Photographer Richard Nickel earned a place in Chicago history both for his ardent work to preserve the city’s vanishing architectural gems and his martyr’s death in the collapse of Louis Sullivan’s Chicago Stock Exchange building. Of the 250 duotones in the new book Richard Nickel’s Chicago: Photographs of a Lost City, by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, only a handful have been published before. | $39.95, various bookstores or cityfilepress.com

Before The Office, there was I’m Alan Partridge, the hilarious BBC sitcom starring Steve Coogan (24 Hour Party People, Tristram Shandy) as a James Bond-obsessed, terminally insecure yet self-important talk-show host reduced to doing the graveyard shift at Radio Norwich. The first series, now available on American DVD, is a must for any fan of British humor. | $21.99, amazon.com

Brightly colored talking watches from Marchand des Legumes announce the time in Japanese. They can do it in English and German too, but that’s not as fun. | $22, Penelope’s, 1913 W Division, 773-395-2351

You can arrange the chutes, buckets, and switchbacks in a Frigits Deluxe set to create Rube Goldberg contraptions on any magnetic surface. Twelve marbles are included. | $30, limegreencatalog.com

A leather-and-suede backgammon set, available in light blue, red, or chocolate, is handsome and practical—just roll it up for travel or storage. | $142, Stitch, 1723 N. Damen, 773-782-1570

Trust the Swiss to come up with a better bottle. These are crafted from a single piece of aluminum and feature an enamel interior that won’t make drinks taste funny. | $16-$20, Hanger 18, 4726 N. Lincoln, 773-275-3349

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