The W* Library: flick through November's new titles

The Art Book

Phaidon are in the process of overhauling all their monumental books at the moment and the mega-selling Art Book is getting its first major refresh in two decades. That means goodbye to the venerable Alan Fletcher cover, replaced by a new design by Javier Mariscal (whether the latter can replicate the Fletcher cover's 2 million sales remains to be seen). More artists and more art are now crammed in, keeping the same A-Z format that made the first book such a straightforward introduction to human creativity.

Published by Phaidon, £39.95; www.phaidon.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

A spread featuring, from left: 'The Rucellai Madona', by Duccio, 1285; and 'Fountain', by Marcel Duchamp, 1917

The Art Book

Phaidon are in the process of overhauling all their monumental books at the moment and the mega-selling Art Book is getting its first major refresh in two decades. That means goodbye to the venerable Alan Fletcher cover, replaced by a new design by Javier Mariscal (whether the latter can replicate the Fletcher cover's 2 million sales remains to be seen). More artists and more art are now crammed in, keeping the same A-Z format that made the first book such a straightforward introduction to human creativity.

Published by Phaidon, £39.95; www.phaidon.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

A spread featuring, from left: 'For the love of God', by Damien Hirst, 2006; and 'Road on a Dyke', by Meindert Hobbema, 1663

The Art Book

Phaidon are in the process of overhauling all their monumental books at the moment and the mega-selling Art Book is getting its first major refresh in two decades. That means goodbye to the venerable Alan Fletcher cover, replaced by a new design by Javier Mariscal (whether the latter can replicate the Fletcher cover's 2 million sales remains to be seen). More artists and more art are now crammed in, keeping the same A-Z format that made the first book such a straightforward introduction to human creativity.

Published by Phaidon, £39.95; www.phaidon.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

A photograph from the book: 'Template', by Ai Weiwei, 2007. Wooden doors and windows from destroyed Ming and Qing dynasty houses

The Art Book

Phaidon are in the process of overhauling all their monumental books at the moment and the mega-selling Art Book is getting its first major refresh in two decades. That means goodbye to the venerable Alan Fletcher cover, replaced by a new design by Javier Mariscal (whether the latter can replicate the Fletcher cover's 2 million sales remains to be seen). More artists and more art are now crammed in, keeping the same A-Z format that made the first book such a straightforward introduction to human creativity.

Published by Phaidon, £39.95; www.phaidon.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

Commissioning Contemporary Art: A handbook for curators, collectors and artists
By Louisa Buck and Daniel McClean

Unleash your inner Gagosian with this neat guide to making your mark on the art world. Buck and McClean have drawn together tips and tricks from curators, collectors, artists and gallery owners from around the art world, a vastly expanded universe that now takes in fairs, biennales, installations, festivals and more on top of the traditional system of galleries and private collectors. Clear some hanging space.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £18.95; www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

A spread featuring the introduction page titled 'An ancient and intricate practice'

Commissioning Contemporary Art: A handbook for curators, collectors and artists
By Louisa Buck and Daniel McClean

Unleash your inner Gagosian with this neat guide to making your mark on the art world. Buck and McClean have drawn together tips and tricks from curators, collectors, artists and gallery owners from around the art world, a vastly expanded universe that now takes in fairs, biennales, installations, festivals and more on top of the traditional system of galleries and private collectors. Clear some hanging space.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £18.95; www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

A spread from 'The patron's perspective', a section from chapter 1 titled 'Why undertake a commission?'

Commissioning Contemporary Art: A handbook for curators, collectors and artists
By Louisa Buck and Daniel McClean

Unleash your inner Gagosian with this neat guide to making your mark on the art world. Buck and McClean have drawn together tips and tricks from curators, collectors, artists and gallery owners from around the art world, a vastly expanded universe that now takes in fairs, biennales, installations, festivals and more on top of the traditional system of galleries and private collectors. Clear some hanging space.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £18.95; www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

Le Corbusier and the Power of Photography
Preface by Norman Foster

Just when you thought there wasn't any more to write about the wily old Swiss iconoclast, along comes another tome rich with insight as to exactly why Corb continues to exert such a hold. As the title suggests, Le Corbusier was all too aware of the importance of image, making careful photographic selections in order to present his buildings around the world in the best possible light. He also revelled in the way photographic representations of new technology - cars, planes and boats - could be used to further his own aesthetic agenda.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £32.00, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell
 

From the book: Contact sheet of photographs taken by Lucien Hervé during the filming of 'La Cité radieuse', by Jean Sacha, 1952

Le Corbusier and the Power of Photography
Preface by Norman Foster

Just when you thought there wasn't any more to write about the wily old Swiss iconoclast, along comes another tome rich with insight as to exactly why Corb continues to exert such a hold. As the title suggests, Le Corbusier was all too aware of the importance of image, making careful photographic selections in order to present his buildings around the world in the best possible light. He also revelled in the way photographic representations of new technology - cars, planes and boats - could be used to further his own aesthetic agenda.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £32.00, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell
 

From the book: Olivo Barbieri, Ronchamp, 1996

Le Corbusier and the Power of Photography
Preface by Norman Foster

Just when you thought there wasn't any more to write about the wily old Swiss iconoclast, along comes another tome rich with insight as to exactly why Corb continues to exert such a hold. As the title suggests, Le Corbusier was all too aware of the importance of image, making careful photographic selections in order to present his buildings around the world in the best possible light. He also revelled in the way photographic representations of new technology - cars, planes and boats - could be used to further his own aesthetic agenda.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £32.00, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell
 

From the book: Le Corbusier, mural painting in the Villa E 1027, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici, architects), 1938

Le Corbusier and the Power of Photography
Preface by Norman Foster

Just when you thought there wasn't any more to write about the wily old Swiss iconoclast, along comes another tome rich with insight as to exactly why Corb continues to exert such a hold. As the title suggests, Le Corbusier was all too aware of the importance of image, making careful photographic selections in order to present his buildings around the world in the best possible light. He also revelled in the way photographic representations of new technology - cars, planes and boats - could be used to further his own aesthetic agenda.

Published by Thames & Hudson, £32.00, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

Joseph Cornell's Manual of Marvels
Edited by Dickran Tashjian and Analisa Leppanen-Guerra

Joseph Cornell is perhaps the most unwittingly influential of all contemporary artists. The American made his name with a series of constructions and compositions, compartamentalising the visual detritus from pop culture through the ages, from Victorian etchings to modern consumer goods. These days we take this kind of visual sampling for granted but Cornell was an aesthetic pioneer and this beautiful book does his work proud, rich with facsimiles, cut-outs and other details.

Thames & Hudson, £60, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

The front cover of the book

Joseph Cornell's Manual of Marvels
Edited by Dickran Tashjian and Analisa Leppanen-Guerra

Joseph Cornell is perhaps the most unwittingly influential of all contemporary artists. The American made his name with a series of constructions and compositions, compartamentalising the visual detritus from pop culture through the ages, from Victorian etchings to modern consumer goods. These days we take this kind of visual sampling for granted but Cornell was an aesthetic pioneer and this beautiful book does his work proud, rich with facsimiles, cut-outs and other details.

Thames & Hudson, £60, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

Cornell's work combined commercial imagery, old print and ephemera

Joseph Cornell's Manual of Marvels
Edited by Dickran Tashjian and Analisa Leppanen-Guerra

Joseph Cornell is perhaps the most unwittingly influential of all contemporary artists. The American made his name with a series of constructions and compositions, compartamentalising the visual detritus from pop culture through the ages, from Victorian etchings to modern consumer goods. These days we take this kind of visual sampling for granted but Cornell was an aesthetic pioneer and this beautiful book does his work proud, rich with facsimiles, cut-outs and other details.

Thames & Hudson, £60, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

Cut and pasted artwork from different eras is combined to make elegant, mysterious imagery

Joseph Cornell's Manual of Marvels
Edited by Dickran Tashjian and Analisa Leppanen-Guerra

Joseph Cornell is perhaps the most unwittingly influential of all contemporary artists. The American made his name with a series of constructions and compositions, compartamentalising the visual detritus from pop culture through the ages, from Victorian etchings to modern consumer goods. These days we take this kind of visual sampling for granted but Cornell was an aesthetic pioneer and this beautiful book does his work proud, rich with facsimiles, cut-outs and other details.

Thames & Hudson, £60, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

A modernist pioneer, Cornell's work still feels fresh today

Joseph Cornell's Manual of Marvels
Edited by Dickran Tashjian and Analisa Leppanen-Guerra

Joseph Cornell is perhaps the most unwittingly influential of all contemporary artists. The American made his name with a series of constructions and compositions, compartamentalising the visual detritus from pop culture through the ages, from Victorian etchings to modern consumer goods. These days we take this kind of visual sampling for granted but Cornell was an aesthetic pioneer and this beautiful book does his work proud, rich with facsimiles, cut-outs and other details.

Thames & Hudson, £60, www.thamesandhudson.com

Writer: Jonathan Bell

Made in Japan
By Naomi Pollock

Japan resident, architect and Wallpaper* contributor Naomi Pollock has spent the past few years delving into the world of Japanese product design, exploring the intersection of craft and technology and the role played by both long-standing tradition and a relentless desire for novelty. Featuring work by Fukasawa, Toyo Ito and many more, Made in Japan contains 100 new projects for your perusal.

Published by Merrell, £29.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

From the book: Plugo extension lead, by Masayuki Kurakata for Monos, 2007

Made in Japan
By Naomi Pollock

Japan resident, architect and Wallpaper* contributor Naomi Pollock has spent the past few years delving into the world of Japanese product design, exploring the intersection of craft and technology and the role played by both long-standing tradition and a relentless desire for novelty. Featuring work by Fukasawa, Toyo Ito and many more, Made in Japan contains 100 new projects for your perusal.

Published by Merrell, £29.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

From the book: Standing rice scoop, by Marna, 2009

Made in Japan
By Naomi Pollock

Japan resident, architect and Wallpaper* contributor Naomi Pollock has spent the past few years delving into the world of Japanese product design, exploring the intersection of craft and technology and the role played by both long-standing tradition and a relentless desire for novelty. Featuring work by Fukasawa, Toyo Ito and many more, Made in Japan contains 100 new projects for your perusal.

Published by Merrell, £29.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

A spread featuring 'Oishi Kitchen Table' by Hisae Igarashi, 2005

Made in Japan
By Naomi Pollock

Japan resident, architect and Wallpaper* contributor Naomi Pollock has spent the past few years delving into the world of Japanese product design, exploring the intersection of craft and technology and the role played by both long-standing tradition and a relentless desire for novelty. Featuring work by Fukasawa, Toyo Ito and many more, Made in Japan contains 100 new projects for your perusal.

Published by Merrell, £29.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

A spread featuring 'Bind', by Satoshi Umeno, 2009. A side table which stores magazines

Made in Japan
By Naomi Pollock

Japan resident, architect and Wallpaper* contributor Naomi Pollock has spent the past few years delving into the world of Japanese product design, exploring the intersection of craft and technology and the role played by both long-standing tradition and a relentless desire for novelty. Featuring work by Fukasawa, Toyo Ito and many more, Made in Japan contains 100 new projects for your perusal.

Published by Merrell, £29.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

A spread featuring all of the products in the book

Made in Japan
By Naomi Pollock

Japan resident, architect and Wallpaper* contributor Naomi Pollock has spent the past few years delving into the world of Japanese product design, exploring the intersection of craft and technology and the role played by both long-standing tradition and a relentless desire for novelty. Featuring work by Fukasawa, Toyo Ito and many more, Made in Japan contains 100 new projects for your perusal.

Published by Merrell, £29.95, www.merrellpublishers.com

Thomas Struth, Unconscious Places

Published to coincide with this year's Venice Architecture Biennale, where David Chipperfield has used his photographs as a means of punctuating the long galleries of the Arsenale, Unconscious Places is a collection of Thomas Struth's street photography. Taken over the last few decades in 53 different cities, these images show the emergence of the everyday in documentary photography, a distinct but idiosyncratic viewpoint that has now come to dominate our perception of the world.

Published by Schirmer/Mosel, 88 euros, www.schirmer-mosel.com

From the book: Avenida Tiradentes, São Paolo, 2001

Thomas Struth, Unconscious Places

Published to coincide with this year's Venice Biennale (LINK), where David Chipperfield has used his photographs as a means of punctuating the long galleries of the Arsenale, Unconscious Places is a collection of Thomas Struth's street photography. Taken over the last few decades in 53 different cities, these images show the emergence of the everyday in documentary photography, a distinct but idiosyncratic viewpoint that has now come to dominate our perception of the world.

Published by Schirmer/Mosel, 88 euros, www.schirmer-mosel.com

From the book: Pasaje Gaspar, Lima, 2003

Thomas Struth, Unconscious Places

Published to coincide with this year's Venice Biennale (LINK), where David Chipperfield has used his photographs as a means of punctuating the long galleries of the Arsenale, Unconscious Places is a collection of Thomas Struth's street photography. Taken over the last few decades in 53 different cities, these images show the emergence of the everyday in documentary photography, a distinct but idiosyncratic viewpoint that has now come to dominate our perception of the world.

Published by Schirmer/Mosel, 88 euros, www.schirmer-mosel.com

From the book: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 1986

Thomas Struth, Unconscious Places

Published to coincide with this year's Venice Biennale (LINK), where David Chipperfield has used his photographs as a means of punctuating the long galleries of the Arsenale, Unconscious Places is a collection of Thomas Struth's street photography. Taken over the last few decades in 53 different cities, these images show the emergence of the everyday in documentary photography, a distinct but idiosyncratic viewpoint that has now come to dominate our perception of the world.

Published by Schirmer/Mosel, 88 euros, www.schirmer-mosel.com