Book design - Girard  

Heath
Those are cool stands. Are they commercially available?

.
I just had a look but it turns out the veneer may well come from a threatened species, so 🙁
There are a lot available commercially but making your own strikes me as a fun project.
http://classroom.monticello.org/kids/gallery/image/236/Revolving-Bookstand/

After
mulling it over a bit I guess there is just one thing left as an issue. If a book is published this size, they can charge more for it. I liken this to the U.S. automakers never introducing small, efficient vehicles of the kind prevelant in Europe and Asia. Why make a smaller, less expensive one, when you can sell larger for more?
DudeDah, I get what you are saying, but I don't need this size to become engrossed or see images in an engrossing way. Many of the smaller (normal, not mini flip) books that I have that are image primary types, engage me better because I can curl up with them. My comfort level when reading is such that I more readily lose my self in them and am not distracted by comfort issues, therefore they are more effective for how I read. Either way, enjoy.

And to you as well glassartist...
Right, make no mistake, TASCHEN, Phaidon, Gestalten...they are ALL trying to make money off of their books and appear to be doing very well. But, as art books, I feel like they need to go a step further to be more than just reference books. As with any art piece, I find pieces that have a strong underlying concept more "successful" overall than pieces that are merely a display of technical skill. I feel like the SIZE of these books is a conceptual thing rather than just an effort to charge you for the "extra" paper. The extra time/effort it takes to page through these book dictates the PACE at which I page through them. I'm as A.D.D. as the next American and find myself flipping through smaller books and thus not paying as much attention as the published might wish I would.
If it helps, I CAN'T WAIT to get a copy of this Girard book and would GLADLY give you a crisp $20-bill to help solve your dilemma!!

I love this book
The best part of owning this book is that it only weighs 2.66666667 lbs on the moon.