It is hard to believe that it is already the first anniversary of Barack Obama's election as the first African-American President of the United States. In honor of this historic occasion Taschen books New York is holding a book signing to celebrate the publication of Design for Obama. Posters for Change: A Grassroots Anthology. Taschen a publishing house originally started in Cologne, Germany 1980 by 18 year-old Benedikt Taschen, who found himself with a huge collection of comic books, has become renowned for being the premier international publisher of stunning art books.

Unbeknown to many, hundreds of artists and designers supported Obama's campaign in an unusual way, with their talent at DesignforObama.org founded by one of the books editors Aaron Perry-Zucker. This web-site built upon the concept of volunteerism during a history making campaign provided an online forum where artworks could be uploaded and downloaded for free.

Filmaker Spike Lee and Aaron Perry-Zucker chose the best of the submissions and have compiled them into a book commemorating the 44th President and the artistic creativity that helped him win the historic election last fall. In addition to curating the artwork in the book, Lee, Perry-Zucker and design historian Steven Heller wrote essays to complement this collection of over 200 pro-Obama posters designed by everybody from renowned graphic artists to those who practice their art on the streets of our cities.

If you want to have your copy personally signed by the editors head to Taschen's New York SoHo location where the editors including Spike Lee will be on hand on November 4th, 2009 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Here's a novel gift idea that is more thoughtful and less flashy than mere jewels. What accessory could be more individual or luxurious than your own book? New York-based McParlin Partners boasts a team of highly experienced former Forbes and Dow Jones editors as well as former Time Inc. art directors who will craft anything from a memoir or family history to a coffee-table book in praise of your spouse.

McParlin writers produce a portrait in words, complemented by your own photographs, commissioned photos and/or original art, that depicts the person you fell in love with or want to thank. It is the perfect way to celebrate an anniversary, wedding, graduation or other significant milestone.

Want to honor someone upon retirement? Consider a tribute book, full of reminiscences and career highlights. This is also a professional way to document a dynasty with a family history, ideal for handing out at that annual reunion or to favored clients.

McParlin editors work with clients to distill their management philosophy into a book or tell the story of their rise to the top. "People deserve the chance to tell their own stories in their own voice," says McParlin co-founder Kasia Moreno, an editor at Forbes for more than 20 years.

Moreno notes that, although McParlin also does corporate editorial work and has affiliations with custom publishers in Russia and China, the firm's individual services are a labor of love. "A family history," she says, "is a precious legacy that will be handed down over generations."

Indeed, the firm is named after Alida McParlin (1867-1957), a woman who wrote a memoir about her doting father, Brig. Gen. Thomas McParlin, an Army surgeon who served as Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War. That book sparked the fascination with family history for McParlin co-founder Hugo Moreno, who is also McParlin's great-grandson.

Every McParlin project is completely customized. Prices vary depending on length of the project. For example, a book-length executive memoir starts at $30,000, while a version the length of a magazine cover story can be had for $10,000. A coffee-table book full of commissioned photographs and striking layouts can run into six figures.

Academics are desperate to get their hands on a collection of letters that once belonged to author Franz Kafka, the genius behind "The Metamorphosis" and "The Trial." But, their efforts have been stymied by Have Hoffe and her sister, Ruth Wisler. The two ladies received the documents from their mother two years ago (when she died at the age of 101). Previously, the materials belonged to Max Brod, a German author who wrote a biography of Kafka. Brod died in 1968 and left the letters to Hoffe's and Wisler's mother, Esther.

The battle over the literary booty is on its way to Tel Aviv Family Court. The letters currently sit in two bank vaults, though scholars are worried that they aren't being stored properly. They see in the letters a potential treasure map: they may indicate the location of some notebooks confiscated from Kafka by the Gestapo. The issue became a legal matter when the sisters sought to ratify their mother's will, at which point the Israeli government became involved. Esther Hoffe only allowed a handful of researchers to view the letters and didn't make them available to the public -- a sore spot for interested scholars.

Had Kafka's wishes been respected, there would be no problem right now. The letters would have been burned.