BN 2015 GIFT GUIDE: 10 BEAUTIFUL BOOKS TO GIVE NOW

This week, we’ve rounded up 10 beautiful books that will make great gifts this holiday season. Check out the list below!

1. BLUE ICE

Discover one of the least-traveled places on Earth in Blue Ice. Award-winning photographer Alex Bernasconi’s incredible panoramas of Antarctica showcase the sheer beauty of the landscape and the species that inhabit it.

Also included in this book is a moving foreword by British glaciologist Professor Julian Dowdeswell, Director of the Scott Polar Research Institute. He explains the incredible geography of the continent, as well as the effects of climate change. Dr. Peter Clarkson’s introduction will fascinate you, as he recounts his time as a working member of the British Antarctic Survey.

This book makes the perfect gift for anybody who appreciates the gifts our beautiful planet has offered to us all.

Earth Aware Editions (2015)

2. SEE THE WORLD BEAUTIFUL

Turning her camera away from her usual fashion shoots with Vogue and ELLE, Anne Menke has captured some stunning and compelling photos of beauty, as it is expressed by people in different cultures around the world. See the World Beautiful presents a unique record of a diverse range of people, exposing the rich culture and fashion that is unique to each group.

This new deluxe Limited Edition is limited to just 110 copies. It comes beautifully boxed, with a signed and numbered print.

“In our rapid changing world, we must preserve those cultural characteristics that build the strength and diversity of the world community. This book testimonies the power of travels that nourishes human's inspiration.”

-- Carlotta Battistini, of My Blabla Art Blog

Glitterati Incorporated (2015)

3. BEAUTIFUL EARTH: OUR PLANET EXPLORED FROM ABOVE

You will gain a new perspective after reading Beautiful Earth: Our Planet Explored from Above, by astrophysicist and scientific journalist Dirk H. Lorenzen.

You’ll be amazed, not only by the earth’s beauty, but by the technology that enables us to see it from up high. Images range from incredible cloud formations captured by weather satellites, to erupting volcanoes, to urban centers, to powerful sand storms.

This book is also packed with information on weather prediction, aviation, geophysics, and more. It’s an ideal gift for anyone who truly appreciates the gorgeous planet on which we live.

h.f. Ullmann Publishing (2015)

4. THE NATIONAL HERITAGE OF THE WORLD: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL PARKS, PROTECTED AREAS AND BIOSPHERE RESERVES

The Natural Heritage of the World: The Most Beautiful National Parks, Protected Areas and Biosphere Reserves makes a great gift for your nature loving friends. This inspiring book gives you a view of some of the last remaining paradises on Earth, some with outstanding natural landscapes, mind-blowing geological formations, and rare animals that all beg for protection. With stunning photos and compelling stories, you will be tempted to put the book down only so you can venture to see these beautiful World Heritage sites in person.

Monaco Books / Kunth Verlag (2016)

5. DESTINATIONS OF A LIFETIME: 225 OF THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING PLACES

Need some suggestions for your next great adventure? Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World's Most Amazing Places locates hundreds of the world’s most spectacular destinations. With vibrant images taken by National Geographic’s world-class photographers, this captivating book makes the perfect gift to a traveling friend, as it will inspire the trip of a lifetime.

"The world's most desirable holiday destinations – in pictures."

-- TheGuardian.com

National Geographic (2015)

6. ALPINE EXPOSURES

Delve into the heart of the Alps with this fascinating book! Written by mountain sports photographer Jon Griffith, Alpine Exposures presents over 10 years of his breathtaking photography of the Western Alps. With foreword by and leading alpinist Ueli Steck, you’ll gain beautiful insights into the thrills and dangers of climbing these spectacular mountains.

Vertebrate Publishing (2014)

7. SMILES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: THE WORLD IS BEAUTIFUL AND CONNECTED

If you want to share a smile with your loved ones, Ingrid Mårn’s delightful book, Smiles from Around the World: The World Is Beautiful and Connected, makes the perfect gift. The moving narrative is written from the perspective of a young traveler, who learns and grows with each new smiling person she meets.

“With beautiful pictures and heart-centred texts she invites us to be part of something greater. And that for me is what it's all about.”

-- Raymond Ahlgren, Author and Inspirational Speaker

Panoma Press (2015)

8. ROMEO SOZZI AND PROMEMORIA: THE DESIGNER BEHIND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE IN THE WORLD

Romeo Sozzi and Promemoria: The Designer Behind the Most Beautiful Furniture in the World is a wonderful gift for your friends who appreciate grand design. Edited by Pierre Léonforte, this stunning book gives you a glimpse into the inner workings of Promemoria, the internationally renowned house of handmade furniture that made its mark in the 1970s and 1980s.

Explore magnificent images of the historical Sozzi family home on Lake Como, which is chock full of antiques, unique pieces, and breathtaking collections of vintage automobiles, cameras, and objets d’art. You’ll also get to see the spaces where Sozzi works, as well as the entire range of works produced by Promemoria.

Rizzoli (2016)

9. FASHION CULTURE: ISTITUTO MARANGONI: ICON OF FASHION AND DESIGN

We have the perfect gift for the fashion addict in your life. Fashion Culture: Istituto Marangoni: Icon of Fashion and Design, edited by Cristina Morozzi and photographed by Aldo Fallai, is a celebration of the iconic Milanese fashion school’s 80th year.

Previously unseen photographs profile some of the school’s most notable alumni, from Franco Moschino, to Domenico Dolce, to Francesco Russo (of Dior), to Alessandro Sartori (of Berluti).

Rizzoli (2015)

10. THE HOUSE OF THURN UND TAXIS

The Thurn und Taxis family have called this beautiful 500-room palace home for over 200 years. As you flip through the pages in The House of Thurn und Taxis, allow photographer Todd Eberle to take you on a journey through the stunning neo-Renaissance marble staircase, the Rococo and neo-Rococo staterooms, and a beautiful Baroque library.

Written in collaboration with contributors Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, Sir John Richardson, and Martin Mosebach.  

This coffee table book offers an intimate look into one of Germany’s finest examples of historical architecture.

Skira Rizzoli (2015)

Read more about Beautiful Gifts 2015, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Alex Bernasconi. Courtesy of Earth Aware Editions. Frozen beauty: An Iceberg Arch near Volcanic Paulet Island.
2. Image: Courtesy of Earth Aware Editions. Blue Ice.
3. Image: by Alex Bernasconi. Courtesy of Earth Aware Editions. March of the Penguins.
4. Image: Courtesy of Glitterati Incorporated. See the World Beautiful.
5. Image: Courtesy of h.f.Ullmann Publishing. Beautiful Earth: Our Planet Explored from Above.
6. Image: Courtesy of Monaco Books / Kunth Verlag. The Natural Heritage of the World: The Most Beautiful National Parks, Protected Areas and Biosphere Reserves.
7. Image: Courtesy of National Geographic. Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World's Most Amazing Places.
8. Image: Courtesy of Vertebrate Publishing. Alpine Exposures.
9. Image: Courtesy of Panoma Press. Smiles from Around the World: The World Is Beautiful and Connected.
10. Image: Courtesy of Rizzoli. Romeo Sozzi and Promemoria: The Designer Behind the Most Beautiful Furniture in the World.
11. Image: Courtesy of Rizzoli. Fashion Culture: Istituto Marangoni: Icon of Fashion and Design.
12. Image: Courtesy of Skira Rizzoli. The House of Thurn und Taxis.
13. Image: by Alex Bernasconi. Courtesy of Earth Aware Editions. Blue Ice.
14. Image: by Alex Bernasconi. Courtesy of Earth Aware Editions. Blue Ice.
15. Image: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: by Todd Eberle. Courtesy of Skira Rizzoli. The House of Thurn und Taxis.