Sex Collectors

I show this design not because I like it but because I find it hard to believe that it has been about a year since we all learned about merkins, which I'm guessing might be an "erotic collectible."

Showdown

Sorry if this sounds overly cranky, but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE STOP THE CHICK-LIT LEG AND FEET COVERS. Most. Ridiculous. Design. Trend. Ever.

Beautiful Evidence

Edward Tufte's newest book is out.



I've heard Tufte speak, and I've been through all the books, and I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about. His fans are almost cultish in their devotion to him, but I find his demeanor and writing to be, well, pretty flatulent.

And oh yeah: like the cover? Prints of it can be yours for only $500. Yeesh.

New Will Self Book, US vs. UK

When I saw the American cover, I was sort of intrigued. It's hard to tell exactly what's going on -- sort of like it's hard to read the cover of The Attack.



But then I saw this (the UK version) and I pretty much stopped caring about the other one. This, I love.

Alentejo Blue

Anyone seen this is the bookstore? It looks beautiful; heck, it looks like it *feels* beautiful.

Toby Young books

And hopefully, one day the design trilogy will be completed with an ashtray...

The Girls Who Went Away

I saw this at the bookstore the other day; it's fantastic. Evan Gaffney, I think, who does some really great work. The type, the photos, the crops...everything works.

The Good Fight

Some things should be caught as bad ideas in the planning stage. A donkey in armor would count as one of those things.

Memoirs, Biographies, etc.

The design of covers of memoirs and biographies usually bore me to tears. To wit:



I couldn't care less if this is evocative of the time and place from which Harper Lee wrote and lived; I'm bored.

Compare to the new Anderson Cooper memoir, designed by Chip Kidd:



Kidd was recently blogging over at powells.com; check out what he says about this jacket.

Holy Friggin' Typo!

You probably need to click on the image and look at the large version to see this:

"One of Roth's most powerful novel's ever..."

Ouch!