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Forget visions of sugarplums and turkeys with trimmings. In this strange, surreal collection of full-color images, acclaimed photographer David Graham shows how Americans really experience Christmas-complete with tacky blinking lights, demented decorations, and the mess in the living room after all the presents are opened. Each offbeat image is accompanied by a quirky and unusual fact about Christmas; readers will learn that 28 percent of Americans admit to “regifting” their presents, that 22 million turkeys are consumed every year on December 25, and much more. The Christmas List is a hilarious, fresh look at classic American traditions.

DAVID GRAHAM works regularly for magazines such as the New York Times Magazine, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, and Forbes. His photographs are included in the collections of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He lives in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

Most pet owners keep their veterinary records in a single place-and up until now, a generic notebook has had to do the trick. But with this guided journal-based on our popular book The Cat Owner’s Manual-monitoring the performance of your pet is easier than ever! Each spiral-bound journal features space for recording:

• Unit specifications
• Medications and vaccinations
• Service provider visits
• Financial expenditures
• Visual documentation
• And more.

Full of technical tips, schematic diagrams, and frequently asked questions-plus a special envelope for storing licenses and medical receipts-these maintenance logs are invaluable accessories for any pet owner.

DR. DAVID BRUNNER has owned and operated the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic in Indianapolis, Indiana, for more than twenty years.

There are plenty of books about M.I.T. whiz kids who have beaten blackjack and won big money–but those math geeks don’t have a clue about the business of running a casino or how Las Vegas coaxes guests into gambling away more than $7.6 billion every year.

A good pit boss, on the other hand, can tell you exactly why the house always wins. Pit bosses supervise the dealers, identify con artists, approve insanely high wagers, and (more than anything else) protect the casino’s money. In Casino Confidential, a licensed pit boss reveals how casinos stack the odds in their favor and how you can improve your own chances of winning. You’ll discover tricks and traps used to disorient players (there’s a reason why you won’t find any 90-degree angles in modern Las Vegas casinos) as well as essential strategies of blackjack, poker, roulette, craps, baccarat, pai gow, slot machines, and video poker. Plus you’ll learn why many of the most popular gambling systems (like counting cards) are barely worth the effort. Casino Confidential is filled with information that Las Vegas doesn’t want you to know.

ANONYMOUS would face serious consequences if he had published this book under his own name. He has worked as a dealer and pit boss for most of his adult life, and he lives in Nevada.

Finally, here’s a guide for people who love good food and the great outdoors. Campfire Cuisine provides more than 100 recipes for delicious, healthy, satisfying meals to make at your campsite or in any outdoor setting. Also included are tips on meal planning, shopping, and choosing the right equipment. Armed with Campfire Cuisine everyone from die-hard foodies to novice cooks will be ready to take on eating well while camping out.

In Chef’s Secrets, more than 80 renowned chefs share the tricks, timesaving techniques, and kitchen wisdom they’ve learned through years of experience.
 
     •  Steven Raichlen on Building a Three-Zone Fire on a Charcoal Grill
     •  Charlie Palmer on Roasting a Perfect Turkey
     •  Bruce Aidells on the Secret to Flavorful Pork
     •  Gary Guitard on Tempering Chocolate
     •  Plus techniques from Sara Moulton, Marcus Samuelsson, Norman Van Aken, Roxanne Klein, James Peterson, Emily Luchetti, and dozens of other top-notch chefs!
 
Each technique is explained in the chef’s own words, along with a short, revealing interview and a detailed profile of the chef’s accomplishments. With tips stretching from the basics (how to peel ginger with a teaspoon) to the extreme (how to peel a tomato with a blow-torch), Chef’s Secrets is an essential reference for any food lover’s bookshelf!

Quirk’s Amazing Magical Wonder Deck charmed amateur and professional magicians with its gorgeous aesthetic and fiendishly clever card tricks. Now these same readers can experience a complete course in magic with Mysterio’s Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring—a giant compilation of more than 300 tricks and variations.

Here are illustrated step-by-step instructions for rope tricks, money magic, mind-reading effects, stage illusions, everyday magic, and plenty of all-new card tricks. Readers will learn how to bend spoons, stretch handkerchiefs, levitate glassware, make small children disappear, shuffle playing cards with aplomb, and much more—everything from simple street-magic effects to epic on-stage illusions. Mysterio’s Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring is a beautifully designed reference for magicians of all ages and abilities.

GABE FAJURI is an associate editor of Magic, the world’s leading trade journal for magicians. He also publishes scholarly titles on the subject of conjuring. He lives in Chicago.