Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

They had me at chocolate

New York chocolate guru Jacques Torres has just opened Manhattan’s first chocolate museum in Soho. The Chocolate Museum and Experience focuses on the origins, evolution and cultural significance of the food of the gods. The museum features relevant Mayan, Aztec, and European … Continue reading

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Love Is A Losing Game

As I get older, I feel the tragic lose of remarkable young artists even more than the greats who died young during my own youth. This is especially true when it comes to the amazingly talented Amy Winehouse. I still … Continue reading

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On The Border

I recently had a message from a TBTP reader who is concerned about the privacy and security of his digital devices when passing through Customs and Immigration at U.S. airports. This has become an increasingly complex issue—both for visitors and … Continue reading

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Fun With Books

It may not be an original idea, but the booksellers at Librairie Mollat in Bordeaux, France are having a lot of fun playing with book cover art. You can follow along on the bookstore’s Instagram page.

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Don’t Mention The War

Situated on the shores of the Laacher See near Andernach in Germany, Abbey Maria Laach is a handsome 800 year-old center of devotion and learning with a gorgeous 18th century library and a dark history. During the years leading up … Continue reading

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Book Lover’s Guide To Coffee

If you love coffee as much as I do, you may want to download a free copy of The Book Lover’s Guide to Coffee. The e-book from Penguin Random House features stories on the cultural significance of the heavenly beverage, tips on … Continue reading

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Manufacturing Consent

Published in 1988, Manufacturing Consent is a frighteningly relevant book in this time of media collusion in the take over of democractic governments and institutions by kleptocrats and neo-fascists. The book challenges the idea that the mainstream media acts as a check … Continue reading

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Small World, Little Planet

Petite Planète is a series of iconic travel guides by the French publishing house Edition du Seuil published between 1954 and 1964.Early on, filmmaker/novelist/graphic artist/World War II resistance fighter Chris Marker was recruited as the editor for the experimental series. He was also … Continue reading

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Singapore Does It Better

The government of Singapore has launched an initiative to provide residents with the world’s best transit stops. Located in the Jurong District of the city-state, the first example of these super stops features both book racks for print reading materials … Continue reading

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Banksy Does Bethlehem

Banksy is at it again. England’s unmerry prankster has just opened a hotel that claims to have “the worst views in the world”. Bethlehem’s Walled Off Hotel, which was designed and financed by the street artist known as Banksy, overlooks the 10 … Continue reading

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