Books published by publisher WW Norton

The letters of the Roman alphabet are so much a part of our everyday life that often they are taken for granted. We no longer see tham for what they really are: complex and beautifully designed symbols of enormous graphic power whose colourful history stretches back many thousands of years. The computer age has easy access to technology that potentially unlocks this versatility . Today's designers, however, are in danger of losing touch with the knowledge that allows them to exploit and develop this rich inheritance. This sourcebook for the study of practical lettering and typography focuses on the visual strengths of the alphabet, examining in detail tha history and evolution of each individual letter, both upper and lower case. It also looks closely at each letter's design, describing the precise technique needed to draw it and examining and illustrating various typefaces. With additional sections on the ampersand, punctuation marks and numbers, this guide should be of interest to students, designers, typographers, calligraphers and anyone with an interest in letters and lettering.

Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can't walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As Mary Roach discovers, it's possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

A delightful, whimsical tale?one of the most popular books for cat lovers ever written, now newly illustrated.May Sarton's fictionalized account of her cat Tom Jones's life and adventures prior to making the author's acquaintance begins with a fiercely independent, nameless street cat who follows the ten commandments of the Gentleman Cat?including "A Gentleman Cat allows no constraint of his person, not even loving constraint." But after several years of roaming, Tom has grown tired of his vagabond lifestyle, and he concludes that there might be some appeal after all in giving up the freedom of street life for a loving home. It will take just the right human companion, however, to make his transformation from Cat About Town to genuine Fur Person possible. Sarton's book is one of the most beloved stories ever written about the joys and tribulations inherent in sharing one's life with a cat. This edition, beautifully illustrated with 9 new color watercolors by Jared Williams, will continue to be an enduring favorite. 9 new color watercolors

Athletics and politics collide in a critical event for Nazi Germany and the contemporary world. The torch relay -- that staple of Olympic pageantry -- first opened the summer games in 1936 in Berlin. Proposed by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry, the relay was to carry the symbolism of a new Germany across its route through southeastern and central Europe. Soon after the Wehrmacht would march in jackboots over the same terrain. The Olympic festival was a crucial part of the Nazi regime's mobilization of power. Nazi Games offers a superb blend of history and sport. The narrative includes a stirring account of the international effort to boycott the games, derailed finally by the American Olympic Committee and the determination of its head, Avery Brundage, to participate. Nazi Games also recounts the dazzling athletic feats of these Olympics, including Jesse Owens's four gold-medal performances and the marathon victory of Korean runner Kitei Son, the Rising Sun of imperial Japan on his bib. 25 b/w photographs.

Unmarked text. Unclipped dust jacket. 175p. References and Notes. The American biologist Edward O. Wilson, considered to be one of the world's greatest living scientists, has argued for the fundamental unity of all knowledge and the need to search for consilience. This volume is about the survival of the planet, written in the form of an impassioned letter to a Southern Baptist pastor. Measures 5.75x8.25 inches. Very Good in very good dust jacket. Hardcover. (#28407)

His two companions dead, food and supplies vanished in a crevasse, Douglas Mawson was still one hundred miles from camp.On January 17, 1913, alone and near starvation, Douglas Mawson, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, was hauling a sledge to get back to base camp. The dogs were gone. Now Mawson himself plunged through a snow bridge, dangling over an abyss by the sledge harness. A line of poetry gave him the will to haul himself back to the surface. Mawson was sometimes reduced to crawling, and one night he discovered that the soles of his feet had completely detached from the flesh beneath. On February 8, when he staggered back to base, his features unrecognizably skeletal, the first teammate to reach him blurted out, Which one are you? This thrilling and almost unbelievable account establishes Mawson in his rightful place as one of the greatest polar explorers and expedition leaders. It is illustrated by a trove of Frank Hurley s famous Antarctic photographs, many never before published in the United States. 24 pages of illustrations