And The Pursuit Of Happiness

I am a huge fan of Maira Kalman. And the Pursuit of Happiness is a great book. Go and get a copy. http://www.mairakalman.com

The Imagine Project

Herbie Hancock's The Imagine Project was a truly global selection. I loved it. Great many thanks. http://www.herbiehancock.com

Charles Landry

Charles Landry knows what makes cities great: Distinction + Variety + Flow. Toolkit for urban innovators. http://www.charleslandry.com

GRID Competition

A brilliant/cool competition. I liked it. http://nikegrid.com

Alfred Wertheimer

Alfred’s pictures are treasures today. They can be seen at the National Portrait Gallery, in Washington, D.C., October 23, 2010 -  January 23, 2011. http://www.npg.si.edu

Carol Brodie

Each piece of jewelry has a moment, meaning or memory. Carol Brodie. Spot on.

Useful links:
http://carolbrodieandco.com
http://blogs.hsn.com/author/CarolBrodie

Cinemateca Boliviana

Hats off to Alejandro Villegas, the only archivist at Cinemateca Boliviana for going the extra mile to preserve and safeguard Bolivia's film heritage. Great many thanks to Mattia Cabitza for sharing the story.

Useful link:
http://www.cinematecaboliviana.org

Art Market Update

Konstantin Rozhnov's viewpoints on Ruusia's art market was interesting. Many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.guelman.ru
http://www.artadvisoryservices.com

Hella Jongerius

The art of imperfection. I liked it. http://www.jongeriuslab.com

Form + Code

The new book FORM+CODE In Design, Art and Architecture by Casey Reas + Chandler McWilliams is a must read. http://formandcode.com

Mookaite

Mookaite is an attractive ornamental rock that is mined in Western Australia. I really liked the stone because of the beautiful patterns. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://outbackmining.com/mookaite.htm
http://www.australiangemmologist.com.au/current.html

Waste Land Movie

An uplifting story. Don't miss. http://www.wastelandmovie.com

Asian Innovation Award 2010

Tata Chemicals Ltd.'s filter, called Swach, the Hindi word for clean, has won The Wall Street Journal's Asian Innovation Award Gold prize. Congratulations. http://www.tataswach.com

Filtrete Water Station

A brilliant innovation from 3M + IDEO. Take a look. Filtrete Water Station

Aston Martin DB5

Harry Yeaggy has paid £2.6m to buy James Bond's 1964 Aston Martin DB5. Take a look. http://www.rmauctions.com

AGTA Spectrum Awards 2010

AGTA Spectrum Awards is an annual natural colored gemstone & cultured pearl jewelry design competition. Here are the winners from the 2010 AGTA Spectrum Awards competition. http://www.agta.org/awards/2010-winners

A Week At The Airport

An interesting book, really. Many thanks for sharing a unique experience. http://www.alaindebotton.com

Graphic: Inside The Sketchbooks Of The World's Great Graphic Designers

Steven Heller + Lita Talarico takes us inside the brains of the greatest design minds working today.

Useful link:
http://www.hellerbooks.com

Global Business BBC

Peter Day continues his investigation in to what makes a good chief executive. Don't miss.

Useful links:
http://www.hcltech.com
http://www.globalsinc.com

Food Landscapes

Take a look at Carl Warner's imaginative collections. They are stunningly beautiful. I liked it.  http://www.carlwarner.com

Landscape Photographer 2010

Antony Spencer has won the prestigious title of Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010. Congratulations. http://www.take-a-view.co.uk

Hope Diamond Special

Smithsonian Channel will premiere a one-hour special, Mystery of the Hope Diamond, on Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 8 p.m. Don't miss.

Useful link:
http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/hope

Amber From India

Scientists have discovered a treasure trove of prehistoric insects preserved in amber in India. The new deposits, which the scientists have likened to a huge cache of herbal cough drops, were found in the open-cast coal mines of the Cambay region of north-west India. Many thanks to Steve Connor for sharing the info.

The Power Of Ideas

The 74 young entrepreneurs of The Power of Ideas Class of 2010. All the best. http://www.ideas.economictimes.com

Random Thoughts

Look. You could take all the gold that's ever been mined, and it would fill a cube 67 feet in each direction. For what that's worth at current gold prices, you could buy all -- not some -- all of the farmland in the United States. Plus, you could buy 10 Exxon Mobils, plus have $1 trillion of walking-around money. Or you could have a big cube of metal. Which would you take? Which is going to produce more value?

- Warren E. Buffett
http://www.berkshirehathaway.com

Equities.

Nature's Gift

Richard Anderson was spot on. Great many thanks for sharing the info.

Useful links:
http://www.teebweb.org
http://www.unpri.org
http://www.trucost.com
http://www.gdfsuez.com
http://www2.natura.net
http://www.pwc.co.uk
http://www.sabmiller.com
http://www.starbucks.com
http://www.walmart.com

Vertical

Rex Pickett, author of the well-known book ‘Sideways’ which was made into a popular movie in 2004, is coming out with a new book ‘Vertical’ to be released on November 21, 2010. http://verticalthenovel.com

A Point Of View

Sarah Dunant's opinion piece in BBC on conspicuous consumption was interesting. Old habits die hard, really. http://www.sarahdunant.com

The Energy Project

To get more done, work less. http://www.theenergyproject.com

The Julie Project

Brilliant. I loved it. http://www.darcypadilla.com

Paul Sahre

Paul's poster designs hang in the permanent collection at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and the National Design Museum. Part of his work’s appeal is its humor. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://www.paulsahre.com
http://aigany.org/index.php/blog/article/video_encore_paul_sahre

The Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain

Take a look at Slug by Anish Kapoor. http://www.fiac.com + http://www.anishkapoor.com

Boxing Gym

Engaging. Interesting. A brilliant documentary film by Frederick Wiseman. Don't miss.

Useful links:
http://www.ifccenter.com/films/boxing-gym
http://www.zipporah.com

SuperFreakonomics Illustrated

Seeing is believing. Smart thinking. Great story-telling. A must read. http://freakonomicsbook.com

Jewelry Market Update

The Economist report was spot on. Consumer confidence is crucial. If people feel glum, they don’t buy baubles. Period.

Useful links:
http://www.moussaieff.co.uk
http://www.lvmh.com
http://www.bain.com

Stefano Canturi

Take a look at Stefano's brilliant designs/collection, especially Barbie with diamond choker. http://www.canturi.com

Mont Blanc Crystal Treasures

Take a look at this years show. http://www.mineralientage.de

Mark Seliger

Take a look at Mark's brilliant photography. http://www.markseliger.com

Bence Mate

Bence Mate has won the 2010 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for his artistic image, A marvel of ants. Congratulations. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://www.matebence.hu
http://www.hidephotography.com

The BVLGARI Blue Update

The BVLGARI Blue Diamond Ring. Price Realized: $15,762,500. http://www.christies.com/features/auctions/1010/jewels

Ted Muehling

Simply beautiful designs, really. http://www.tedmuehling.com

Global Business BBC

Are CEO's up to the job? Yes/No. Peter Day shines the spotlight on these much praised and vilified high profile leaders. I loved the programme. Many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.wpp.com
http://www.xinfu.com
http://www.puritangift.com
http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk

Troels Brun Folmann

Music made with bees was brilliant. http://www.troelsfolmann.com

Chocolate Wars

Deborah Cadbury's new book Chocolate War gives an insider look of the chocolate pioneers, their visions and ideals, their unique relationship between business and religion, and yet all of them shared one thing: they want to make the best chocolate in the world. A fascinating story.

Random Thoughts

A lot of investors and clients who enjoy jewelry have started purchasing important diamonds and gems as a hedge against what's going on in the stock market, against what's going on with currencies. A lot of people are putting their money into a gem, and then there's the appreciation of the gem and the appreciation of the currency that they buy in.

- Rahul Kadakia
http://www.christies.com

Maybe.

Tron: Legacy Couture Collection

Disney Consumer Products is collaborating with high-end designers Rousseau, Hayden-Harnett, Rotenier, and TomTom to launch a luxury accessory and shoe collection for women inspired by the high-tech 3D adventure, TRON: Legacy, releasing in U.S. theaters Dec. 17, 2010 in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D. Designed for the young female urbanite, the new TRON: Legacy couture line features dramatic sterling silver and leather statement pieces including an iconic limited edition 5-inch high-heeled platform sandal inspired by the fearless female warrior—Quorra. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://www.rotenier.com
http://www.jeromecrousseau.com
http://haydenharnett.com
http://www.tomtomjewelry.com
https://www.disneyconsumerproducts.com

Gary Wenk

How chemicals control your thoughts and feelings. Check out Gary Wenk's blog. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-brain-food

Lotto Lab

Illusions of light. Take a look. http://www.lottolab.org

People’s Design Award 2010

Hats off to Leslie A. Ligon. Her bracelet has the complete Braille alphabet on the outside and the print alphabet on the inside. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://peoplesdesignaward.cooperhewitt.org/2010
http://braillejewelry.blogspot.com

Swan Lake

 Matthew Bourne is a brilliant story teller. Don't miss this show.

Useful links:
http://www.swanlaketour.com
http://www.new-adventures.net

Tokujin Yoshioka Update

Take a look at X-RAY.  http://www.tokujin.com

I Wonder

Take a look at Marian Bantjes' gorgeous + visually intense new book, I Wonder. http://www.bantjes.com

What Technology Wants

Kevin Kelly's book What Technology Wants is fascinating. A must read. http://www.kk.org

40 Under 40

Movers and shakers of business. The 40 Under 40: The complete list of the top young business leaders Many thanks to Fortune for sharing the info.

Art Market Update

According to the Observer, more than 30 paintings, thought to be by artists including Max Ernst, Raoul Dufy and Fernand Léger, have been unmasked as forgeries. The fakes have duped leading figures in the art world into parting with at least £30m. Shocking news, really. It's time to take note of the forger's art. They are always one step ahead of experts, always.

Useful links:
http://artaccessresearch.com
http://www.christies.com
http://www.sothebys.com

Bharat Diamond Bourse

The Bharat Diamond Bourse, touted as the world's largest diamond trading centre opens its doors for business. http://www.bdbindia.org

Namakwa Diamonds

An interesting story about a rare 7.53ct Vivid Orange + a 26.74ct D Type IIa diamond, both with flawless potential. Take a look.

Useful link:
http://www.namakwadiamonds.co.za

Konstantin Grcic

Design Miami has named Konstantin Grcic as its Designer of the Year for 2010. Congratulations.

Useful links:
http://www.designmiami.com
http://www.konstantin-grcic.com

The Novel Live

Watch a novel being written live by thirty-six authors. Seeing is believing. Really.Take a look. http://www.thenovellive.org

In Praise Of Copying

Marcus Boon was spot on. Everything in the universe is a copy, and that we should celebrate that fact. http://inpraiseofcopying.wordpress.com

James McMullan

I enjoyed this post very much. Keep it up, Mr. McMullan. I'm loving every new installment. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/author/james-mcmullan + http://jamesmcmullan.com

127 Hours

The film is directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire/Trainspotting). Truly worth seeing. http://www.foxsearchlight.com/127hours

Chocolate Week

I am going to miss the National Chocolate Week. If you are in Britain, do enjoy. http://chocolate-week.co.uk

Pierre Soulages

Painting for me means working in space and with light and not so much with colours. That’s why I like black. Space and light are everything and everything is related. The viewer sees light on the surface of the painting which reflects back on him. Thus he finds himself standing right in the middle of this gesamtkunstwerk [total work of art] of painting, space and light. The angle and the moment of vision are decisive for what you see.

- Pierre Soulages
http://www.pierre-soulages.com

Mr Soulages's fine exhibition of 70 works is now on view at the Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin until January 17, 2011. http://www.berlinerfestspiele.de

Pierre Cordier

Chemigram. Experimental photography. http://www.pierrecordier.com

Sonoma Wine Company

A brilliant energy saving project via Cogenra Solar / Vinod Khosla. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://sonomawineco.com
http://www.cogenra.com
http://www.khoslaventures.com
http://www.calsolarresearch.ca.gov

Gemvision Design Symposium 2010

Take a look at the contest winners/designs. http://www.gemvision.com

International Rome Film Festival 2010

The fifth annual festival presents a diverse lineup of films. Don't miss. http://www.romacinemafest.it

Susan Derges

Brilliant photograph techniques create dream-like landscapes. Simply beautiful. http://www.susanderges.com

Man Booker Prize 2010

Author + columnist Howard Jacobson wins the Man Booker Prize for his comic novel The Finkler Question. http://www.themanbookerprize.com

Random Thoughts

Record every idea - draw it or write notes. You never know when some stupid thought might turn to gold. The best inventions make you smack you head and think 'why did no-one else think of that, it's so obvious' - but it's not obvious, someone's spent time thinking about it.

- Merlin Crossingham
http://www.wallaceandgromit.com
http://www.aardman.com

Spot on.

The Greatest Show On Earth: The Evidence For Evolution

Richard Dawkin's book The Greatest Show on Earth was plain and clear. Many thanks.

Useful links:
http://richarddawkins.net
http://richarddawkinsfoundation.org

Architecture + Design Film Festival

Architecture film buffs, take note: the Architecture and Design Film Festival opens on October 14, 2010 evening at Tribeca Cinemas and runs through October 17, 2010. http://www.adfilmfestival.com

H.Stern + Oscar Niemeyer

The H.Stern + Oscar Niemeyer interview was insightful. Many thanks to JCK for sharing the story. http://www.hstern.net

Global Business BBC

Alan Mulally, the Chief Executive of the Ford Motor Company, shares the secrets of his success with Peter Day. Great interview. Many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.ford.com
http://www.mondialautomobile.com

Emily James

Emily James abandoned a successful career in prime-time TV to direct a film about climate-change protesters. Hats off to Emily. Take a look at the film www.just-do-it.org.uk

Useful links:
http://www.emily-james.com
http://just-do-it.org.uk
http://climateradio.org

The Art Of Choosing

Sheena Iyengar's book covers everything that affect choices. A must read. http://iyengar.socialpsychology.org

Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei's work, Sunflower Seeds consists of one hundred million hand-painted porcelain seeds, each individually painted by an army of 1,600 Chinese artisans, and scattered over the floor of the Tate Modern Turbine Hall. What a brilliant idea. Hat's off to Ai Weiwei. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://www.aiweiwei.com
http://www.tate.org.uk

Iwan Baan

Meet Iwan Baan, the most famous architectural photographer of the 20th century. http://www.iwan.com

Chocolate Market Update

CI World Helveta + Armajaro has a new innovative tagging system so that consumers can now trace their cocoa beans straight to the source. Check it out.

Useful links:
http://corporate.helveta.com
http://www.armajaro.com

Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow

A Sophie Fiennes film about an artist. http://www.overyourcities.com

The Gold Report Update

I regard gold as a special asset class, whose specialness is derived from the fact that gold is very rare, hard to bring above ground and generally useless due to its high cost, unlike silver, which is more abundant than cheap and gets fabricated into all sorts of industrial applications. Gold would be a wonderful conductor for electronics, too, but it's just too expensive. We have just over 5 billion oz. (Boz.) scattered around the world in safes, vaults and jewelry boxes not doing much at all. Because gold has limited utility, its price is irrelevant to ongoing economic activity. As a comparison, if oil shoots to $500/barrel that means that your paycheck would allow you to drive just one-fifth the distance it allows you to drive now. Such a move in oil would have drastic implications for the global economy. But if gold shoots to $5,000, what happens? Well, the gold stays in my teeth. Jewelry demand goes down even more, but nobody makes any decisions to substitute out of gold because it really isn't being used for much. In other words, it really should not affect the economy.

- John Kaiser
http://www.kaiserbottomfish.com

An interesting viewpoint.

Art Market Update

Souren Melkian's opinion piece in the New York Times about Albert Houthuesen was interesting and insightful. Many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.richardnathanson.co.uk
http://www.marlboroughfineart.com

Random Thoughts

I didn’t expect the appetite of the market to be so monstrous, but especially in this field there is a great urgency to buy because there is very limited supply and an increase in demand. The history of China in the 20th century explains why people are trying to rebuild their own history. Collecting art is one of those things that helps them rebuild their identity and reclaim their culture.

- Nicolas Chow
http://www.sothebys.com

So true.

Paul Adams Viewpoint

Paul Adams’s presentation on social networking was interesting. Great many thanks to Daniel Tunkelang. http://thenoisychannel.com + http://www.thinkoutsidein.com

The India Technology Review 35

The TR35 winners are under the age 35 as of October 1, 2010. The awards span a wide range of fields, including biotechnology, materials, computer hardware, energy, transportation, and the Internet. Take a look.

Useful link:
http://www.technologyreview.in/TR35

Nicholas Le Moigne

Buy 1, get 1 free, or Buy 1, get 10, 100 free. Lemoigne uses mirrors to multiply the precious objects, ironically exaggerating luxury to the extremes of decadence, simultaneously tickling the blissful fancy of the consumer in getting more for his or her money. I thought it was a brilliant idea/design. All the best. Check it out. http://www.nicolaslemoigne.com

The Innovation Secrets Of Steve Jobs

I think the world needs more jobs – Steve Jobs. A must read book on innovation. http://carminegallo.com

How to Buy Contemporary Art

Whitechapel Art Gallery runs a course on how to collect contemporary art. Check it out. Great many thanks to Andrew Mckie.

Whatever you choose to collect, simply buy the hundred best examples, and then stop.
- John Pierpont Morgan

Useful links:
http://www.whitechapelgallery.org
http://www.friezeartfair.com
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
http://www.bowarts.org
http://www.whitecube.com
http://www.halesgallery.com

Ellendale Diamond Mine

The geological reasons why Ellendale is peerless when it comes to yellows are a bit hard to grasp, but they distil to this: even within the 0.1 per cent of diamonds that are yellow, not all yellows are created equal. More than 93 per cent of the 0.1 per cent are actually so pale that you could call them beige, or so dark as to be brown. You can knock out the pale primrose ones too, leaving only a rare few, in the colours of Van Gogh’s sunflowers, that radiate inner fire and make the top-notch category that is called 'fancy’. At Ellendale, about 20,700 carats of 'fancy yellows’ are mined each year. Yellow diamonds do turn up elsewhere, such as Lesotho and Botswana. The world’s most famous yellow, a 128.54-carat, brilliant-cut rock called the Tiffany Diamond – on permanent display at the jeweller’s New York flagship store – was found as a 287.42-carat rough in South Africa in 1877. But Ellendale represents today’s finest reliable source. It is for this reason that Tiffany & Co has forged a long-term alliance between its gem acquisition subsidiary, Laurelton Diamonds, and Kimberley Diamond Company, which owns the mine.

- Marion Hume

Great many thanks for sharing the info.

Useful links:
http://www.tiffany.com
http://www.gemdiamonds.com

Revenue Watch Index

The index is a pioneering measurement of government disclosure in the management of oil, gas and minerals. It ranks transparency in 41 countries among the world's top producers of petroleum, gold, copper and diamonds. Interesting methodology. http://www.revenuewatch.org

Show Us Your City

What a fantastic idea! In fact I really liked it. I should try it in India. Many thanks to Allison Busacca. http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/author/allison-busacca

London Film Festival 2010

A broad range of contemporary world cinema. http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff

Powers Of Ten

October 10, 2010 is Powers of Ten day (10/10/10). It's named for the film Powers of Ten, made by Charles and Ray Eames in 1968. Check it out http://www.powersof10.com + http://blog.powersof10.com

Dennis Maher

Dennis Maher’s sculptures tell us a lot about everyday life. I liked it. A magic combination of art and architecture. It's about us.

Useful link:
http://www.assembledcityfragments.com

One Day On Earth

A unique perspective. I thought Kyle Ruddick's idea was brilliant. I loved it. Sharing and connecting with other people creates a caring world.

Useful link:
http://www.onedayonearth.org

Patrick Dougherty

Patrick Dougherty's twig art installations are simply amazing. I loved it. Take a look. http://www.stickwork.net

Random Thoughts

Stones are portable wealth, and they are part of a global market. It's something that Wall Street is really looking at now. When the stock market and real estate are unpredictable, what's predictable? Diamonds.

- Lisa Hubbard
http://www.sothebys.com

Spot on.

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation

I learned a lot and thought a lot. http://www.stevenberlinjohnson.com

Paul Muldoon

The Q&A: Paul Muldoon, poet. http://www.paulmuldoon.net