This is the time of year when Amazon spreads glad tidings everywhere with their pre-order specials for books that are destined to debut within the next month - at almost 50% off. One book, Mastering Materials, Bindings, and Finishes: The Art of Creative Production (Design Field Guide), is geared toward the designer who loves to incorporate bells and whistles and special features into her designs to make them stand out. Often these special treatments are the element that makes the audience really connect with the design. The challenge is that these special embellishments are usually expensive and getting them right can be extremely difficult. But this book provides a complete reference to hundreds of special treatments, with information on how to approach them in reference to your design job, what to consider, the challenges, pitfalls, and the inside scoop from experienced designers who have both successfully and, not so successfully, implemented each of the effects featured.

The author, Catharine Fishel, specializes in working with and writing about designers and related industries. Her writing has appeared in many leading publications, including PRINT, Communication Arts, Graphis, ID, and many others. She is editor of the website LogoLounge.com, and is the author of many books about design, including Design Secrets: Packaging: 50 Real-Life Projects Uncovered (Design Secrets), Minimal Graphics: The Powerful New Look of Graphic Design, Redesigning Identity: Graphic Design Strategies for Success, and The Power of Paper in Graphic Design, among many other books.