I’m not sure how my beardvocacy first started, but there’s no turning back now. My devotion is actually pretty irrational if you consider the side effects of facial hair. Beards feel kinda itchy, eating granola bars or slurping a bowl of soup must be difficult, sometimes they hide handsome smiles and maintaining them seems like a lot of work. But shoot, if you can grow one, please do; the ladies love ‘em! Well, looks like Matt Rainwaters does too, because he has a new book showcasing these wonderful whiskers, and I’m definitely wish-listing this masterpiece with the quickness. Whether they’re rugged and manly or trim and thin, beards are simply the best and they’d look good on your coffee table too. [via PUBLIC SCHOOL]

Images: Matt Rainwaters via Feature Shoot

Part of the reason I turned out a halfway well-adjusted person was that I was not read bedtime stories like these. The first few pages of this precious little story are hilarious, but I think it could benefit from being either a bit shorter or keeping the listener guessing about exactly when the f-bombs drop. Still made me laugh though – thanks Butch!

When I spend time or money reading a book that isn’t strictly for pleasure, I’m hoping for it to be an investment in me. I want it to teach me something, to inspire me to take action and do something differently. Guy Kawasaki’s latest book Enchantment really did that for me.

Enchantment is a book that’s for anyone who wants to learn more about how to change the hearts, minds and actions of people. Whether it’s for your career or just day-to-day interpersonal relationships, Guy lays down some awesome fundamentals, all of which are centered around not being sleazy or withholding information from people, but being likeable for the right reasons and establishing trust. It’s a book about how the way you treat your customers may be the single most important thing you do for your business and I say that with customers and business being loose terms. A lot of people are technically your customers and your business can mean many things.

Some of my favorite takeaways were when it makes sense to swear, how any company that thinks disenchanted employees can enchant customers is foolish and that projecting and pursuing your own passions is what makes you enchanting. And I totally agree, hearing someone talk about their passions in life can be a total turn-on. As far as investments go, picking up this book for under $15 is totally worth it and may do more for you than an expensive credentialed program does, provided you take things to heart and reference it regularly.

Have you ever dreamed of hosting bands in your living room? Do you want to be the person providing an alternative venue for the biggest art + music fans in your city?

If so, How To Run a Successful House Show Venue might be a great pickup for you. The e-book was written by our good friend Roy Silverstein, based upon his experiences of hosting shows in a house he rented in San Diego. Roy covers tons of specifics in his guide on everything from sound systems to booking and promotions, but what’s really valuable is hearing it from a guy who’s done it successfully and can help you decide if it’s right for you. While a well-run house venue creates an amazing experience for its visitors (these shows have been some of my favorite memories in San Diego) there’s work and responsibility involved and it’s your ass on the line if something goes wrong. I know for me, reading this guide gave me a new appreciation for all that goes into hosting a show. House show venues are not about making money or becoming famous, but they are about a love for music and the community you can foster that feels the same way.

Musicians get all the play. I can’t blame anyone for the way things are because music holds a special connection for all, but I will say that sometimes the literary arts are underrated. That’s why it’s so important that organizations like online literary + arts project The Latent Print exist. The San Diego-based project offers an online platform for budding writers and artists to submit and publish their work, whether it’s creative writing, short stories, poetry or photography. It’s been around for a while, but the gals at The Latent Print have just put the finishing touches on a site redesign and are planning all sorts of events for the new year.

So if writing, photography and art is yo’ thang, you’ll want to check them out or follow them on the FB. They will absolutely be getting a submission from yours truly – let’s just hope I’m up to snuff for discriminating tastes. Seriously though, I’m glad this exists. If you’re like me and writing is your therapy, you know what I mean.

Dallas Clayton wrote a book for his son about dreaming big, and after he put it online, everyone else loved it too. Then, he started the Awesome World Foundation, a non-profit that donates a copy of the book to schools, hospitals, libraries, camps, and shelters around the world every time somebody buys one. Now, he’s created An Awesome Book of Thanks!, and it seriously puts the biggest cheeser on my face over and over again. It’s got magical healing abilities if you rub it on a wound, it hit 300 home runs last year in the Philippines, and it smells like hope. It’s safe to say Dallas is my new hero, and if he’s not yours after reading 40 pages of awesome right here or watching this hysterical video, we wouldn’t get along. Never underestimate the power of a simple thank you! [via You Are My Fave]

A photographer’s contact sheets may be one of the most overlooked parts of shooting film. Everyone sees the final print, but it’s the contact sheet that’s evidence of trial/error and a window into the thought process involved in setting up a shot. The Contact Sheet by Steve Crist is an in-depth look at the stories behind rolls of film from 40 internationally renown or up and coming photographers. Each feature is a pairing of a contact sheet with the final print and the scoop behind it.

It’s actually a really rad concept and showed me there’s a lot you may never know at first glance of a photo. Like say, oh I don’t know, how the fashion shoot for the first topless swimsuit was inspired by female Japanese pearl divers. Did I get your attention and make you want to see this book yet? The Contact Sheet is another excellent coffee table book for both discriminating tastes and photographers with a true appreciation for the art. If you want to go spelunking for the inner meaning on some amazing and iconic relics of time, I’m thinking you’ll dig it.

© 2009 Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos/Courtesy of www.ammobooks.com

© 2009 The Estate of Jeanloup Sieff/Courtesy of www.ammobooks.com

© 2009 David Doubilet/Courtesy of www.ammobooks.com