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

Have you ever heard of the Exquisite Corpse game? (I hadn’t.) It’s a method of creating where words/images are assembled in a sequence; each contributor is only allowed to see the previous person’s work. In the case of The Exquisite Book, 100 independent artists drew on separate pages, using only a single horizon line to connect one page to the next. Backed by Dave Eggers, this project succeeds at being imaginative, whimsical, entertaining, and endearing all at the same time. You can buy it at a discounted price, and shop for prints online. You can’t blame me for being a bibliophile when books like this exist.

Wikileaks, North Korea, Afghanistan and that loony woman up in Alaska…is it just me or could Billy Joel come out with an update to We Didn’t Start The Fire? It’s times like these that I think we have a choice – either get worried and depressed by it all or inject some positive energy by helping ourselves and others. For our new readers, this is what Holiday Matinee is all about. We really believe that the more people out there doing what they love, the better off this world will be. And that’s exactly why we put out a book this year – we wanted to share the stories of some amazing people, projects and ideas going on right now, in hopes that you will realize – hey, that could be me too.

I Swear To Good You Are God At This is an inspiring guide to being creative and making awesome that we know will make a meaningful gift for you or the people in your life that you really care about. Watch the trailer, buy the book or pick up a free digital preview right here. We have a funny feeling that what you read about is going to fire you up like nothing else.

There are certain eras so unique and special that when word of them spreads, visitors and transplants flock to be a part of the scene, even years after their heyday. Skateboarding in Southern California during the 70s is no exception, and we’re lucky Hugh Holland was around to capture the magic. Holland’s collection of photography in Locals Only chronicle the youth skateboard scene from 1975-1978 with everything from action shots to playful candids, all in the sun-faded glory you can expect from photos in this region.

Copyright: © 2010 Hugh Holland/Courtesy of www.ammobooks.com

Besides the amazing shots captured everywhere from empty pools to Venice Beach, the book contains an in-depth interview with Holland. For me, it was interesting to learn how drought conditions gave birth to getting vertical and how everything changed over three years, going from groups of kids just skating and hanging out to the start of commercialization in the sport. Hell, it even made me a little sad. The large format and nostalgia this book evokes make it an awesome gift and a worthy addition to anyone’s coffee table book collection. Just be warned that you’ll probably find yourself shopping for Vans and tube socks after browsing through.

I recently came to the realization that my connectedness had become more overbearing than I was comfortable with. I developed a compulsive urge to check email on my phone upon awakening, even before showering and eating breakfast. I’d check Facebook and Twitter, not for any particular reason, but just to see how certain comments and tweets were being received. It was making me feel more anxious than a pot of coffee on an empty stomach and it was hard to concentrate on meaningful work. If you’ve ever felt the same way and are interested in shaking things up, Hamlet’s BlackBerry is an amazing resource.

First-time author William Powers shares his own story about becoming more disconnected and how it’s greatly improved his quality of life. What I like about his approach is that it’s balanced – it doesn’t discount all the amazing things technology does for us. It just suggests that hey, maybe we’re not using it efficiently yet. It’s solidly researched (dude spent some time at a Harvard fellowship working on it) and proves that information overload has always been a problem for society (long before computers). Powers explores what we can learn from the past and finishes with recommendations for anyone looking to change their habits, stressing that it’s not a prescription and the individual will need to create a strategy that makes sense for his or her lifestyle.

Reading the book has helped me lighten the amount of information I subject myself to and be okay with that. Why? I’m making the choice to become a happier, more creative and productive person. After all, is anyone really ever going to regret not spending enough time in front of screens?

When researching this gorgeous desk made out of recycled books, I stumbled upon an exciting new word. Much to my dismay, I discovered that “bibliotheek” is not the name of a new fashion trend that caters to chic book lovers around the world. It simply means “library” in Dutch. As in, “The desk at the TU Delft Architecture Bibliotheek makes bibliophiles go wild.” (via SpaceInvading)

If I may say so, Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers have completely renewed my faith in humanity with their book What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption. Yes, it’s a book about the changes in business and economics, but it’s also just as much about anthropology, psychology, sociology, communications and design. I’m frustrated I can’t cover all the material in a single blog post, but it’s about our journey from consumers fixated on ownership to our understanding that collaboration, redistribution, sharing and trust are not only sustainable, but a hell of a lot more rewarding. The inspiring stories of entrepreneurs from Couchsurfing to Montreal’s BIXI bringing positive change to our planet are an absolute refreshing change from the doom and gloom soul-crushing tabloids that most of our of news is today. Reading about the explosion of marketplaces and communities really has me believing we’re in a renaissance. It’s an exciting time to be alive and I’m pretty sure today’s movers and shakers are writing some groundbreaking history. Now all I have to do is figure out how to live to be two-hundred because there’s an awful lot I want to do. I guess I should ask the Galápagos tortoises what their secret is.