Smart Books 2008

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To Infinity and Beyond! The Story of Pixar Animation Studios

By Karen Paik
December 1

"I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now," said the unforgettable Edna Mode in The Incredibles. But this authorized history of Pixar's first two decades is a welcome look back, packed with gorgeous movie stills and rich archival materials. This trip down memory lane has nerdy beginnings--there's a thorough backgrounder on the development of computer animation starting in the 1970s--and more-accessible chapters about the short films and features, from Toy Story to Cars, that have made Pixar famous. Quotes from founding father John Lasseter and directors such as Brad Bird (who voiced Edna) add insider glimpses that will please hard-core fans. --KBF

Fugitive Denim: A Moving Story of People and Pants in the Borderless World of Global Trade

By Rachel Louise Snyder
December 3

Can jeans change the world? If you believe Snyder, a Cambodia-based journalist, perhaps they already have. In Fugitive Denim, she navigates the labyrinthine world of trade with everyone's favorite casual-Friday attire as her vehicle, telling stories about cotton pickers in Azerbaijan, factory managers in China, fashion designers in New York, and, of course, Bono. The most compelling passages are about two Cambodian garment workers who allow Snyder an intimate look at their lives.

Frank and often funny, Fugitive Denim calculates the cost--environmental, political, human--of our designer duds. But this isn't a screed against globalization. Rather, it's a thoughtful, ultimately hopeful look at how our choices about something as mundane as jeans can alter the lives of people 10,000 miles away. --Beth Adams