought for the Union (with the Tennessee 12th U.S. Colored Infantry), as a minstrel show performer (influenced by the great Bert Williams), McDaniel parodied a Mammy character. She was 38 and had been twice married when she made her way to Southern California. Settling in South Central L.A., she worked as a film extra for $7.50 a day. It was 1931 and Hollywood’s most popular black performer was the shuffling Stepin Fetchit. A career turning point came with an 11-day job on a Will Rogers film. By 1937, McDaniel was making more than a dozen films annually. Still, she was relegated to the roles of maids/companions. But the avid follower of positive thinker Norman Vincent Peale hunkered on.

With its romanticized depiction of the Old South, Gone With the Wind created firestorms long before it came to the screen. While the NAACP was fuming, McDaniel bought and read the book and campaigned for the part of Mammy. She wound up infusing the character with gutsy bossiness as well as devotion. She wasn’t invited to the Atlanta premiere, but scored a coup by winning an Oscar as best supporting actress. Alas, what followed were offers to again portray maids, as well as a prolonged political battle with members of the Screen Actors Guild and the NAACP. As McDaniel would later surmise, there’s only 18 inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the seat of the pants. When not writing about movies, Los Angeles-based journalist Pat H. Broeske likes to watch them.

An icon because she broke through racial barriers, Hattie McDaniel is known the world over for her performance as the feisty Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood examines her 45-year career, during which McDaniel was often at odds with…
Biography

A cinematic legacy

Review by bookpagedev

From 1926 to 1941, Sweden’s famed export made 24 Holly-wood films, all of which are detailed in Mark A. Vieira’s Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy. Featuring 250 photos, many never before seen (including an unretouched portrait of Garbo at 36), the book utilizes newly available MGM documents and articles of the day to examine the career that enshrined Hollywood’s ultimate woman of mystery.

When not writing about movies, Los Angeles-based journalist Pat H. Broeske likes to watch them.

From 1926 to 1941, Sweden's famed export made 24 Holly-wood films, all of which are detailed in Mark A. Vieira's Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy. Featuring 250 photos, many never before seen (including an unretouched portrait of Garbo at 36), the book utilizes newly available…
Pop CultureArts & Culture

Glamorous Garbo

Review by bookpagedev

One hundred years after her birth, iconic Greta Garbo is the subject of two extravagant volumes. Garbo: Portraits from Her Private Collection, literally illustrates Garbo’s mastery of image, and boasts rare family photos. Written by Scott Reisfield (a Garbo grand- nephew) and Hollywood glamour photography expert Robert Dance, the volume includes insightful essays. But the highlights are the tritone reproductions, which are made to look as though mounted on the page ˆ la a personal photo album.

When not writing about movies, Los Angeles-based journalist Pat H. Broeske likes to watch them.

One hundred years after her birth, iconic Greta Garbo is the subject of two extravagant volumes. Garbo: Portraits from Her Private Collection, literally illustrates Garbo's mastery of image, and boasts rare family photos. Written by Scott Reisfield (a Garbo grand- nephew) and Hollywood glamour photography…
LifestylesCrafts, Hobbies & Home

Spiffing up your personal spaces

Review by bookpagedev

Whether you’re looking to overhaul your home’s outdated colors and tired furniture, or you simply enjoy living vicariously through the good taste of others, the latest batch of design books offers plenty of ideas for making personal spaces more appealing.

The decorating book expected to make the biggest splash this spring is Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes (Meredith, $19.95, 175 pages, ISBN 0696217120), a treasury of insider information from the phenomenally popular home improvement show, “Trading Spaces.” For the two or three people in America who have somehow missed the TV show, here’s the rundown: Homeowners sign up to redecorate (and, in some cases, ruin) a room in a neighbor’s home with the help of designers and a $1,000 budget. At the end of two days, the rooms are revealed to the owners. The result might be a tastefully appointed French Country bedroom . . . or a living room with hay glued on the walls.

Edited by Brian Kramer, Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes offers candid biographies of the show’s main players. Perky host Paige Davis admits that her upbeat personality evokes a love/hate reaction people either love her or find her, in her own words, “loud, obnoxious, dramatic, overbearing and annoying.” Designer Frank Bielec, known for his country kitsch designs, admits that he used to work as an aerobics instructor. Hildi Santo-Tomas, the designer with an aloof demeanor and a penchant for high-glamour rooms, reveals her goofy passion for Pluto, a Labrador Retriever she calls her “life source and soul.” Beyond the bios, Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes includes revealing photos and hilarious features, such as a table to help readers determine which of the show’s cast is their design soul mate. The book ends with a roundup of every “Trading Spaces” episode. Aside from the gratuitous poster-size portraits of cast members, which would appeal only to a true fanatic, this book is an extremely satisfying peek inside a little show that became a monster hit. While the book is heavy on fun facts, it’s light on decorating tips. For that, open up Think Color: Rooms to Live In (Chronicle, $40, 172 pages, ISBN 0811836703) by Tricia Guild. This hefty volume of decorating inspiration is an antidote for those who balk at the thought of citrus-colored walls or pink bedding. Think Color proves that bright, bold colors can look tasteful and, yes, even soothing.

Guild is the creative director and cofounder of Designers Guild, a company that specializes in sleek designs with liberal use of fresh flowers and vibrant fabrics. The colorful photos in the book convey this rich sensibility, and accompanying text offers advice on everything from creative ways of serving food to successfully using wallpaper.

Novice decorators will appreciate Guild’s concise explanations of her choices in each room. A bold room where flowery red, yellow and blue curtains are paired with a rainbow-striped chair somehow looks restful. How? As Guild explains, this is because a barely noticed white rug ties together and “stabilizes” the room. Don’t worry if reading this gorgeous book doesn’t result in a major transformation in your own home. Just flipping through these glossy pages is satisfying enough.

If just adding a few throw pillows won’t do the trick, turn to The Distinctive Home: A Vision of Timeless Design by Boston architect Jeremiah Eck. The author aims to explain the essence of a distinctive home, and he succeeds with this ode to good architectural design. You don’t need a degree in architecture to understand his simple, thoughtful meditations on houses. Eck considers every element of the home, from landscaping to roofline, and explains the importance of both the smallest details (the chimney) and the bigger picture (how the house appears from a distance).

In Eck’s view, a home is more than just a storage unit for TVs, appliances and Jacuzzis. “To me,” he says, “one of the goals of a house should be not just to provide pleasure but to achieve a higher level of all-encompassing satisfaction. Well-proportioned spaces, good light and small but thoughtful details can help push a home beyond mere pleasure.” The book is filled with beautiful color photos that give detailed ideas on how to make your own home distinctive. Amy Scribner’s latest home improvement project was painting the bathroom of her Washington D.C. home in periwinkle blue.

Whether you're looking to overhaul your home's outdated colors and tired furniture, or you simply enjoy living vicariously through the good taste of others, the latest batch of design books offers plenty of ideas for making personal spaces more appealing.

The decorating book…
LifestylesCrafts, Hobbies & Home

Spiffing up your personal spaces

Review by bookpagedev

Whether you’re looking to overhaul your home’s outdated colors and tired furniture, or you simply enjoy living vicariously through the good taste of others, the latest batch of design books offers plenty of ideas for making personal spaces more appealing.

The decorating book expected to make the biggest splash this spring is Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes (Meredith, $19.95, 175 pages, ISBN 0696217120), a treasury of insider information from the phenomenally popular home improvement show, “Trading Spaces.” For the two or three people in America who have somehow missed the TV show, here’s the rundown: Homeowners sign up to redecorate (and, in some cases, ruin) a room in a neighbor’s home with the help of designers and a $1,000 budget. At the end of two days, the rooms are revealed to the owners. The result might be a tastefully appointed French Country bedroom . . . or a living room with hay glued on the walls.

Edited by Brian Kramer, Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes offers candid biographies of the show’s main players. Perky host Paige Davis admits that her upbeat personality evokes a love/hate reaction people either love her or find her, in her own words, “loud, obnoxious, dramatic, overbearing and annoying.” Designer Frank Bielec, known for his country kitsch designs, admits that he used to work as an aerobics instructor. Hildi Santo-Tomas, the designer with an aloof demeanor and a penchant for high-glamour rooms, reveals her goofy passion for Pluto, a Labrador Retriever she calls her “life source and soul.” Beyond the bios, Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes includes revealing photos and hilarious features, such as a table to help readers determine which of the show’s cast is their design soul mate. The book ends with a roundup of every “Trading Spaces” episode. Aside from the gratuitous poster-size portraits of cast members, which would appeal only to a true fanatic, this book is an extremely satisfying peek inside a little show that became a monster hit. While the book is heavy on fun facts, it’s light on decorating tips. For that, open up Think Color: Rooms to Live In by Tricia Guild. This hefty volume of decorating inspiration is an antidote for those who balk at the thought of citrus-colored walls or pink bedding. Think Color proves that bright, bold colors can look tasteful and, yes, even soothing.

Guild is the creative director and cofounder of Designers Guild, a company that specializes in sleek designs with liberal use of fresh flowers and vibrant fabrics. The colorful photos in the book convey this rich sensibility, and accompanying text offers advice on everything from creative ways of serving food to successfully using wallpaper.

Novice decorators will appreciate Guild’s concise explanations of her choices in each room. A bold room where flowery red, yellow and blue curtains are paired with a rainbow-striped chair somehow looks restful. How? As Guild explains, this is because a barely noticed white rug ties together and “stabilizes” the room. Don’t worry if reading this gorgeous book doesn’t result in a major transformation in your own home. Just flipping through these glossy pages is satisfying enough.

If just adding a few throw pillows won’t do the trick, turn to The Distinctive Home: A Vision of Timeless Design (Taunton, $40, 240 pages, ISBN 1561585289) by Boston architect Jeremiah Eck. The author aims to explain the essence of a distinctive home, and he succeeds with this ode to good architectural design. You don’t need a degree in architecture to understand his simple, thoughtful meditations on houses. Eck considers every element of the home, from landscaping to roofline, and explains the importance of both the smallest details (the chimney) and the bigger picture (how the house appears from a distance).

In Eck’s view, a home is more than just a storage unit for TVs, appliances and Jacuzzis. “To me,” he says, “one of the goals of a house should be not just to provide pleasure but to achieve a higher level of all-encompassing satisfaction. Well-proportioned spaces, good light and small but thoughtful details can help push a home beyond mere pleasure.” The book is filled with beautiful color photos that give detailed ideas on how to make your own home distinctive. Amy Scribner’s latest home improvement project was painting the bathroom of her Washington D.C. home in periwinkle blue.

Whether you're looking to overhaul your home's outdated colors and tired furniture, or you simply enjoy living vicariously through the good taste of others, the latest batch of design books offers plenty of ideas for making personal spaces more appealing.

The decorating book…
LifestylesCrafts, Hobbies & Home

Spiffing up your personal spaces

Review by bookpagedev

Whether you’re looking to overhaul your home’s outdated colors and tired furniture, or you simply enjoy living vicariously through the good taste of others, the latest batch of design books offers plenty of ideas for making personal spaces more appealing.

The decorating book expected to make the biggest splash this spring is Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes, a treasury of insider information from the phenomenally popular home improvement show, “Trading Spaces.” For the two or three people in America who have somehow missed the TV show, here’s the rundown: Homeowners sign up to redecorate (and, in some cases, ruin) a room in a neighbor’s home with the help of designers and a $1,000 budget. At the end of two days, the rooms are revealed to the owners. The result might be a tastefully appointed French Country bedroom . . . or a living room with hay glued on the walls.

Edited by Brian Kramer, Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes offers candid biographies of the show’s main players. Perky host Paige Davis admits that her upbeat personality evokes a love/hate reaction people either love her or find her, in her own words, “loud, obnoxious, dramatic, overbearing and annoying.” Designer Frank Bielec, known for his country kitsch designs, admits that he used to work as an aerobics instructor. Hildi Santo-Tomas, the designer with an aloof demeanor and a penchant for high-glamour rooms, reveals her goofy passion for Pluto, a Labrador Retriever she calls her “life source and soul.” Beyond the bios, Trading Spaces: Behind the Scenes includes revealing photos and hilarious features, such as a table to help readers determine which of the show’s cast is their design soul mate. The book ends with a roundup of every “Trading Spaces” episode. Aside from the gratuitous poster-size portraits of cast members, which would appeal only to a true fanatic, this book is an extremely satisfying peek inside a little show that became a monster hit. While the book is heavy on fun facts, it’s light on decorating tips. For that, open up Think Color: Rooms to Live In (Chronicle, $40, 172 pages, ISBN 0811836703) by Tricia Guild. This hefty volume of decorating inspiration is an antidote for those who balk at the thought of citrus-colored walls or pink bedding. Think Color proves that bright, bold colors can look tasteful and, yes, even soothing.

Guild is the creative director and cofounder of Designers Guild, a company that specializes in sleek designs with liberal use of fresh flowers and vibrant fabrics. The colorful photos in the book convey this rich sensibility, and accompanying text offers advice on everything from creative ways of serving food to successfully using wallpaper.

Novice decorators will appreciate Guild’s concise explanations of her choices in each room. A bold room where flowery red, yellow and blue curtains are paired with a rainbow-striped chair somehow looks restful. How? As Guild explains, this is because a barely noticed white rug ties together and “stabilizes” the room. Don’t worry if reading this gorgeous book doesn’t result in a major transformation in your own home. Just flipping through these glossy pages is satisfying enough.

If just adding a few throw pillows won’t do the trick, turn to The Distinctive Home: A Vision of Timeless Design (Taunton, $40, 240 pages, ISBN 1561585289) by Boston architect Jeremiah Eck. The author aims to explain the essence of a distinctive home, and he succeeds with this ode to good architectural design. You don’t need a degree in architecture to understand his simple, thoughtful meditations on houses. Eck considers every element of the home, from landscaping to roofline, and explains the importance of both the smallest details (the chimney) and the bigger picture (how the house appears from a distance).

In Eck’s view, a home is more than just a storage unit for TVs, appliances and Jacuzzis. “To me,” he says, “one of the goals of a house should be not just to provide pleasure but to achieve a higher level of all-encompassing satisfaction. Well-proportioned spaces, good light and small but thoughtful details can help push a home beyond mere pleasure.” The book is filled with beautiful color photos that give detailed ideas on how to make your own home distinctive. Amy Scribner’s latest home improvement project was painting the bathroom of her Washington D.C. home in periwinkle blue.

Whether you're looking to overhaul your home's outdated colors and tired furniture, or you simply enjoy living vicariously through the good taste of others, the latest batch of design books offers plenty of ideas for making personal spaces more appealing.

The decorating book…

Sign Up

Stay on top of new releases: Sign up for our newsletter to receive reading recommendations in your favorite genres.

Sign up now

Trending Features

All Features