A pro's guide to taking portrait photos—whether it's framed on the wall or an online profile pic.100 Ways to Take Better Portrait Photographs is a practical and informative guide to every aspect of portrait photography, from informal pictures of family and friends to professional studio techniques. It contains:Straightforward, practical tips and adviceOver one hundred inspirational portrait photographsInvaluable digital man...

The ultimate updated reference to modern hardware, software, and photographic techniques.· Discover the different types of cameras available and how they work, from digital cameras and the latest DSLRs to Compact System Cameras and iPhones· Learn how to choose the most essential camera accessories for the modern photographer, including lenses, flashguns, studio lighting, and tripods· Find invaluable techniques and expert advice on how to shoot a broad...

Improve your photography technique under the expert guidance of two established photography professionals, who will help you nurture and develop your camera handling skills and master landscape photography. With years of providing their expertise on photography magazines and books, Daniel Lezano and Ross Hoddinott have now created the ultimate audiobook guide, with essential information and self-help tasks for photographers wanting to capture their best-ever landscape images using their DS...

A tale of cave bears and comet strikes and a hundred million years of history by the bestselling author of Here on Earth: "Marvelous."— Publishers Weekly (starred review)In Europe: A Natural History, world-renowned scientist, explorer, and conservationist Tim Flannery applies the eloquent interdisciplinary approach he used in his ecological histories of Australia and North America to the story of Europe. He begins 100 million years ago, wh...

A noted linguist examines extinct languages, from Egyptian hieroglyphs to the mysteries of as-yet undeciphered writings, in this scholarly work.While certain ancient languages were passed down continuously through the ages, many others were ignored for centuries. When scholars began to decipher these extinct languages in the early nineteenth century, they uncovered previously inaccessible riches of knowledge and history. Yet much work remains to be done on undeciphe...

A journey into the alien depths of the sea, and into our possible future, from a marine biologist known for "nature writing at its most engaging" ( Sunday Express).A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway as revolutionary studies rewrite the very notion of life on Earth and the rules of what is possible. In the process, the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet, its topography even more varied and extreme than its lan...

This "wondrous" collection of fantasy tales from Neil Gaiman, Patricia A. McKillip, and others "is a treasure chest. Open it and revel in its riches" ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review).For this enchanting anthology—a World Fantasy Award finalist—editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling "asked their contributors to reimagine Fäerie" in the present day, or "search its more dimly lit pathways," and the authors have responded with bountiful imagination. The titl...

" Babel is an endlessly interesting book, and you don't have to have any linguistic training to enjoy it . . . it's just so much fun to read." —NPREnglish is the world language, except that 80 percent of the world doesn't speak it. Linguist Gaston Dorren calculates that to speak fluently with half of the world's people in their mother tongues, you'd need to know no fewer than twenty languages. In Babel, he sets out to explore these top twenty worl...

"Tells us how Nazism happened, in microcosm, in a single German town that was neither typical nor exceptional in admitting and then yielding to tyranny." — The New York TimesIn this classic work of twentieth-century history, William Sheridan Allen demonstrates how dictatorship subtly surmounted democracy in Germany and how the Nazi seizure of power encroached from below. Relying upon legal records and interviews with primary sources, Allen dissects Northei...

The experts at Cook’s Illustrated magazine offer hundreds of definitive, researched, and kitchen-tested answers in this Q&A-style guide for home cooks looking to improve their kitchen prowessDoes searing meat really seal in juices? Does it matter what kind of salt you use? What's the best way to measure a sticky ingredient like honey? Why does whiskey taste better when you add water? How do you actually pronounce dacqu...

From the archives of the Library of Congress: "An irresistible treasury for book and library lovers." — Booklist (starred review)The Library of Congress brings book lovers an enriching tribute to the power of the written word and to the history of our most beloved books. Featuring more than two hundred full-color images of original catalog cards, first edition book covers, and photographs from the library's magnificent archives, this collection is a visual ...

Personal reflections on the vital role of the notebook in creative writing, from Dorianne Laux, Sue Grafton, John Dufresne, Kyoko Mori, and more.This collection of essays by established professional writers explores how their notebooks serve as their studios and workshops—places to collect, to play, and to make new discoveries with language, passions, and curiosities. For these diverse writers, the journal also serves as an ideal forum to develop their writing voice...