Conversational Reading

Friday Photo

Some interesting sights on this flickr page dedicated to old and new Penguin covers. (via)
 

Friday Photos

In advance of the 2008 olympics, China is trying to get rid of the bad Chinese-to-English translations found throughout Beijing. The Sun has graphics of the worst offenders.

Friday Photos

An "index typewriter," one of the many interesting variants on typewriters that can be found in this  philosophical essay on the instrument.

Friday Photo

One of 30 of the most creative bookshelf designs. (via)

Friday Photo

Innovative design or brand destruction?

The books, released as Tales to Take Your Breath Away at the start of the cigarette ban in pubs and restaurants last July, were well received by the design press and have made popular Christmas presents. But now the publishers are having to inhale deeply themselves as British American Tobacco (BAT) claims that one of the packs, containing Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Undefeated, resembles its own Lucky Strike pack. Claiming that such an association could seriously damage the health of the brand, BAT is trying to have the works pulped.

I seem to remember certain American businesses spending large amounts of money attempting to associate themselves with Hemingway . . .

Friday Photos

Thanks to Three Percent for pointing out this Wiki documenting "the most unusual books of the world." Some eye-popping photos here.

Friday Photos

The book art of Thomas Allen.

Friday Photo

One of the winning entries from 2006's 50 Books/50 Covers compeition, seeking to highlight the best covers published every year. For info on the 2007 competition, see here.

Friday Photo: Alternative Automobiles

This has nothing to do with books, but is pretty damn interesting. A rundown of some of the alternative automobiles that you can actually buy.

Aptera
I've made little effort to disguise my fondness for Aptera.  The fact that I've long had mine reserved (#120 is mine!) is something of a clue.  Aptera set out to design a vehicle that was as light and slippery as it could be, and still haul people down the highway safely.  Their three-wheeled designed ended up looking very much like an airplane without wings (hence Aptera).  The retro-future design may not make the Aptera a mass market success, but there have been plenty of folks willing to sign up for a vehicle that can get 300 mpg in daily use.  Their funding is good, construction of the first vehicles is on track for a 2008 delivery, and their website has been redesigned so that you don't have to take the 60s friendly head trip unless you really want to.

Friday Photos

iPod art?

This is an iPod set in acrylic. Full story here.