Events & AwardsMay 27, 2026
5 Security Tips for Las Vegas Jewelry Market Week 2026This year, it’s what could happen outside of show hours that worries JSA Executive Vice President Scott Guginsky.
OtherAug 05, 2014
Five new, potentially good reads for August
Online book discussion website Goodreads has just come out with its list of new releases for the month of August, and National Jeweler has chosen four from the assortment that could be useful to business owners.
This month’s selection of books from Goodreads.com includes a lesson in unleashing “bad” creativity and the story of a man who used smarts and force to pave the way for modern-day Las Vegas.
New York--Online book discussion website Goodreads has just come out with its list of new releases for the month of August, and National Jeweler has chosen four from the assortment that could be useful to business owners.
This is the fourth installment of National Jeweler’s Goodreads picks, which also ran in April, May, June and July. A staff pick is included as the last read in each.
Among August’s reads are Make it Mighty Ugly, a lesson in harnessing fear of creativity; a historical novel following an innovative man who helped to shape modern-day Las Vegas; and Violins of Hope, which explores the importance of violins during the Holocaust and a man who made hundreds to honor those who perished.
The following list includes a brief summary of each book and links to additional information on Goodreads.
1. Make it Mighty Ugly: Exercises and Advice for Getting Creative Even When it Ain’t Pretty
Kim P. Werker
What better way to tackle a fear of creativity than to create something, well, mighty ugly? Werker encourages her readers to do just that in this book, which encourages its readers to pick up their pen, paintbrush or scissors and make something mighty ugly to get “failure” out of the way. Through essays, interviews, exercises and prompts, Make it Mighty Ugly dares its reader to get crafty to banish their creative fears. This book is 240 pages.
2. Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker
Doug J. Swanson
Blood Aces tells the story of the crucial role Benny Binion--cowboy, pioneering casino owner, gangster and founder of the World Series of Poker--played in shaping modern Las Vegas, through vision, determination and brutal expediency. His formula? Run a good business, cultivate the big boys, kill your enemies and own the cops. Journalist and author Swanson uses once-secret government documents and reporting to show how Binion outsmarted his adversaries, including J. Edgar Hoover, in this untold piece of American history. This book is 368 pages.
3. Positive: A Memoir
Paige Rawl, Ali Benjamin
In this memoir, Rawl shares her experience of being HIV-positive since birth, a condition that didn’t define her until she disclosed it to a friend in middle school and faced social repercussions that led to an attempt to end her life. The failed attempt, however, proved to be only the beginning for
Rawl, and she shares how choosing compassion over cruelty can change the life of a stigmatized individual. This memoir is 288 pages.
4. Violins of Hope: Violins of the Holocaust--Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour
James A. Grymes
In Violins of Hope, Grymes tells the stories of the violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust and of the Israeli violinmaker dedicated to bringing these instruments back to life. It also explores how the violin assumed extraordinary new roles within the Jewish community, from liberator to savior, from comforter to, surprisingly, avenger. Ultimately, this book expresses how these instruments during the Holocaust represented strength and optimism for the future and the man who dedicated 20 years to restoring them as a tribute to those who were lost. This book is 336 pages.
5. Editor’s recommendation: High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed
Michael Kodas
Senior Editor Hannah Connorton just discovered and begun this non-fiction novel, a first-hand account of journalist Michael Kodas’ life on top of the world, and the changes Mount Everest has seen in past years caused by a tremendous boom in traffic. Here, Kodas explores cases of beatings, thugs, drugs, prostitution, coercion, threats and abandonments on the mountain’s highest slopes, and how these actions have become the rule rather than the exception.
More on Other
The Latest
ColumnistsMay 27, 2026
What Jewelers Can Learn From Luxury Fashion’s Digital PlaybookHigh-end fashion houses know how to emotionally connect with customers online. Retail jewelers should take note, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Events & AwardsMay 27, 2026
Couture’s ‘The Iridescence’ Will Showcase 7 Emerging Jewelry DesignersThe designers are the third cohort of mentees from the show’s Belonging @ Couture mentorship program.
Brought to you by
All Eyes on Gold Prices. Alternatives to Look For. And What to BEWARE of in VegasAs gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.
ColumnistsMay 26, 2026
The Key Mindset for Better Trade Show BuyingBuying discipline at trade shows starts with clarity about your inventory levels, Smith writes.
Weekly QuizMay 21, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsMay 26, 2026
12 JCK Talks Sessions to Add to Your Las Vegas ScheduleThe trade show’s education series returns, with sessions on retail trends, AI, watches, marketing, corporate responsibility, and more.
Events & AwardsMay 26, 2026
CBG Brings Its Curated Designer Project to Las Vegas ShowThe Curated Designer Project has expanded to highlight eight independent jewelry designers during CBG’s Las Vegas show.
Brought to you by
How Modern Training Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Jewelry RetailersWith the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.
TrendsMay 26, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: A Cooldown Is ComingBring a cool tone to your summer jewelry with these white metal pieces.
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2026
Instore Buys JA New York ShowThe deal closed this week, which means Instore will produce the JA NY show slated to take place this fall.
FinancialsMay 22, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Lead the Charge in Q4The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.
CollectionsMay 22, 2026
Leigh Maxwell Celebrates 5 Years at Couture With ‘Bauble’ CollectionThe “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.
MajorsMay 22, 2026
Stuller’s New Packaging, Display Catalog Is Out The updated catalog has a newly dedicated section for gift wrapping.
PodcastsMay 21, 2026
Episode 5: Sotheby’s Frank Everett Puts the Auction Market in PerspectiveEverett covers colored stones’ surging popularity, the mellow return of the “Mellon Blue,” and his “The Devil Wears Prada” doppelgänger.
IndependentsMay 21, 2026
Springer’s Jewelers’ New Flagship Will Serve Next-Gen Luxury ShoppersFourth-generation CEO Lilly Mullen wants to emphasize experience, connection, and personalized service.
Events & AwardsMay 21, 2026
JA Announces Nina Pugliese Memorial ScholarshipThe new award, created in partnership with Henne Jewelers, honors the late designer’s legacy through supporting jewelry education.
SourcingMay 21, 2026
Botswana, Angola Join WFDBThe addition of the diamond-producing countries as nation affiliated members broadens the federation’s global representation, WFDB said.
CrimeMay 20, 2026
NYPD Warns of Jewelry Swap Scams Targeting SeniorsThe NYPD is warning elderly New Yorkers to keep their jewelry hidden when walking outside to avoid being a target.
IndependentsMay 20, 2026
Adornment & Theory’s New Store Feels Like Home Designer Viviana Langhoff has realized her dream of owning a space for her Chicago jewelry store that looks and feels like her brand.
Events & AwardsMay 20, 2026
Here Is Couture’s 2026 Education Lineup The sessions will run from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31, with one being a live taping of an episode of Couture’s podcast.
Lab-GrownMay 20, 2026
Savannah Friedkin Jewelry Names New CEOFormer Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry executive Morgan P. Richardson is joining the lab-grown diamond jewelry brand.
WatchesMay 19, 2026
Here’s the AP x Swatch Pocket Watch That Caused PandemoniumThe $400 pocket watch is a blend of Audemars Piguet’s iconic eight-sided Royal Oak and Swatch’s unserious Pop watches from the ‘80s.
CollectionsMay 19, 2026
Chris Ploof’s New Collection Makes an Ancient Metal ModernWith gold prices on the rise, the “Modern Electrum” collection uses an alternative, non-tarnishing metal alloy composed of gold and silver.
IndependentsMay 19, 2026
Ellen and Michael Fruchtman Retire, Sell Marketing Agency Fruchtman Marketing has new owners, Erin Moyer-Carballea and Manuel Carballea, and will relocate to Miami.
ColumnistsMay 19, 2026
Peter Smith: The (Mostly) Immutable Sales TruthsIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Smith lists 10 time-tested principles about sales that still ring true.
ColumnistsMay 18, 2026
Edahn Golan: What a K-Shaped Economy Means for Fine JewelryIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Golan spells out how the growing economic divide in the U.S. is reshaping the market.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Foundrae’s New Collection Taps Into JoyThe “Limitless Expansion of Joy and Hope” collection evokes summer through colored gemstones and motifs of butterflies and florals.
