{"product_id":"9780544231948","title":"Collection of Sand","description":"“Just like every collection, this one is a diary as well: a diary of  travels, of course, but also of feelings, states of mind, moods . . .  The fascination of a collection lies just as much in what it reveals as  in what it conceals of the secret urge that led to its creation.” — from  \u003ci\u003eCollection of Sand\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eItalo Calvino’s unbounded curiosity and masterly imagination are displayed in peak form in \u003ci\u003eCollection of Sand\u003c\/i\u003e,  the last of his works published during his lifetime. Here he applies  his graceful intellect to the delights of the visual world, in essays on  subjects ranging from cuneiform and antique maps to Mexican temples and  Japanese gardens. Never before translated into English, \u003ci\u003eCollection of Sand\u003c\/i\u003e  is an incisive and often surprising meditation on observation and  knowledge, the difference between the world as we perceive it and the  world as it is.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Beautifully translated by Martin McLaughlin . . . To read [\u003ci\u003eCollection of Sand\u003c\/i\u003e]  is to enter the presence of an exceptionally fervent and fertile mind .  . . A brilliant collection that may change the way you see the world  around you.” — PD Smith, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Houghton Mifflin Harcourt","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47101678158064,"sku":"9780544231948","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780544231948_p0.jpg?v=1763711848","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780544231948","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}