Shoes: A History from Sandals to Sneakers by Giorgio Riello (Editor), Peter McNeil (Editor) [Palgrave Macmillan $49.95]

This hefty, richly illustrated book provides deliciously high-end thinking about that which embraces our lowest ends: from the most minimal of sandals of Classical Greece to the coarsest military boots worn in World War I; from the tiny shoes made for a Chinese woman’s cruelly bound foot to the impossibly towering, tottering “chopines” shoes of renaissance Venice; from the coveted suave of hip-hop trainers to the high tech running shoes of modern day marathoners.  How we are shod throughout time and place speaks volumes about class, sexuality, and personality.  This book is as meticulously crafted as men’s finest Italians, and as entertaining to contemplate as the most impossible of stilettos.  Call it Foot for Thought for the cultural historian you love. [Amazon]

—Karen Zarker

Warriors Box Set: Volumes 1 to 3 by Erin Hunter [HarperTrophy - $15.99]
Guardians of Ga’hoole Box Set 1-4 by Kathryn Lasky [Scholastic - $19.96]

Apparently, Hunter’s “Warriors” and Lasky’s “Ga’hoole” are for kids. Well, it’s hard for this adult to sit still when news is afoot of the further tales of Rusty the house cat and Soren the owl. While Rusty and the ThunderClan must battle to secure the natural world, Soren and his band must find the Great Ga’hoole Tree to team up with others of their species to take on even more unnatural evil. These characters are adorable and they provide urgent, realistic lessons for everyone about nature and the environment. Catch up on the series’ with these box sets from Harper and Scholastic. [Amazon]

—Nikki Tranter

SKYMAUL: Happy Crap You Can Buy from a Plane by The Kasper Hauser Comedy Troup [Thomas Dunne Books - $14.95]

For all those poor sods who are forced to spend half their lives on airplanes and, thus, have devoured every edition of the Sky Mall catalogue out of sheer mind-numbing boredom… Boy, do we have the book for you.  San Francisco’s irreverent sketch comedy team, the Kasper Hauser Comedy Group, brings us SKYMAUL, a pure ‘rolling-in-the-aisles’, hilarious spoof of that mountain of useless gadgets, gizmos and inspirational clap-trap that is Sky Mall.  Actually, anyone who’s every stepped inside a Sharper Image store will be in on the joke too, so no need to be a road warrior to enjoy this humorous volume.  Get your handy dandy adultery detector for on $49.99. C’mon, that’s cheaper than a private eye.  Always putting your foot in your mouth, go for the pepper self-spray for a mere $12.99.  For those blessed with deeper pockets, you can get a new face for $8,000.  Now where else are you going to find lifesavers like these? [Amazon]

—Sarah Zupko

Death by PowerPoint: A Modern Office Survival Guide by Michael Flocker [Da Capo Press - $12.95]

It’s funny, but I could actually see the boss, that is, a ‘cool’ boss, giving this book to a favorite underling.  Now, don’t let that be the death knell for Death by PowerPoint, but know that this wit-for-the-office book is also sprinkled with practical advice (not least quotes from the famous, heading each chapter, much like those found in a page-a-day desk calendar), and only some of it is given tongue-in-cheek.  Flocker is quite serious when he suggests some tips for weight-gaining cubevillians ("Get off the subway at an earlier stop: Extend your walking time.") and stress management ("Remind yourself that no one’s life is at stake."). So, too, his helpful hints for emoticons (did you know that <=8:-) means 'dickhead'?), followed by cautionary use of such an emoticon.  This is a survival by adaptation approach to the office work environment.  'Survival' being the key.  Give it to someone who is too young to retire but too old to walk off in a snit. [Amazon]

—Karen Zarker

Fresh Fruits Postcards [Phaidon Press - $14.95]

J-pop devotees, tween fashionistas, photographers, and novice cultural anthropologists will enjoy these funny “Fresh Fruit” 5 x 7 postcards of high quality print good enough for framing, if one is so inclined.  These cards are an offshoot of Fruits, a zine aimed at Tokyo suburban street fashion.  The images by award-winning photographer Shoichi Aoki capture kids ranging from the adorably cute (17-year-old, pierce lipped Hitomi, sitting knock-kneed on steps for her picture) to just darned silly (19-year-old Maitun dressed up Little Orphan Annie style, complete with an eye-piercingly vibrant wig).  Indeed, the “models” range from 12 to 19-years-old, and their delightful, sometimes bizaare sense of style is clearly captured with a joy as bright as their colorful clothing.  The reverse side provides the model’s first name and information about her / his favorite designer (just in case you’re wondering where you might get your hands on those fat, bright, cartoony-looking sneakers Suguru is wearing), as well as information about inspirations and crazes that spark these outfits. Aoki’s work provides a refreshing look at youth sans that nasty, soft porn gaze ala American Apparel, and its refreshing.  Word has it this funny fashion from Japan is spreading.  Maybe it’ll knock out the indie slacker look that’s dominated our youth for far too long.  Whether that’s an improvement or not on what you see on the streets is for you to decide. [Amazon]

—Karen Zarker

The Friend Who Got Away: 20 Women’s True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew Up, Burned Out or Faded Away by Jenny Offill and Elissa Schappell [Broadway - $14.95]

“The first time I kissed my friend Carla, I suspected I was doing something dangerous,” writes Dorothy Allison in her essay on lost friendship, one of 20 by various women writers collected here. If the honesty doesn’t get you, the familiarity will. I found myself relating to more than a few of these tales, from writers including Francine Prose, Mary Morris, Helen Schulman, and others. Hard going at times, this would make a fabulous gift for the trusted friend in anyone’s life, male or female, regardless of age. As it outlines the ease with which we can discard those important to us, it reminds us what it is that creates those bonds in the first place. These are stories of real regret, but they’re also unyielding truths about who we let into our lives and hold on to. [Amazon]

—Nikki Tranter