Traditional Japanese packaging is an art form that applies sophisticated design and natural aesthetics to simple objects. In this elegant presentation of the baskets, boxes, wrappers, and containers that were used in ordinary, day-to-day life, we are offered a stunning example of a time before mass production. Largely constructed of bamboo, rice straw, hemp twine, paper, and leaves, all of the objects shown here are made from natural materials. Through 221 black-and-white photographs of authentic examples of traditional Japanese packaging—with commentary on the origins, materials, and use of each piece—the items here offer a look into a lost art, while also reminding us of the connection to nature and the human imprint of handwork that was once so alive and vibrant in our everyday lives. This classic book was originally published under the title How to Wrap Five More Eggs in 1975. The eminent American designer George Nelson praised the work featured here, saying, “We have come a long, long way from the kind of thing so beautifully presented in this book. To suit the needs of super mass production, the traditional natural materials are too obstreperous . . . and one by one we have replaced them with the docile, predicable synthetics. . . . What we have gained from these [new] materials and wonderfully complicated processes to make up for the general pollution, rush, crowding, noise, sickness, and slickness is a subject for other forums. But what we have lost for sure is what this book is all about: a once-common sense of fitness in the relationships between hand, material, use, and shape, and above all, a sense of delight in the look and feel of very ordinary, humble things. This book is thus . . . a totally unexpected monument to a culture, a way of life, a universal sensibility carried through all objects down to the smallest, most inconsequential, and ephemeral things.” Now, over thirty years later, this revived classic on the art of traditional Japanese packing may leave us with the same response, and the same appreciation for the natural and utile packaging presented in this book.

This book illustrates traditional Japanese packaging.

A baby searches under and behind different objects in search of Easter eggs.

Turn ordinary eggshells into works of art with traditional designs. For centuries, people have revered the egg as a symbol of life, fertility, and love, and they have developed an array of artistic possibilities: egg blowing, wax resist, drilling, and d�coupage for beautifying it. Choose from chicken, duck, ostrich, goose, and quail eggs to get a variety of sizes; see how creative you can be; and show them off in floral centerpieces, as ornaments and package trims, and more. Make a distinctive mobile with eggs wax-embossed with stars and rosettes, or fill an Easter basket with varnished eggs threaded with colorful ribbon. With these tricks of the trade, this is the definitive guide to a timeless craft.

Squeaky Clean Keto marries the principles of clean eating with the ketogenic diet, resulting in reduced inflammation, faster weight loss, and better overall health. It provides readers with the methods and principles of squeaky clean keto (no grains, dairy, alcohol, sweeteners, or nuts), 30 days of easy-to-follow meal plans, and over 130 delicious recipes that are big on flavor and will appeal to even the pickiest of eaters. This book will help readers lose weight, feel healthier, and identify whether or not certain common allergens are hindering their progress—all while eating an abundance of delicious foods that the entire family can enjoy. Squeaky Clean Keto makes weight loss on keto almost effortless, even for people who are self-proclaimed “slow losers.” Food intolerances and inflammation caused by common keto foods like dairy, nuts, and sweeteners can slow weight loss, so when those things are completely removed from the diet, many see rapid results that they weren’t getting on “regular” keto. After 30 days of squeaky clean keto, slowly reintroducing the potentially offending foods can shine a light on which foods may have been stalling weight loss. With this information in hand, readers can decide to limit or omit those foods completely moving forward for a fully customized approach to the keto diet.

A witty and thought-provoking collection of visual poems constructed from stacks of books. Delighting in the look and feel of books, conceptual artist Nina Katchadourian’s playful photographic series proves that books’ covers—or more specifically, their spines—can speak volumes. Over the past two decades, Katchadourian has perused libraries across the globe, selecting, stacking, and photographing groupings of two, three, four, or five books so that their titles can be read as sentences, creating whimsical narratives from the text found there. Thought-provoking, clever, and at times laugh-out-loud funny (one cluster of titles from the Akron Museum of Art’s research library consists of: Primitive Art /Just Imagine/Picasso/Raised by Wolves), Sorted Books is an enthralling collection of visual poems full of wry wit and bookish smarts. Praise for Sorted Books “Katchadourian’s project . . . takes on a weight beyond its initial novelty. It’s a love letter to books, book collecting and the act of reading.” —San Francisco Chronicle “As a longtime fan of [Katchadourian’s] long-running Sorted Books project I’m thrilled for the release of Sorted Books—a collection spanning nearly two decades of her witty and wise minimalist mediations on life by way of ingeniously arranged book spines. . . . In an era drowned in periodic death tolls for the future of the physical book, her project stands as a celebration of the spirit embedded in the magnificent materiality of the printed page.” —Brain Pickings “Katchadourian’s stacks possess an understated sophistication; they are true to the intimate nature of books and yet reveal their dramatic features and unexpected potential.” —Publishers Weekly

Disgusted by his bratty kid sister's demand for an egg hunt as part of a birthday celebration, Dana Johnson is amazed when he finds a football-sized, purple-veined egg that hatches a terrifying surprise.