Szyk and Smoke

Arthur Szyk was an artist whose artwork can truly be said to have influenced history.  Born in Poland in 1894, he served Poland honorably during World War One.  Between the wars he was quite prolific and well-sought after as an illustator.  One of his most famous illustrations is "The Four Freedoms" that he presented to the U.S.  It is still in the Library of Congress.  Seeing the handwriting on the wall, Syzk moved to London in 1937 and worked tirelessly to aid in the war effort against Nazi tyranny.  He eventually moved to the U.S.  and worked here until he died in 1951.

This volume is from an exhibition put on by the Holocaust Museum in 2002.  It is rare and full of colorful photographs of his work.  Being able to study the paintings at length using this volume is a great asset for an admirer of Szyk's style because of the sheer volume of detail contained therein. For someone who collects Szyk's art or art of this period, this would be a truly thoughtful gift.  $26 at our Amazon1 Storefront.

It is unusual to find a book that is a collectible about collectibles.  This one, Rare Smoke, is number 16 of a run of 50, and is signed by the author.  This first edition had a total run of 2500 books, making it quite rare now.  It appears not to have been used.  It is a wonderful gift for a pipe collector. $75 at our Amazon1 website.

As always, current Friends can get either or both of these books, saving on shipping, by contacting us at RestonFriendspr@gmail.com  Anyone else can visit our Amazon1 site by clicking the sidebar.

/kw

Self-Improvement Is Affordable

We often receive donations of "The Teaching Company" courses which encompass a wide variety of subjects. These courses are extremely expensive at full retail but a bargain if you purchase them through the Friends of Reston Regional Library.

Chaos, taught by Professor Steven Strognatz, is a series of 24 lectures on 4 DVD's.  It thoroughly explores this fascinating field of study, from the history of the theory to the modern applications in science and philosophy. From the butterfly's wing to the way waves break on shores, chaos theory gives scientists, philosophers, and other thinkers a glimpse into the complexity of the interrelationships in our physical world. The full retail on this series is $245.  Our price on our Amazon1 storefront (top of the column) is $60.

Remember, current Friends of the Library can contact us to purchase these books directly, saving on shipping, by e-mailing us at RestonFriendsPR@gmail.com

/kw

A Best Seller Opportunity

Get it while it's available!  This book is on several best-seller lists right now.  It was Stieg Larsson's debut thriller and first swept Europe and now the U.S.  Unfortunately, Larsson died not long after completing this book (and another yet to be published in the US).

See what the hype is about.  This is an abridged audiobook on CDs.  We are selling it for $14.75 at our Amazon RestonFriends2 site.  If you look to the right of this post, the second entry on the sidebar is Amazon RestonFriends2.  Yes, we have added a second Amazon storefront.  We did this for many reasons -- but mostly to share the work.

If you are a current Friend of Reston Regional Library, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo can be yours without shipping!  E-mail us at RestonFriendsPR@gmail.com

/kw