These guys are unstoppable. It’s Nice That is now taking pre-orders for issue 4, which includes interviews with Nick Knight, Neville Brody, Miranda July, Trokia, RBG6, Noma Bar and Bompas & Parr, features by Sara De Bondt, Adam Buxton, Adrian Shaughnessy, Jez Burrows, Mike Lemanski, Peter Nencini and Micah Lidberg. A James Jarvis screen print will be included in any orders made before September 30th.

There’s a voyeuristic side in all of us. We all want to see how other people live, even better if they’re creatives. So it’s no wonder why sites like The Selby and magazines like Apartamento are so successful. Our curiosities are somehow satisfied once we pass through that door and into the environment of a creative individual. San Francisco based photographer Leslie Williamson combines two of our favorite topics, handcraft and modernism. In her new book Handcrafted Modern she will take us into the homes of many well known mid-century designers and architects including Russel Wright, George Nakashima, Harry Bertoia, Charles and Ray Eames, and Eva Zeisel. Williamson is currently posting photo outtakes from homes that she has photographed for the book. Visit her blog to see more. Handcrafted Modern is published by Rizzoli and will be out this fall. We’ll be looking out for it. Thanks Maria for the heads up.

It was in May of 2008 that Michael Williams posted scans from a then-unknown book called Take Ivy. First published in 1965 by Fujingahosha and later re-released in a small number, the book collected photographs of Ivy League students in their daily lives. From where they ate to what they drove and most importantly, to what they wore. It is a romanticized portrayal of what life was like as an Ivy Leaguer in the 1960’s. Sold out and sought after, from either collectors, fashion houses, or enthusiasts, it made its way to ebay on several occasion – selling well over a thousand dollars. Well collectors, it has resurfaced. In the process of re-issuing the first American translation of Take Ivy, powerHouse books was able to acquire the original from 1965 and is putting it up for sale through Partners & Spade. Depending on how you look at it, the asking price is comparable to a beat up first edition of The Catcher in the Rye or your monthly rent. At $2000 it is for the purist. Come the end of August you can get your own version at a fraction of the cost. powerHouse will be reissuing a translated version of Take Ivy for $24.95.

Textiles from the 60s and 70s designed by Alexander Girard, George Nelson, and Charles and Ray Eames might have been forgotten, if not for Maharam. This century old textile manufacturer has an eye on the past without neglecting the present. Maharam reissues classic patterns while commissioning current designers to create exciting and new designs in textiles and wall coverings. From Hella Jongerius to Paul Smith, their list of contributors are as important as Girard, Nelson and the Eames. By collaborating with Nike and Vans, they have exposed their brand to a younger audience while creating an fresh impression to an otherwise old company. We’re fans of theirs and it’s exciting to see that Lars Mueller Publishers will release a book titled Maharam Agenda come September.

Feast Your Eyes on This.

The act of eating was once a response to pangs of hunger, a biological need to be filled in order to survive. Our distant ancestors hunted and gathered, navigating by their taste buds and trial and error (is the red berry poisonous or the blue one?). As we evolved over time eating became a much more transformational experience. A meal became a way to connect with family and friends, to appreciate what could be cobbled together through simple ingredients and means.
Oh, how the times have changed…

Eat Out!, newly published by Gestalten, is an overview of design and the drama of dining. It delves into many of the most grand, creative, and minimalist restaurant interiors from around the world— and illustrates that theatrical dining has become a global phenomenon. It is not enough to merely engage the taste buds. Restaurants are competing to creating a completely stimulating environment that delights all five senses through stunning visuals, unrepeatable textures, scents, and sounds.

Unique spaces include Marije Vogelzang’s Proef in Amsterdam— where food becomes a topical performance and guests are asked to participate, the rustic industrialism of Fette Sau in Williamsburg, and dripping chocolate walls in Godiva’s Harajuku outpost designed by Wonderwall. Consider this book your global guide to over-the-top adventures in dining.

Thurston Moore announced last fall at the New York Art Book Fair about the launch of his publishing company called Ecstatic Peace Library. The publisher will release art books accompanied with recordings from the respective artists, including Raymond Pettibon, Dave Markey and Kim Gordon. Both Moore and Gordon will be making special appearances throughout the next four days to promote Ecstatic Peace Library and Gordon’s new book, Kim Gordon, The Noise Paintings. The first event will kick off this evening with her exhibition under the same title at John McWhinnie @ Glenn Horowitz Bookseller and Art Gallery. Then on Saturday evening Gordon and Moore will be performing as Mirror/Dash at Thirtydaysny and wrapping it up with a pop up newsstand on Sunday at Partners & Spade. Details for all the events after the click.