Photography books continue to be a major force in the art book market and are increasingly collectible for their own sake. Here's a quartet of new releases that are particularly worthy of note, both for collectors and civilians. - "Art of the American Snapshot: 1888-1978." It's only in the past couple of decades that you would hear the words "art" and "snapshot" uttered in the same sentence, but these vernacular photos have slowly but surely ... [full story]

Several years ago, I was summoned to a meeting with three of my editors. At the time, I was working in a satellite office and I had little idea of what was going on at the main office. But when my boss, her boss and his boss called me to a meeting, I knew it wasn't good. They set up a meeting at a restaurant and we agreed to meet there at noon. All I ... [full story]

You may want to rethink what you wear to work if you want to get ahead in business. A professional wardrobe could be as important as showing up to work on time and getting the work done. Sixty-eight percent of employees believe an employee's office attire affects his or her outlook for a promotion, according to a survey by Yahoo! HotJobs and Banana Republic. And 82 percent of human-resource professionals agree. "Wardrobe choices really can ... [full story]

For decades, a cartoon mustached Maharaja in striped turban and pointy slippers relaxing on a flying carpet, ruled the skies between the U.S. and India. The Air India mascot had zero competition wooing worldly, adventurous American tourists to visit the Taj Mahal, grand palaces and ride the elephants. No longer. With India's gross domestic product reportedly growing at a stunning 9 percent annually, with industrial production up 12.5 percent this year, with U.S. companies setting ... [full story]

Import car manufacturer seeks male driver age 25 to 31, married or marriage-minded. Must be into realism and authenticity with a need for security and strong relationships to drive a new crossover vehicle. Starting price, about $20,000. Available September." - - -   ROGUE NATION - The male-targeted Rogue has sleek but tough exterior styling and sedan-like interior comfort. Options include Intelligent Key ignition and locking, power sliding glass sunroof, xenon headlights and a seven-speaker Bose ... [full story]

Tingles run up the back of the neck and down the arms with a twist of the ignition on the NISMO 350Z. A driver might think gloves are needed to coolly handle one of the most relevant sports cars in the 21st century.   RACE-READY - The NISMO 350Z has the same power as the stock model but a much stiffer body, suspension and an outrageous body kit. CNS Photo. Large diameter dual exhaust pipes let out ... [full story]

One word matters more to Robert Irwin than any other: wonder. Young children possess it in abundance, whether they're focusing on a flower, a toy or a video game. And Irwin has spent a good deal of his adult life creating art that aims to make a viewer of any age feel much the same way.   ROBERT IRWIN - Robert Irwin, whose new museum exhibition is his biggest in 14 years, stands in an empty ... [full story]

Q: Can you tell me anything about my "lily of the valley" vase seen in this photo? My grandmother brought it with her when she emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland around 1910. It stands about 6 inches tall and is hand painted with lily of the valley flowers, as well as several other blossoms. Since I was born in May and lilies of the valley grew wild on our property, we always used the ... [full story]

Happiness is elusive and fleeing. On rare occasions, we may realize that we're intently happy - such as when falling in love. We expect this state of euphoria to continue unabated. Yet, too much early happiness might be a bad thing as we age. A provocative new study by Shigehiro Oishi, a University of Virginia psychologist, concludes that people who report a greater number of positive events seem to find diminishing returns from future happy ... [full story]

Q: I have heard of a new method of treating insects in my yard called IPM. I don't know what all is involved, except it seems to be complicated.  What can you tell me about this program? A: Well, the methods used in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) have been around for as long as gardening has existed. The term IPM was coined in the 1950s in California. The word integrated means to incorporate separate compatible ... [full story]