It’s sometimes said that books are the easiest gifts to give but the hardest to receive. However, quite the opposite is true of Phaidon books. With a huge range of books taking in art, design, architecture, food, fashion, pop culture, and an ever-growing children’s list, we understand that the huge amount of choice on offer might be somewhat daunting for some buyers.
Which is why we’ve simplified things for our Phaidon.com readers by asking some of the authors, illustrators and subjects of our books to tell us who in their world - and beyond - they’d ideally be gifting a copy of their book, or books to, as the holiday season approaches.
Here are our first group of creatives. When you’ve read their comments head to the store and keep checking back for more stories and gifting ideas from the talented, and thoughtful, people we’re proud to publish.
Dominic Bradbury – author of Mid-Century Modern Designers, Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces, Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses, Atlas of Interior Design. "I would like to give a copy of Mid-Century Modern Designers to the people who design supermarkets. They could really do with some definite design inspiration and a lot of cheering up, so Mid-Century Modern is just the thing for them. Given that we all spend so much time in these soul-destroying marchés, especially at Christmas time, a copy of the book delivered to everyone involved should pay big dividends sooner or later."
Jackie Caradonio – photographer and writer of The Inn Crowd "This season, I’d give The Inn Crowd to mothers-in-law everywhere. Much as we adore them, they are notoriously impossible to shop for (mine especially), but this is as close to foolproof as it gets - whether she’s a design aficionado, travel obsessive, or bookworm. Show up to the holidays with this tucked under your arm, and she simply cannot be anything but delighted. For once."
Melanie Grant – author of The Jewelry Book and Coveted "I’d give The Jewelry Book to Grace Jones because she is a wild, fearless style icon who is an inspiration. For me, she’s a style hero who’s used her body as a canvas and been unapologetic in how she wears jewelry. She broke with conventional gender roles and social norms to become this powerful yet playful actress, singer, model and artist muse. As she said: “You have to be a high-flying bitch sometimes.” She’s also in The Jewelry Book."
Steven Garnaccia – illustrator of The Story of Pasta and How to Cook It! "I’d give The Story of Pasta and How to Cook It! to my 10-year-old self, who grew up in a hybrid Italian-American/German-Jewish household, and was sometimes known to eat ravioli from a can (and loved it!). I also loved to cook, almost as much as I loved to draw. I once concocted a spaghetti sauce I called Steve’s Special for my skeptical family, using every spice on my mother’s spice rack (yes, including cloves). My 10-year-old self would also learn how to pronounce all of the pasta shapes’ names (I loved-and still love-words!)."
Michael W. Twitty – chef author of Recipes from the American South "I wrote this book so it could nourish, be savored, and be shared like a sumptuous Southern meal. Recipes from the American South is meant to be a collectible, an heirloom volume; a book meant to be written in, dog eared and dripped on as much as it can be - on your coffee table, or in a library full of books about the South and her culture. This book is for cooks, people who create community through food, people who understand the magic that you get when a cookbook becomes a spell book, an archive or just a love letter to a cuisine. Get into it, rub that cover, knock on it like a door, feel that heft, hug it and try not to eat the pictures. And who would I give it to? I’d give it to Mashama Bailey of The Grey in Savannah."
Check out all these books and many, many others in the store.
