I love browsing through coffee table books. Whoever first said, “a pictures says a thousand words” must have been perusing a coffee table book. But when you think about it, coffee table books are something of a self-contradiction. Generally speaking, books are about the words. Thus, we make fun of the intellectual level of books by the quantity of pictures.

But there are some things that can only be expressed in illustration or photo. For example, I LOVE books on architecture. One of my better purchases was a Frank Lloyd Wright coffee table book. Once I shelled out a “Benji” for an I.M. Pei book. Can you imagine trying to describe the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in words? “Well…there is this big marble wall with an acute angle in plan. Yaddi, yaddi, yaddi (Seinfeld reference).”

I develop single family spec homes. My company “stages” homes when we market them for sale. Staging refers to furnishing a home, so that it looks lived in. As part of my staging, I always include coffee table books through-out the house. Most who tour my houses notice the books. Every book is chosen and strategically placed. For example:

In the father’s study…a book on golf courses: most men either love golf or someday want to love golf.

In the father’s office…a book on “Hollywood Fathers”. We baby-boomer fathers all want to be “cool”.

In the living room of a “green house”….Ansel Adams book and a book about trees.

During the 4th of July…Time/Life book on America the Beautiful

In the master bedroom…a book on Impressionist Art. Everyone loves Van Gogh and Monet!

In the family room…a book on gardening.

In the kitchen…beautiful cook books.

Like the American Express slogan states “Don’t leave home without it.” For my company it is “Don’t sell a home, without them.” “Them” meaning “books!”