Bas Bleu Catalog - BasBleu.com

Go Team Bas Bleu!

There's still a week left to grab the great discount on the official Bas Bleu Baseball Cap! Join Team Bas Bleu and show off your love of books!!

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Bon Voyage!

Bon Voyage from Bas Bleu!
"A journey is a person in itself, no two are alike." --John Steinbeck

Click here to view all of the featured selections: http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606042

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Tickled Pink (or... Tickled Bleu?)

Tickle your funny bones with these humorous gifts from Bas Bleu! Although, does that mean you'll be tickled pink or... tickled Bleu?

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Check out Bas Bleu's new Summer edition

Summer is finally here; check out Bas Bleu's new Summer edition! See below for some new product recommendations or click here to view more from our new Summer catalog: http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606038

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Bas Bleu's new and improved website

Check out Bas Bleu's new and improved website! We've updated our merchandise categories and added artwork by the wonderful Ande Cook. http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606039

A special visitor in the Bas Bleu offices

We had a special visitor in the Bas Bleu offices on June 2nd who taught us our "Bed Lounge" also goes by the name "Fun Chair"! http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606035

Food for Thought from Bas Bleu!

Looking for some delicious books? Check out these great gifts for Foodies everywhere!

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Thoughtful Gifts for Father's from Bas Bleu!

Didn't get a jump on Father's Day shopping? Well, make up an IOU and order one of these thoughtful gifts from Bas Bleu!

Or... click here for more gifts "for him": http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606036

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Enjoy the flowery side of Bas Bleu...

Bring the nature to you with these flowery selections from Bas Bleu!

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Save these good books from the doghouse!

Save these good books from the doghouse! We loved these books. Unfortunately, sales were abysmal!
We thought we'd give them one last little push by offering them at 25% off for two weeks (while supplies last)!

Take 25% off the regular price of select merchandise (#UD9612, #UD9432, #UD9252, #UD8942).
Offer expires in 2 weeks, May 31st, 2011.

Offer not valid towards Bas Bleu Membership prices. Prices not valid on previous orders, and are only valid on in-stock items. Sale begins when you receive this, valid only for internet sales.

Click here to view all of the featured products for this week!

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Boot Camp for your Brain

Don't just sit around twiddling your thumbs, exercise that brain! Enjoy a mental workout with these fun items from Bas Bleu!

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25% Off all items in our Online Warehouse Sale section

There's still time left on the clock! Stop over to take advantage of an additional 25% off the Online Warehouse Sale section of our website!

Enter code SPRNGWS11 into the coupon field upon checkout to receive your discount.
Sale expires at 11:59pm EST on 05/09/11.

Prices not valid on previous orders and are only valid on in-stock items of internet orders.

Click here to start shopping! http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606031

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Bas Bleu's in Bloom!

Sometimes getting your hands dirty is a good thing! Roll up your sleeves and dig up some fun with these Gardening & Nature items from Bas Bleu!

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Celebrate Mother's Day with Bas Bleu!

Show Mom you're thankful with these recommended gifts from Bas Bleu!

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Spring Showers!

Attention Animal Lovers: It's raining cats and dogs at Bas Bleu!

Adopt some of these animal friends today! http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606029

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Check out the Web Exclusives at BasBleu.com!

Cant get enough Bas Bleu? Well guess what, we have additional merchandise available in our Web Exclusive section online!

Hurry over to view the new categories today!

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Sweet Dreams from Bas Bleu!

Join the magic before bedtime with these stories, poems, fairy tales, and myths. These enchanting books are great for all ages; to share old classics and make new ones.

These titles are literary stardust for stubborn sleepy eyes.

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Hurry over--our New Spring selections are Online!

Over 100 new products are available from our new Spring Catalog and these products are sure to catch your eye! Stop over and check out the new gifts, books, and bookish things ready for new homes from book lovers everywhere.

Enjoy the excitement of these new possibilities!

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A little time for reflection...

Get in touch with the inner 'you' with these inspirational selections for the mind and spirit from Bas Bleu.

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Welcome to the Bas Bleu Zoo!

Hey animal lovers the Bas Bleu Zoo is back! Check out this new collection of cuddly critters, amazing animals, and interesting insects!

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$100 worth of great books for just $39.90!

A steal of a deal! http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606022

Light non-fiction from Bas Bleu

Had a hard day at work? If you love reading but need to give your brain a break, take a gander at these light non-fiction books from Bas Bleu. These books provide a laidback atmosphere while still providing entertaining and knowledgeable information. Each is perfect light reading for a breezy day at the park in-between people watching, enjoying the scenery, or other multi-tasking that occupies some of your attention. Take William Faulkner's advice, pick up some light non-fiction from Bas Bleu and "Read, read, read."

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Bas Bleu Knee-High Stockings are back!

Back by popular demand: The Bas Bleu Knee-High Stockings!

Get yourself a pair of these cozy bluestocking-inspired socks here: http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606021

Tiny Treasures from Bas Bleu

For these tiny gems a great saying comes to mind "Good things come in small packages." And that's the truth because although they may be small they have volumes of character! Check out these little gifts from Bas Bleu that will bring big smiles.

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Gifts for the Romantic Souls

While the origin of Valentine's Day is only speculated with theories and supposed connections to the patron saint (any one of the numerous saints with Valentine names) the holiday itself varies widely from the romantic and heroic stories once told. Valentine's is meant to be a day of sharing love, affection, and appreciation with your friends, family, and loved ones. However, some believe the holiday has been blown out of proportion throughout the years and while this may be true in some aspects the intentions of the holiday are still good. And, even if you don't buy into all the hype take the time this Valentine's Day to connect with your romantic soul and share your fondness with others.

Check out these thoughtful gifts to set the mood this holiday.

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Gifts to Stimulate an Active Mind

Studies have shown that by completing mental exercise on a day-to-day basis you could significantly delay or reduce the risk of Alzheimers or Dementia by 50%. Mental exercise is simply a mentally stimulating activity that will create and maintain a reserve of cognitive stimulation, meaning as your brain ages it retains its ability to perform on a higher level. So whether you are a person who thrives on games, puzzles, reading, learning etc or someone looking to increase cognitive stimulations check out these mind-quenching products.

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Fiction Favorites for Cold Winter Nights!

Fiction and Childrens/Young Adult books are the top two published genres in the industry. More specifically, fiction was the leader in 2008/2009 trampling the competition with over 15% of the market, on average thats over 10 times more than each of the other genres available. While these statistics are impressive, its all due to fictions riveting qualities for its popularity and its not hard to see why. Fiction has the awesome ability to transport a reader into another world with vivid characters, descriptions that spark the imagination, and mind-blowing plots. As a bonus, regardless of your taste theres a topic or sub-genre of fiction for everyone. Theres no doubt, each book is a portable stay-cation!

Get carried away with these fiction favorites.

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Gifts for the Mind, Body & Spirit!

Day to day routines can become extremely stressful and while most people think stress just affects them mentally it can actually become so intense it can develop into physical symptoms. Stress levels can elevate so much that it grows to be a condition called distress. In turn, distress can cause sleep disturbances, headaches, as well as stomach and chest pains among others. So it's important to take some time for yourself to relax and keep your mind, body, and spirit healthy.

Luckily, Bas Bleu also offers a selection of gifts for friends, family, or to treat yourself. So click below to view some relaxing recommendations.

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Introducing the Winter 2011 Catalog!

The Winter 2011 Catalog is here... and brings with it more great books and bookish things!
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Limited Time Offer- 25% off our Online Warehouse Sale Section

LIMITED TIME ONLY! Don't miss out on this great offer!
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ONLINE WAREHOUSE SALE!

GET 25% OFF ITEMS IN THE ONLINE WAREHOUSE SALE SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE!

All items in our Online Warehouse Sale Section have been reduced even further. Good for in-stock items only!

You MUST enter code AFTRXMAS10 into the coupon field upon checkout to receive your discount.
Sale expires at 11:59 p.m. E.S.T. on 01/09/11.

Some limitations may apply.
Prices not valid on previous orders, and is only valid on in-stock items. Valid only for Internet sales.

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Merry Christmas from all of us at Bas Bleu!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy! - Stocking Stuffers and Books That Make Great Gifts!

Why do we hang stockings up for Christmas? Although the official origin cannot be confirmed, there are theories of where the tradition got its roots. One of the most common theories is that the Dutch custom became altered through the years into the stocking tradition we observe today. It consisted of children in Germany and surrounding areas placing out their clogs filled with straw and food for SinterKlaas, a Santa Claus figure in parts of Germany, and his reindeer (sometimes depicted as white horses in relation to Odin of Norse Mythology). As thank you for the kind offering SinterKlaas would then leave gifts for the children in return. Another theory is the alleged truths involving a story told about a poor man and his three daughters. The story varies slightly on why the family was poor and why they needed the money, but it is said that St. Nicholas heard of their downfall and dropped coins down their chimney. The coins landed in their stockings that were hung with other clothes by the fireplace to dry. From then on, the family hung stockings and the tradition caught on. Others believe that while the tradition cant be traced, it came from European countries and became popular in America by Thomas Nast. Thomas was an illustrator for a magazine and was commissioned to illustrate the art for the story Santa Claus and his Works by George Webster. He was said to reference the line The stockings were hung by the chimney with care from the famous poem A Visit From St. Nicholas and so illustrated stockings hung by fireplaces in his drawings. Today, the tradition is still practiced and varies in different parts of the world as children hang socks, leave out shoes, boxes, and other variations of stockings.

So join in the fun and check out these great stocking stuffers from Bas Bleu.

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Beat The Rush! Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Reader!

Need help finding gifts? Check out the Bas Bleu Gift-Buying Guide!

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Get into the holiday spirit with these 10 fun holiday facts:

1. Charles Dickens also considered Little Larry, Small Sam, and Puny Pete as options for Tiny Tim's name in "A Christmas Carol"

2. You would receive 364 presents total after completing the "The 12 Days of Christmas" lyrics.

3. 'Dunder' and 'Blixem' were the original names for Santa's reindeer 'Donner' and 'Blitzen'.

4. The first artificial Christmas trees were made from green dyed goose feathers in Germany.

5. Traditionally Welsh families would gather and make Taffy on Christmas Eve.

6. Originally Christmas trees were decorated with natural materials and candles, thus buckets of water were kept near the trees.

7. For the Ukrainian an artificial spider and web is a common decoration since it's believed they bring good luck.

8. While American children mail letters to Santa, in Latin countries they attach them to balloons and release them and in Britain they burn them believing that Santa would magically receive them.

9. The author of Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson, deeded his November birthday to a friend's daughter who was displeased with her own Christmas birthday.

10. The icon who gives presents at Christmas time changes around the world. In America: Santa Claus, Holland: St Nicholas, France and England: Father Christmas, Russia: Grandfather Frost, and in Iceland: Yule Man. Alternatively some are nothing like Santa Claus. In Italy: La Befana; a kind witch, Germany: Christkind; a girl with a crown of candles, and in Scandinavia Christmas gnomes bring the gifts.

Check out these great gift ideas:

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Join the Bas Bleu Society Now and Save for the Holidays!

Click below for more details!
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Cute Cards to Deliver All Your Joyful Tidings!

Throughout the years greeting cards have become a staple among many holidays such as Valentines, Birthdays, Christmas and New Years. There are a variety of cards for every occasion available, each offering an assortment of sentiments. Christmas cards specifically, display an array of subjects related to the holiday, however earlier cards were often more religious in nature and generally depicted images of the upcoming spring. In fact the very first holiday card was illustrated by John Callcott Horsley in 1843 for Sir Henry Cole depicting a family having a celebratory gathering surrounded by vines, statues, and a decorative frame. Many people even collect cards they have received from close friends and family members over the years. In addition there are also card enthusiasts who track down and collect examples of earlier cards to display and appreciate their artistic and historical values. Although recently technology has replaced a certain percentage of cards sent each year the tradition is still strong and many cards are still sent to show that people are thinking of you during the holidays. Make people you know feel special, send some cards this holiday!

Click below to browse the entire Cards & Notes collection!

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Count the Days Down Until Christmas with Our Seasonal Advent Calendars!

To usher in the season this catalog offers a variety of advent calendars. For those of you not familiar with these calendars the term 'advent' means "the coming or arrival" and generally refers to the twenty-four days of Advent, the preparation for the Nativity at Christmas time. Similarly, advent calendars count down the days leading up to Christmas. These festive calendars originated in the early 19th century where it is said families would record or celebrate each day by lighting a candle, hanging items, or creating some type of marker in their homes. Throughout the years adaptations of the calendar have evolved and developed into the modern versions you see now. So whether it's an old or new tradition for your family, check out the many themed and landmark advent calendars Bas Bleu has to offer and spread some joy this holiday season.

Click below to view all Advent Calendars available this season.
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‘Tis the season for tasty treats!

As the end of the year nears our mouths begin to water as we equate the upcoming holidays with seasonal treats and passed down family recipes. So this year get in the mood and make your kitchen merry with these delectable selections from Bas Bleu.

Tired of the same old holiday desserts? How about making up a batch of Whoopie Pies this year? For some, Whoopie Pies were a standard growing up and for others they are a mystery. We assure you these fun treats are not pies! They aren't cookies or cakes either but somewhere in-between. You'd be surprised at the variety of recipes available; from sweet desserts to cheesy snacks you'll never get board of the assortment of flavors.

Now that we've teased you with all of this lip-smacking information we have a bonus for you via one of our featured products; a holiday Whoopie Pie recipe!

This recipe can be found on page 53 of "Whoopie Pies: Dozens of Mix 'em, Match 'em, Eat 'em Up Recipes" along with many other scrumptious whoopie pie selections. Pick up your copy today!

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Gingerbread Whoopie

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup buttermilk

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, cloves, and nutmeg onto a sheet of waxed paper.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, beating well, then the molasses.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk and beat until completely combined.

Using a spoon or 2-tablespoon scoop, drop about 2 tablespoons of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 to 12 minutes each, or until the pies spring back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Makes about 30 four-inch cakes.

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Also, check out this colossal collection of culinary knowledge.
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And if all of this doesn't tickle your taste buds then click below to see what else is cooking!
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Our Holiday 2010 Catalog is online. See our gifts for the season!

The wait is over! Bas Bleu has just released the first Holiday 2010 Catalog chocked full of entertaining products; great for treating yourself or as gifts to friends and family members.

Click here to view all of the Holiday 2010 items!
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Games to Pass the Time Indoors as the Weather Gets Colder Outdoors.

It's the perfect time of year to stock up on new and exciting indoor activities. The weather is changing, vacations are ending, school is starting, and the urge to venture out starts to fizzle. What better way to pass the time than to play games with friends and family. We're not talking about plopping down in front of the TV, computer, or video game system. We're talking about good old fashion games. What has happened to human interaction these days? Gather up some of your close friends and family members and share real quality time. There is nothing quite like sitting down with a game, demonstrating your competitive spirit, and having a fun night of it. So if you haven't already, implement the tradition of a weekly game night at your house.

To start you off or refresh your collection, check out these great game choices below.

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Last Minute Gifts?

Use Standard Delivery & Order by Noon EST 12/20 to get it there by Christmas!

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Bas Bleu - Bookseller-By-Post: A Catalog of Books and Bookish Things

GET 25% OFF ITEMS IN THE ONLINE WAREHOUSE SALE SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE!
LIMITED TIME ONLY!

All items in our Online Warehouse Sale Section have been reduced even further. Good for in-stock items only! You must enter code FALCLR12 into the coupon field upon checkout to receive your discount.
Sale expires at 11:59 p.m. E.S.T. on 10/20/10.
Some limitations may apply.

Prices not valid on previous orders, and is only valid on in-stock items. Sale begins when you receive this, valid only for Internet sales. You must click to BasBleu.com from this e-mail to take advantage of any possible price mark down.
Shop BasBleu.com today!

Laugh it up, bluestockings...selections from the Lighter Side
http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606002

Careers for Your Cat
$9.99

2011 Anguished English Desk Calendar
$12.99

Murder Ink Sticky-Note Pad
$10.95

Greetings from Senility: Your Road Map to Aging
$14.95
Members' Price: $12.71

Irrational Numbers Wall Clock
$34.95

Words Gone Wild: Fun and Games for Language Lovers
$22.95
Members' Price: $19.51

The Buzzword Dictionary
$12.95
Members' Price: $11.01

The Yogi Book:
"I Really Didn't Say
Everything I Said"
$8.95

Opti-Chicks
$14.95

Write an Old-Fashioned Letter. Bas Bleu loves Snail Mail.
http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606001

The Algonquin Gang
$16.95

Shoes, Hats and Bags Note Cards
$19.95 each
Members' Price: $16.96 each

Books and Letters by the Sea Note Cards
$15.95

Typewriter Duck Postcards
$15.95

Forest Friends Note Cards
$15.95

Forests Note Cards
$14.95

"My heart is like a singing bird"
~Christina Rossetti

Click on the link below to browse items for our bird-loving bluestockings:
http://www.basbleu.com/cgi-bin/google.cgi?id=606000

Four Calling Birds Christmas Cards
$15.95

Bird Sticky Notes and Bird File Folders
$14.95-$17.95

Birding for Beginners:
A Comprehensive Introduction to the Art of Birdwatching
$19.95
Members' Price: $16.96

2011 Audubon Songbirds
(and Other Backyard Birds)
Wall Calendar
$12.99

Bird and Nest Stickers
$14.95

Typewriter Duck Postcards
$15.95

Opti-Chicks
$14.95

NPR Sound Tracks: Birds
$14.95

For the Birds:
Easy-to-Make Recipes
for Your Feathered Friends
$9.95

Welcome to the Bas Bleu Zoo!

Welcome to the Bas Bleu Zoo!

Selections that celebrate all of your furry, feathered, and scaly friends!

Click on the graphic image above to shop our "Animal World" section of our site, or click on the individual links below of particular animal-inspired favorites!

Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know -

ORIGINALLY $27.00 - SPECIAL PRICE $21.60

Alexandra Horowitz

Hardcover, 353 pages; 2009

Cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz draws on a wide range of scientific studies and observations to take fellow dog-lovers on a tour of the world from the perspective of a pooch. Written with loving enthusiasm for the topic, this scholarly exploration of what it's like to be a dog is fact-filled and fascinating, but never feels overly academic. The chapter titled "Sniff" was particularly mind-boggling: Imagine being able not only to detect "a teaspoon of sugar diluted in a million gallons of water" -- but also having the ability to smell emotions, disease, and even, in a certain way, time! With a better understanding of how dogs perceive their surroundings and why they do what they do, we humans can, the author hopes, enhance our relationships with our furry friends and make our environment more interesting and pleasant for both species. How nice!

Item Number: UD2972

Why Animals Do That Books -

$13.95 each

Karen Anderson; Illustrated by Wendy Christensen

Tom Davis; Illustrated by Peter Ring

Lisa Dines; Illustrated by Beth Messina Hardcover, 94 pages; 2001

Hardcover, 95 pages; 1998

Hardcover, 95 pages; 2003

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD3512): $11.86

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD3522): $11.86

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD3532): $11.86

Mysterious feline quirks, intriguing canine conduct, and curious equine behavior -- all are illuminated in this series of lighthearted Q-and-A books. So if you've ever wondered how cats always land on their feet, why dogs love hanging their heads out of car windows, or what horses accomplish by blowing and snorting through their nostrils, look no further than these amusing and informative illustrated volumes, great for the whole family.

Item Numbers:

UD3512 Why Cats Do That

UD3522 Why Dogs Do That

UD3532 Why Horses Do That

The Birder's Companion -

$16.95

Stephen Moss

Paperback, 208 pages; 2007

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $14.41

Do birds perspire? (No. But they do pant.) Can birds see colors? (Yes. Most can perceive color in more tones and wavelengths than humans can.) What are "sibling species"? (Two or more related species that don't interbreed.) How many individual birds are there in the United States? (Perhaps as many as twenty billion.) What are the advantages of flightlessness? (They vary. For example, not flying allowed penguins' wings to evolve into flippers that help them swim and dive.) How do seabirds drink salt water without being harmed? (They have a salt gland that enables them to excrete salt through their noses.) Do female birds play hard to get? (Yes!) If these avian Q and A's pique your interest, don't miss The Birder's Companion, filled with hundreds of fascinating facts to entertain and enlighten birdwatchers of all experience levels.

Item Number: UC9892

100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines -

$14.95

Sam Stall

Illustrated by Gina Triplett

Hardcover, 176 pages; 2007

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Sam Stall profiles those extraordinary cats who, despite the fact that "the typical feline is blithely uninterested in the comings and goings of the human race," have irrevocably impacted our history. Divided into sections of Science and Nature, History and Government, Art and Literature, Popular Culture, and Profiles in Courage, each entry briefly and humorously describes the accomplishments -- whether heroic or accidental, fortunate or calamitous -- of the featured feline. You'll meet Hodge, Samuel Johnson's feline lexicographical assistant; Tommy, the cat who dialed 911 to save his owner; and the equally memorable -- but sadly so -- Tibbles, a lighthouse keeper's cat whose taste for the Stephens Island wren resulted in its extinction. Enhanced with clever illustrations, this factual-yet-funny little book (6.75"x4.5") makes a great gift for cat lovers who've always suspected the extraordinary potential of their own pets.

Item Number: AY2742

Cat-E-Gory -

$14.95

Edward Gorey

Hardcover, 112 pages; 2006

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

This special little book collects a series of fifty numbered drawings -- all featuring playful cats wearing striped sweaters or pants or scarves -- that illustrator Edward Gorey originally created to accompany limited editions of his book Amphigorey. In the first illustration, a talented cat does a headstand on a unicycle; in the tenth, a rather chubby kitty seems stuck between the rungs of a ladder; in the forty-third, a shy puss peeps out from behind a box. No matter which of the beautifully reproduced drawings you turn to, you'll find Gorey's fondness for felines on full display!

Item Number: UD0912

Outwitting Squirrels: 101 Cunning Stratagems to Reduce Dramatically the Egregious Misappropriation of Seed from Your Birdfeeder by Squirrels -

$14.95

Bill Adler, Jr.

Paperback, 188 pages; 1996 (1988)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Bill Adler knows an inhuman amount about squirrels -- and he's hilarious. I still snicker every time I see this anti-squirrel handbook on my shelf. Fascinating profiles of the enemy prepare you for battle. And then, it's all strategy. There's even a supportive chapter entitled "What to Do If You Think Squirrels Are Cute." If you have a squirrel problem, you need this truly effective book. If you don't have a squirrel problem, these clever ideas for confounding the furry little creatures will almost make you wish you did!

Item Number: UD1942

Training People: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Human -

$14.95

Tess of Helena, Certified Trainer of Humans

Text by Brian Kahn

Photographs by Gretchen LeMaistre

Paperback, 107 pages; 2007

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Humans are easily distracted from the task at hand, and this often results in chronic "lagging" during excursions. Additionally, their lack of a developed sense of smell leads them to walk in straight lines, thus missing out on so much of the world's richness. Unless you are firm, these human tendencies can result in dull and routinized outings. Luckily, you have the leash! Combined with your innate advantages in intelligence, agility, and strength, training your human to follow where you lead is a snap.

Anyone who's ever read a dog-training manual will howl at the hilarity of this treatise written from "the other end of the leash." With advice to dogs on how to choose, train, feed, and understand their people, plus all sorts of insights on the peculiarities of the two-legged species (the paragraph on humans' "genital inhibition" is particularly amusing), Training People is required reading for every household in which dogs and humans attempt to exert mastery over one another!

Item Number: UB8702

Doodle Bites and Cordy Roy Gators -

$12.99-$44.95

Polly Dunbar Hardcover, 32 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1422 Doodle Bites book) $11.04

In Doodle Bites, Doodle the alligator wakes up one day feeling "bitey." She chomps her way through the day -- wolfing down breakfast, chewing the mail, munching on the sofa, even tasting the lamp. But when Doodle bites her friend Tumpty's bottom -- and Tumpty retaliates -- the young gator learns a lesson about self-control. We're simply smitten with the mischievous Doodle (Polly Dunbar's illustrations could not be cuter!), so we had to offer these adorable stuffed gators, too. Made of the softest corduroy, these super-snuggly reptiles sit upright and come in an irresistibly huggable "huge" size (about 22" from head to tail) and equally lovable "little" size (about 10" long). (The book is for ages 4 to 8, but the gators are appropriate for all ages!)

Item Numbers:

UD1422 Doodle Bites

UD1572 Cordy Roy Gator: Huge

UD1582 Cordy Roy Gator: Little

How to Think Like a Horse: The Essential Handbook for Understanding Why Horses Do What They Do -

$19.95

Cherry Hill

Paperback, 181 pages; 2006

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $16.96

Thoroughly informative and extensively illustrated, this user-friendly guide helps equine enthusiasts understand the world from a horse's point of view. The benefits of being able to think like a horse include increasing safety and decreasing stress when interacting with the animals, making training more effective, enhancing a horse's well-being, and preserving its noble spirit. Sounds like the thing to do! Horse trainer and author Cherry Hill is a warm and capable horsewoman, sharing all you need to know about horses' bodies, senses, instincts, routines, behavior, development, communication styles, learning processes, and more. How to Think Like a Horse is truly the "essential handbook" for those looking to enhance their relationships with equine companions.

Item Number: UD2922

The Smartest Animals on the Planet: Extraordinary Tales of the Natural World's Cleverest Creatures -

$35.00

Dr. Sally Boysen

Hardcover, 192 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $29.75

You've probably heard that certain animals (pigs, dolphins, chimpanzees...) are "smart" -- but what exactly is meant by that, and how do we know it's true? Physiological/comparative psychologist Dr. Sally Boysen's hugely fascinating book -- richly illustrated with photographs and diagrams -- engagingly relays the details from dozens of scientific animal-intelligence studies and observations. You may be surprised by some of the clever creatures featured here: salamanders that count, ants that navigate their way home, crows that use tools, chimps that speak, elephants that hear with their feet...even the naked mole rat flexes its cerebral muscle! The Smartest Animals on the Planet is sure to excite animal lovers of all ages.

Item Number: UD0602

Cattitude Note Cards -

$14.95

In these bright, expressive note cards, Charley Harper's minimalist modern style takes on the enigmatic feline form. In each of the charming nature scenes -- Birdwatcher, Blue Jay Patrol, Catnip, and Treed -- the featured cat's hypnotic gaze steals the show. Boxed set includes twenty 5"x7" note cards (five each of four designs), with envelopes.

Item Number: UD2052

One Nation Under Dog: American's Love Affair with Our Dogs -

$15.00

Michael Schaffer

Paperback, 288 pages; 2010 (2009)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.75

An enlightening and entertaining expose, One Nation Under Dog examines "how America's housepets have worked their way into a new place in the hearts, minds, and wallets of their owners." With lively prose and a sympathetic outlook (the author is a dog owner bordering on overindulgent himself), Michael Schaffer investigates the cultural, economic, and social consequences of man's best friend abandoning the once-ubiquitous dog house in favor of a more prominent position in the family -- becoming what industry folk term a "fur baby." Pet lovers and skeptics alike will follow eagerly along as Shaffer looks into the current state of the multibillion dollar (and fairly recession-proof) pet industry: attending a posh Chihuahua Christmas party; visiting Amish puppy mills with an ASPCA investigator; shadowing a dog walker who makes a six-figure salary; discovering the latest innovations in veterinary care, chew-toy technology, and animal legal representation; and so much more! Sometimes jaw-droppingly shocking, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and always fascinating, One Nation Under Dog ultimately reveals much more about humans than it does about our four-legged friends.

Item Number: UD3242

Flyaway: How a Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings -

$14.99

Suzie Gilbert

Illustrated by Laura Westlake

Paperback, 337 pages; 2010 (2009)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.74

Suzie Gilbert -- who volunteered at a bird-of-prey rehab facility for eleven years and started an environmental column for a chain of local newspapers under the name "Elizabeth T. Vulture" (writing from the "perspective" of a truculent turkey vulture who lived at the raptor center) -- is a delightfully passionate person. When Gilbert's writing gig ended (because Miss Vulture refused to tone down her sarcastic rants), she also parted ways with the raptor center -- but she missed her birds! In Flyaway, Gilbert shares the true story of creating and operating her own flight cage and rehabilitation facility at her home. The technical and biological details about rehabbing the birds are fascinating, Gilbert's devotion to each individual personality-filled bird under her care is inspiring, and the extent to which Gilbert's life -- and the lives of her husband and two children -- became intertwined with the bird-rescue operation is extraordinary. Written with humor and heart, this nature memoir about one woman's wild avian adventure will charm and enlighten all types of environmentalists, caregivers, and bird lovers.

Item Number: UD2782

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Click here to visit our Clearance section!

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Get Organized with Bas Bleu!

Get Organized with Bas Bleu!

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." ~ A. A. Milne

Click on the graphic image above to view the "READING ACCESSORIES" section of our site, or click on the individual links below to shop our useful items to help you organize!

Personal Library Kit and Pocket and Card Refills -

$6.95-$17.95

Remember the little pockets at the back of public library books? You'd sign and date the card from the pocket, and the library would keep it on file to know who had checked out each book. Well, now you can employ that old tried-and-true system for your home library with our Personal Library Kit. The handy kit includes twenty self-adhesive pockets, twenty checkout cards (with space to fill in the name and phone number of the borrower), a date stamp with ink pad, and a little pencil. Since we know your libraries are expansive, we're also offering a refill set of fifteen pockets and cards. What a thoughtful present for well-intentioned borrowers to give their generous book-lending friends!

Item Numbers:

UD3272 Personal Library Kit

UD3612 Pocket and Card Refills

Open Sesame! Password Reminder Book -

$14.00

Ingenious! Keep all your online-account information in one handy -- and cool-looking! -- little notebook. Open Sesame! serves as a "manual backup system" for the myriad user names and passwords that are swimming around in your head. Security-minded users will want to take advantage of the option of entering only a "password hint," rather than the actual password for each account, so there's no danger in documenting such sensitive data. The cute and portable 4"x6" spiral notebook -- with a bright and funky striped cover and plenty of colorful pages for each letter in the alphabet -- ensures hassle-free access to all your online activities.

Item Number: UC4182

Can o' Clips (Set of two tins) -

$13.95

Admittedly, we were first drawn to the Can o' Clips because, well, they're just so darn cute. So we were delighted to realize that the tiny (1.25" long) wooden clothespins are actually quite useful -- for decorative projects (hang photos or holiday cards along a string, for example); office organization (so much more attractive than paperclips); domestic tasks (perfect for securing clothes straps to slippery hangers); the possibilities are endless! We're offering a set of two of the handsome metal tins (about 3" in diameter), each of which contains twenty-four clips. You may want to keep several tins on hand for perfect little last-minute gifts for any occasion. Set of two tins.

Item Number: UC7292

Get to the Point Bookmarks (Set of 2) -

$16.95

Set of two boxes

Thin, brightly colored magnetic clips (about 1" long when clamped shut) snap onto a page to help you hold your thought. The arrow directs you back to the exact line you found notable. The clips are better than bent corners, sticky papers, and yellow highlighting -- no harm's done to your books! You'll wonder how you lived without Get to the Point Bookmarks! The clever reusable clips also work well as simple page keepers for novels and recipe markers in cookbooks. We're offering a set of two handy little boxes -- each has twenty-five bookmarks -- to keep in your desk, on a nightstand, or by your favorite reading chair.

Item Number: UD0992

How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew -

$15.00

Erin Bried

Paperback, 304 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.75

In light of the recent economic downturn, Erin Bried -- a magazine writer and editor -- suddenly realized that her "domestic incompetence" seemed "not only disempowering, but also downright irresponsible." So, for inspiration and instruction, she turned to the best role models she could think of: grandmothers. Bried interviewed ten women -- all grandmothers who lived through the Great Depression -- and, in How to Sew a Button, she cheerfully imparts the wide variety of grandmotherly know-how she learned along the way. You'll find step-by- step instructions for more than 100 timeless tasks and activities, including how to make gravy, keep furry critters out of your garden, kill mildew, knot a winter scarf, scent your home without candles, make a hot tea toddy, pack a lunch, throw a yard sale, win a silly argument, sing in harmony, and so much more! This joyfully written guide to good old-fashioned self-reliance makes a delightfully practical gift for all the special young women in your life.

Item Number: UD0232

Botanical File Folders and Jardin Sticky Notes -

$14.95-$17.95

Bring natural beauty to even the most mundane jottings via our lovely Jardin Sticky Notes. Featuring flowery garden images in pretty pastels, the 480 decorative peel-and-stick flags come in a variety of sizes -- 2"x2.25", 0.75"x2.25", and 1.75"x1.5" -- and come packaged in a handsome metal tin. We think they look quite nice paired with our Botanical File Folders. The set of twelve letter-sized, tabbed folders -- featuring lush pink hydrangeas and other botanical decorations -- keeps your most precious documents organized with style. Who knew office supplies could be so pretty?

Item Numbers:

UD2562 Botanical File Folders

UD0952 Jardin Sticky Notes

Kitchen Sticky Notes: Helpful Notes for the Home Cook -

$12.95

Being well organized is a huge boon at home as well as in the office -- and these attractive sticky notes are perfectly tailored for keeping your kitchen orderly and humming happily along! Among the twenty-one styles of adhesive notepads are 4"x5.5" shopping lists, 3"x5" menu planners, 2.5"x3" recipe notations, 2"x2.5" to-do checklists, and 0.5"x2" flags for cookbooks (both blank and with helpful words like "favorite," "didn't work," and "quick and easy"). Handsomely decorated with kitchen-themed artwork, our Kitchen Sticky Notes are essential accoutrements for shipshape chefs.

Item Number: UD3022

Speed Decorating: A Pro Stager's Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less -

$21.95

Jill Vegas

Paperback, 202 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $18.66

Transform any room in your home -- fast! -- with this inspiring and practical guidebook. Whether you need to make your house more marketable, you want to add personal style to your living space, or you'd just like to spruce up your dining room and kitchen before dinner guests arrive, Speed Decorating can help! Jill Vegas serves as your "decorating fairy godmother," energetically guiding you step-by-step through a variety of quick redecorating projects. You'll have a cheerfully livable, utterly lovable abode in no time!

Item Number: UD1762

Invisible Bookshelves (Set of three shelves) -

$31.50

Set of three shelves

Since books are beautiful works of art in and of themselves, why bother with a clunky bookshelf to display them? Our ingeniously designed Invisible Bookshelves store your volumes with minimalist pizazz. Simply mount the L-shaped steel shelf to your wall (hardware included), and slip a standard-sized hardcover (the width should be at least 5" and no more than 8") over the protruding arm. (The metal part goes into the book, above the bottom cover, which is held tight by little teeth.) Then stack books on top up to 16" high and no more than 15 pounds in total weight. The books seem to float artistically on your wall! We're offering them in a set of three, so you can arrange them however you please to create a modern-yet-timeless -- and very literary, of course! -- decor.

Item Number: UC6362

Pro/Con Pads -

$16.00

Set of two notepads

Struggling with a big decision? Should you accept the job offer...buy the house...marry the guy? Or, are your predicaments more literary and existential... to be or not to be? Well, sort it all out via our Pro/Con Pads. Just count up the advantages and disadvantages of your choices and all your issues are resolved, just like that! The 6"x9" pads -- each of sixty preprinted ledger green sheets -- make a great gift for an indecisive friend or a colleague locked on the horns of a dilemma.

Item Number: UD3322

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Click here to visit our Clearance section!

We appreciate your shopping with us at BasBleu.com.

Bas Bleu Customer Relations Division

Bas Bleu Catalogue / BasBleu.com

Back to School Fun!

Back-to-School Fun!

Challenge your mental agility with books and wordplay from Bas Bleu!

Click on the graphic image above to browse all our gifts for great thinkers, or click on the individual links below for specific favorites we think are perfect for the Back-to-School season!

I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot from School -

$14.95

Caroline Taggart

Hardcover, 175 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

What's a diphthong...a quadratic equation...an atomic number? How does photosynthesis work? What was the Battle of Hastings about? When was the Cenozoic Era? Need a little refresher? I Used to Know That reminds you of all that stuff you really do know, but can't quite recall. You'll find pithy summaries of Shakespeare's plays and Jane Austen's novels; easy instructions for calculating all sorts of geometric values; simple explanations of the most important physical laws and theories; quick recaps of major wars around the world; a compact listing of all the countries in the United Nations; and so much more! This highly accessible little compendium entertains as it edifies -- what fun to dust off those brain cells and realize how much knowledge is up there...somewhere!

Item Number: UC6282

Lit Wit!: 100 Trivia Cards to Boost Your Book Smarts -

$16.99

Richard Lederer

Can you name the American writer who "was expelled from West Point for reporting to a march wearing nothing but white gloves"? Or the book that begins, "One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it -- it was the black kitten's fault entirely"? Do you know what "wuthering" in Wuthering Heights means? These and hundreds of other challenging literature-themed questions are packed into this entertaining trivia deck. Each of the 100 Lit Wit! cards poses several questions and reveals the answers on the back -- along with a scoring system that ranks you as "a casual bookworm, a legitimate bibliophile, or a bona fide lit wit." What fun for literary families, friends, and book clubs!

Item Number: UD1452

Endangered Words: A Collection of Rare Gems for Book Lovers -

$12.95

Simon Hertnon

Paperback, 223 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.01

When a word perfectly captures a human truth...humans respond to it in the same way that they respond to a beautiful melody. They smile. They nod their heads. They tell others of their discovery.

It really is a sublime pleasure -- coming across an unfamiliar word that so precisely defines a familiar but previously unnamed concept. Simon Hertnon has filled Endangered Words with 100 such linguistic gems. These are real words, being lovingly rescued from "chronic underuse -- or oblivion." For each entry, Hertnon shares the featured word's meaning, etymology, and age. Then he shares why he likes the word, a quotation featuring it, and an example of the word used in a story. From afterwit ("knowledge gained too late to be of any use") to zemblanity ("the inevitable discovery of what we would rather not know"), this unique collection of rare words will delight and inspire all degrees of language lovers.

Item Number: HJ0462

I before E (Except after C): Old School Ways to Remember Stuff -

$14.95

Judy Parkinson

Hardcover, 168 pages; 2008

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

In these days of instant-access information, there's something comforting about the time-tested reliability of mnemonic devices. I've certainly been known to mutter "Thirty days hath September..." to figure out the number of days in a month; "Every Good Boy Does Fine" to remember the notes on the treble clef; and "ROY G BIV" to recall the colors of the rainbow. I before E (Except after C) compiles hundreds of rhymes, acronyms, sayings, and other memory-recall tricks -- many of which you probably learned in grade school (but may have, ahem, forgotten). Divided thematically into chapters on language, science, mathematics, history, and more, I before E (Except after C) is an endlessly amusing -- and practical -- little book for students of any age.

Item Number: UC1722

Visual Aid2: You Can Never Know Enough Stuff -

$15.00

Draught Associates

Paperback, 160 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.75

Baseball umpire signals, the knights of the round table, types of dress shirt collars, Morse code, the composition of the human body, stops along the Orient Express, top ten surnames around the world, the Scoville rating of pepper hotness, pirate flags... Visual Aid2 is packed with stuff that's fun to know. And it's all illuminated by interesting diagrams, charts, and graphs! This cool collection of illustrated data makes a hugely entertaining gift for any eternally curious people in your life.

Item Number: UD0672

Words We Live By Knowledge Cards -

$9.95

Whoa! Quite a tremendous amount of American history -- all culled from the National Archives -- is stuffed into this little deck of 3.5"x4" quiz cards. On the front of each of forty-eight cards, you'll find an unidentified excerpt from an important letter, piece of legislation, declaration, essay, treaty, resolution, or public address. The source of the quotation, along with concise details about the events surrounding the historical document, are located on the back...so you can guess the answer, test your friends, or just read and learn. The Declaration of Independence, the Monroe Doctrine, the Fourteenth Amendment, the Social Security Act, the Senate Resolution 301, and so many others -- these inspirational pieces of our country's past are truly "words we live by." How nice to know them!

Item Number: UD3552

A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English -

$14.95

Chloe Rhodes

Hardcover, 175 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" is a whimsical celebration of some of the more exotic elements of the English language. You'll find an alphabetical smattering of words and phrases that have entered our lexicon over time from all over the world -- along with definitions, etymological details, cute usage examples, and amusing cartoon sketches. Handy as a reference book and pleasurable to browse through, this lighthearted linguistic guide has your cosmopolitan vocabulary covered from "a cappella" to "zeitgeist."

Item Number: UD2592

The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe -

Originally $29.95 - SPECIAL PRICE $23.96

Theodore Gray

Photography by Theodore Gray and Nick Mann

Hardcover, 240 pages; 2009

An astronomic step up from your standard periodic table, The Elements is a spectacularly illustrated guide to the building blocks of all matter. Organized by atomic number, each spread showcases a different element, offering all the essential information (density, electron filling order, state of matter, etc.) as well as a lively description of its discovery, properties, and uses in various materials. Whenever possible, there is a full-page brilliant photograph of the element in its pure form (alongside other explanatory illustrations). Sure, you can probably imagine the photos for gold or mercury, but you might be surprised to see the multi-colored crystals of cooling bismuth or even the ethereal blue of liquid oxygen. An essential reference for science buffs, The Elements is also a visually stunning and fascinating resource for anyone curious about the way the world works.

Item Number: UD0072

Brief Insights Series -

$14.95 each

Charles O. Jones

Paul Wilkinson

Jonathan Culler

Timothy Gowers Hardcovers, 168214 pages; 20092010

(19972007)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1702): $12.71

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1712): $12.71

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1722): $12.71

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1732): $12.71

Accessible, concise, and extremely enlightening, all the books in the Brief Insights Series are engagingly written and illustrated. The American Presidency offers a perceptive survey of our country's highest office -- its creation, evolution, philosophy, and function. International Relations explores how world leaders, NGOs, and IGOs (intergovernmental organizations) handle foreign policy, terrorism, climate change, poverty, and other timely issues. In Literary Theory, an English and comparative literature professor guides us through the relationship between literature and culture and enthusiastically illuminates the nature of language and meaning. Mathematics shines a clear, bright light on subjects like infinity, algorithms, dimensional space, geometry, and mathematical models. Eternal students of life will enjoy delving into this lively and engrossing series.

Item Numbers:

UD1702 Brief Insights Series: The American Presidency

UD1712 Brief Insights Series: International Relations

UD1722 Brief Insights Series: Literary Theory

UD1732 Brief Insights Series: Mathematics

An Exaltation of Larks -

$16.00

James Lipton

Paperback, 324 pages; 1993 (1968)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $13.60

The thesis of this book can be summed up very simply: when a group of ravens flaps by, you should, if you want to refer to their presence, say, "There goes an unkindness of ravens." Anything else would be wrong.

Etymological wits have long enjoyed concocting clever and sometimes cutting descriptors for aggregations of animals, people, and other things -- from a "true love of turtledoves," to a "rascal of boys," to a "phumpher of schwas." Drawing heavily from the fifteenth-century Books of Venery, James Lipton traces the subtle history of such terms (and creates many of his own!) in his fantastically entertaining An Exaltation of Larks. Anyone who loves language will relish the humor and charm of this creative anthology of more than 1,000 nouns of multitude.

Item Number: UD1312

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Click here to visit our Clearance section!

We appreciate your shopping with us at BasBleu.com.

Bas Bleu Customer Relations Division

Bas Bleu Catalogue / BasBleu.com

Big Fun for Little Readers!

Great Gifts for Young Bluestockings!

Click on the graphic image above to browse our Collection of Books for Children, or click on the individual links below for specific favorites that will bring BIG FUN TO LITTLE READERS!

Mother Goose Manners -

$14.95

Harriet Ziefert

Illustrated by Pascale Constantin

Hardcover, 32 pages; 2008

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Instead of crying "wee-wee-wee" all the way home, perhaps the littlest pig should have offered to help carry in the groceries. The spider who frightened Miss Muffet away probably should have inquired if the seat next to her was taken. Rather than using his thumb to pull out the plumb, little Jack Horner should have used a fork. Mother Goose Manners presents a familiar nursery rhyme, and then asks how one of the characters could have acted more politely. Fold out the page to get an (often very silly) answer! Kids will love the funny illustrations and the interactive nature of the book...and they may not even realize they're learning proper behavior! For ages 4 to 8.

Item Number: UD3162

The Very Best Mother Goose Book Tower -

$9.99

Edited by Iona Opie

Illustrated by Rosemary Wells

Four board books

Read them, stack them, "go round the mulberry bush" with them "on a frosty morning"! These little (about 2.25"-cubed) blocky books are limitlessly entertaining. Full of Mother Goose's nostalgic charm -- from a "teapot, short and stout" to "a fishy in a little dishy" -- the mini board books in this cute "tower" collection are irrepressibly joyful. Each brightly illustrated volume includes ten charming nursery rhymes or lullabies. What perfect literary basics for babies and toddlers!

Item Number: UD3492

Indestructibles(TM) -

$14.85

Kaaren Pixton

Set of three books

You and your teething tot will both love these bright and engaging -- and indestructible -- books! The collection of nontoxic, 100% washable "literature" -- including Flutter! Fly!, Creep! Crawl!, and Wiggle! March! -- is drool-friendly, chewable, and rip-proof. All three adorable, wordless editions invite babies to look at a variety of exciting animals -- and if the little tykes want to "look" with their hands and mouths, that's just dandy! For ages newborn and up.

Item Number: UD2932

Doodle Dolls -

$12.95

Jessie Eckel

Little fashionistas will simply adore Doodle Dolls! The cleverly designed book contains two cute punch-out paper dolls along with more than 300 articles of clothing and accessories, ready to decorate with original creative flair. One side of each cut-out piece has a design to color in, and the reverse is blank for more artistic freedom. Simple prompts, such as "Add reds, greens, and purples to the kimono" and "Get the dolls ready for a dance competition," help generate ideas. The dolls, Cherry and Miah, make perfect models for all kinds of outfits. There's even a wardrobe that can be constructed with some scissors and glue to neatly store all the apparel. What fun for fashion designers ages 4 to 8!

Item Number: UD2672

Around the World Puzzle -

$12.99

Young explorers will love "traveling" the globe by putting together the sixty-three pieces of this kid-friendly puzzle. The colorful 18"x14" world map that emerges once it's assembled features nifty little illustrations of wildlife, landmarks, and cultural attractions for each continent. The pieces all fit neatly into a sturdy round box with a rope handle, perfect for toting the geography-lesson-in-disguise wherever in the world you're headed. For ages 6 and up.

Item Number: UD2472

Chicken Doodle Soup Placemats -

$10.99

Deborah Zemke

These adorable and colorful place mats offer artistically zany between-bites activities for young artists. Each 9"x12.5" paper mat features a picture of a whimsical food-and-animal themed design to doodle -- such as a "pupcake" (half dog, half dessert), a "hummingburger" (half bird, half entree), or "giant pandacakes" (half bear, half breakfast platter) -- with step-by-step instructions, and lots of drawing space. With thirty-six tear-off sheets, the Chicken Doodle Soup Placemats pad serves up a heaping helping of hilarious mealtime entertainment for kids, ages 6 and up.

Item Number: UD2612

Itty Bitty Beach Band-

$35.00

Strike up the band! Our adorable Itty Bitty Beach Band guarantees some major fun in the sun. Little musicians can jingle the starfish tambourine, clomp the clam castanets, shake the puffer fish maracas, and bang on the fish-shaped xylophone (though, actually, the wooden slats make more of a drum sound). The happy little sea-critter instruments are made of wood and festively decorated with nontoxic paint. Whether the six-piece band is used on a beach vacation or while dreaming of one, it's sure to be big hit with young rockers! For ages 3 and up.

Item Number: UD2982

Mini Lunch Notes -

$9.95

Brown bagging it just got a little more exciting! Pep up all your child's away-from-home meals with these adorable Mini Lunch Notes -- 105 2.5"x3" cards (thirty-five each of three cute designs) that carry a joke, a reminder, or just a little bit of love from you. More than 100 stickers are included, too, for decorating lunch sacks, sandwich baggies, and food containers. (The sunglasses and mustache look particularly amusing on a kiwi or banana!) What a fun way to share some lunchtime joy with your child -- even when you can't be there in person.

Item Number: UD3142

A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You -

$9.95

Joan Walsh Anglund

Hardcover, 32 pages; 1983 (1958)

A friend is someone who likes you. It can be a boy...It can be a girl...or a dog that wags its tail extra hard whenever you are near...or a tree that lets you climb it easily...or a brook that lets you be quiet when you want to be quiet.

Tell all your friends how much you like them with this lovely reproduction of Joan Walsh Anglund's timeless rumination on companionship. Anglund's original 1958 illustrations enhance the gentle text with an abundance of old-fashioned charm. A soothing and cozy read-aloud that deserves a special spot on a child's bookshelf, this little (just 4.5"x 7") treasure of a book also makes a sweet gift -- along with a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, or a piece of jewelry -- for loved ones of any age, to remind them how much you care.

Item Number: HH4512

A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations -- and How You Can Find Them in the Sky -

$19.95

Michael Driscoll

Illustrated by Meredith Hamilton

Hardcover, 93 pages; 2004

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $16.96

This amusing, illustrated, and info-filled children's guide to the night sky had me -- and I am many moons beyond my childhood -- riveted. What fun to learn (or, ahem, relearn) all the basics about our universe...from the life cycles of stars, to the mysteries of dark matter, to the mythical stories behind the constellations! Plus, A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky comes with cool glow-in-the-dark stickers and a handy star wheel (with glow-in-the-dark stars!), making it easy to identify the heavenly evening sights. For ages 9 and up.

Item Number: UD3192

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Bas Bleu Editors' Picks!

Bas Bleu Editors' Picks!

A Sneak Peek at a Few of Our Favorite Things!

Click on the graphic image above to browse our adored picks for Summer 2010, or click on the individual links below for a few of our favorite things to read... over and over again!

The Brontes Went to Woolworth's -

$14.00

Rachel Ferguson

Paperback, 188 pages; 2010 (1931)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.90

Three years ago I was proposed to. I couldn't accept the man, much as I liked him, because I was in love with Sherlock Holmes. For Holmes and his personality and brain I had a force of feeling which, for the time, converted living men to shadows. After all, isn't most love the worship of an idea or an illusion? Isn't flesh and blood the least part of the business?

Journalist Deirdre Carne and her two young sisters enjoy an extremely rich fantasy life in 1930s London. Many people don't understand the girls' created "realities," including a charming and very intricate imagined friendship with a real high-court judge in their neighborhood. When Deirdre actually befriends the judge's wife -- in real life -- the sisters find themselves having to reconcile fact and fiction. The Bronte sisters do play an unpredictable role in the book, but devotees be warned -- the Carnes are not fans of the Brontes' work (at one point, for example, one of the Carne sisters reports that Emily, though long deceased, is working on a new book called Swithering Depths!). Full of endearing characters and enchanting surprises, this novel from 1931 is quite the literary escapade!

Item Number: UD2572

The Complete Psalms: The Book of Prayer Songs in a New Translation -

$26.00

Translated by Pamela Greenberg

Hardcover, 323 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $22.10

In a time of personal despair, poet and Hebrew scholar Pamela Greenberg "found within the psalms a model for talking to God." Inspired by the intensity of emotion -- "from jubilation to hopelessness" -- in the Hebrew verses, Greenberg retranslated The Complete Psalms to modern English, hoping to remove some of the theological dogma that has long "tended to emphasize visions of spiritual perfection over acknowledgment that religious struggle is a necessary aspect of religious life." The result of her diligent and respectful efforts is a powerful collection of prayer songs, overflowing with joy and praise, but also with fear and doubt, anger and suffering. The words of David and the other psalmists speak to us in a deep and immediate way. "Where our hearts go," as Professor Susannah Heschel writes in the foreword, "the psalms sing with us."

Item Number: UD2622

The Pig Did It and The Pig Comes to Dinner Books -

$13.95-$13.99

Joseph Caldwell Paperback, 214 pages; 2009 (2008)

Paperback, 255 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD3292): $11.89

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD3662): $11.86

After being rebuffed by a potential lover, American creative-writing teacher Aaron McCloud comes to the craggy shores of Ireland's west coast "so he [can], in solitary majesty, feel sorry for himself." When a herd of pigs in the road interrupts his bus ride to County Kerry, however, Aaron's plans to indulge in a pity party begin to derail. An errant pig follows Aaron to his aunt Kitty's home and, among other acts of destruction, digs up a human skeleton in the vegetable garden: the remains of a local man said to have moved away. Aaron soon discovers that several people around him -- including Kitty and a lovely but feisty pig keeper with whom Aaron is falling hopelessly in love -- are plausible suspects for murder. Hilariously witty, The Pig Did It is a unique blend of satiric comedy, suspenseful mystery, and charming romance -- with a nod to Irish mythology thrown in as well. What fun! Were also offering the second book in the "Pig Trilogy": The Pig Comes to Dinner.

Item Number:

UD3292 The Pig Did It

UD3662 The Pig Comes to Dinner

Nuns Having Fun -

$7.95

Maureen Kelly and Jeffrey Stone

Paperback, 248 pages; 2008

Nuns driving bumper cars, nuns swilling beers, nuns on a water slide, nuns snow skiing, nuns playing the slots, nuns in a tug-of-war, nuns playing Twister...Nuns Having Fun collects dozens of hilarious photos from the 1950s and 1960s of nuns -- in full, traditional habits -- doing all sorts of crazy things (and thoroughly enjoying themselves!). Both the devout and the nonreligious will have a hard time not smiling at the sight of these fun-loving nuns, wimples askew, reveling in the lighter side of life. Be warned, though: The authors, both of whom were raised Catholic, include several satiric sections within the book -- a list of nuns favorite classroom punishments, nun sudoku, some madeup "Alternative Orders for the Irreligious," to name a few -- that may strike some as unduly irreverent. But, if the idea of a gang of nuns on motor scooters strikes you as comical, youll find this silly little book hard to resist!

Item Number: UD3202

The Joy of Eating: The Virago Book of Food -

$15.95

Edited by Jill Foulston

Paperback, 405 pages; 2009 (2006)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $13.56

In relating all I know of America, I surely must not omit so important a feature as the cooking....They consume an extraordinary quantity of bacon. Ham and beef-steaks appear morning, noon, and night. In eating, they mix things together with the strangest incongruity imaginable. I have seen eggs and oysters eaten together; the sempiternal ham with apple-sauce; beef-steak with stewed peaches; and salt fish with onions. The bread is everywhere excellent, but they rarely enjoy it themselves, as they insist upon eating horrible half-baked hot rolls both morning and evening. -- Fanny Trollope, from Domestic Manners of the Americans

A delectable food-writing sampler, The Joy of Eating compiles hundreds of snippets of novels, poems, memoirs, letters, and diaries from female authors throughout the centuries. Organized by themes such as "Festive Fare," "Solitary Pleasures," "Poisons and Panaceas," "Works of Art," and "Regrettable Meals," bite-sized literary tidbits by a diverse range of authors -- Jane Austen, Anne Frank, M. F. K. Fisher, Beatrix Potter, and Jhumpa Lahiri, to name a few -- describe memorable meals, provide commentary on eating habits, pay tribute to dishes or ingredients, and offer special recipes. A delightful collection to dip in and out of, The Joy of Eating is the perfect gift for the foodies in your life.

Item Number: UD3002

Ten Bad Dates with De Niro: A Book of Alternative Movie Lists -

$17.95

Edited by Richard T. Kelly

Paperback, 458 pages; 2009 (2008)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $15.26

Far more interesting (and much funnier!) than standard lists of best and worst movies, Ten Bad Dates with De Niro compiles decidedly unconventional top ten film lists from noted critics, filmmakers, and writers, resulting in a quirky "symposium and celebration of viewing pleasures, private passions and cinematic lost causes." You'll find annotated, ascending-order lists about personal reactions to a movie (Ten Films It's Painful to Like, for example, or Ten Films to Avoid on Medication), characters and plot devices (Ten Angst-Ridden Piano-Playing Protagonists, Ten Wince-Making Instances of Finger/Toe Abuse), the craft of filmmaking (Ten Brave Uses of Obsolete Technology, Ten Great Opening-Credit Sequences), and so much more. There's even a list of the best literature about cinema. With entries by the Coen brothers, Steven Soderbergh, George Pelecanos, and more, Ten Bad Dates with De Niro will entertain, enlighten, provoke, and lengthen the "to watch" list of cinephiles of all stripes -- even the haughtiest film snobs.

Item Number: UD1282

Somewhere Towards the End -

$13.95

Diana Athill

Paperback, 182 pages; 2009 (2008)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.86

Book after book has been written about being young, and even more of them about the elaborate and testing experiences that cluster around procreation, but there is not much on record about falling away. Being well advanced in that process...I say to myself, "Why not have a go at it?" So I shall.

In this elegant memoir, legendary British editor Diana Athill writes engagingly, beautifully, and unflinchingly about old age. As she embarks upon her ninth decade of life, Athill lucidly contemplates both her present state -- the losses that come with physical deterioration as well as the freedom from inhibition afforded by the approach of death -- and the events of her recent past, during the transition from middle-age to elderly. Athill's reflections are often unconventional -- she writes quite candidly about her affairs with married men, her lack of maternal instinct, and her atheism -- but her refusal to sugarcoat her observations makes the gentle thread of optimism that runs throughout this slender volume that much more meaningful.

Item Number: UD0772

A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations -- and How You Can Find Them in the Sky -

$19.95

Michael Driscoll

Illustrated by Meredith Hamilton

Hardcover, 93 pages; 2004

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $16.96

Item Number: UD3192

Miss Hargreaves -

$14.00

Frank Baker

Paperback, 317 pages; 2009 (1940)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.90

The whole affair starts innocently enough: Norman Huntley tells a white lie about a fictitious elderly acquaintance he calls Constance Hargreaves to spice up a rather dull tour of a country church in Ireland. But when an eccentric octogenarian claiming to be Miss Hargreaves -- and possessing all of the qualities Norman had invented for her, down to owning a pet cockatoo named Dr. Pepusch -- arrives at his doorstep, the young man is utterly flummoxed. As he attempts to sort out what exactly is going on -- and to explain the appearance of the odd stranger to his family and friends -- Miss Hargreaves wreaks havoc on Norman's sleepy Buckinghamshire town with her outlandish clothes, presumptuous manner, and unending fussiness (despite her frequent assertion that she "abominates fuss"). First published in 1940, this hilarious British novel explores philosophical issues of creation and destruction with a lighthearted touch and an abundance of charm.

Item Number: UD1222

Odes to Common Things -

Originally $24.99 - SPECIAL PRICE: $19.99

Pablo Neruda

Selected and illustrated by Ferris Cook

Translated by Ken Krabbenhoft

Hardcover, 147 pages; 2008 (1994)

Men would like to be fish or fowl,/snakes would rather have wings,

and dogs are would-be lions.

Engineers want to be poets,/flies emulate swallows,

and poets try hard to act like flies.

But the cat wants nothing more than to be a cat

-- from "Ode to the Cat"

In Odes to Common Things, Ferris Cook collects twenty-five of legendary Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's poetic tributes to everyday objects, plants, and animals. Whether the subject is a chair, a guitar, a dictionary, a pair of scissors, or an artichoke, Neruda's evocative and playful verse invites fresh contemplation of "common things," often as particularly striking metaphors. This beautiful edition, enhanced with Cook's graceful line drawings, offers the odes in original Spanish as well as in a new English translation. What a handsome gift for poetry buffs, Spanish speakers/students, and perceptive thinkers of all kinds.

Item Number: UD3222

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Click here to visit our Clearance section!

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Flaunt Your Bas Bleu Style!

Flaunt Your Bas Bleu Style!

Apparel and Accessories for the Avid Reader!

Click on the graphic image above to browse our "WEARABLES" section of our site, or click on the individual links below for apparel and accessories for the avid reader!

Literary Octopus T-Shirt -

$19.95-$21.95

"One can never have too many books!" Our cheerful literary octopus makes the most of his many appendages with a book in each arm. Artist Ande Cook's playful image of the adorable under-the-sea reader is printed in bright oranges and blues on a flattering, ladies-cut white T-shirt (100% cotton). What a delightful and unique gift for voracious readers of all ages! Please specify size S, M, L, XL, or XXL. (Imported.)

Item Number: UD3081

Pride and Prejudice Mint Boxes -

$14.95

Set of two

These elegant little lacquered slide boxes -- each measuring a demure 1.75" x 2.75" x 0.75" and made of recycled plastics -- open to offer a mint (or whatever other tiny somethings you choose to keep inside them, once the included supply of mighty little breath fresheners is gone). One box features a reproduction of a 1907 cover of Jane Austen's most renowned work, and the other shows a scene from the novel wherein Mr. Bingley encourages his reserved friend, "Come, Darcy, I must have you dance." (What an ideal moment for a mint!) Austen fans, of course, simply must have these glamorous, literary, and multifunctional accessories. (I like to use mine on trips for carrying jewelry.)

Item Number: UD3572

Hummingbird Necklace -

$24.95

We're simply smitten with this darling Hummingbird Necklace. The image within the glass-covered "window" charm (about 1" x 1.5") is just lovely: an exquisite green-headed hummingbird hovering by a delicate pink flower. The reverse side is a little mirror -- how handy! Its stainless steel ball chain measures 24". What a uniquely charming gift for bird-watchers, gardeners, and naturalists!

Item Number: UD0592

Thurber's Reading Dog Pin -

$47.50

With cute droopy ears, a thoughtfully wrinkled brow, and an open book at his paws, Thurber's Reading Dog is an adorably literary animal! This sterling silver pin (less than 1" in diameter) has James Thurber's signature engraved on the back. There's even a little hidden loop at the top so you can hang the pin on a chain.

Item Number: UD0982

Nancy Drew 80th Anniversary Shirts -

$23.95-$31.95

No matter how many decades you've been a fan of Nancy Drew, you'll want to celebrate the amateur sleuth's enduring popularity via this snappy T-shirt marking her eightieth anniversary. A portrait of the fictional detective -- deep in the contemplation of clues, of course -- and "Nancy Drew: 80 years and still has the answers" appear in blue on the front of the loose-fit, ladies-cut, heather gray T-shirt. Printed, also in blue, on the back of the shirt is a little magnifying-glass icon and a short excerpt from Nancy's Mysterious Letter: "Do act mysterious, it always keeps them coming back for more!" Choose the long- or short-sleeved tee, in sizes S, M, L, XL, or XXL.

Item Numbers:

UD3692 Nancy Drew 80th Anniversary Long-Sleeved T-Shirt

UD3702 Nancy Drew 80th Anniversary Short-Sleeved T-Shirt

Envirosax(R) Bags (Set of 3) -

$29.95

We just love these designer reusable bags for carrying around books, bringing home groceries...schlepping just about anything from point A to point B (and doing so with substantial style)! The 100% polyester bags are super strong (each holds forty-four pounds) and ultra light (1.4 ounces a piece). And they are extraordinarily pretty! Washable and waterproof, each 19.5"x16.5" Envirosax Bag -- dazzlingly decorated with floral and abstract patterns -- rolls up to a compact 4"x1.5", and snaps shut. Our set of three (one of each design shown) all fit in a compact 6"x8" pouch (included), so the whole toting system is supremely portable!

Item Number: UD1522

Stack of Birds T-Shirt -

$19.95-$21.95

Ande Cook, whose beautiful paintings have graced many a Bas Bleu cover, created this darling avian image just for our customers! (We like to think that the three birds' azure legs are a nod to their bluestocking status.) We're offering the warm-hued design printed on a crisp white, 100% cotton, ladies-cut T-shirt. Equally appropriate as an adorable birding outfit or as stylish everyday wear, our flattering Stack of Birds T-Shirt makes a chic and unique addition to your wardrobe! Available in S, M, L, XL, and XXL. (Imported.)

Item Number: UD1831

Friendship Cuff -

$84.95

"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."

-- Emerson

The transcendentalist philosophies of essayist, poet, and Unitarian minister Ralph Waldo Emerson were enormously influential in nineteenth-century American literary expression and cultural thought. The heartfelt little snippet above, from his 1841 publication Essays, perfectly expresses the beautiful quintessence of friendship. Our sterling silver Friendship Cuff -- cast by an ancient lost-wax method and hand-finished for antique effect -- makes a superlative gift for all of your most cherished friends.

Item Number: UD3732

"A Large Income..." Business Card Case -

$18.95

"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of." -- Jane Austen

This witty quip from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park -- paired with a Regency Era illustration of a handsome woman in a green (how appropriate!) dress -- grace the cover of our smart business-card case. The metal 2.5"x3.75" container (with resin-coated image) holds a fat stack of standard-size cards and clasps securely shut. With an included silver-colored cloth case, this snappy accessory makes a clever -- and useful -- gift for all the literary working women you know!

Item Number: UD3602

St. Jerome Tote Bag -

$12.95

We at Bas Bleu are big admirers of scholarly Saint Jerome, patron saint of librarians and translators. Our beloved cover artist Ande Cook depicts a thoughtful Jerome at work, with all his usual companions: books, a cross, a skull, an owl, and a lion (from whose paw, according to legend, he removed a thorn). The warm, enchanting image looks great on our sturdy 100% cotton natural-colored tote bag (18"x14.5"), perfect for carrying all your books and projects.

Item Number: UD1861

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Bas Bleu Catalogue / BasBleu.com

Gifts That Make Your Heart Sing!

Gifts That Make Your Heart Sing!

Selections for Artists, Musicians, and All Interesting Bluestockings!

Click on the graphic image above to browse our ART section, or click on the individual links below of gifts that we believe will make your heart sing!

Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles and Art Classics: Caravaggio -

$9.95-$13.99

Francine Prose

Edited by Francesca Marini; Translated by Miriam Hurley Paperback, 149 pages; 2010 (2005)

Paperback, 189 pages; 2006

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD2582): $11.89

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD3622): $8.46

The life of Caravaggio is the closest thing we have to the myth of the sinner-saint, the street tough, the martyr, the killer, the genius -- the myth that, in these jaded and secular times, we are almost ashamed to admit that we still long for, and need.

In Caravaggio, Francine Prose writes about Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio's life and work with brilliance and verve, perfectly befitting the wildly passionate sixteenth- and seventeenth-century master painter. She spins rousing yarns about his tempestuous behavior and brusque humor, and insightfully analyzes his revolutionary artistic ability to convey "the paradoxical ordinariness of a miracle." It's all very engaging stuff! While reading this scintillating art lesson/biography, believe me, you'll want to take an attentive look at all the paintings Prose perceptively describes -- so we're offering Art Classics: Caravaggio, an exquisite yet compact (6.75"x8.25") collection of his masterpieces.

Item Numbers:

UD2582 Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles

UD3622 Art Classics: Caravaggio

Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities -

$35.00

John M. Carrera

Hardcover, 483 pages; 2009 (2007)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $29.75

Fine-press bookmaker John M. Carrera's quest to produce this volume involved a decade of identifying, organizing, cleaning, and restoring original woodblock engravings from nineteenth-century editions of Websters dictionaries. Pictorial Webster's showcases more than 1,500 of these intricate illustrations, reproduced from the original engravings -- organized alphabetically, labeled by name, and coded by source. Beginning with aardvark and abaculus and finishing up with zither and zones, the depicted objects, animals, and ideas range from commonplace to exceedingly rare, and many of them are antiquated or extinct in our modern times. Ideal for creativity-inspiring browsing, this quirky "visual dictionary of curiosities" makes a wonderful gift for designers, art buffs, language lovers, and historians. And it's perfect for those hard-to-buy-for know-it-alls in your life.

Item Number: HJ0742

The Cello Suites and Bach's Cello Suites CDs -

$14.95

Eric Siblin Hardcover, 319 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1362): $20.40

Listen to Casals in the prelude of the third suite: it begins as a glorious collapse, picks up the pieces, gathers momentum, and plunges into a maelstrom, straining, nearly breaking apart, only to emerge with bouquets of chords and a declaration of love.

In the autumn of 2000, at a concert in Toronto, pop-music critic Eric Siblin fell in love with Johann Sebastian Bach's exquisite Cello Suites. Composed in 1720, the suites were long considered "only a collection of exercises." But in 1890, a remarkably talented young Catalan cellist named Pablo Casals rediscovered a copy of the music sheets in a secondhand shop and, a few decades later, breathed tremendous new life into the suites via his seminal recordings of them. The Cello Suites is a fascinating dual biography of Bach and Casals, as well as an infectiously enthusiastic account of Siblin's rhapsodic relationship with Bach's music. You'll definitely want to listen to the Cello Suites after -- and while! -- reading this book, so were offering them on CD, with Pablo Casals on violoncello.

Item Numbers:

UD1362 The Cello Suites: J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece

UD1972 Bach's Cello Suites: Pablo Casals CD

Ansel Adams in Color -

$35.00

Edited by Harry M. Callahan with John P. Schaefer and Andrea G. Stillman

Hardcover, 159 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $29.75

Deservedly revered for his dramatic black-and-white landscape photographs of the American West, Ansel Adams also did creative work with color film. This fact may well come as a surprise since Ansel Adams in Color is the first published collection of his color photography. Adams had mixed feelings and interesting insights about the medium, many of which are relayed in these pages. But, of course, what steals the show are the images themselves -- of mountains, trees, rivers, sunsets, old churches, cliffs, waterfalls, and more. What a unique and beautiful volume for photographers and naturalists!

Item Number: UC9792

The Ultimate Coloring Experience -

$10.95 each

Roger Burrows Paperback, 208 pages; 2010 (1992)

Sharpen your colored pencils or grab your favorite markers -- Images and the slightly more intricate Images 2 are loaded with complex geometric designs to stimulate your creativity! Hidden within every image are limitless combinations of shapes, patterns, and forms. Keep it symmetrical or get wild, creating flowers, animals, and more! For ages 9 to adult.

Item Numbers:

UD1392 The Ultimate Coloring Experience: Images

UD1402 The Ultimate Coloring Experience: Images 2

Frank Lloyd Wright Pencils Puzzle -

$17.95

This unique jigsaw puzzle features a vibrant photograph of the pencils found on Frank Lloyd Wright's desk upon his death in 1959. Brightly colored and worn with use, the pencils offer an artful and poignant tribute to the great architect. This 1,000-piece puzzle (measures 20"x29" when complete) is perfect for puzzle fiends with artistic sensibilities.

Item Number: UD0942

O Clap Your Hands: A Musical Tour of Sacred Choral Works - Paperback Edition -

$19.99

Gordon Giles

Paperback with CD, 150 pages; 2010 (2008)

In his reflection upon composer Nikolai Kedrov's gorgeous musical arrangement of the Lords Prayer, Gordon Giles -- trained musician and vicar of Saint Mary Magdalene in London -- proposes that "Heaven is not a distant or imaginary place, but as real as salvation and divinity itself. In the Lord's Prayer, we bring a little heaven upon ourselves as we implore God to rule earth as heaven." I cannot think of a better description of the divine musical experience offered by O Clap Your Hands than "bringing a little heaven upon ourselves." Giles guides the reader through thirty sacred musical pieces -- deftly exploring the historical context and spiritual meaning of works ranging from a Gregorian chant of Psalm 150, to Tchaikovsky's Angel vopiyashe, to Aaron Copland's "Simple Gifts." The accompanying CD allows you to contemplate and rejoice in all of the featured music, through deeply moving performances by the internationally renowned Gloria Dei Cantores choir. Enjoy this "musical tour of sacred choral works" as an aid in personal devotion or as a focus in prayer groups -- either way, it's a heavenly journey!

Item Number: UD3212

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Click here to visit our Clearance section!

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The Natural World - Step Outside with Bas Bleu!

THE NATURAL WORLD

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Click on the graphic image above to browse our Natural World section of our site, or click on the individual links below of specific books and gifts that remind us all to appreciate the beauty of Nature!

The Life and Love of Trees -

$50.00

Lewis Blackwell

Hardcover, 200 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $42.50

"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of the air, that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit."

-- Robert Louis Stevenson

I certainly couldn't pinpoint what it is about trees that makes them so elementally alluring -- but whatever it is, this breathtakingly gorgeous 12.5"x12.5" book has it brimming over on every page. The huge color photographs, taken by stellar artists from around the world, are utterly enchanting, and Lewis Blackwell's enlightening text sweeps the reader into a joyous celebration of the science, history, cultural lore, and undeniable beauty of the arboreal world. Like a walk in the woods with a wise and exuberant guide, The Life and Love of Trees offers a brisk and powerful tree-filled reverie.

Item Number: UD3062

Flyaway: How a Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings -

$14.99

Suzie Gilbert

Illustrated by Laura Westlake

Paperback, 337 pages; 2010 (2009)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.74

Item Number: UD2782

Fandex Nature Series -

$9.95-$10.95

These colorful reference guides to the great outdoors are too clever to resist. Each wonderfully illustrated fandex (fanning index) hosts a wealth of fascinating knowledge to hold in the palm of your hand. Kids and adults alike appreciate the unusual presentation of information -- what a fun and practical way to learn! The Birds Fandex presents beautiful pictures of forty-eight of the most common birds of North America and info about each one's name, behavior, habitat, diet, nest, and song. In the Trees Fandex -- with illustrations of the leaf, bark, full tree, and flower, nut, or seed of each featured arboreal beauty -- you'll find all sorts of entertaining cultural history and detailed identification tips. Perfect for gardeners, hikers, and nature lovers, the Wildflowers Fandex fans into a glorious bouquet of vibrant flowers you'll recognize from highway medians, woodlands, meadows, and backyards. Thoroughly researched and ingeniously packaged, these 10.5"-tall fandexes (fandices?) are just plain handy to have around.

Item Number:

UD1912 Fandex Nature Series: Wildflowers

UD1922 Fandex Nature Series: Trees

UD1932 Fandex Nature Series: Birds

The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond -

$14.95

Laura Erickson

Paperback, 388 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

If you are fond of birds and/or eager to understand them better, The Bird Watching Answer Book will knock your socks off! Laura Erickson, science editor at the esteemed Cornell Lab of Ornithology, presents clear, reliable answers to hundreds of intriguing and practical bird-related questions: "I've heard you can tell if birds are migrating on a particular day by looking at a weather map! How does that work?" "So many grackles are pigging out at my feeders that the little birds can't get in. What should I do?" "Do birds have any senses that we humans lack entirely?" This cool compendium is extremely entertaining to browse through -- and the detailed index makes it easy to dig up the skinny on any specific inquiries you might have.

Item Number: UD2522

Garden Wisdom and Know-How: Everything You Need to Know to Plant, Grow, and Harvest -

$19.95

The Editors of Rodale Gardening Books

Paperback, 496 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $16.96

A tremendous boon for gardeners, this expansive and extraordinarily helpful encyclopedia may well be the only gardening book you'll ever need! Packed with detailed how-to information -- along with charts, diagrams, and illustrations -- about planting a vegetable garden, choosing soil mixes for houseplants, designing landscapes, attracting butterflies and moths, installing a water garden, arranging flowers, creating woodland and shade gardens, welcoming wildlife, and so much more, this giant (10.5"x13.5") reference is truly an essential tool for anyone who enjoys digging in the dirt.

Item Number: UD2812

Books and Letters by the Sea Note Cards -

$15.95

Oregon artist Deborah DeWit's rich oil paintings have long resonated with Bas Bleu staff and customers. Her latest collection of note cards features four original images with a subtly literary beach theme: a book set aside as the reader heads for an ocean dip; a row of mailboxes on a seaside road; an open notepad in front of a window overlooking an ocean sunset; and a cozy inside read on a rainy summer day. The set of eight 5"x6.25" note cards (two each of the four designs shown, each with a thoughtful quotation printed unobtrusively inside) carry breezy summer correspondence with elegance.

Item Number: UD2552

Beach: A Book of Treasure -

$24.95

Josie Iselin

Hardcover, 143 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $21.21

This gorgeous collection of photographic collages -- of seashells, stones, sea glass, feathers, driftwood, seaweed, and other oceanic treasures -- dynamically conveys the joy of beachcombing. Within each found object is a peaceful, intricate, and powerful beauty quietly waiting to be admired. Artist (and devoted beach wanderer) Josie Iselin offers a wealth of captivating information about the beach prizes pictured here -- from "the astounding chemistry and physics of the shell-building organisms" to "the poetry of the seaweed." Beach is sure to be cherished by all who revel in contemplative treasure hunts between land and sea.

Item Number: UD2492

Weather Whys: Facts, Myths and Odditiess -

$14.95

Paul Yeager

Paperback, 212 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Did you know Chicago, a.k.a. "the Windy City," is actually not even among the top twenty-five windiest cities in the United States? Do you know the difference between sleet and freezing rain? Can you explain why baseball players hit more home runs in high humidity? Weather Whys is full of fun, fascinating, and downright peculiar meteorological facts and phenomena. Whether your interest in weather is enthusiastic, mild, or completely unrealized, Paul Yeager's breezy guide to the myriad wonders of atmospheric conditions is a surprising and informative delight.

Item Number: UD3502

Forests Note Cards -

$14.95

Mixed-media artist Lisa Congdon offers four seasons' worth of enchanting forests in this attractive keepsake box of note cards. With springtime pinks, summery yellows and greens, fiery autumnal hues, and snowy winter whites, each image creates a lovely woodsy scene, perfect for sending a message to a nature-loving friend any time of year. Set includes sixteen 4.25" x 5.5" blank note cards -- four each of four designs -- plus fantastic coordinating envelopes with tree-ring patterns.

Item Number: UD2792

Monet's Passion: Ideas, Inspiration and Insights from the Painter's Garden -

$35.00

Elizabeth Murray

Hardcover, 127 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $29.75

Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as the paint and the soil and sky as the canvas.

In the mid-1980s, professional gardener and artist Elizabeth Murray spent nine delightful months living and working (happily and without pay) in Claude Monet's Giverny gardens (the view from her room on page 5 of this gorgeous book will make you swoon!). Murray helped restore the gardens and became lovingly familiar with the rich history, wonderful people, and beautiful plants of the Normandy countryside. In Monet's Passion, she brings her incredible experience to life, through vivid photographs and glorious descriptions of the famous gardens in Giverny. This lovely volume offers a stunning armchair tour, and, if you're so inclined, voluminous botanical details will enable you to re-create elements of Monet's living masterpiece in your very own yard!

Item Number: UD3152

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Cool Fiction for Hot Summer Days!

Beat the Heat with These Chilling Mysteries and Other Favorite Novels!

Click on the graphic image above to browse our entire collection of Fiction favorites, or click on the individual links below to beat the heat with these exciting novels ideal for hot Summer days!

Rebecca -

$14.99

Daphne du Maurier

Paperback, 410 pages; 2006 (1938)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.74

If you're a fan of suspenseful fiction and you've never read Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, drop what you're doing and order this book right now! Having enjoyed other works by Du Maurier and loved the Hitchcock adaptation of this novel, I had high expectations when I finally picked up Rebecca recently -- and I was not disappointed. Upon arriving at Manderley, the isolated mansion on the Cornish coast that is to be her new home, the newly married narrator (known to the reader only as "the second Mrs. De Winter") slowly begins to unravel the mysterious fate of her predecessor, the beautiful and charming Rebecca, whose oppressive presence seems to haunt the entire estate. Du Maurier's perfectly paced plot is rife with sinister characters, eerie happenings, and shocking revelations. This edition of the classic novel features enticing extras like excerpts from Du Maurier's The Rebecca Notebook and Other Memories, an essay on the real Manderley, and Rebeccas original epilogue. Worthy of a second read for those whose memory of the novel is fading, this unrelentingly gripping mystery is a perfect beach read for the literary set -- you're guaranteed to get a chill even on the hottest day.

Item Number: UD3342

My Cousin Rachel -

$14.99

Daphne du Maurier

Paperback, 387 pages; 2009 (1951)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.74

Philip Ashley is suspicious when he hears that his cousin Ambrose, a lifelong bachelor like himself, has impetuously married an Italian countess while vacationing abroad. When he learns of Ambrose's sudden, mysterious death, Philip's suspicions turn to outrage. But when Ambrose's widow, Rachel, arrives at the family's Cornwall estate, Philip finds himself enchanted by her dark beauty and charmed by her vivacious spirit. Torn between a growing love for his cousin's widow and nagging qualms about the circumstances of Ambrose's death, Philip descends into an increasingly unstable mental state as he endeavors to discover the truth about Rachel. Delivering all the gothic atmosphere and dark suspense of Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel will beguile readers until the final thrilling page.

Item Number: UD1652

Mating -

$15.95

Norman Rush

Paperback, 477 pages; 1992 (1991)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $13.56

The erudite (and unnamed) narrator of this intriguing comedy of manners is an American anthropologist whose thesis research in Africa has failed to come to fruition, leaving her at loose ends in Gaborone, Botswana. When she learns that Nelson Denoon is in town, she jumps at the chance to meet the celebrated social scientist and, hopefully, to wangle an invitation to join his most recent project. Rumor has it that Denoon has created a utopian desert society called Tsau, inhabited almost exclusively by women and hidden deep within the Kalahari desert. Denoon rebuffs her initial advances, but no matter: Our heroine is determined that both the man and his work are right up her alley. She hatches a bold scheme to infiltrate Tsau and win the elusive Denoon, committing herself to an elaborate -- and often amusing -- social experiment that will test the established conventions of romantic love.

Item Number: UD3122

An Expert in Murder: A Josephine Tey Mystery -

$13.99

Nicola Upson

Paperback, 308 pages; 2009 (2008)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.89

Josephine Tey -- or, rather, a fictionalized version of the acclaimed writer -- is enjoying a leisurely breakfast when she receives an unexpected visit from Inspector Archie Penrose of Scotland Yard. The two are longtime friends, but on this cold March morning in 1934, Archie isn't paying a social call. Rather, he is investigating the murder of Elspeth Simmons, a young woman befriended by Josephine on the train to London the previous day. Elspeth's body -- found in the very carriage she shared with the author -- was arranged in a gruesome tableau evoking a scene from Josephine's smash play, Richard of Bordeaux. Hours later, one of Josephine's colleagues is poisoned, leaving little doubt that Miss Tey, the toast of the West End theater district, is at dire risk for an untimely exit. Fans of Tey's mystery novels and anyone who enjoys a clever detective story won't want to miss An Expert in Murder.

Item Number: UD1022

The Elegance of the Hedgehog -

$15.00

Muriel Barbery

Translated by Alison Anderson

Paperback, 325 pages; 2009 (2006)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.75

Madame Michel falls squarely within the stereotype of the Parisian concierge: She's a dumpy, seemingly unsophisticated and uneducated woman who serves as grumpy doorkeeper to a rather tony apartment building. But she has been educating herself for decades -- through library books, movies, recordings, concerts, and art exhibitions. So, when the real estate agent selling one of the apartments makes a grammatical gaffe ("bring," rather than "take"), Madame Michel's flinch begins to unravel her facade of drudgery and disinterest. Monsieur Ozu, the new resident who observes and shares her reaction, becomes fascinated with her. He compares her to a hedgehog: on the outside, covered in quills, "a deceptively indolent little creature, fiercely solitary -- and terribly elegant." Here's a novel whose plot turns on a linguistic error: How can you resist? It entices further with an incipient romance between an unkempt fifty-something woman and the sophisticated and charming man who falls into her life. No wonder we dames d'un certain age are all aglow about The Elegance of the Hedgehog.

Item Number: UD2692

Unnatural Fire -

$14.95

Fidelis Morgan

Paperback, 388 pages; 2010 (2000)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

The truth is, I find many historical novels a terrible snooze. I love arcane historical detail as much as the next person, but if I'm reading fiction, I also want a plot. I want quirky characters; I want movement and life. And too much of the time, I don't get it. That's okay: Unnatural Fire has enough brio to make up for a dozen disappointments. This historical mystery is bawdy, funny, and a slap in the face of pomposity. Our heroine, the Countess Ashby de la Zouche, has been somewhat financially embarrassed ever since the Count left town with the family silver and anything else that wasn't nailed down. No longer young, she is finding it more and more difficult to persuade gentlemen to pay for her favors, and she is therefore embarking on a new strategy for putting food on the table: The Countess is now a private eye.

Item Number: UD3472

The Family Man -

$14.95

Elinor Lipman

Paperback, 305 pages; 2010 (2009)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Upon learning of the death of his ex-wife's husband, Manhattan attorney Henry Archer pens a polite note of condolence. He has no interest in inviting Denise back into his life, but she crashes in just the same, mistaking his expression of sympathy for an olive branch. Yet when he spies a photograph of Denise's daughter, Thalia, Henry realizes the child he once loved as his own is under his very nose, working as the coat-check girl at his hair salon. Keen to reconnect with his former stepdaughter, Henry tentatively invites Thalia to lunch. She accepts, and before he knows it, he's asking her to move into his guest house. Suddenly the once solitary bachelor is up to his neck in family drama, thanks to Thalia's convoluted love life, Denise's legal battle over her dead husband's estate, and Henry's own sexual identity. Brimming with humor and charm, The Family Man is a light-hearted novel about a most unconventional family.

Item Number: UD2722

A Duty to the Dead -

$24.99

Charles Todd

Hardcover, 329 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $21.24

This immediately gripping first book in a new series from Charles Todd ("Charles Todd" is actually a mother/son team of authors!) has the classic feel of an old English mystery. It's set during World War II in England, and the heroine, Bess Crawford, is an independent, curious, and devoted nurse working for the military. When a dying soldier asks her to deliver a message to his brother, Crawford promises to do so. She travels to the village where the soldier's family lives, hoping to learn the significance of the enigmatic message she carries -- but the family is not interested in sharing any secrets. The local doctor, however, desperately needs a nurse's help, and while Crawford lends a hand, she becomes increasingly embroiled in village history. She discovers that one of the dead soldier's brothers has been in a mental institution for more than a decade, accused of committing a heinous murder as a young boy...and soon Crawford finds herself heatedly engaged in this "cold case." A Duty to the Dead unfolds slowly, with carefully considered details that powerfully pull you into the scene -- but the pages turn quickly, from the very beginning to the satisfying conclusion!

Item Number: UD2682

The Tiger in the Smoke -

$14.95

Margery Allingham

Paperback, 290 pages; 2010 (1952)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

The Tiger in the Smoke is widely recognized as both Margery Allingham's masterpiece and one of the great detective novels of the twentieth century. While it retains the wit and light touch of all the Albert Campion books, The Tiger in the Smoke also features an air of tense suspense that makes the book feel surprisingly contemporary, as Campion searches for a vicious serial killer. "The Smoke" was Cockney and hep-cat slang for London, and Allingham's use of the term was almost certainly a signal that, with this book, she was taking a new (and somewhat darker) tack. The feel is by no means so grim as to disappoint fans of the series (and of Golden Age crime fiction in general) -- there are still quips aplenty -- but it may also appeal to readers who do not typically enjoy vintage whodunits.

Item Number: UD3442

The Feng Shui Detective -

$14.95

Nury Vittachi

Paperback, 274 pages; 2010 (2002)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Mr. C. F. Wong is Singapore's most acclaimed feng shui master, a renowned problem solver, and something of a semiprofessional crank. The problem, as Mr. Wong sees it, is the modern world -- with its noise and its rush-rush, its lack of respect for traditions, as well as for true artists like himself. Most of his clients dont even recognize his artistry. And now it has gotten worse: Mr. Wong has been given a gift he cannot return. The gift is loud and vulgar. It has a thick Australian accent. Mr. Wong, it seems, has an intern.

Item Number: UD2732

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Thoughtful Selections for the Eternally Curious!

THOUGHTFUL SELECTIONS FOR THE ETERNALLY CURIOUS!

"The true University of these days is a Collection of Books."

- Thomas Carlyle

Click on the graphic image above to browse our Light Non-Fiction section, or click on the individual links below of thoughtful selections for the eternally curious!

101 Things I Learned Series -

$15.00 each

Michael W. Preis with Matthew Frederick

Louis Eguaras with Matthew Frederick

Alfredo Cabrera with Matthew Frederick

Neil Landau with Matthew Frederick

Hardcover, 212 pages; 2010

In the 101 Things I Learned series, expert professors (with the help of author/illustrator Matthew Frederick) distill the fundamentals of their graduate programs into fascinating morsels of bite-sized wisdom. With a conversational style, real-life examples, and helpful illustrations, two-page spreads in each title define common terms in the featured discipline, explain basic philosophies and evolving trends in the field, refute commonly held misconceptions, offer tips for everyday success, and feature advice and insightful quotations from industry experts. Almost as good as getting the advanced degree -- and a lot cheaper! -- these clever little books are perfect for future, current, and former entrepreneurs/chefs/designers/filmmakers, as well as all perpetual students of life.

Item Number:

UD2362 101 Things I Learned in Business School

UD2372 101 Things I Learned in Culinary School

UD2382 101 Things I Learned in Fashion School

UD2392 101 Things I Learned in Film School

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England -

$26.00

Ian Mortimer

Hardcover, 342 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $22.10

Imagine yourself a traveler in fourteenth-century England. All the sights, sounds, tastes, pungent smells, pleasures, and perils of journeying through the countryside, villages, towns, and cities of England are revealed as you resolve the basic issues of all travelers: Where to stay? What will it cost? What can you expect for your money? Where and what to eat? What to see and do for entertainment? And perhaps most important, how to avoid illness and highwaymen? Ian Mortimer guides you on a Canterbury pilgrimage, takes you hunting and jousting with the nobility, and follows the common crowds to local fairs and mystery plays. Filled with delicious detail on every aspect of daily life of each social strata, The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England transports you as a welcome guest in this pivotal century -- the time in which English became the lingua franca and the feudal system began to crumble from the ravages of the Black Death, severe famines, and war. Written as a tourist guide, this unusual approach to social history truly captures the feel of life in a century of change, turbulence, and splendor.

A Reader Review by Joan Londynsky Weill of Queensbury, New York

Item Number: UD3452

One Nation Under Dog: American's Love Affair with Our Dogs -

$15.00

Michael Schaffer

Paperback, 288 pages; 2010 (2009)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.75

An enlightening and entertaining expose, One Nation Under Dog examines "how America's house pets have worked their way into a new place in the hearts, minds, and wallets of their owners." With lively prose and a sympathetic outlook (the author is a dog owner bordering on overindulgent himself), Michael Schaffer investigates the cultural, economic, and social consequences of man's best friend abandoning the once-ubiquitous dog house in favor of a more prominent position in the family -- becoming what industry folk term a "fur baby." Pet lovers and skeptics alike will follow eagerly along as Shaffer looks into the current state of the multibillion dollar (and fairly recession-proof) pet industry: attending a posh Chihuahua Christmas party; visiting Amish puppy mills with an ASPCA investigator; shadowing a dog walker who makes a six-figure salary; discovering the latest innovations in veterinary care, chewtoy technology, and animal legal representation; and so much more! Sometimes jaw-droppingly shocking, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and always fascinating, One Nation Under Dog ultimately reveals much more about humans than it does about our four-legged friends.

Item Number: UD3242

Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making -

$25.99

John Curran

Hardcover, 492 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $22.09

In this enthralling tome, John Curran (longtime literary advisor to Agatha Christie's estate) has organized the contents of seventy-three private notebooks Christie filled with ideas, plans, lists, drafts, and random notes for her famous books and stories. At nearly 500 pages and packed with fascinating details, this expansive resource offers all sorts of little insider surprises -- and gives Christie fans an uncommon opportunity to play literary detective! Many of the actual journal pages are reproduced here, so you even get a peek at the mystery queen's handwriting. Plus, there are two never-before published Hercule Poirot short stories. What a unique treasure for a Christie devotee or anyone interested in whodunits and how they are written.

Item Number: UD2442

The New Secret Language of Symbols: An Illustrated Key to Unlocking Their Deep and Hidden Meanings -

$24.95

David Fontana

Hardcover, 192 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $21.21

Here's a lavishly illustrated and dizzyingly fascinating reference book for anyone interested in the complex usage of symbols. Humankind's "willingness to allow one thing to stand in for another" facilitates language and mathematics, and infinitely deepens the meaningfulness of our lives. The New Secret Language of Symbols explores symbolism throughout the ages and around the world. Discover the myriad perceived powers of the number 3; ponder the poppy as representative of "the oblivion between death and rebirth"; explore the eight "auspicious emblems" of Buddhist art -- and so much more!

Item Number: UD3182

Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer -

$15.99

Fred Kaplan

Paperback, 406 pages; 2010 (2008)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $13.59

Abraham Lincoln taught himself to read and had almost no formal schooling, but he became one of the greatest presidential writers in U.S. history. He was well known during his circuit lawyer days as a masterful storyteller, and he was the Whig legislator called upon to write bills once he moved into politics. How did a man of such humble beginnings become such a literary force? Fred Kaplan weaves together this captivating portrait of Lincoln using many of his own letters and speeches, along with accounts of his literary prowess noted by his contemporaries. Also, fascinatingly, Kaplan shows Lincoln's growth as a writer through his development as a reader -- focusing on Lincoln's absorption of Aesop's Fables and the Bible. The fresh perspective of Kaplan's biography casts a radiant prism of insight into Lincoln's personality and reveals how he came to take his place among the most influential Americans ever.

Item Number: UD3072

Wordcatcher: An Odyssey Into the World of Weird and Wonderful Words -

$15.95

Phil Cousineau

#UD3672 Paperback, 305 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $13.56

True logophiles will recognize a kindred spirit in author Phil Cousineau. A self-described "wordcatcher," Cousineau has spent decades compiling lists of terms that, when he first encountered them, evoked an enthusiastic "Aha!" In this delightful collection, he engagingly relates the mini-biographies of 250 "weird and wonderful words." The criteria for inclusion? Each word is "either fun to say... or mellifluous to hear," and they all have particularly fascinating and/ or surprising etymological origins. Did you know, for instance, that "cappuccino" arose from the beverage's resemblance to long, brown hoods worn by the Capuchin order of Italian friars? Or that the word "glamour" was originally a version of the word "grammar"? Or that "zaftig" (meaning "alluringly curvaceous") derives from the Yiddish word for "juicy"? With usage examples from literature and pop culture and discussions of related words, each entry brims with Cousineau's love of language -- and his zeal is contagious!

Item Number: UD3672

Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities -

$35.00

John M. Carrera

Hardcover, 483 pages; 2009 (2007)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $29.75

Fine-press bookmaker John M. Carrera's quest to produce this volume involved a decade of identifying, organizing, cleaning, and restoring original woodblock engravings from nineteenth-century editions of Webster's dictionaries. Pictorial Webster's showcases more than 1,500 of these intricate illustrations, reproduced from the original engravings -- organized alphabetically, labeled by name, and coded by source. Beginning with aardvark and abaculus and finishing up with zither and zones, the depicted objects, animals, and ideas range from commonplace to exceedingly rare, and many of them are antiquated or extinct in our modern times. Ideal for creativity-inspiring browsing, this quirky "visual dictionary of curiosities" makes a wonderful gift for designers, art buffs, language lovers, and historians. And it's perfect for those hard-to-buy-for know-it-alls in your life.

Item Number: HJ0742

Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World -

$26.00

Claire Harman

Hardcover, 277 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $22.10

Part of the reason why she pleases us so much now is that she was, for years, pleasing only herself.

Scholarly yet accessible, Jane's Fame is a sort of dual biography -- of Jane Austen herself, and of her posthumous rise to a worldwide cultural phenomenon. In the first couple of chapters, British author Claire Harman relates revelatory anecdotes from Austen's life and offers fresh insight into Austen as an author. It's widely known, for instance, that Austen struggled for years to get her work published, and Harman maintains that "the longer Austen remained unpublished, the more experimental she became, and the more license she assumed with bold, brilliant moves." Harman then shifts her focus to the rises and falls in the author's popularity, from the spike in interest in "Divine Jane" fifty years after her death, to the vast increase in scholarly criticism of her novels in the early twentieth century, to her explosive arrival on the modern pop-culture scene, fueled by popular film and television adaptations of her work, among other things. An absolutely fascinating read, Jane's Fame illuminates how a young author whose literary scope encompassed, as she put it, "three or four families in a Country Village" came to be "so intimately connected with our sense of ourselves and of our whole society."

Item Number: UD2992

Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World -

$12.95

Wilson Casey

Paperback, 236 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.01

A predecessor to the modern bowling alley, dating from around 200 B.C., was discovered in Egypt. The first speeding ticket was issued in 1896 to a British man going eight miles per hour (the speed limit was two). On July 31, 1999, Eugene M. Shoemaker became the first man (at least partially) buried on the moon. Firsts collects more than 500 fascinating, and often surprising, tales of "firsts" in subjects as diverse as 24-hour stores, airline meals, beauty pageants, chocolate-chip cookies, disposable tissues, Easter egg hunts, fly-fishing...the list goes on and on. A lively and entertaining history of enterprising pioneers and ingenious prototypes, Firsts also invites thoughtful reflection on the evolution of the featured objects, events, and ideas.

Item Number: UD1322

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Brand New from Bas Bleu!

Happy Summer Reading!

Introducing our Summer 2010 Catalog!

Click on the graphic image above to browse all our items in the new Summer 2010 Catalog, or click on the individual links below of new favorites we think are great for your Summer Reading!

Love's Shadow -

$14.00

Ada Leverson

Paperback, 225 pages; 2010 (1908)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.90

A sharp comedy of manners originally published in 1908, this first novel by Ada Leverson ("the wittiest woman in the world," according to Oscar Wilde) offers timeless depictions of the subtleties and absurdities of courtship and marriage. As a typical young housewife in Edwardian England, Edith Ottley's main duty in life seems to be coddling her buffoonish husband, Bruce. In fact, her life would be a total bore without the friendship of beautiful Hyacinth Verney, a charming heiress whose flippant attitude toward social conventions is a breath of fresh air to Edith. The narrative follows a couple of main plot lines -- Hyacinth pursuing a dashing suitor (who may be in love with another woman) and Edith surreptitiously amending Bruce's increasingly egregious social faux pas -- while dipping into the lives of various other intriguing members of the womens social circle. Full of hilarious interactions and clever social commentary, Love's Shadow is a rescued classic!

Item Number: UD3102

The Complete Psalms: The Book of Prayer Songs in a New Translation -

$26.00

Translated by Pamela Greenberg

Hardcover, 323 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $22.10

Item Number: UD2622

The Pig Did It -

$13.99

Joseph Caldwell

Paperback, 214 pages; 2009 (2008)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD3292): $11.89

After being rebuffed by a potential lover, American creative writing teacher Aaron McCloud comes to the craggy shores of Ireland's west coast "so he [can], in solitary majesty, feel sorry for himself." When a herd of pigs in the road interrupts his bus ride to County Kerry, however, Aaron's plans to indulge in a pity party begin to derail. An errant pig follows Aaron to his aunt Kitty's home and, among other acts of destruction, digs up a human skeleton in the vegetable garden: the remains of a local man said to have moved away. Aaron soon discovers that several people around him -- including Kitty and a lovely but feisty pig keeper with whom Aaron is falling hopelessly in love -- are plausible suspects for murder. Hilariously witty, The Pig Did It is a unique blend of satiric comedy, suspenseful mystery, and charming romance -- with a nod to Irish mythology thrown in as well. What fun!

Item Number: UD3292

Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles -

$13.99

Francine Prose

Edited by Francesca Marini; Translated by Miriam Hurley

Paperback, 149 pages; 2010 (2005)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD2582): $11.89

Item Number: UD2582

The Brontes Went to Woolworth's -

$14.00

Rachel Ferguson

Paperback, 188 pages; 2010 (1931)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.90

Item Number: UD2572

The Joy of Eating: The Virago Book of Food -

$15.95

Edited by Jill Foulston

Paperback, 405 pages; 2009 (2006)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $13.56

Item Number: UD3002

The Spice Necklace: My Adventures in Caribbean Cooking, Eating, and Island Life -

$25.00

Ann Vanderhoof

Hardcover, 448 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $21.25

Rich in sensory detail, The Spice Necklace dishes the story of a culinary adventure undertaken by Ann Vanderhoof and her husband, Steve. The amiable and fearless couple sailed around the Caribbean -- exploring the geography, befriending the locals, and learning to cook the delicious foods they encountered at each stop. Every island -- Grenada, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Martinique, and more -- offered a wealth of delectable surprises and delightful characters. Many of the Vanderhoofs' food-driven escapades were way more daring than I can imagine actually taking part in, but reading about them was a fantastic thrill! Recipes abound, too, so you can really bring this exciting Caribbean experience right into your own home. Let some sunshine in and enjoy!

Item Number: UD3372

This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All -

$24.99

Marilyn Johnson

Hardcover, 272 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $21.24

In This Book Is Overdue, Marilyn Johnson makes a lively and convincing argument for the continued relevance of libraries and librarians in the digital age. In fact, she argues, "in a world where information itself is a free-for-all, with traditional news sources going bankrupt and publishers in trouble, we need librarians more than ever." To support her position, Johnson profiles all sorts of modern information specialists -- library-science professors who teach computer skills to international missionaries; a group of Connecticut librarians gagged by the FBI for challenging the Patriot Act; the founders of Radical Reference, who take to the street to inform the public at political protests and rallies; outspoken, funny, and sometimes obscene bloggers who spill behind-the-reference-desk gossip; visionary archivists; cutting-edge software experts; even librarian avatars who offer assistance to virtual patrons on the Internet! A boisterous and unorthodox tribute to the library profession, This Book Is Overdue! certainly challenges the notion of librarians as buttoned-up, fussy types!

Item Number: UD3422

The Grand Sophy -

$13.99

Georgette Heyer

Paperback, 372 pages; 2009 (1950)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $11.89

When Lady Elizabeth Ombersley agrees to act as temporary guardian for her niece Sophy, she has no idea the pandemonium the "good little thing" will unleash across London. Raised in Europe by an indulgent widower father, Sophy Stanton-Lacy is as mischievous and willful as she is intelligent and capable, characteristics not at all en vogue with the well-bred young ladies of Regency England. Sophy quickly turns the Ombersley family on its ear, scandalizing her aunt, infuriating her handsome cousin Charles, and utterly enthralling London's bachelors with her outrageous -- if well-intentioned -- meddling into the lives of family and friends. As literary heroines go, the effervescent Sophy is thoroughly memorable and utterly lovable, so adept at getting into scrapes that she will keep readers laughing until the very last page.

Item Number: UD2832

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Father's Day is June 20th!

Happy Father's Day!

Click on the graphic image above to shop our "GREAT GIFTS FOR HIM" section of our site, or click on the individual links below of gift ideas we think are perfect for Dad!

"How to Tie a Tie" Tie -

$39.99

If he wears a tie so seldom that he forgets how to tie it from one wearing to the next -- or, if he appreciates a little tongue-incheek chic -- your man is a candidate for our "How to Tie a Tie" Tie Tie from Josh Bach. Little step-by-step icons demonstrate the process. (Now, if he can follow them while looking in the mirror, your guy is one of the smarter ones!) The surprisingly sophisticated 100% silk tie features blue "diagrams" on a rich red background -- classic with a navy blazer. (Made in U.S.A. of imported fabric.)

Item Number: UA4032

Baseball at Night Jigsaw Puzzle -

$17.95

Baseball at Night was painted (in oil on linen) by Morris Kantor in 1934. This quintessentially American scene exudes hometown pride and enduring optimism. Assembling the 1,000-piece 27"x20" puzzle is sure to inspire fans of baseball, art, and Americana. Puzzlers, play ball!

Item Number: UD0902

Hokusai Wave Bookmark -

$12.95

The great swell of ocean from Katsushika Hokusai's famous Under the Wave, off Kanagawa woodblock print is reproduced to stunning effect on this unique bookmark. Rendered with brilliant blue on silver-plated brass, the gorgeous diecut image (3.5" x 1.5") marks your page with a splash!

Item Number: UD0972

Demolished Ballparks Boxers -

$26.95

Sure to be a hit with fans nostalgic for pre-steroid era baseball, these boxer shorts pay tribute to some of the most iconic ballparks of yesteryear. Green-and-white diagrams of Comiskey Park, Connie Mack Stadium, Crosley Field, Ebbets Field, Forbes Field, and the Polo Grounds decorate the slate blue background of these 100% cotton, elastic waistband shorts. How handsome! Please specify size: M (32-34), L (36-38), or XL (40-42). (Imported.)

Item Number: UD1082

Writer's Block -

$9.95

Stumped for the perfect turn of phrase? We can sympathize! So we offer the Writer's Block as the ideal writing-desk accessory. Resembling a wooden cube, the 3"-tall pad consists of 600 peel-off 2.25"-square notes, each of which is printed with wood-grain rings. Whether used to jot down a mot juste before it slips the mind or to doodle on while waiting for inspiration to strike, the Writer's Block is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of even the most frustrated scribe.

Item Number: UD1142

The New York Times Large-Print Crossword Puzzle Omnibus, Volume Ten -

$14.99

Edited by Will Shortz

Paperback, 288 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.74

Now you can feed your crossword puzzle addiction without straining and squinting to read the clues! This eye-friendly collection offers 120 large-print puzzles from the New York Times (considered by many to be the gold standard for crosswords). Answers for each challenging puzzle are printed in the back of the book. Sharpen your pencils and get puzzling!

Item Number: UD1252

Ten Bad Dates with De Niro: A Book of Alternative Movie Lists -

$17.95 each

Edited by Richard T. Kelly

Paperback, 458 pages; 2009 (2008)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $15.26

Item Number: UD1282

The Inimitable Jeeves and Right Ho, Jeeves Audio Collections -

$22.95-$26.95

P. G. Wodehouse

Read by Martin Jarvis

Martin Jarvis expertly conveys all the signature wit and charm of P. G. Wodehouse in these uproariously delightful audio collections. The Inimitable Jeeves introduces the listener to the endearingly hapless Bertie Wooster and his austere genius of a valet, Jeeves, via twelve short stories replete with social mishaps and romantic entanglements of the "idle rich." Right Ho, Jeeves offers a novel's worth of oh-so-British comedy, as Bertie attempts to usurp Jeeves's role as romantic advisor to his friends and family -- to hilariously disastrous effect. With Bertie and Jeeves as companions, a car trip, flight, or commute will zip by!

Item Numbers:

UD1882 Inimitable Jeeves, The: Audio

UD1372 Right Ho, Jeeves Audio

Hieroglyph Detective: How to Decode the Sacred Language of the Ancient Egyptians -

$16.95

Nigel Strudwick

Paperback, 160 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $14.41

History-buffs, language-lovers, puzzle-solvers -- this fascinating field guide is for you! Eminent Egyptologist Nigel Strudwick reviews the basics of ancient Egyptian language, grammar, and types of script, then takes you on an armchair tour of ancient tombs and temples, showing you, step-by-step, how to translate actual inscriptions found there. A handy reference section at the back of the book lists various signs, shapes, and vocabulary. Rich in details and engagingly assembled, Hieroglyph Detective deftly illuminates -- and teaches you to decipher -- one of the oldest writing systems in the world.

Item Number: UD2012

Outwitting Squirrels: 101 Cunning Stratagems to Reduce Dramatically the Egregious Misappropriation of Seed from Your Birdfeeder by Squirrels -

$14.95

Bill Adler, Jr.

Paperback, 188 pages; 1996 (1988)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Bill Adler knows an inhuman amount about squirrels -- and he's hilarious. I still snicker every time I see this anti-squirrel handbook on my shelf. Fascinating profiles of the enemy prepare you for battle. And then, it's all strategy. There's even a supportive chapter entitled "What to Do If You Think Squirrels Are Cute." If you have a squirrel problem, you need this truly effective book. If you dont have a squirrel problem, these clever ideas for confounding the furry little creatures will almost make you wish you did!

Item Number: UD1942

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Perfect Presents for Recent Graduates and Perpetual Students of Life...

Perfect Presents for Recent Graduates and Perpetual Students of Life...

Congratulate the Grad in Your Life with a Quirky Gift from Bas Bleu!

Click on the graphic image above to shop our "GIFTS FOR LITERATI" section of our site, or click on the individual links below for perfect presents to gift the Grad or Perpetual Student in your life!

Lit Wit!: 100 Trivia Cards to Boost Your Book Smarts -

$16.99

Richard Lederer

Item Number: UD1452

The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe -

ORIGINALLY $29.95 - SPECIAL PRICE:$23.96

Theodore Gray

Photography by Theodore Gray and Nick Mann

Hardcover, 240 pages; 2009

Item Number: UD0072

Tiffany Cross Bookmark -

$12.95

A place saver worthy of your most treasured tomes, our Tiffany Cross Bookmark is a gorgeous reproduction of the centerpiece of the Byzantine chapel that Louis Comfort Tiffany unveiled at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Intricately fashioned of silver-plated brass with pale blue and green jewel-toned inlays, the 2.5"-tall cross lies flat to fit snugly between pages. What a lovely and inspirational gift for the special readers in your life.

Item Number: UD0652

WondaWedge -

$24.00

Our inflatable WondaWedge provides comfy support to your lower back while you read in a sitting or reclining position. Sit on the attached mat, and your body weight keeps the pillow wedge securely in place. The handy contraption is lightweight and very compact when deflated (just 10"x8"x1"), so it's ideal for taking with you to the beach, pool, or park. The WondaWedge can be used at home for watching TV or lounging in bed, and it's nice for outdoor concerts, too. Made of soft yet sturdy sueded vinyl, the WondaWedge is easily washable with a brush and soapy water. How nifty!

Item Number: UD1772

Edison's Concrete Piano: Flying Tanks, Six-Nippled Sheep, Walk-on-Water Shoes, and Twelve Other Flops from Great Inventors -

$14.95

Judy Wearing

Paperback, 270 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

In Edison's Concrete Piano, Judy Wearing underscores the eccentricity and intrepidness of some of the world's great inventors by highlighting their ideas and projects that didn't pan out. Leonardo da Vinci's physically implausible inflatable shoes, for example, failed to revolutionize military strategy as he'd hoped. Thomas Edison's dreams of affordable furniture, homes, and, yes, even pianos fashioned from concrete incurred public ridicule. Henry Ford's Fordson Model F tractor would become known for its tendency to flip over -- sometimes resulting in the death of its driver. These compelling mini-biographies of sixteen remarkable minds emphasize the subjectivity of notions of success and failure. Perhaps we should not be surprised at the spectacular blunders of such great inventors: It is they, after all, who have the gumption to attempt what seems -- and may often be --impossible.

Item Number: UD0062

Frank Lloyd Wright Pencils Puzzle -

$17.95

Item Number: UD0942

Brief Insights Series -

$14.95 each

Charles O. Jones

Paul Wilkinson

Jonathan Culler

Timothy Gowers

Hardcovers, 168214 pages; 20092010

(19972007)

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1702): $12.71

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1712): $12.71

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1722): $12.71

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price (UD1732): $12.71

Item Numbers:

UD1702 Brief Insights Series: The American Presidency

UD1712 Brief Insights Series: International Relations

UD1722 Brief Insights Series: Literary Theory

UD1732 Brief Insights Series: Mathematics

Antiquarian Book Note Cards -

$16.99

The "pages" bound into this handsome, magnetic-closure volume are actually gorgeous 4.75"x6" note cards that resemble antique book covers (and matching envelopes). How nifty! The set offers three each of eight different colorful marbleized designs, so you can fill twenty-four little tomes with special notes for bookish friends.

Item Number: UD1432

Envirosax(R) Bags (Set of 3) -

$29.95

We just love these designer reusable bags for carrying around books, bringing home groceries...schlepping just about anything from point A to point B (and doing so with substantial style)! The 100% polyester bags are super strong (each holds forty-four pounds) and ultra light (1.4 ounces a piece). And they are extraordinarily pretty! Washable and waterproof, each 19½"x16½" Envirosax Bag -- dazzlingly decorated with floral and abstract patterns -- rolls up to a compact 4"x1.5", and snaps shut. Our set of three (one of each design shown) all fit in a compact 6"x8" pouch (included), so the whole toting system is supremely portable!

Item Number: UD1522

I before E (Except after C): Old School Ways to Remember Stuff -

$14.95

Judy Parkinson

Hardcover, 168 pages; 2008

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $12.71

Item Number: UC1722

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Appreciate the Beauty of the Garden!

Bas Bleu in Bloom!

"We grow older every year, but not the garden; it is reborn every spring." -- May Sarton

Click on the graphic image above to see all our Garden themed items, or click on the individual links below and appreciate the Beauty of the Garden.

The Joy of Gardening -

$11.95

Eileen Campbell

Paperback, 210 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $10.16

When the first apple falls with that tremendous thud, one of the big seasonal changes startles the heart. The swanlike peony suddenly lets all its petals fall in a snowy pile, and it is time to say goodbye until another June. But by then the delphinium is on the way, and the lilies... To the flowers we never have to say goodbye forever. We grow older every year, but not the garden; it is reborn every spring. -- May Sarton

There is profound beauty in this sweet little anthology of quotations about nature. Whether the topic is weeds or peonies, the cycle of life or the gracefulness of the human spirit, the perceptive words collected here remind us of the powerful connection between people and the earth. The quotes come from poets and gardeners, novelists and philosophers, scientists and theologians. The Joy of Gardening is truly a ray of sunshine, sure to warm the hearts of all who are thoughtful about the world around them.

Item Number: UD1062

Jardin Sticky Notes -

$14.95

Item Number: UD0952

The Wild Garden: Expanded Edition -

Originally $29.95 - Special Price $23.96

William Robinson and Rick Darke

Hardcover, 355 pages; 2009

First published in 1870 in England, William Robinson's The Wild Garden was a groundbreaking gardening manifesto, advocating naturalistic, low-maintenance gardens with locally adapted plants over the prevailing European style of contrived, ordered landscapes full of fragile tropical growths. This lovely tribute to the still-influential work pairs the entirety of the illustrated fifth edition (published in 1895) with additional chapters by landscape consultant Rick Darke, which place Robinson's philosophies and techniques in modern context. The more than 100 color photographs sprinkled throughout -- including recent shots of the rambling garden Robinson planted at his West Sussex manor -- showcase Robinson's principles in verdant, blooming action. Offering fascinating insight into contemporary ideas of ecological design and sustainable planting, The Wild Garden: Expanded Edition is an essential resource for serious gardeners.

Item Number: UD1812

Gardener's Hand Care Kit -

$26.95

Take good care of those green thumbs (and all of your fingers!) with this luxurious Gardener's Hand Care Kit. Two 200-gram French milled soaps -- one with a lavender rose fragrance and one with a fresh basil scent -- nourish and hydrate hardworking hands. A premium quality wooden nail brush cleans under and around the fingernails and exfoliates dry or overgrown cuticles. And a super-moisturizing 30-milliliter tube of 20% organic shea butter hand cream leaves your hands soft, smooth, and lightly sweet-smelling. Prettily packaged and earthily sensual, our Gardener's Hand Care Kit makes an exquisite gift for lovers of the great outdoors.

Item Number: UD1532

Fandex Nature Series -

$9.95-$10.95

Item Numbers:

UD1912 Fandex Nature Series: Wildflowers

UD1922 Fandex Nature Series: Trees

UD1932 Fandex Nature Series: Birds

New Encyclopedia of Gardening Techniques: The Indispensable Illustrated Practical Guide -

$45.00

The Editors of the American Horticultural Society

Hardcover, 479 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $38.25

A tremendous boon for gardeners, this beautiful and extraordinarily helpful encyclopedia may well be the only gardening book you'll ever need! Packed with detailed -- and illustrated -- how-to information about gardening basics; wildlife gardening; growing ornamentals, vegetables, herbs, and fruit; tending lawns; water gardening; container planting; greenhouse gardening; and propagating plants, the American Horticultural Society's New Encyclopedia of Gardening Techniques is truly an essential tool for anyone who enjoys digging in the dirt. Delightful to browse and easy to follow, this illustrated guide is sure to be well-thumbed.

Item Number: UD0372

Shoe Fleur Cards -

$15.95

Whether your particular passion is footwear, flowers, or creative works of art, Michel Tcherevkoff's spectacular Shoe Fleur Cards are sure to quicken your pulse! Each of the five designs showcases a colorful photograph of a unique shoe-inspired sculpture made from fresh flowers. The rose stiletto (titled "Fatal Attraction"), for example, features a perilously high heel complete with thorns. What an elegant and unusual way to send a bright note to a stylish friend! Boxed set includes twenty blank 4.75" x 7" cards (four each of five designs), with envelopes.

Item Number: UD0572

Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History -

$19.95

Diana Wells

Illustrated by Heather Lovett

Hardcover, 369 pages; 2010

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $16.96

A readable reference for the non-botanist, Lives of the Trees offers fascinating mini-biographies of 100 different kinds of trees. For each featured genus -- from the acacia to the yew -- Heather Lovett provides a detailed illustration and Diana Wells explains the origin of the name, gives a brief natural profile, and examines the tree's appearances in history, art, and literature. Among other fascinating trivia, you'll learn why the Joshua tree owes its name to the Mormons; that before the Stars and Stripes were adopted, the first revolutionary flag featured an image of a white pine tree; and why many believe Adam and Eve's first clothes to be sycamore leaves. Nature enthusiasts, language lovers, and trivia buffs will enjoy this layman's dendrological survey.

Item Number: UD1802

Garden Party Tea Set -

$49.95

You are cordially invited to a garden party tea for three! Butterflies, bumblebees, ladybugs, and all sorts of bright flowers decorate this high-quality tea set made of enamel-coated steel. The pitcher (which measures about 7.5" tall with its top), three plates, and three cups are all dishwasher safe. What a delightful time will be had by all -- whether the tea and scones are imaginary or not! For all ages.

Item Number: UD1552

Cardboard Birdhouse (Set of 2) -

$10.95

We love this fun little project for bird-loving kids and adults! Each 9.5"-tall Cardboard Birdhouse folds together easily -- no tools required -- and there's even a wooden dowel to insert, so your avian visitors can perch outside their new home! The cardboard material has a water-resistant coating and can be decorated with paint, markers, or stickers. We're offering a set of two of these clever constructions, so you can keep one and give the other away, or keep both and start a bird neighborhood in your backyard! There's a hole in the back of the house to aid in securing it to a tree. Set of two.

Item Number: UD2152

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Hit a Homerun with the Baseball Lovers in Your Life!

Check Out Bas Bleu's Starting Lineup...

Click on the graphic image above and browse the items in our "Sports Pages" section of our site, or click on the individual items below of great gifts for the fantastic Spring season of Baseball Fever!

Baseball Americana: Treasures from the Library of Congress -

$29.99

Harry Katz, Frank Ceresi, Phil Michel, Wilson McBee, Susan Reyburn

Hardcover, 240 pages; 2009

Bas Bleu Society Members' Price: $25.49

Take a journey from the late 1700s through the 1960s -- and into the heart of America -- via this spectacular visual history of baseball. All culled from the Library of Congress, the items presented here include vintage baseball cards, delightful photographs and drawings of players and ballparks, old-fashioned cartoons, classic advertisements, and more! All of the illustrations are accompanied by engaging historical information and lore. Baseball Americana is sure to be enjoyed and treasured by the baseball enthusiast in your life.

Item Number: UD1002

What Do You Know About Baseball? Knowledge Cards -

$9.95

William Rogin

Do you know how many different ways a batter can reach base? Or when the first baseball cards were issued? How about what the term "soaking" means? Quiz yourself about all things baseball -- or challenge a fellow fan -- via this "deck" of forty-eight trivia cards. Each one features a question about the history, terminology, rules, or statistics of the game, with the answer on the reverse. No matter which team you root for, the What Do You Know About Baseball? Knowledge Cards promise major league fun!

Item Number: UD0932

Baseball at Night Jigsaw Puzzle -

$17.95

Item Number: UD0902

Baseball Pen -

$29.00

Know a guy who's hard to shop for? These handsome sport-themed pens make perfect gifts for sophisticated fans of baseball. Far from ostentatious, the high-quality black-lacquer roller-ball pens feature a nickel-silver clip that subtly resembles a baseball bat. The pens write beautifully, and they look smart on an office desk or in a dress-shirt pocket. And, of course, they'll add a touch of elegance to the recording of baseball stats!

Item Number: UC9852

Obsessed with Baseball -

$24.95

Hardcover, 320 pages; 2007

Who pitched the first perfect game in inter-league play? What was the Boston team that won the 1903 World Series known as? Who set the single-season record for most pinch hits with 28 in 1995? What was the last American League team to score in every inning of a nine-inning game? With its all-star line-up of 2,500 multiple-choice questions about baseball-related records, statistics, history, and general miscellany, Obsessed with Baseball will challenge even the most knowledgeable fans. There's a scorekeeping, answer-providing electronic gizmo embedded in the book, so you can test yourself or compete with a friend. Comprehensive in scope and innovative in format, this baseball-trivia compendium offers major-league fun for all ages!

Item Number: VF8482

Demolished Ballparks Boxers -

$26.95

Item Number: UD1082

Baseball Pitch Valet Tray -

$39.95

How often does one see "baseball" and "valet" in the same phrase? Well, perhaps the time has come! Our dresser-top valet tray of brown leather lined with 100% silk is absolutely top-drawer. Where does baseball come into all this? The red silk lining is printed with icons of pitchers' grips -- forkball, slider, fastball, knuckler, and palmball. Frivolous and fun, it's a witty gift for that elegant fan. Inside measures 5.5" x 5.5" x 1.5". Gift box included.

Item Number: UC0972

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