Books with author Donald Thompson

Why would a smart New York investment banker pay $12 million for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock's drip painting No. 5, 1948 sell for $140 million? Intriguing and entertaining, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark is a Freakonomics approach to the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world. Why were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131 contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights reached in 2007? Don Thompson explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art world in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work valuable while others are ignored.This book is the first to look at the economics and the marketing strategies that enable the modern art market to generate such astronomical prices. Drawing on interviews with past and present executives of auction houses and art dealerships, artists, and the buyers who move the market, Thompson launches the reader on a journey of discovery through the peculiar world of modern art. Surprising, passionate, gossipy, revelatory, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark reveals a great deal that even experienced auction purchasers do not know.

Why would a smart New York investment banker pay $12 million for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock’s drip painting No. 5, 1948 sell for $140 million? Intriguing and entertaining, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark is a Freakonomics approach to the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world. Why were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131 contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights reached in 2007? Don Thompson explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art world in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work valuable while others are ignored. This book is the first to look at the economics and the marketing strategies that enable the modern art market to generate such astronomical prices. Drawing on interviews with both past and present executives of auction houses and art dealerships, artists, and the buyers who move the market, Thompson launches the reader on a journey of discovery through the peculiar world of modern art. Surprising, passionate, gossipy, revelatory, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark reveals a great deal that even experienced auction purchasers do not know.

Why would a smart New York investment banker pay twelve million dollars for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? How does Jackson Pollock's drip painting No.5 1948 sell for $140 million? And why does a leather jacket with silver chain attached, tossed in a corner and titled 'No One Ever Leaves', bring $690,000 at a 2007 Sotheby's auction? The Twelve Million Dollar Stuffed Shark is the first book to look at the economics of the modern art world and the strategies which power the market to produce such astronomical prices. Don Thompson talks to auction houses, dealers, and collectors to find out the source of Charles Saatchi's Midas touch, and how far a gallery like White Cube has contributed to Damien Hirst becoming the highest-earning artist in the world. The result is a fascinating, shrewd and highly readable insight into a world where brand is everything.Don Thompson is an economist and professor of business specialising in art. He has taught at the London School of Economics and the Harvard Business School. This is his first trade book. He lives in London and Toronto.

Unicorn Is Studying Numbers is a fun, educational book. In this book, Smart Unicorn will introduce your children to numbers by showing them the number and its name. With this book, it will be more interesting for your children to study numbers, because a cute Unicorn is liked by all children. Colorful, cute pictures with a Unicorn will attract the attention of your children and they will study numbers with great interest. Such a book will not lie on the sidelines, it will be interesting for the whole family. Smart Unicorn is a series of educational books for your children in which children will receive the necessary knowledge.

Unicorn Is Studying Planets And Satellites is a fun, educational book. In this book, Smart Unicorn will introduce planets to your children by showing them the planet and its name. With this book, it will be more interesting for your children to study the planets, because a cute Unicorn is liked by all children. Colorful, cute pictures with a Unicorn will attract the attention of your children and they will study the planets with great interest. Such a book will not lie on the sidelines, it will be interesting for the whole family. Smart Unicorn is a series of educational books for your children in which children will receive the necessary knowledge.

Why would a smart New York investment banker pay twelve million dollars for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock's drip painting No.5 1948 sell for $140 million? 'The $12 Million Dollar Stuffed Shar'k is the first book to look at the economics of the modern art world, and the marketing strategies that power the market to produce such astronomical prices. Don Thompson talks to auction houses, dealers, and collectors to find out the source of Charles Saatchi's Midas touch, and how far a gallery like White Cube has contributed to Damien Hirst becoming one of the highest-earning artists in the world.

“Donald Thomas is the all-time best at Sherlockian pastiche.” —Ellery Queen Mystery MagazineIn a momentous period of British history, Donald Thomas’s latest Sherlock Holmes adventure pits the Great Detective and his faithful biographer, Dr. John Watson, against an international conspiracy led by a disgraced English officer. Colonel Hunter Moran bears upon him “The Mark of the Beast”; his satanic ingenuity leaves a spectacular trail of devastation. It runs from the annihilation of a British armored column by Zulu tribesmen armed only with shields and spears, to a life-and-death struggle on the sinking passenger steamer Comtesse de Flandre. The heir to the French empire lies dead in the African dust. Europe is brought to the brink of war by forged dispatches, designed to enrich gun-runners and assassins. The gold-fields and diamond mines of South Africa become the playground of organized crime. Only the detective genius of Holmes can prove a match for the unfolding criminality of Moran and his associates. WithWatson and Mycroft at his side, Sherlock Holmes again demonstrates that although the powers of the state and the underworld may try to overpower him, they will never out-think his splendid analytical mind at the height of its powers.

Constellations For Kids, this tutorial is one of those that will never lie on the sidelines. Your children will study the constellations with great interest. Bright, beautiful pictures, a description of the constellations that is understandable for children, will make your children much smarter. Your children will usefully study the constellations with this book. This book will be interesting not only for babies but also for Papas and Moms.

The Boxer Diaries are the adventures of Foxy and Bear, two boxer dogs. With their human family, they share and experience new and wonderful encounters with other animals, humans and the natural environments some of the animals live in. Bear and Foxy learn that all of the different animals that they come in contact with during their travels speak different languages. Saving Baby Elsie is the story of Bear and Foxy helping save a calf from a pack of wolves. While learning how they live, hunt and survive in the wilds of the woods they find that they have a lot in common with one another, but that the difference between them would not allow them to live in the same place. But they can give each other the respect that they earned through the time they spend together learning about each others way of life.This book is dedicated to my wife for her strength and her support, and my grandchildren, including my newly found and adopted granddaughter, Elexis Sherice Thompson.

What if coins could talk?What if coins could talk? In “The Adventures of Lucky and Nicky” they can! And much more! On one hand, Lucky (The Penny) and Nicky (The Nickel) are like your typical 12 year old boys that like to run and play. But on the other hand, the predicaments they encounter are very different. This book “Lucky Gets Trapped in a Penny Loafer” finds our coins in an unusual situation. As Lucky and Nicky are racing down the sidewalk, Lucky sees a boy running towards them.”Let’s get out of here!” shouts Lucky. Timmy chases the coins until they slow down and fall over with exhaustion. He scoops them up and runs towards his mother. He is very excited because he knows coins are valuable and plans to add them to his piggy bank. But his mother has a better idea for Lucky. She shows Timmy how to put the coin between the flaps of his penny loafer. Lucky is trapped. Later that night while Timmy is sleeping, Nicky finds Lucky sad and frightened under the bed. Unable to free him, Nicky dashes off looking for help. Soon, he finds Diana, a beautiful young dime. She tells Nicky “I don’t think I can be much help, but my father will help you.” She yells, “father, come quickly!” Out of the crack in the wall, like a locomotive coming through a tunnel, appears a big and powerful 50 cent piece called Mr. Jack. Nicky leads Diana and her father to Lucky. Soon Lucky will be free.

Marie Is Studying Constellations is an educational book for children. In this book, the little girl Marie will introduce your children to the constellations, showing them the constellations and their names. So that your children can easily remember the constellations, everything is done in a simple vision for children. This book will be interesting to both the children and the whole family. The little girl Marie has prepared a series of educational books for your children, where she will teach your children the necessary knowledge.