Celebs, punks & greyhounds star in coffee-table gift books

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Some books are almost like works of art. Unlike the shop-worn copies of last year’s best-sellers that you sometimes borrow from the library, these are the books you want with you always, not just in your house but as near at hand as possible, in the bookcase in the hallway or stacked by your bed.

If you’re the sort of passionate book lover who once missed a friend’s wedding because a big fat photo book on tubas or oryxes snagged you on your way out the door, you’re probably also a passionate book giver. Here are some bookish suggestions for the dog lovers, music lovers, celebrity idolizers and arm-chair adventurers on your holiday lists.

“Vanity Fair: The Portraits, A Century of Iconic Images” by Graydon Carter and the editors of Vanity Fair; Abrams ($65)

Sure, this book is full of photos of celebrities - that tiresome species - but the people shooting the pictures are almost as famous as the stars: Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritz, David LaChappelle and so many more. And the celebs aren’t merely movie stars - though you’d have to be cold-blooded or possibly dead not to respond to the stunningly beautiful photo of Brad Pitt emerging from an unnamed body of water or family portraits of the Barrymore clan all the way from Lionel to a chubby pre-coked-out Drew. The book also includes portraits of politicians (President Bush’s grim-faced war council); artists (Picasso, Dali) and athletes (Jesse Owens, Lance Armstrong). The photos are cunningly arranged - of course Katharine Hepburn faces a dapper-looking Spencer Tracy - and compelling as they trace pop-culture history across the 20th century and beyond.

“1001 Days That Shaped the World,” edited by Peter Furtado; Barron’s ($35)

This book is aimed at readers who prefer matters of historical significance served up in bite-size portions. From 13,700,000,000 years ago (“The Universe Explodes into Being”) to last May’s devastating earthquake in China’s Sichuan province, this engaging collection serves up descriptions and photos of the most important and affecting moments in history. Whether you’re curious about when Martin Luther nailed his theses to the door of the Wittenberg church (Oct. 31, 1517) or want to settle a bar bet on when Napoleon escaped from Elba (Feb. 26, 1815), you can find an answer here. Strangely, the Miami Dolphins’ perfect season isn’t mentioned.

“Living Africa” by Steve Bloom; Thames & Hudson ($75)

Will fascination with President-elect Barack Obama and his Kenyan father provoke more interest in the African continent? Hard to say, but photographer Bloom’s gorgeous new book should fire any imagination. Bloom, who grew up in South Africa, traveled from Senegal to Ethiopia, from Niger to Botswana to bring to vibrant life Africa’s people, wildlife and stunning natural beauty. His photographs are intimate and touching and often surreal - one eerie picture of a group of elephants at a watering hole after dark carries a strong whiff of the supernatural - and you will revel in their magic.

“National Geographic Society Exploration Experience: The Heroic Exploits of the World’s Greatest Explorers” by Beau Riffenburgh; National Geographic ($50)

So you want to be an explorer, but all the really great places have been discovered. Damn you, Marco Polo! The next best thing - besides hiking the remote spots in the Grand Canyon, and that will wreck your knees anyway - may be poring through this boxed edition that traces the journeys of some of history’s greatest adventurers. The book comes with removable fascimile items, such as a copy of Shackleton’s hand-drawn map of the Antarctic and David Livingstone’s (I presume) painting of Victoria Falls. The collection also includes a CD-ROM with archival and newly researched maps.

“Greyhounds” by Barbara Karant; Stewart, Tabori & Chang ($24.95)

We know greyhounds mainly as sleek athletes, but Jonathan Swift caught the breed’s true nature in his writing: “A greyhound out-runs the whole pack in a race, yet would rather be hang’d than he’d leave a warm place.” Photographer Karant, president of Greyhounds Only Inc., has captured the dogs’ sweet and frequently goofy nature. Her book also displays her subjects in all their strength, dignity and elegance (and a portion of proceeds from sales will be donated to rescue organizations). With gentle humor she confirms a truism novelist Alice Sebold writes in the introduction: “To live among greyhounds is to live with beauty.”

“The Encyclopedia of Punk” by Brian Cogan; foreword by Penelope Spheeris; Sterling ($24.95)

Never mind the Bollocks (or the Sex Pistols for that matter). If you ask me, the most compulsively addictive punk poured forth from The Ramones (who, according to this hugely entertaining book, were only paid $5,000 for their appearance in the film Rock ‘N’ Roll High School in 1979). But there was more to the punk revolution than three power chords, as evidenced in Cogan’s encyclopedia, which reaches past the usual suspects (Black Flag, The Damned, Dead Kennedys) to those who reveled in punk’s influence (Nirvana? If you say so). Cogan lets you relive punk’s past - anyone else miss The Pogues? - without all the bruises, broken bottles, fishnet hose and safety pins. And that’s really better for all of us at this age, isn’t it?