Organizations and companies remain successful if they are ecosystems in which people are motivated to improve. People are engaged when organizations have a purpose and attract like-minded men and women. The transformative power of noble purpose is what unites individual self-realization, organizational efficiency, and societal evolution. This book, inspired by the life story of the author, promotes a society where environment, humanism and economy go hand in hand to create a sustainable future.

“Travelling from your couch, it is possible with the book. You will get an overview of different types of cottage accommodations, from small weekend houses to lavishly decorated summer villas and modern cottages.” — Elle Decoration Belgium

The Design of Retreat explores different types of outdoor retreats designed by and owned by leading names in the interior design world. From contemporary cabins, modern cottages and minimal vacation homes to sumptuously decorated summer villas with a flair for drama. In The Design of Retreat, they stand side by side with seaside Italian palazzos and tropical hideaways in the Mexican jungle. The wonderfully colorful homes, playful weekend cottages, innovative farmhouses and historic mansions will take you around the world. Relax and get away.

Stories of Home is an exploration of the idea of living and how Hacin—the award-winning architecture, interiors, and visual identity firm based in Boston—creates spaces that foster a true sense of belonging and connection.

This expressive and evocative publication presents a curated selection of Hacin’s projects and explores the emotional and conceptual threads of each residence, highlighting what’s most important to the people who live there. Together, these homes tell a larger story of life, and reveal how every aspect of a design, down to the finest detail, can embody memory and meaning. Interwoven throughout are narratives that reflect on Hacin’s commitment to concept-driven design, skilled craftsmanship, community, and the historic character of Boston’s neighborhoods—the setting of much of Hacin’s work.

Richly illustrated and beautifully presented, Stories of Home reflects on Hacin’s decades-long private residential practice and the firm’s narrative approach to design and place-making for contemporary residences in Boston and across the United States.

Atlas of the New World is a visionary photographic project by Giulia Piermartiri and Edoardo Delille that merges documentary rigor with speculative imagination. Projecting future climate scenarios onto present-day landscapes using analog photography techniques, the book creates a compelling visual atlas of a planet in transformation. Each image overlays real places with ghostly visions of the world to come: flooded cities, vanished glaciers, scorched forests. Scientific data meets poetic insight as the work explores six geographies deeply affected by the climate crisis—from the vanishing Maldives to the scorched forests of Russia and California, the disappearing glaciers of Mont Blanc, and the flooded river basins of China.

Accompanied by texts from scientists and writers, the book invites us to see what is not yet visible: a future already seeded in our present. Atlas of the New World is both warning and proposition—a lyrical cartography of climate collapse and an urgent call for imaginative resilience.

A Night Full of Stars is an award-winning novel by V.Vinicchayakul, one of Thailand’s most foremost novelists, and the author of over 100 novels, many of which have been adapted for TV and film. Set against the backdrop of the 1932 revolution, this beautiful novel deals with universal themes of love, loyalty, greed, anger, lust and jealousy which, whilst giving a unique insight into Thai way of life, will resonate with readers worldwide.

Drago’s 36 Chambers series explores one of the world’s best-known street artists and the evolution of his unique iconography. Nick Walker’s iconic bowler-hatted character is an urban prankster whose timeless work possesses a charming yet mischievous sense of humor. Together with a collection of never-before-seen stencil pieces, the book provides exclusive insight into the birth of modern street art and culture.

Sheila Fruman, fascinated by the textiles and handmade carpets she saw when she traveled overland in 1969 from Turkey to India, tells the stories of nine intrepid adventurers who have combed the streets and bazaars of Central and South Asia finding, researching, collecting and selling antique Kashmir shawls, embroidered Uzbek textiles and robes, Anatolian kilims, Turkmen carpets and many other textile treasures to interested Westerners.  

These stories capture the post-World War II era’s free spirit that briefly coincided with economic prosperity and open borders. With over 200 color illustrations, the book shows how the indigenous designs and motifs popularized in the US and Europe by these textile travelers can now be found in anything from haute couture to high-end interior design to mass-marketed bedding, tableware and clothing. 

The dealers and collectors who have spent their lives seeking these complex pieces of the past have intriguing stories to tell and collections of some of the finest textiles of their kind in the world. Taken together, their stories are an enlightening guide to understanding how we connect to the past, and how textiles connect the world.

In the past ten years, Swedish floral designer Per Benjamin developed his own color theory. The World of Colour according to Per Benjamin is an educational-entertaining-inspirational book where his color theory is explained in text, but above all presented in a very creative, visual ‘hands on’ style in beautiful pictures and colour charts. The photos are a mixture of studio works, outdoor pieces and bigger event designs (such as the Nobel Prize award ceremonies) and show both small and extra large arrangements. All of the pictures included illustrate how it is possible to extract color tones from a material both in theory and in practice.

After the great success of the first issue, we are now following up with the eagerly awaited Volume II. Guido Weiß alias DJ MAD from the ABSOLUTE BEGINNER has fished out 366 absolute gems from the last four decades from his extensive and well-stocked vinyl collection for this fine hip-hop and rap tear-off calendar.
In addition to the well-known US classics, there are also many French, English and German artists. An absolute must for all B-boys and girls out there! And of course, many albums can be played immediately using the printed SPOTIFY codes.

The City of London is a special place; presently associated with business and high-level finance in particular. It is a frenetic, changing cityscape but despite the bluster it retains evidence of a fascinating history and a wealth of sumptuous architectural detail. The Vernacular of Money: Classical Architecture in the City of London documents and illustrates this wealth of institutional and commercial buildings that draw inspiration from Classical architectural canon, reinterpreting and adapting it to coeval requirements.

From graceful livery halls like the Goldsmiths’, to palatial Edwardian insurance offices to decorous official buildings like the Mansion House and Royal Exchange, the buildings documented here are unified not only geographically and culturally but also by the use of a common ‘vocabulary’ — the Classical architectural language that has influenced Western architectural discourse for the better part of two and a half millennia.

The volume is aimed both at as a reference work of architectural history and as a general interest book for the large community of present and past City of London workers and residents.

“Common (不二)” is a Buddhist term that comes from the Dictionary of Buddhist Studies. “All matters in the world are originally one and equal, without distinction.” This means that nothing is different from each other.

Born with a congenital disability, Liu Yi underwent more than 20 operations to slowly stretch his body from the “sphere.” He always smiles innocently in life, with paintings, art, and innocence to heal himself while infecting others. Since April 14, 2015, Liu Yi started drawing on his smartphone with his fingers every day. This “assignment” soon became a part of his life.

Common Innocence of Liu Yi is a simple yet satisfying read, with hundreds of little drawings created by the artist, accompanied by his thoughts, the names of paintings given by Jian Guoer during their conversations, as well as comments from professionals.

Text in English and Chinese.

Written as a type of intimate journal combining childhood memories with those of a young apprentice and all the experiences gained and born of encounters, firstly with the great names in jewelry and subsequently in watchmaking, this book is above all a testimony to the birth of a passion placed at the service of the brand. François Bodet makes plain, through his own story, the profound significance of time in the evolution of knowledge. This is all the more worth highlighting today, when our society is confronted with the constraints of standardization, computerization and dehumanization which result in the “quickly done” taking precedence over the “well done”. It is appropriate to remember that success may only be achieved by following the various stages of a process that must allow time to take its course. As well as devoting his life to the rebirth of historical pocket watches while safeguarding their essence, François Bodet succeeded in promoting Breguet internationally, while preserving the emotional substance of objects that have come to life through a process showing respect for the various phases of time. These pages are filled with a sense of humility, since knowledge – as the author aptly expresses it – is passed on by individuals serving as intermediaries in fostering the growth of talent. All his masters are named and due tribute is paid to them, since it is so clearly true that “the nostalgic sound of the soul” in each of these watches.

The impressive Château de Chenonceau is the jewel of the French Loire Valley. The fairytale type castle has had a particularly rich history and has always been inhabited and curated by intelligent, strong-willed women such as Catherine Briçonnet, Diane de Potiers, Catherine de Medici and Louise de Lorraine – hence its nickname ‘Ladies’ Castle’. Through the ages the spaces have been imprinted with the souls of those who built, inhabited and loved the castle. Every part of Chenonceau’s interior and exterior – not in the least the castle’s impressive gardens – exudes peace, harmony and elegance. Since 2015 Jean-Francois Boucher has been appointed floral scenographer of the estate. Together with his small team he creates new floral compositions for the castle’s rooms every week. These ‘staged’ flowers emphasize the history of the estate just like any other piece of art or furniture does. Their designs blend in perfectly with the interiors and are in beautiful harmony with the room’s color codes, perfumes and functions. Sometimes they even wink at poetry, art or the historical events that took place in these spaces. The Bouquets of Chenonceau is a magnificent coffee table book that will please both lovers of history and fans of floral design. Text in English and French.

The Art & Times of Daniel Jocz presents the entrancing and challenging work of American jewelry artist and sculptor Daniel Jocz. There is a spontaneous quality to the work, yet it is always rich with meaning. His open spirit is fully embodied in the 2007 neckpiece series An American’s Riff on the Millstone Ruff. Inspired by the extravagant scale of 17th-century Dutch ruffs at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, he decided to update them with automobile paint.

Jeannine Falino takes an in-depth look at the twists and turns of Jocz’s long career, from his early geometric sculptures to the fashion-forward flocked Candy Wear collection, and from his ruminations on Marlene Dietrich in the form of necklaces featuring enamel smoked cigarettes to the wall reliefs he explores today. Wendy Steiner considers Jocz’s place in the avant-garde through the lens of fashion and culture, while Patricia Harris and David Lyon explore his involvement in the rollicking Boston jewelry scene of the late 20th century.

Artists of Nigeria analyzes the influence of different art systems (museums, cultural institutions, art fairs, galleries, the internet) and cultures on the development of modern and contemporary Nigerian art in the past 100 years. Organized chronologically, and including biographical notes on the artists and lavish color illustrations, this unprecedented book charts the development of modern Nigerian art, and analyzes the works of significant Nigerian artists and art movements within the country and beyond. This comprehensive overview demonstrates the variety and vitality of Nigerian artists and confers on them a visibility they are often denied in global publications. Among the artists featured are Olowere, whose work is in the collections of the British Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Smithsonian Institution; Chike Aniakor, who has a PhD from Indiana University; and Uche Okeke, whose work has been shown at the Sherman Gallery at Boston University.

Best of the Watch is a panorama of the best global watch production from the last 30 years. Legendary brands are included, such as Rolex, Vacheron-Constantin, Patek-Philippe, Bréguet, Blancpain, A Lange & Söhne, Richard Mille, and Audemars Piguet, to name just a few.

Iconic and fascinating creations unveiled in a luxurious XL format to better illustrate the mysteries and inner workings of these legendary timepieces.

Text in English and French.

Step further into the world of Louis Vuitton, where legacy craftsmanship meets bold innovation. This extended edition delves deeper into the brand’s journey—from its origins in custom travel trunks to its status as a global symbol of style and sophistication.

Explore the evolution of the iconic monogram, the creative impact of designers like Marc Jacobs and Nicolas Ghesquière, and how Louis Vuitton has influenced fashion, art, and pop culture. With added chapters and rare visuals, this book uncovers the layers behind the label.

See how stars like Zendaya, Scarlett Johansson, and Selena Gomez have redefined red carpet glamor and street style with Louis Vuitton’s signature pieces.

Whether you’re a longtime admirer or new to the brand, this expanded volume is a richly curated celebration of why Louis Vuitton remains at the pinnacle of luxury.

Also available is ISBN 9788794190596 The Essence of Louis Vuitton, Unfolded.

The America’s Cup has been the world’s most prestigious yacht race for over 170 years. This beautifully illustrated and fully updated new edition tells the story of the cup from its inception through to the most recent race, held in 2024.

Named in 1851 in honor of the first winner (New York pilot, ‘America’), the Cup was dominated by American yachts for well over a century. At last, in 1983, Australia II wrestled the trophy away from the USA, albeit briefly. At Barcelona in 2024, the Cup produced one of the best contests yet, with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron winning the race for a fifth time, and a British yacht, Britannia, competing in the finals for the first time in 60 years.

With a painting of each race since 1851, by marine artist Tim Thompson, and detailed descriptions of the boats involved, The Story of the America’s Cup 1851-2024 is an elegant, insightful celebration of a storied contest.

An impressively tattooed but unnamed Easter Island (Rapa Nui) man appears often in the pages of Pacific Island histories and museum catalogs. The Swedish ethnographer Dr. Knut Hjalmar Stolpe knew him only as Tepano, the Tahitian version of the Christian name Stephen. But what was his real Rapanui identity, and what can his life story tell us about the history of Easter Island?

This book reveals his identity, who illustrated him, and how he transcended the tragic events of 19th-century Rapa Nui to become one of the most iconic faces of the Polynesian past. The authors summarize the history of tattoo as practiced by Rapanui artisans, link that history to island geography, and present rare barkcloth sculptures as a visual record of tattoo patterns.

This title is the first in a new series on Polynesian Arts & Culture by Mana Press, in partnership with Floating World Editions.

For a list of future titles, visit: www.FloatingWorldEditions.com. For more on Rapa Nui, the Mana Gallery and Mana Books, visit: www.eisp.org.

Since the early seventeenth century, Taoism – the native religion of China – has been generally regarded by authorities there as base superstition and potentially subversive. The Taoist poetry of medieval China was consequently ignored by Chinese arbiters of taste and, until recently, most Western scholars and translators have accepted this judgment uncritically; a body of beautiful verse, with analogs in the poetry of Christian mysticism, has remained virtually unknown in our time. This book augments the efforts of a few contemporary Western scholars to recover the meaning and value of this literary heritage. The eminent sinologist Edward H. Shafer translated all the surviving verse of the ninth-century poet Ts’ao T’ang, and to the selections published here has added introductory remarks on the source of the poet’s imagery and short essays on his treatment of figures of the Taoist pantheon. Ts’ao T’ang has placed these deities in celestial gardens, sparkling palaces on the summits of sacred mountains, and secret places of rendezvous on magic islands in the eastern sea. The poet creates a world of illusions, in which it is difficult to distinguish vestments from rainbows, castles from crags, birds from spirits, sea-waves from sea-mounts – even lords from ladies. These contrived wonders are all metaphors for a world completely inaccessible to our mortal senses.

One of two seminal texts for understanding the life of Miyamoto Musashi (c.1584-1645), the most celebrated swordsman in Japanese history, completed in 1755 by Toyoda Masanaga, senior retainer to the Nagaoka clan; with the Bushû denraiki (also available from Floating World), the Bukôden stands as the most reliable record of Musashi’s life and exploits outside those from the hand of the master swordsman himself. Now, for the first time in two-and-a-half centuries, Masanaga’s insight into this enigmatic and solitary swordsman has been made available to the English reader. It throws a new and refreshing light on many aspects of Musashi’s life, especially his later life – his adoption of Iori, his return to Kyushu in 1634, and of course the gestation of his great work on the philosophy and art of Japanese swordsmanship, the Book of Five Rings.

Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584-1645) is the most revered and celebrated swordsman in Japanese history; in Japan alone close to a thousand works have taken the ancient warrior as its subject. Unfortunately, our modern portrait of this folk hero is derived mainly from popular books, comics, and film, with little heed paid to the early denki, chronicles recorded by men who, though they had not known Musashi in his lifetime, faithfully recorded what was passed down by those who had. The Bushû Denraiki is the earliest such record still in existence. Completed in 1727 by Tachibana Minehide, the fifth generation master of Musashi’s Niten Ichi school of fencing, it is the most reliable record of Musashi’s life and exploits outside those from the hand of the master swordsman himself. Now, after three centuries, Minehide’s insight into this enigmatic and solitary swordsman are available to the English reader. His text throws a new and refreshing light on many aspects of especially Musashi’s early life-his troubled relations with his father, his first battle experience during Japan’s period of unification, the sad death of his illegitimate child, and of course his legendary duel on Ganryû island.

Although Chinese scholars’ stones fascinate, they do not speak; they reveal their mysteries only grudgingly to those who take the time to observe and to investigate. In seven essays the author relates important lessons learned over a lifetime of collecting and researching these intriguing creations of nature. What did Chinese connoisseurs of a thousand years ago mean by the enigmatic terms shou, zhou, lou, and tou? Were ‘ink mountain stones’ the earliest collected stone form, and were they valued primarily for their utilitarian function? What are the ‘Qingzhou stones’ mentioned in one early text, but ignored in subsequent writings? What should we be looking for when we evaluate an ancient stone? How can we tell if it is ancient without written records and how much weight can be given to any documentation? Finally, using the tools of connoisseurship and textual evidence, is it possible to verify that a stone first collected in the former Han dynasty is the stone we are looking at today? In exploring these and other issues, Kemin Hu illuminates a depth and complexity of stone appreciation not touched upon in other publications, yet understood and appreciated by serious modern collectors as well as Chinese stone lovers of old.