By My Hands

Everybody's Fly: A Life of Art, Music, and Changing the Culture

Fab 5 Freddy · 336 pages

The Agony and the Ecstasy

Irving Stone · 710 pages

Mr. Stone gives his signature style and thought to this story of Michelangelo. He points out often in this book that Michelangelo, before beginning a work, asks what it is he is trying to capture in the moment of his painting, sculpture, or poem. So it is with Mr. Stone. He wants to portray, as close as he can find, the moments of the life of this artist. What shaped him, what he loved, what (and

A Single Shard

Linda Sue Park · 152 pages

In this Newbery Medal-winning book set in 12th century Korea, Tree-ear, a 13-year-old orphan, lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o, a potters' village famed for delicate celadon ware. He has become fascinated with the potter’s craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday. When Min takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is ela

The White Road: Journey into an Obsession

Edmund de Waal · 416 pages

"An intimate narrative history of porcelain, structured around five journeys through landscapes where porcelain was dreamed about, fired, refined, collected, and coveted"--

The Story of My Life

Helen Keller · 240 pages

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Laban Carrick Hill · 40 pages

Chronicles the life of Dave, a nineteenth-century slave who went on to become an influential poet, artist, and potter.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

Elizabeth Gilbert · 288 pages

Elizabeth Gilbert digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity, offering insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need i

The Water is Wide

Pat Conroy · 260 pages

"A young white teacher goes to an island off the coast of South Carolina to teach a group of functionally illiterate black children. Yamacraw Island is backward and primitive, a world for the most part left untouched by the 20th century....By ignoring the textbooks and concentrating on meaningful situations and dialogue...he begins to make headway. He also, unfortunately arouses the ire of the pow

The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius

Jan Greenberg, Sandra Jordan · 53 pages

George E. Ohr, the self-described "Greatest Art Potter on Earth," was an unusual man who made unusual pottery. Though he was virtually unknown after his death in 1918, his legacy thrives today. The coauthor is Sandra Jordan.

The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh · 351 pages

Most unusually among major painters, Vincent van Gogh (1853-90) was also an accomplished writer. His letters provide both a unique self-portrait and a vivid picture of the contemporary cultural scene. Van Gogh emerges as a complex but captivating personality, struggling with utter integrity to fulfil his artistic destiny. This major new edition, which is based on an entirely new translation, rein

Just Kids

Patti Smith · 336 pages

In this memoir, singer-songwriter Patti Smith shares tales of New York City : the denizens of Max's Kansas City, the Hotel Chelsea, Scribner's, Brentano's and Strand bookstores and her new life in Brooklyn with a young man named Robert Mapplethorpe--the man who changed her life with his love, friendship, and genius.

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Austin Kleon · 160 pages

When asked to talk to students at Broome Community College in upstate New York in the spring of 2011, Austin Kleon wrote a simple list often things he wished he'd heard when he was their age: 'Steal like an artist; Don't wait until you know who you are to start making things; Write the book you want to read; Use your hands; Side projects are important; Do good work and put it where people can see

Autobiography of a Yogi

Paramahansa Yogananda · 502 pages

The autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda (1893 - 1952) details his search for a guru, during which he encountered many spiritual leaders and world-renowned scientists. When it was published in 1946 it was the first introduction of many westerners to yoga and meditation.The famous opera singer Amelita Galli-Curci said about the book:"Amazing, true stories of saints and masters of India, blended w

Why We Make Things and Why It Matters: The Education of a Craftsman

Peter Korn · 179 pages

Following his personal experiences as a novice carpenter, designer/maker of fine furniture, and a teacher, Korn explores the nature and rewards of creative practice.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Mitch Albom · 192 pages

Tuesdays with Morrie is a memoir by American author Mitch Albom about a series of visits Albom made to his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz gradually dies of ALS. The book topped the New York Times Non-Fiction Best-Sellers List for 23 combined weeks in 2000, and remained on the New York Times best-selling list for more than four years after. In 2006, Tuesdays with Morrie was

Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson · 197 pages

"Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated

Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives

Dan Millman · 211 pages

A world champion athlete visits "other worlds" with the help of an old warrior named "Socrates."

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Brian Selznick · 534 pages

ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen

Walk Through Walls: A Memoir

Marina Abramovic · 370 pages

The child of Communist war-hero parents under Tito's regime in postwar Yugoslavia, Marina Abramović was raised with a relentless work ethic. Even as she was beginning to build an international artistic career, she lived at home under her mother's abusive control, strictly obeying a 10 p.m. curfew. But nothing could quell her insatiable curiosity, her desire to connect with people, or her distinctl

Mao's Last Dancer

Li Cunxin · 444 pages

A poor child living in poverty is chosen out of millions of children to attend Madame Mao's dancing ballet. His life drastically shifted from living in poverty to studying dance.

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

Richard Bach · 144 pages

Wonderfully written, a glimpse into faith, self-reliance and friendship, witty and thought provoking. Barnstorming pilot meets a messianic man who has misgivings about his purpose. His scripture is captured in a greasy spiral bound notebook and he changes the lives of all he meets.

Drawing Blood

Molly Crabapple · 345 pages

The underground artist and journalist presents a memoir of her years between September 11 and the Occupy movement in New York City to discuss the impact of historical events on her work and her decision to become a witness journalist. "In language that is fresh, visceral, and deeply moving--and illustrations that are irreverent and gorgeous--here is a memoir that will change the way you think abo

Red Wing Stoneware Encyclopedia

Dan DePasquale, Larry Peterson (Red Wing collector)

Dan DePasquale and Larry Peterson provide a history of the Red Wing companies and identify the many unique stoneware items produced by them. Photographs include hundreds of items, many of which have never been seen in any book. For example, blue/white kitchen ware, churns, advertising pieces, and the Big Boy jugs. Additionally there are special sections of salt glaze water coolers, pitchers, and d

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

Ben Carson, Cecil Murphey · 224 pages

Ben Carson, M.D., works medical miracles. Today, he's one of the most celebrated neurosurgeons in the world. In Gifted Hands, he tells of his inspiring odyssey from his childhood in inner-city Detroit to his position as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital at age 33.