For more than 150 years, greeting cards have tapped into and organized a shared language of love, affection, and kinship, becoming an integral part of American life and culture. Sumptuously illustrated, "A Token of My Affection" follows the evolution of the modern greeting card industry from a traditional printing and stationery business in the mid-nineteenth century to the multibillion-dollar industry it is today. Blending archival research in business history with a study of surviving artifacts and a literary analysis of a range of relevant texts and primary sources, Barry Shank demonstrates how greeting cards have affected and defined experiences of status, longing, desire, social connectedness, and love. Fascinating and surprising, "A Token of My Affection" shows what an industry devoted to emotional sincerity means for the lives of all Americans.

Includes how-to information.

The books that we choose to keep -- let alone read -- can say a lot about who we are and how we see ourselves. In My Ideal Bookshelf, dozens of leading cultural figures share the books that matter to them most; books that define their dreams and ambitions and in many cases helped them find their way in the world. Contributors include Malcolm Gladwell, Thomas Keller, Michael Chabon, Alice Waters, James Patterson, Maira Kalman, Judd Apatow, Chuck Klosterman, Miranda July, Alex Ross, Nancy Pearl, David Chang, Patti Smith, Jennifer Egan, and Dave Eggers, among many others. With colorful and endearingly hand-rendered images of book spines by Jane Mount, and first-person commentary from all the contributors, this is a perfect gift for avid readers, writers, and all who have known the influence of a great book.

Showing someone you care begins with Finding the Right Words Here you'll find: • More than three dozen ways to say "Happy Birthday" • Welcoming words for new family members...even pets • Thoughtful condolences for personalizing sympathy cards • Congratulatory wishes for weddings and anniversaries • Helpful hints to simplify card-sending • A monthly calendar for birthdays and anniversaries ...and more, in this book of indispensable phrases for all occasions. You'll never be at a loss for words again!

200 step-by-step techniques and projects with 1100 photographs - a comprehensive course in making cards, envelopes, invitations, tags and papers in a host of different styles.