Colorado Peace Ride

Elevated Perspective: The Paintings of Joellyn Duesberry with essays by Carl Little, David Curry, Ann Scarlett Daley, and Joellyn Duesberry, and forewords by Robert Adams and John Walsh (Rose Fredrick Books, $65)
Nationally recognized landscape painter Jeollyn Duesberry divides her time between studios in Denver, Colorado, and Millbrook, New York. Her first exhibit in New York City in 1979 created quite a stir in the art community due in no small part to her fresh, direct work.
This magnificent book documents a half century of Duesberry’s work that delves into the defining moments of her career including her work with Richard Diebenkorn and her subsequent move to the West. In 1986, she was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant which enabled her to expand into monotype print making. Since that experience, she has actively produced and exhibited monotypes in addition to her vibrant paintings. In 2005, the PBS documentary, “Joellyn Duesberry: Dialogue with the Artist,” was made of her life, work, and creative process.
As photographer Robert Adams points out, “The achievement of Joellyn’s work is nothing less than to bring us back to life from our inattention. This is art as it should be — conductive to wonder, open to hope.”

Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty with a foreword by Brian Williams, photographs by Nick del Calzo, and a text by Peter Collier (Artisan, $45)
In this expanded third edition, “Medal of Honor” now includes the War on Terror, letters from every living president and new essays about the Medal’s enduring role in commemorating 150 years of American selflessness and courage.
It was President Abraham Lincoln who created the Congressional Medal of Honor. This book, honoring the recipients of the nation’s highest military honor, is being published to mark 150 years since the first Medal of Honor given and the 70th anniversary following the attacks on Pearl Harbor which, of course, triggered America’s entry into World War II. This is a moving collection that provides stories, photographs, and profiles all of which remind us of who we are as a nation. It is interesting to note that only three living American soldiers have received this honor since the Vietnam War, all of them awarded within the past year.
One-half of the book’s royalties will benefit the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to perpetuate the Medal of Honor’s rich legacy of courage, selfless service, and patriotism, and to support the public outreach activities of Medal of Honor recipients.
This is a fitting and inspiring tribute.

Black amp; White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor by Larry Dane Brimner (Calkins Creek, $16.95)
The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 60s triggered so much violence in Birmingham, Alabama, it quickly earned the nickname “Bombingham.” On opposite sides of this racial conflict were two men, Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor.
Larry Dane Brimner, an award-winning author based in Tucson, brings this turbulent era into sharp focus through oral histories, FBI files, court records, newspaper archives, and other primary-source documents. This epic clash pitted conviction and courage on one side and hatred on the other and is a wound that even today continues to fester on the fabric of American life. This well-crafted book underscores how far we have come as a country but more importantly how much further we have yet to go to attain and secure equal rights for all.

Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World by Mark Norell, Denise Patry Leidy amp; The American Museum of Natural History with Laura Ross (Sterling Signature, $40)
Even though we probably think that globalization is a recent phenomenon, the reality is that the international exchange of goods and ideas originated thousands of years ago. For much of history, commerce in wares, technology, and culture was conducted along the Silk Road, a network of caravan routes that that linked Europe and Asia. It was along these ancient highways that east met west as gemstones, gold, silver, ivory, spices, medicines, and textiles traveled and were traded.
This beautifully crafted new book allows readers to experience an epic journey that includes stops in China, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and beyond, providing breathtaking landscapes, pauses at desert oases, and the excitement of the cities that grew powerful and wealthy through trade.
This handsome book is a visual treasure chest, lavishly illustrated, and full of unexpected surprises.

Gig Posters Volume 2: Rock Show Art of the 21st Century by Clay Hayes of GigPosters.com (Quirk Books, $40 softbound)
Seven hundred full-color examples of unique concert art — including 101 perforated, 11-by14-inch ready to hang posters — are including in this super collection. Sensational graphics, vibrant colors, and loud fonts make this unique set of rock-show art pulse with center-stage energy.
Each of the posters chosen is from the collection of GigPosters.com, the Internet’s first and best resource for concert art.
Volume two highlights examples gleaned from the database of more than 100,000 posters created by over 8,000 different designers. The collection is organized by designer with each page featuring the artists’ insights on their influences, methods and mediums, and inspiration. Designers and contributors include such heavy-hitters as Tom Bagley, Doublenaut, Mike Weihs, Mara Piccione, and Justin Santora.
Gig Posters Volume 2 is not just a stunning compilation of pop art history, it is also a cheap and fun way to decorate any wall.

Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant, and Affordable Entertaining by Lisa Vanderpump (Running Press, $27)
Lisa Vanderpump and Beverly Hills are connected at the hip. Featured in the Bravo’s series “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” she also writes a column for Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine, and with her husband, Ken Todd, is a co-owner of “Villa Blanca,” considered the sexiest restaurant in town. Needless to say, Lisa knows a thing or three about the art of entertaining and she shares that knowledge in a splashy, smart new book.
Lisa shares brilliant dÃcor ideas, tips on the planning, preparation and presentation of special occasions, and even how to scout flea markets to find delightful serving pieces. She even divulges the secret to her happy marriage and home, namely to make yourself indispensable to your loved ones. Cooking, she claims, should never be a chore since preparing food is a gift you give to people you love. She adds that fixing a cozy and romantic dinner is one of the sexiest things you can do. To help, she includes more than 75 easy-to-prepare recipes.
This book is sassy, accessible, and informative. Beautifully illustrated, “Simply Divine” is as lively as Lisa Vanderpump herself, and presents a multitude of ways to personalize your gatherings with easy, elegant, and cost-smart entertaining.
Her recipe for English Sticky Toffee Pudding is almost in itself worth the price of this dandy book.

The Space Shuttle: Celebrating Thirty Years of NASA’s First Space Plane by Piers Bizony (Zenith Press, $40)
Even though space planes were discussed as early as the 1930s, it wasn’t until the 1960s that two space-plane concepts were developed but both were eclipsed by the Apollo program, NASA’s response to President John F. Kennedy’s bold vow to land an American on the moon.
The Space Transportation System, as it was formally known within NASA, led to the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope which was one of the highpoints of the shuttle’s long career.
Piers Bizony, a highly respected science writer, documents NASA’s Space Shuttle program from early theories and various prototypes through the final flights. Every mission, including crew and accomplishments, is covered, from the tragic losses of Challenger and Columbia to the historic construction of the International Space Station.
This testimony to NASA’s ingenuity and the workhorses of the US space program are documented through an accessible, informative text and more than five hundred color photos.

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