Examine the infinite variety of charms and fetishes found in every civilization, from the distant past to the present. Learn the entire history of these tools, their geography, how they are part of each man and woman's search for connection with spiritual forces, and how to make and use them. Loaded with hundreds of illustrations, this is the ultimate reference guide.

"Talisman is a book about a book: It's the book that's never there when you wake up, no matter how hard you try to take it with you. The book you steal when you're too young to understand it's not the only copy in the world. Talisman is about hunger and magic, and the power of stories made solid."--Back cover.

James Avati (1912-2005) is regarded as the pre-eminent painter of paperback covers in the second half of the 20th century. He was known in the business as the 'King of the Paperbacks'. Avati designed realistic cover illustrations for novels by the likes of Steinbeck, Faulkner, Salinger, Caldwell and Moravia, covers that appealed directly to broad sections of the population. He worked for the New American Library (Signet Books) and for every other major paperback publisher including Bantam, Avon, Pocket, Fawcett and Dell. In this lavishly illustrated book graphic designer Piet Schreuders reconstructs Avati's life and 40-year career. During the past 25 years most of Avati's original paintings have been salvaged from the warehouses of American publishers and now fetch many thousands of dollars among collectors. Here, for the first time, Avati's universally admired work is available in full-size quality reproductions and expertly described.This is a paperback volumn with sewn signatures

US scholars of literature explore how illustrated books became a cultural form of great importance in England and Scotland from the 1830s and 1840s to the end of the century. Some of them consider particular authors or editions, but others look at general themes such as illustrations of time, maps and metaphors, literal illustration, and city scenes. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Making Jewelry with Meaning The things you collect - the ticket stubs, the coins, the pieces of shell from a beach - hold meaning and significance, reminding you not only where you've been, but also where you're capable of going. Making these items into wearable pieces of art - amplifying their power to become amulets and talismans - is a rewarding experience that's easy to do. Working with the most basic of tools, you will learn cold-connection jewelry techniques to expand your creative process. In addition to basics like creating jump rings and using a file, you will also: • Make your own hook and latch clasps • Cut windows from sheets of metal • Inlay designs into polymer clay • Incorporate concrete into your work • Achieve patinas with heat • Journal your thoughts onto faux bone • Turn paper pulp into realistic rocks • Create "time capsule" beads from Plexiglas • And much, much more! Discover the rewards of making your own amulets and talismans by learning new techniques to drive your creativity in an entirely new direction.