Renowned event planner David Stark reveals whimsical, artistic, unexpected designs often created from sustainable, industrial, or low-cost materials to inspire readers—whether planning a wedding, dinner party, or holiday gathering—looking for ideas for their own events. Twenty-five of David Stark's events are featured—both private celebrations and charitable galas— and showcase how he developed the inspiration for the overarching theme, color palette, and the thoughtful, coordinated details he's known for, and which truly make an event memorable. From the New York Metropolitan Opera opening gala to Target’s large-scale charitable events and pop-up shops, David Stark’s inimitable influence is sweeping the design world—and thanks to his books, becoming more accessible for his legions of fans. No matter the event, The Art of the Party is sure to inspire creativity and become an essential resource for years to come.

David Stark is one of New York’s most creative and sought-after event designers. This book explores forty of Stark’s elaborate yet eco-friendly events—corporate, non-profit, and private—with 200 exquisite photographs and descriptive text. Organized according to the designer’s quirky phraseology—“Animate the Inanimate” “Don't Take It So Seriously . . . At the End of the Day, It's a Party” “From Many Little Things Make One Big Thing” "It's Not What You Use, But How You Use It" and "Make Packaging the Prize"—this book is unique in both its presentation and its content. Stark considers his events “art installations” and when guests enter his spaces, that is exactly how they feel—surrounded by the kind of creative input and passion that can only be described as art. Clients include Condé Nast Publications, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, Hearst Corporation, Michael Graves, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, Museum of Arts and Design, Rachael Ray, Tory Burch, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, Sundance Institute, and Target.

As sweet as a love note, as welcome as a holiday, as easy as pie. Take simple squares of cloth, succinctly written directions, and clearly photographed steps and create fantastic napkin folds that transform your table into a showpiece. Mixing whimsy and elegance, celebrity event designer David Stark fashions stylish setups for every occasion. In Napkins with a Twist, Stark turns his unerring eye to the art of the perfect table setting, focusing on the quick, inexpensive, and creative. From everyday to evening, children's parties to black-tie affairs, a clever napkin fold turns any gathering into a memorable event. Classic folds such as the Tuexedo Fold, together with Stark's own innovative designs—including the wildly fun Fortune Cookie and Sushi Roll folds—make setting the table a no-brainer. Folds from Buckingham Palace and the Kennedy White House, New York's Pierre and Napa Valley's French Laundry, reveal how royalty, the rich and famous, the world's legendary restaurants, all put just the right touches on their signature starched linens. Along with its array of napkin folds, Napkins with a Twist spills over with useful tips, how-to lists, etiquette reminders, table settings, and surprising suggestions for how a napkin fold can become the starting point for designing an entire occasion.

David Stark is Arthur Lehman Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Columbia University, where he directs the Center on Organizational Innovation. His most recent book is The Sense of Dissonance: Accounts of Worth in Economic Life. Nancy Warner is a fine-art and portrait photographer based in San Francisco. Many of the photographs in this book were first exhibited at the Great Plains Art Museum as Going Back: Midwestern Farm Places (2008).

Stunning contemporary tabletop designs inspired by historical decorative objects from the world's great museums Throughout history, tabletop decoration has been at the nexus of utilitarian function and innovative design. In At the Artisan's Table, designers and event producers Jane Schulak and David Stark pair historical tableware from the world's finest design museums with pieces by an international array of contemporary artisans who reinterpret traditional crafts and styles, including Aptware (marbled clay), blue-and-white Delft, chinoiserie, faux bois, plaster, splatterware, and trompe l'oeil. Each chapter features a museum object that serves as a "muse"; the work and studio of the artist who has updated the traditional craft; and gorgeous table settings designed by Schulak and Stark that incorporate the artist's handmade wares and provide inspiration for everyone who has ever wished to wow their dinner guests.

WINNER OF THE EISNER AWARD • A bold and fascinating graphic novel history of the revolutionary Black Panther Party. Founded in Oakland, California, in 1966, the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was a radical political organization that stood in defiant contrast to the mainstream civil rights movement. This gripping illustrated history explores the impact and significance of the Panthers, from their social, educational, and healthcare programs that were designed to uplift the Black community to their battle against police brutality through citizen patrols and frequent clashes with the FBI, which targeted the Party from its outset. Using dramatic comic book-style retellings and illustrated profiles of key figures, The Black Panther Party captures the major events, people, and actions of the party, as well as their cultural and political influence and enduring legacy.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hex Hall comes the sparkling finale in the beloved Rebel Belle series. Just as Harper Price starts coming to terms with her role as David Stark's battle-ready Paladin, protector, and girlfriend—her world goes crazy all over again. Overwhelmed by his Oracle powers, David flees Pine Grove and starts turning teenaged girls into Paladins—and these young ladies seem to think that Harper is the enemy David needs protecting from. Ordinarily, Harper would be able to fight off any Paladin who comes her way, but her powers have been dwindling since David left town, which means her life is on the line yet again. Now, it’s a desperate race for Harper to find and rescue David before she backslides from superhero to your garden-variety type-A belle. "Reminiscent of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer show, Hawkins’s novel does not disappoint in this final addition to the Rebel Belle trilogy. Funny and sassy, Harper is the perfect combination of strong heroine and Southern lady." —VOYA "Mythic adventure at the country club." —Kirkus Reviews