Clara and Mr. Tiffany

     A novel based on factual information and written by Susan Vreeland, it tells the story of Clara Driscoll, an artist and artisan who worked for Louis Comfort Tiffany in his stained glass factory. The book combines details about the history of the stained glass industry, the culture of New York City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the problems of working women, the advancement of labor unions and more, all while exploring Clara’s life and relationships with friends and lovers.

     Tiffany, the son of the founder of Tiffany & Company jewelers, was an artist in his own right, known for his magnificent stained glass windows. Much of his company’s manufacturing work was done by men but unmarried (only) women were hired to select the colors of the glass and use them in detailed work, as Mr. Tiffany believed that women had a better eye for color. Clara became an indispensable part of Tiffany’s company as her management skills (at one time she managed a department of close to thirty women artisans), her attention to detail and her creativity developed. Only recently has it been determined that Clara was the originator of the Tiffany lamp, designing and supervising the manufacture of a great many versions of it. Ultimately their production was halted because of its overwhelming expense. Clara resigned from the company because of her impending marriage, ending an important era in American crafts history.

The Astaires: Fred and Adele

     If you think you know all there is to know about Fred Astaire, one of the best dancers of twentieth-century movie musicals and cinema partner to several leading ladies; then you may or may not have heard of Fred’s early years. This book, written by classical scholar and modern theater historian Kathleen Riley, traces the origins of Fred’s career in which he and older sister Adele, showing talent early on, relocate to New York City to train and then perform in early twentieth-century vaudeville. Strong family ties with their parents and one another help Fred and Adele cope with early career disappointments but their talents shine through and eventually they attain success on the Broadway circuit during their twenties.

     At first Adele is identified as the more talented of the two, with her natural comic and dancing skills garnering her more recognition. But Fred’s perfectionist drive eventually draws attention to his genius. In their thirties, Adele retires to marriage and Fred takes on Hollywood, performing in several musicals and other films throughout the years.

     Several black-and-white pictures are interspersed throughout the text, highlighting the duo’s performances and relationships with theater notables of the day. A chronology of their theater performances is given and notes and bibliography aid those readers interested in further research.

Vegetarian Cuisine: New Cookbook Selections

     Herbivoracious: A Flavor Revolution, with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes is written by Michael Natkin, a chef and author of the blog Herbivoracious. His culinary creations are inspired from international cuisines, particularly those from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Asia. After a personable introduction to the book and some notes on ingredients and cooking equipment, Natkin devotes his energies to a wide range of main course dishes, as well as selections of appetizers, soups, salads, sides, desserts and more. Gluten-free and vegan recipes are available too.

     Vegan Cooking for Carnivores: over 125 Recipes So Tasty You Won’t Miss the Meat is written by Roberto Martin, personal chef to Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. When DeGeneres and de Rossi turned to a vegan diet, eschewing all animal proteins including meat, milk, butter, eggs and cheese, they didn’t want to eat tasteless foods. Then they were introduced to Roberto Martin who was not a vegan but was interested in making food vegan. He was able to reproduce their favorite foods by substituting animal proteins with vegan alternatives. The recipes for several of these dishes with accompanying color photographs, ranging from breakfast, lunch and dinner and including soups, salads, entrees, sides, desserts and more, are presented to the reader.

     Vegetarian Cooking, part of the At Home with the Culinary Institute of America series, is directed toward the vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike. Focusing on lacto-ovo vegetarianism, in which meat, fish and seafood aren’t eaten but dairy products and eggs are, the recipes highlight an assortment of soups, salads, sandwiches, beans, tofu, grains, pasta, vegetables and more. Large color photos add to the book’s appeal.

Abundance: The Future is Better than You Think

     Forget those doom and gloom predictions about the future! Author Peter H. Diamandis, the chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation, chairman of Singularity University and founder of several space and high tech companies, makes use of his expertise in a wide range of sciences and technologies to reassure us that the time is fast approaching when all of humanity’s basic needs will be met and then some.

     In co-authorship with award-winning journalist Steven Kotler, Diamandis describes how the knowledge bases in such areas as artificial intelligence, robotics, computing, digital manufacturing, medicine, nanotechnology, energy, food production, and many others have been growing exponentially. In turn, solutions will be developed for such problems as water and air pollution, starvation, scarcity of medical care and limited educational opportunities. Strengthening social forces such as the DIY innovator, Technophilanthropists (such as Bill Gates), and the Rising Billion (third world citizens who will advance thanks to their cell phone and Internet connections), will provide the impetus.

     Detailed references and notes and a comprehensive index at the end of the book support the reader’s further research.

Books About Interior Decoration

     Are you looking to make changes in your home’s interior design? Get some new ideas when you check out these books.
   
      Home Design: a Layer-by-Layer Approach to Turning Your Ideas into the Home of Your Dreams is written by Sabrina Soto, an HGTV television personality. She shows the reader how to streamline the interior design process by “layering” the decorating elements one on top of the other. She begins with the first layer, understanding your space and planning your design, and continues with choosing colors, selecting surface treatments, organizing with storage, editing furniture, selecting textiles, and developing a lighting plan, until she reaches the final layer with choosing accents. A large collection of color photos illustrate Soto’s design ideas; the easy-to-read text also is helpful.
   
      Step-By-Step Home Design & Decorating is written by Clare Steel, an interior designer from the United Kingdom, who has written for several decorating magazines and property and design websites. Her book focuses on the practical side of design: from planning the layout of a bathroom, to evaluation and selection of kitchen appliances, refinishing wooden floors, selecting window treatments and sewing curtains, hanging wallpaper, setting up display space in a child’s bedroom, choosing lighting fixtures, and much, much more. The work continues with redecorating the outdoor space: planning electrical and water features, selecting hard landscaping, and choosing plants and furniture. Large color photos and detailed drawings accompany the logically organized text; sidebars offer additional information.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

     Written by Muriel Barbery and translated from the French language, this novel is set in Paris and tells the story of two females, Madame Renee Michel, the middle-aged, unattractive concierge of an upscale apartment building and Paloma Josse, the twelve-year-old daughter of one of the resident families. Although barely aware of one another at first, each hides a secret. Renee is a closet intellectual who lives for her pursuits in philosophy, literature and film. Paloma also is a highly intelligent and perceptive individual who plans to commit suicide by her next birthday, in order to avoid life’s disappointments.
   
      The reader is treated to an analysis of French upper middle-class society, with some of its strengths and many of its weaknesses in full display. Several of the interactions between Renee and her tenants, and between Paloma and her family, are quite humorous.
    
     There is a change in the atmosphere when a new Japanese tenant, Kakuro Ozu, arrives on the scene. He recognizes the qualities of both Renee and Paloma, initiates friendships with them and sets the courses of their lives on different paths.

Jane Eyre

     This timeless classic was written by Charlotte Bronte and published in 1847 under the male pseudonym Currer Bell. At this time in British society, women were not thought to be capable of writing literary works. However, Jane and two of her surviving sisters (as well as their brother) all were accomplished writers.

     The story is presented as an “autobiography” of Jane Eyre. We learn of Jane’s harsh childhood as an orphan living in the home of an aunt by marriage, verbally and physically abused by the aunt and her cousins. Jane is sent off to a school for orphans where at first she and the other students endure much hardship, being half-starved and living in an unhealthy residence. After several students die of tuberculosis, new management improves the school’s living conditions. Jane perseveres and is able to obtain a well-rounded education. At the age of eighteen, she seeks employment as a governess. She obtains a position as instructor to the female ward of Mr. Rochester, a wealthy landowner who is often absent from home. When Mr. Rochester does return, there is an instant attraction between him and Jane. Their relationship develops and leads to a marriage proposal. However, a mysterious “presence” in the attic of the manor turns out to be Rochester’s current wife, a madwoman unable to be controlled and who has been hidden from society. The discovery made just before Jane and Rochester’s marriage convinces Jane that it is better for her to flee rather than remain as Rochester’s mistress.
    
     Fleeing with no worldly possessions, Jane wanders the countryside starving and without shelter. She finally is taken in by the Reverend Saint John Rivers and his two sisters. Although Jane hides her identity to prevent being discovered by Rochester, she is found out when an Eyre cousin dies and leaves his money to Jane. It turns out that Saint John and his sisters also are Jane’s cousins. Jane shares her inheritance with them; Saint John plans to use his money to work as a missionary in India and proposes that Jane marry him and works with him in India too. However, since there is no love in this match, and Saint John is too controlling, Jane resists.

     In a mystical occurrence, Jane hears Rochester calling her. She immediately returns to Thornfield where she discovers the manor destroyed by fire and learns of the death of Rochester’s wife while he tried to rescue her. He is blinded as a result. Jane goes to see him; they marry.

     This is a novel of many themes, one being that of the inequality of opportunity for females in comparison to males, another is the inequality between the classes. It is a moral tale, with one example being Jane’s refusal to be with Rochester while he is married, and one of superstition and mysticism. All of the characters are well-developed. Above all, Jane Eyre is a strongly emotional work that captivates the reader from beginning to end.