“I think, therefore I am” Descartes wrote in the seventeenth century.

As a result of all that thinking, our society has changed spectacularly. But in our success in designing space shuttles and robots, and in living our lives with ever increasing efficiency, we have somehow started to overlook the fact that people are made up of much more than just their minds. The unexpected downside of society’s frantic progress and its focus on reason is that many people are left feeling stressed and empty. Both at work and at home, they are confronted with huge levels of expectation that they simply cannot meet. The time has come to rediscover one’s true self. By asking the right questions, this book will help you find out who you really are, to define what motivates you and what you stand for. It will allow you to develop the necessary resilience to direct the story of your life, even during difficult times. After all, it is only when our being and our actions match perfectly that we can be true to ourselves and successful at the same time, both professionally and personally.

Prejudices and stereotypes are as ancient as mankind. Why do we think we can deduce someone’s characteristics by their appearance? This book is based on the contested theory of Italian doctor Lombroso on the heredity of criminality. Lombroso stated that criminal behaviour is a part of human nature. He wanted to prove some forms of criminality are hereditary. Facial features, corporal constitution… as a basis to stigmatise people. But how do we deal with appearance these days, in a multicultural society? Do we still presume ‘other’ features are ‘suspicious’? Is there such a thing as a ‘born criminal’? This book also pays attention to phenomena such as physical anthropology, craniometry and phrenology. Published to accompany an exhibition at Museum Dr Guislain, 15 March until 20 September 2015. Through exhibitions and books, The Museum Dr. Guislain aims to put the focus on important psychiatric problems and put them in a broader social and cultural context. Text in Dutch with English summary.

Micronesia, Hawaii, Polynesia, Bora Bora, Seychelles, Maldives, Australia – where does the mind go when imagining such places. Drawn from the best travel blogs and Instagram images, this book brings together the most beautiful locations near, on, or under water. From eco resorts to remote, pristine islands; from sailing on ultra-blue oceans to diving in translucent waters; in aerial and underwater photography, the focus is on finding paradise. Whether thinking about a trip or longing for sun and sand, this book is where those daydreams begin.

A contemporary artist of international renown, Alain Godon (Bourges, 1964) has been given carte blanche at the Musée Départemental Matisse to focus on the journey made by Matisse in 1930 from New York to Tahiti. This re-appropriation of Matisse’s journey, including his discovery of New York and its architecture, as well as Polynesia, is paralleled by a questioning of the notion of the term ‘journey’ itself and its different meanings. With paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and installations made especially for the exhibition, Alain Godon offers us works which, although they can be immediately understood, are in fact far more complex, unveiling a unique universe that for those who take the time to look deeper is home to tales of everyday life. Using the same singular imagination he shares with Matisse, Godon reveals his desire to bring joy and happiness into his work. Text in English and French.

This visually striking publication offers thorough insight into the history, technique and various disciplines of this contemporary winter sport. The book offers many lively experiences and anecdotes from the featured experts who took part in the sport’s development over the last 30 years. They are the pioneers who pushed the limits of the (im)possible to embark on far-fetched snowy adventures. More than 100 artistic photographs allow the reader to dream-travel on vicarious snowkite journeys in polar or alpine regions, uniquely powered by the silent force of the wind to flow in a rarely-experienced state of total freedom.

This book – researched and authored by recognised rum expert Pascal Kählin – offers a comprehensive overview of a wide range of different rums and the most important places of production around the world. The evolution of rum is closely tied to the cultural history and prevalence of sugar. As a comprehensive guide, Rum – Rhum – Ron discusses and classifies different rum brands and portrays important distilleries in image and texts, detailing their history, local variations and particularities. This ‘atlas of rum’ tells rum’s story and its rise from sailor’s drink to collector’s item – a compendium for experts and anyone with an interest in spirits.

Giuseppe Terragni, an influential proponent of modernism in Italian architecture and design in the 1920s and 1930s, translated the visual vocabulary of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe into what became known as the Rationalist School of Architecture. This monograph covers his later years (he died in 1943), with a focus on the war and his devastating experience as a soldier. It includes some notable projects from the 1930s like the Casa del Fascio in Como, and the designs for an unrealised final project for a cathedral that he did in the days before his death. The book is illustrated with historical photographs and includes letters Terragni wrote from the front.

From the famous Lujiazui skyline to the bustling crowds, from cosy corners to vibrant streetscapes, these pages capture the Shanghai of the present. Yucheng also delves into Shanghai’s history, paying particular attention to the 1960s-1990s. Later chapters focus on Chinese culture, the contrast between megacities and remote villages, and Yucheng’s favourite animal – the horse. While this book is the perfect companion piece to Blossoms, a novel set in late-20th-century Shanghai, it will also appeal to anyone interested in Chinese culture and art.

While most books on architecture focus on the architectural outcome itself, Architects on Dwelling takes a close look at how that outcome is created. To design any kind of dwelling, architects draw on both their reservoir of ideas as well as their own experiences as fellow inhabitants of such structures. This book explores how architects design the places we inhabit and how those places in turn inform the manner in which we live, in ways beyond lifestyle and personal taste.

Through contributions by Stephen Hoey, Henry McKeown & Ian Alexander, James Mitchell, Stacey Philips, Christopher Platt, Adrian Stewart, and Miranda Webster—most of whom are Scotland-based practitioners as well as teachers in The Glasgow School of Art—it reveals the unique values and qualities that inform their design processes.In their essays, they focus mostly on one exemplary building, explaining how and why they design the way they do. Dick van Gameren, Simon Henley, and Graeme Hutton, distinguished experts and themselves architect-educators, place this work within an international context and provide insightful comment about what these design approaches inform us about contemporary design in Scotland. Complemented with a wide range of images, these essays both illuminate the architects’ motivations and inspirations and celebrate their featured works.

Taken as a whole, Architects on Dwelling reminds us how profoundly the place we live in matters to our wellbeing, and of the social responsibility architects have in creating the built environment in general and dwellings in particular.

The architecture work of Brazil-based Raul di Pace is guided by creativity and innovation. The firm’s focus always comes with the awareness that it is providing a service to its customer. The firm’s ideas happen naturally, and relate to the needs of the residents and their dreams for the place where they will live. A house is a place that must adapt to fit in with the time for which it is designed, and then it must continue to be a living environment as time and generations evolve. Before, cities had no running water and electricity—today most things are automated. To follow time is to adapt to new technologies, new materials, new habits and demands. We cannot imagine something as unchangeable, untouchable. A contemporary house cannot be simply a sanctuary. It should primarily be a pleasant space that provides adequate housing that serves the residents before anything else; it is up to the architect to remake, adapt, orient and reorient—all the while fulfilling this overall mission. Since the beginning, Raul di Pace’s architecture is about the search to reinvent oneself, to propose new solutions, built to suit specific purposes. Heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, which was a process of reinvention from start to finish, this highly anticipated volume shows how Raul di Pace continues to reinvent its language based on the same premise: make less, splurge less, seek the essential.

Text in English and Portuguese.

What wouldn’t animal-loving humans do to create the perfect modern habitat for their cherished animals? Not surprisingly, pet owners are forever seeking ways to provide the best environment to make life for their pets as enjoyable and engaging as possible.

Designing the perfect architecture and interiors for pets and animals of all shapes, sizes, species, and breeds is all about creating a seamless coexistence. Showcased here are heaps of fun and unique projects created by an inventive global design community. The charming, imaginative, and inspired interiors and architectural systems presented in this book offer a beautiful combination of aesthetics and creature comfort, be they for cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, chickens, turtles, horses, and many others.

This carefully curated selection includes not only ingenious yet elegant built-in cat ladders, scratchers, and walkways, and private dog nooks — even a noise-cancelling kennel for the most pampered of pooches — but also amazing modular mazes for the busiest cat, rabbit, guinea pig, or hamster, as well as beautiful, sculptural birdhouses and charming log-cabin-style chicken coops. It also features funky cat cafés and special shelter ideas to keep both human and animal creatures calm.

This delightful book presents a lovable assortment of safe and sustainable pet-friendly projects, ideal for design- and animal-conscious folk who want to turn their interiors or workspaces into the most comfortable living/playpen environments for their beloved fur-babies (and other pets) to roam and rest.

“…a captivating book covering a wide spectrum of animal behaviour and species… this is a book to make you re-think the role of the female.”  —BBC Wildlife



In the lion world, only the females hunt — because they do it best! The boss of a hyena pack? An alpha female. Even the lowest-ranking female of the pack is superior to her male counterparts. As for praying mantises? They keep interaction with men to the essentials, eating them right after mating for added nutrition.

The first photo book to focus exclusively on the female of the species, Fearless Females is a fascinating account of “feminine” strength throughout the animal kingdom. With some 150 photographs, accompanied by remarkable facts and extraordinary stories, the book reveals the fierce, formidable, and fascinating antics of she lions, elephants, and many other creatures. A refreshing reappraisal of “feminine” behaviour and a long overdue emancipation of nature and wildlife photography.

Text in English and German.

Urban design today is facing a multitude of challenges. Using 12 key terms, this book connects these challenges to projects in this field. It introduces concepts. presents possible solutions, and describes implementation processes. A special focus is put on the interaction of the built environment with living systems — an approach that is slowly gaining acceptance within the urban design community and that is setting aside a primarily building-oriented practice in favour of an increased appreciation of public space.

Basics of Urbanism defines and illustrates parameters with a clearly territorial approach to urban design. Space between buildings is treated as an essential structure for environmental and social change within small-scale neighbourhoods and blocks, as well as at the level districts and even entire cities. This approach includes forward-thinking temporal aspects as well as the implementation of existing resources in the creation of new spatial qualities.

Text in English and German.

All Walks of Life offers a unique opportunity to get to know the 18th-century people of Saxony, Paris, London, and St. Petersburg through the Meissen porcelain sculpture of The Alan Shimmerman Collection. Johann Joachim Kaendler, along with his fellow modellers and painters at Meissen, captured glimpses of everyday life by paying meticulous attention to the smallest details: the carefully arranged tray of a trinket seller, the personal writing of a love letter, the larding tools of a cook preparing a hare. The Shimmerman Collection’s focus on groups of town criers and artisans provides a fresh look at the creation, production, and distribution of Meissen porcelain. The publication includes the first comprehensive scientific analysis of a major collection of Meissen figures.

This catalogue for the 5th Art Brut Biennial at the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne highlights the museum’s holdings with a focus on the subject of belief. In a wide range of mediums, the show reveals the particular link between Art Brut and Outsider artists, religion, and the occult. The subjects of these works include deities, saints, religious figures, as well as abstract compositions, symbolist paintings, and ritual objects. With their diverse and original representations of belief, these artists transcend the often difficult conditions of their lives.

In this invaluable and thought-provoking book, Vladimir Belogolovsky reflects on nearly 20 years of conversations with leading creatives from around the world whose focus is on art, photography, architecture, design, critical theory, and more. His intimate dialogues are with prolific visionaries, the likes of Paul Andreu, Aaron Betsky, Tatiana Bilbao, Christo, Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, Toyo Ito, Glenn Murcutt, Renzo Piano, Moshe Safdie, Ric Scofido, Richard Serra, Frank Stella, Michael Sorkin, Stanley Tigerman, Bernard Tschumi, Lin Utzon, Massimo Vignelli, Madelon Vriesendorp, and so many others. He exposes the complexity of their thought processes, while comparing and contrasting them to one another to distill more than 101 ideas. His engaging narrative captures the stories behind every project and every personality while exploring many important questions, including what makes a building architecture? How would a Futurist solve problems vs those whose focus is on nostalgia? The selection of interviews gathers many answers and intentions, but inevitably, also many more questions.

Imagine Buildings Floating Like Clouds represents a diverse group of multitalented, creative people who work in disparate places culturally and climatically and came of age in very different times—from the revolutionary 1960s to our own time, when the future, for many, is being more feared than desired.

It is well known that children are naturally drawn to an engaging and fun environment for them to play, learn, and grow. This book showcases 30 creative, immersive, and interactive spaces from around the globe, where designers focus on spectacular interior and architectural designs that help to encourage the child’s creativity and development, tap into their potential, inspire play and social interaction, involve nature, minimise distractions, and promote optimised learning opportunities.

Presented throughout with stunning full-colour photography, detailed drawings and diagrams, and important up-to-date perspectives on current and emerging trends for optimal childhood development and safety standards when designing spaces for children, Contemporary Creative Spaces for Children is a must-have title for all interior designers, architects, child educators, and owners and operators who are interested in effectively shaping designs of children’s spaces that focus on the health and wellbeing of the child.

“A fabulous book: insightful, useful and timely! This page-turner takes you on a journey through great psychological research, interesting stories and practical techniques. You will arrive equipped for a life of more control, more optimism and less stress.” Tony Crabbe, business psychologist and author of Busy. How to Thrive in a World of Too Much.

“Technology allows us to rethink companies, organizations, how we run them and how we manage them. However, the most essential element in achieving success will not be technology, but whether we humans can adapt, cope and thrive. This inspiring book is a brilliant field guide on how to use the power of our minds to harness the power of flow and build organizations for resilience.” Peter Hinssen, entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author of The Day After Tomorrow. How to Survive in Times of Radical Innovations.

Every crisis is also an opportunity. We know what we need to do to make our lives and work more brain-friendly, but somehow, we are still not putting that knowledge into practice. Covid-19 has forced us into one of the biggest experiments in resilience of all time. What if we see this crisis as an opportunity for a genuine transformation? A chance to adopt new habits that will make us stronger than ever and help us face a volatile future? In her ground-breaking new book, Elke Geraerts shows us how we can all be ready for the many challenges awaiting us in a post-covid-19 world. Her approach takes the brain as the starting point and inspires you to make brain-aware choices in work and in life. She shows how hybrid work can both increase your productivity and reduce stress, how you can chase your dreams even in times of crisis and why – in an increasingly digital world – focus is the new IQ. The old normal will never return… but perhaps that is not such a bad thing!

Giosetta Fioroni is considered one of the most important figures in Italian painting of the postwar era. Her work is commonly associated with the Scuola di Piazza del Popolo group in Rome – which also included Mario Schifano, Tano Festa and Franco Angeli, among others – as well as with the advent of Pop art in Italy. Yet Fioroni’s practice differs from those of her immediate contemporaries and from the overarching notion of Pop as it came to be understood in the English-speaking world. The divergences are most clearly pronounced in her persistent exploration of femininity, rooted in both her personal experiences and her interpretation of the category in popular culture.

‘I have worked a lot, not on feminism but on femininity’, Fioroni once explained. ‘I would like to maintain a distinction. In a period of lively feminism, I was interested in the look, in the atmosphere tied to femininity.’ Giosetta Fioroni: Alter Ego is the first publication to focus on feminist perspectives in the work of Fioroni. It includes an exclusive interview with the artist conducted by Hans Ulrich Obrist and a scholarly essay by Anna Dumont on the subject of gendered looking in Fioroni’s portraits of women.

In the decade before his death in 2011, John Hoyland began to reckon with mortality. Confronting his own demise, he painted elegies to departed artist friends and tributes to illustrious artistic forebears. Imagery of the void looms large, but it is a void faced with defiance and vitality, less a rumination on the end than a celebration of life. This publication explores the paintings Hoyland made in this decade, including his final series, the Mysteries.

Essays by Natalie Adamson, David Anfam, Matthew Collings and Mel Gooding offer a rich and multifaceted account of a complex body of work. Hoyland’s veneration of Vincent van Gogh, his connections to J.M.W. Turner, the use of black as a colour, his deployment of risk and attempts to subvert his own taste, and his development of the cosmic visual language of the Abstract Expressionists are all discussed. Richly illustrated, the book extends our understanding of Hoyland’s late work within the story of modern painting as a whole.