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Made in France
- A Shopper's Guide to France's Best Artisanal Traditions from Limoges Porcelain to Perfume, Pottery, Textiles, and More
- Narrated by: Laura Morelli
- Length: 2 hrs and 48 mins
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Publisher's summary
Baccarat crystal. Limoges porcelain. Scented gloves and handmade Parisian umbrellas. The prized digestifs, Armagnac, and Cognac.
Organized by region, with one chapter devoted to Paris, Made in France takes you on a complete tour of the dazzling, artisanal legacy of France, uncovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and one-of-a-kind, hidden workshops, where everything from lingerie to chocolate is turned out completely by hand, piece by piece.
Also discover the companion guide, Artisans of France, with complete, continually updated listings of Laura's personally recommended shops and artisans across France.
Laura Morelli, art historian and trusted guide in the world of cultural travel and authentic shopping, leads you behind the tourist traps to discover some of France's most traditional arts. Laura holds a PhD in art history from Yale University and shares how, what, and where to buy; hints on recognizing quality and authenticity; and tips for bringing home the artisanal treasures of France in your suitcase.
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Overall
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From colorful 30,000-year-old threads found on the floor of a Georgian cave to the Indian calicoes that sparked the Industrial Revolution, The Golden Thread weaves an illuminating story of human ingenuity. Design journalist Kassia St. Clair guides us through the technological advancements and cultural customs that would redefine human civilization - from the fabric that allowed mankind to achieve extraordinary things (traverse the oceans and shatter athletic records) and survive in unlikely places (outer space and the South Pole).
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Excellent for those interested in textiles
- By Adeliese Baumann on 12-14-19
By: Kassia St. Clair
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The Reason for Flowers
- Their History, Culture, Biology, and How They Change Our Lives
- By: Stephen Buchmann
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Flowers, and the fruits that follow, feed, clothe, sustain, and inspire all humanity. Flowers are used to celebrate all-important occasions, to express love, and are also the basis of global industries. Americans buy 10 million flowers a day, and perfumes are a worldwide industry worth $30 billion annually. Stephen Buchmann takes us along on an exploratory journey of the roles flowers play in the production of our foods, spices, medicines, and perfumes while simultaneously bringing joy and health.
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Only for the Flower Lover
- By Anonymous User on 01-19-16
By: Stephen Buchmann
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The Domestic Revolution
- How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything
- By: Ruth Goodman
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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No single invention epitomizes the Victorian era more than the black cast-iron range. Aware that the 21st-century has reduced it to a quaint relic, Ruth Goodman was determined to prove that the hot coal stove provided so much more than morning tea: It might even have kick-started the Industrial Revolution. Wielding the wit and passion seen in How to Be a Victorian, Goodman traces the tectonic shift from wood to coal in the mid-16th century - from sooty trials and errors during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the totally smog-clouded reign of Queen Victoria.
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Zombie Apocalypse
- By PeachPecan on 12-25-20
By: Ruth Goodman
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Perfume
- The Alchemy of Scent
- By: Jean-Claude Ellena
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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To women the whole world over, perfume means glamour, and in the world of perfume, Jean-Claude Ellena is a superstar. In this one-of-a-kind book, the master himself takes you through the doors of his laboratory and explains the process of creating precious fragrances, revealing the key methods and recipes involved in this mysterious alchemy.
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great overview of an industry
- By Frauline on 09-04-18
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The United States of Beer
- A Freewheeling History of the All-American Drink
- By: Dane Huckelbridge
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Huckelbridge shows how beer has evolved along with the country - from a local and regional product (once upon a time, every American city had its own brewery and iconic beer brand) to the rise of global megabrands, like Budweiser and Miller, that are synonymous with US capitalism. We learn of George Washington's failed attempt to brew beer at Mount Vernon with molasses instead of barley and of the 19th-century "beer barons", like Captain Frederick Pabst, Adolphus Busch, and Joseph Schlitz.
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History Humanized
- By Dave on 06-25-16
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The Secret of Chanel No. 5
- The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume
- By: Tilar J. Mazzeo
- Narrated by: Liz de Nesnera
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Every minute, someone buys an Art Deco-inspired, amber-hued bottle of Chanel No. 5. Considering that nearly ninety years have passed since No. 5’s creation, this statistic alone makes a compelling case for the perfume’s stature as the world’s most famous. However, its cultural impact might be even more staggering than its business success....
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Fascinating story with poor presentation at times
- By Nobody's business on 04-02-14
By: Tilar J. Mazzeo
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The Japanese Tea Ceremony and the Shoguns
- By: Linda Hewitt
- Narrated by: Ken Cohen
- Length: 1 hr and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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The Japanese Tea Ceremony and the Shoguns is a concise historical overview of the evolution of cha-no-yu - that uniquely Japanese ritual, the tea ceremony - and how it was used in Japan by the shoguns and other political powers between the 12th and 20th centuries to validate position and consolidate power. The contributions of leading tea masters of the past are summarized. A description of a typical tea ceremony is provided, together with a discussion of the appropriate environment and utensils.
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Moderate
- By Shigure Sohma on 10-14-16
By: Linda Hewitt
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Aesthetic Intelligence
- How to Boost It and Use It in Business and Beyond
- By: Pauline Brown
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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In this groundbreaking audiobook, Pauline Brown, a former leader of the world’s top luxury goods company and a pioneer in identifying the role of aesthetics in business, shows executives, entrepreneurs, and other professionals how to harness the power of the senses to create products, services, and experiences that stand out, resonate with their customers, and create long-term value for their businesses. The power is rooted in Aesthetic Intelligence - or "the other AI", as Brown refers to it.
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Good but too surface level.
- By gil nevo on 04-28-20
By: Pauline Brown
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Judgment of Paris
- California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine
- By: George M. Taber
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History houses, amid its illustrious artifacts, two bottles of wine: a 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. These are the wines that won at the now-famous Paris Tasting in 1976, where a panel of top French wine experts compared some of France's most famous wines with a new generation of California wines. Little did they know the wine industry would be completely transformed as a result....
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Only for the wine-obsessed
- By History on 12-01-11
By: George M. Taber