Some women love shoes; we're more interested in coffee table books. Perhaps they're not as practical, but where else are we going to learn about Roman wall painting or contemporary Norwegian design without auditing a class or trusting the murky tales on Wikipedia? These books offer a wealth of information, and yeah, we really like the pretty pictures too. If you share our addiction for giant tomes filled with glossy images of Russian avant-garde art or Mies van derRohe-designed furniture, then you no doubt already know about William Stout Books, an online and local (their main location is at 804 Montgomery St) emporium with over 20,000 books on architecture,art, interior design, and much more. And we shouldn't sell the place short - the store offers a wide range of titles both obscure and out of print, and by no means only for decorating a coffee table. If you've yet to check out the shop, you'll now have double the opportunities, as Stout Books will be opening a new annex this Friday at 678 Mission Street in the Financial District. Stop by on your lunch break for some inspiration, or hit it up on your way home to find a title that'll keep you engrossed for the length of your commute, and likely well beyond.