Universe – The Bell Bookshop

Polar tales

Emma — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Arctic is the ground zero of climate change, and the polar bear is on the front line. Filled with groundbreaking photography that reveals the breathtaking landscapes of the Arctic and the transformations of the environment through the changing lives of polar bears, it’s a firsthand report from the top of our planet.Polar Tales tells the story of an ice world in transformation and a planet nearing its tipping point–the moment when Earth’s climate begins to change irreversibly. This book is both a celebration of the wildlife that inhabits this most unforgiving and beautiful environment imaginable–mountains, fjords, enormous glaciers, and the seemingly endless pack ice of the Arctic Ocean–and a cautionary tale of global warming. Rising temperatures have put the Arctic at risk, and the habitats–and lives–of the animals there are increasingly threatened. Set against the dramatic landscape of ice floes and ragged mountains, readers see how polar bears, foxes, seals, walruses, and reindeer now struggle to live in this vulnerable climate. Images of a polar bear mother as she takes her newborns out for their first hunt, a seal pup only hours old, and the spectacle of the polar night are reminders of what is at risk.The authors work like no other photographers: spending months in the field on their expeditions, they live among the polar bears, establishing an uneasy balance and unprecedented access to the world of the kings of the Arctic. Readers are rewarded with unique and stirring images that capture the harsh beauty of a world that few will experience firsthand.

It’s Your World: Creating Calm Spaces and Places with Bob Ross

Emma — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Inspired by Bob Ross’s art instruction and wisdom, this mindful guide empowers you to create your own happy space at home, at work, or wherever you want to feel calm, productive, or just at peace.

Today, it’s more important than ever to find the physical and mental space to focus, reenergize, or simply be. For the millions who have tuned in to The Joy of Painting since the TV episodes first aired in 1982, Bob Ross is the perfect guide on this journey to personal happiness.

Bob Ross believed that each of us has the power to create our own world with imagination and lots of practice. In each TV episode, Bob Ross created the best possible space for his creativity and craft to flourish, from the thoughtful organization of his easel and palette to the way he methodically-and gracefully-composed natural vistas on his canvases. In It’s Your World: Creating Calm Spaces and Places with Bob Ross, his iconic paintings and inspiring quotes are paired with mindful essays that draw upon his advice about creativity, courage, inspiration, preparation, and serendipity. In this book, Bob Ross’s wisdom will help you find your own happy place, whether it is a dedicated spot in your home or office, or just a moment in the middle of a hectic day. And, because any change requires bravery, each chapter of the book includes “Bravery Tests,” interactive prompts that encourage stepping outside one’s comfort zone-key for positive, creative change.

Chapters like “It’s Your World,” and “Let’s Paint a Happy Picture” help you envision your ideal happy space and decide is most essential (and nonessential) to your happiness. The lessons that Bob Ross learned from observing nature and using color, as well as “happy accidents,” encourage you to see your living spaces-from living rooms to kitchens to bedrooms-from a fresh perspective, and, most importantly, have fun in your journey to making a space just for you. It’s Your World: Creating Calm Spaces and Places with Bob Ross is perfect for fans of Bob Ross or for anyone who wants to find a happier place to be.

Cycling atlas Europe

Emma — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The guide features 350 of the most beautiful and scenic cycling routes all over Europe, carefully curated for cyclists of every level and ability-from easy, scenic lowland countryside to visually glorious, more strenuous routes in the Alps and the Carpathians. The book also includes routes that enable the user to re-create itineraries from the Tour de France or Giro d’Italia.This is the best European cycling guide ever assembled with the aid of Strava, the mapping app that includes information from the world’s most knowledgeable and expert cyclists who have critically reviewed and rated them. It contains maps, technical details, tourist information, and tips. Included are urban tours that highlight Europe’s cultural glories and routes that highlight the continent’s breathtaking natural beauty. The book is organized into nine regional sections covering mainland Europe from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula to Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the boot of Italy.

Bucket List: Wild, The

Emma — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

For anyone who is passionate about wildlife, this bucket list offers around-the-world listings of ways to experience animals and birds in their natural habitats. Fun, life-affirming activities are the focus from action-packed adventures (riding with wild horses in France, snorkelling with sharks in Belize) to more relaxing experiences (walking through a wildflower reserve in South Africa or floating among corals in the Maldives). Each activity is location-specific and geographically unique – kayaking with whales in Canada, watching snow monkeys take a sauna in Japan, going on a desert safari in Dubai. The book also addresses the issues facing vulnerable and endangered species, and suggests ways that travellers can help. Conservation-themed adventures include working as a Giant Panda keeper in China, volunteering at an endangered orangutan rescue in Indonesia, and guarding baby turtles in Costa Rica as they make their way from beach to ocean. Everyone has lifelong dreams of experiences they yearn to have, and this bucket list provides all the inspiration and practical advice necessary for the seasoned globetrotter or armchair traveller alike.

Monseigneur le Vin: The Art of Drinking Wine (Like the French Do)

Emma — Thu, 21 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Originally published in French in 1927 as part of a set of promotional books for French wine distributor Nicolas, Monseigneur le Vin is a lovely illustrated jewel of a wine primer brought back into print. The book is perfectly relevant to today’s wine lovers, charmingly presented: wine information like bouquet, color, and taste profile is essentially the same today, and Montorgueil’s reverence for wine is delivered with an élan and is oh-so-very French, with observations like “A full-bodied red wine wants to be laid on its side and made cozy.” Delightful and informative, Monseigneur le Vin is sure to appeal to new and experienced wine lovers alike.

Paris Pop-up

Emma — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A selection of the city’s most iconic monuments, landmarks, and architectural wonders unfold in seven pop-ups contained in a charming pint-sized package making it an easy impulse purchase. Easy to tuck in a bag or a pocket, this book is truly the perfect keepsake for tourists as well as the ideal gift for anyone who wants to share their love of the world’s favorite city – Paris. Each spread delivers an iconic building or monument accompanied by a two page spread of text provifing the historical background and cultural significance of the structure depicted by the pop-up. The package is designed with a retro feel like travel guides from the past lending it a nostalgic charm. This elegant, charming little book is the ideal gift or souvenir for anyone who wishes a keepsake of a visit to Paris. Represented as pop-ups are the most beautiful classic architectural sites of Paris: Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, HÃ´tel des Invalides, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Place des Vosges, Centre Pompidou, and Sacré-coeur… Artist Dominique Ehrhard has conceived a one of a kind work that will delight all ages.

London Pop-up

Emma — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A selection of London’s most iconic monuments, landmarks, and architectural wonders unfold in seven pop-ups contained in a charming pint-sized package making it an easy impulse purchase. Easy to tuck in a bag or a pocket, this book is truly the perfect souvenir or gift for tourists as well as anyone who wants to share their love of London. Each spread delivers an iconic building or monument accompanied by a two page spread of text provifing the historical background and cultural significance of the structure depicted by the pop-up. The package is designed with a retro feel featuring vintage style street maps as backgrounds for the pop-ups and other graphic elements that make this an elegant, charming gift or souvenir.Represented as pop-ups are a range of traditional and contemporary London iconic sites known the world over and which nearly every visitor to the British capital wants to experience: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the London Eye, Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, and the Tower Bridge.Artist Dominique Ehrhard has conceived a one of a kind work that will delight all ages.

New York Times Book of Movies: The Essential 1,000 Films To See

Emma — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Written by acclaimed critics of the New York Times, the film reviews featured in this indispensable volume cover black-and-white classics, Technicolor musicals, wide-screen extravaganzas, genre favorites, art films, and foreign masterpieces with honest and thought-provoking assessments from the first moments in which the films were released. While critiques of beloved Hollywood milestones from Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and Orson Welles are all included, this book is notably a resource for the modern cinema buff and student. Nowhere else can one find this curated collection of reviews with such special features as lists of best films by category and year, as well as unique recommendations and sidebars for the modern viewer?including what to watch and how: from DVD and Blu-Ray to streaming platforms. In an era when most students and fans of film simply rely on the Internet for information, this category killer will prove its worth as a relevant and indispensable gift and reference.

Bucket List Places To Find Peace & Quiet

Emma — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

This inspiring guide is full of ideas and inspirations for travel destinations around the world that invite you to renew yourself physically and spiritually – perfect for recent graduates, soon to be retirees, inveterate daydreamers and armchair travellers, and anyone considering taking a much needed sabbatical. When it is time to escape from the hectic, hurly-burly of ordinary life, this is where you can find a thousand delightful quiet and peaceful places that encourage you to relax.Featuring a range of escapes that include everything from momentary getaways in the heart of New York or Paris to longer contemplative visits to places that allow you to screen out the jangle of contemporary life, this is an expertly curated trove of peaceful places. It includes small parks and squares, lovely old churches and spiritual sanctuaries, off-the-beaten-path museums and galleries, hidden courtyards and gardens, tiny local eateries – and even cemeteries. Also included are wilder escapes in unspoiled natural settings that last over a weekend or longer, ideal for those whose idea of peace and quiet involves birdsong and the gentle rustle of leaves. From the magic of watching the sun rise over the desert at the top of Mt. Sinai, to the perfect quiet of an antiquarian book dealer in London or a Buddhist temple in Tokyo, each destination offers the chance for space, a time to think, and provides a moment to savour the world around us in a new light.