Amazon.com
This surprising book may appear to be about the simple things of life--forks, paper clips, zippers--but in fact it is a far-flung historical adventure on the evolution of common culture. To trace the fork's history, Duke University professor of civil engineering Henry Petroski travels from prehistoric times to Texas barbecue to Cardinal Richelieu to England's Industrial Revolution to the American Civil War--and beyond. Each item described offers a cultural history lesson, plus there's plenty of engineering detail for those so inclined.
Book Description
Petroski tells fascinating stories about the arduous processes that resulted in paper clips, Post-its, Phillips-head screwdrivers, Scotch tape, and fast-food "clamshell" containers. "Petroski . . . an examines the simplest . . . tools in our lives with an appraising eye."--Washington Post Book World. 45 illus.
Customer Reviews:
All about the context.......2006-08-07
I found this book to be very illuminating in light of what I do (interaction design) and the books I have read recently on the latest in computational neuroeconomics, maninstream pattern recognotion theory, interaction design, visual design, industrial design, computer engineering, new marketing theory, and information design around complex systems. In fact, this book is almost a stake in the ground on how the manufacturing process, invention, and branding created the artifacts in our environment. Better than the Industrial Desig books I read 10 years ago. I think we would call these "case studies" and "use cases" in modern terminology. I mention all the fields above because every single one of them have an exact doppelganger in the past.
This book is a brilliant look at process and can be used as a research tool when looking at why something like the iPod caught on and why almost everything that has been developed at MIT in recent history (except eInk) has never gained a foothold in popular American culture. In the face of the rise of "everyware" computing, it's adoption in places like Korea and Japan, and only limited use by the rich for personal security in the US, I would say this is a must read for contemporary designers, no matter what depth of complexity their task at hand. This book predates the web, making it very enlightening in light of user-centered design in recent years.
This book looks at the relationship of genius design, corporate R+D, pop culture, the feedback loop for product innovation, and the adoption of standards around SIMPLE things. This means these case studies can be used to analyse the failures (and how failure breeds innovation, not "form follows function") of our complex information economy and embedded systems. Society has gone through it all before. And as projects become increasingly team based and open sourced (like Stanford's new d.school), just about anyone can find value in this book based within this context.
Worth the read.......2006-06-05
while I agree with some of the previous reviews that Petroski may overstate and repeat a little bit, this book is an excellent in depth look at the invention process as practiced by many people in parallel and in concert.
If you have any interest in Industrial Design, Interaction Design or just trivia for how object evolve this is a great read and Petroski surely knows his stuff.
I don't agree with some who call it too academic, the text is in depth, but not dry. It is not breazy or flip either...Just right*
An eye opener! .......2006-01-10
Ideal for anyone who harbours a casual interest in forks, pins, paper clips and zippers. Not recommended for people who hate forks, pins, paper clips and zippers, or people who are obsessed with forks, pins, paper clips and zippers and already know how they came to be as they are.
Hidden Depth.......2005-12-12
On the face of it, the Evolution of Useful Things simply lists fun trivia about familiar objects. Why does a fork have four tines and not two or three? What's a perfect paperclip? Is there such a thing? Who invented the zipper? How many things can you see on your desk right now?
However the book gives us much more. Petroski uses a large number of concrete facts to present general laws of human thought and activity. The paper clip appeared because pins used to hold papers together made holes in them and could injure someone looking through files, but it took a while for it to reach the form we know today. We invent new things because we are dissatisfied when we find problems. Form follows not function, but failure.
While small objects play the center role here, large machines such as locomotives and large projects such as bridges also come up. Petroski argues that for his concepts to be valid, they must apply to the great as well as the small and he shows that engineers design new bridges or tunnels by solving problems observed found while building other bridges and tunnels.
The book's title is especially good. The evolution of man-made things differs fundamentally from the evolution of living things. Natural selection follows a mindless process of sifting through countless minute _random_ changes. Things, however, evolve through a different process of sifting through countless _intended_ changes (sometimes small, somtimes large) until something arises that works better than before.
Petroski's writing does annoy me a little; he's got some really bad puns. For example he follows two different quotations of how to manufacture a needle with the phrase "there's more than one way to make a point." Another problem is that he repeats himself. For instance, he twice mentions Karl Marx's astonishment at finding 500 different kinds of hammers in a Birmingham factory.
But the originality of his thesis far outweighs these minor flaws. Henry Petroski is a philosopher of engineering examining the question of why we invent things. He asks why we are always perfecting our inventions, why we are never satisfied with our tools as they are. His proposed answers in no small way explain much of the history of our rich living environment with its tens of thousands of useful things.
Vincent Poirier, Tokyo
Worthwhile Reading.......2005-10-23
I really enjoyed this book. It was fascinating to learn how so many things came about. I enjoyed the history and the anecdotes and in-depth analysis of each topic.
I found it inspirational in many places. The creative artisan not only perfects his skills but looks beyond the routine to develop improved tools and processes. I read many passages to my kids.
I was dismayed when the author started writing about forks again when I thought we were all done with forks until I noticed the way the book is broken out by ideas and concepts rather than the specific examples. I think this is probably the most well-organized book I have ever read.
Book Description
Paper Engineering explores graphic design that extends beyond 2D. From the simplest fold in a letterhead to the structural intricacies of a pop-up book, the construction of 3D paper objects requires as much input as the surface decoration.
This stylish and inspirational book unfolds the conceptual complexities of paper engineering, studying the techniques of eminent designers in Europe, Japan and the USA. Case studies are illustrated with photographs of finished work, as well as detailed diagrams and commentary. Paper Engineering also explores the functions of paper architecture in graphic design, ranging from pop-up books, invitations and point-of-sale to packaging.
Customer Reviews:
Paper Engineering: 3D Techniques for a 2D Material.......2007-09-13
Every popup technique is actually demonstrated with a small example! This book has saved me so much time and frustration - excellent reference for anyone who creates popup books!
Book Description
This book inspires scrapbookers with fresh, fun ensembles of page borders, corners and title designs for seasonal themes-including holidays! Neatly corralled border, corner and title treatments provide a clean and crisp page that helps keep the focus where it should be - on your page.
More than 70 custom-coordinated page elements are included which work well together, alone or in completely different color schemes. These elements combine with scrapbookers' photos for the best-dressed pages around! Patterns and step-by-step illustrations are also featured for creating easy-to-make accents with designer appeal.
Customer Reviews:
too complex for beginners.......2005-10-11
I'm new to scrapbooking so got this book for ideas. There were few interesting ideas but...
1) Required too many tools and supplies that I didn't have (I already have several hundred $s worth of tool and supplies).
2) Too many steps! The design process seemed too complex. It seemed like it'd take me an hour just to get the first 5 steps done, let alone the remaing 15 steps.
3) The designs weren't to my taste. I thought lot of the designs seem to "folksy" or too busy looking. I prefer more clean and "modern" look.
Overall, I found the book to be more discouraging to a new scrapbooker like me than inspiring.
Not For Everyone.......2005-09-29
I like scrapbooking but am not interested in this book. I bought based on the descriptions and reviews. Very disappointed in that most of the pages, if not all, have something too thick on them. I like my pages to lay flat and not bulk up my albums. Cute ideas for framing or displays... but a lot of the best parts don't lay flat enough for me and my scrapbook albums. Lots of techniques are shown, but many are also too time-consuming or too involved or, as other said, require too many different materials/tools (thus cost too much) for me. I want cute and quick. Precious yet balanced with my time and effort.
Scrapbook borders corners & Titles.......2005-08-14
This is a great book for scrapbooking. I have several scrapbooks, and this book is my favorite. The pages are so nicely done, and each page comes with directions, and a supply list of materials you will need to complete the project.
Worthwhile Book.......2005-01-22
This book has a bit of basic information on tools and supplies and then has a section on each season showing different borders, corners and titles for each one. The ideas are unique and instructions are given with photos on how to complete each one. I think it is a worthwhile book.
Creative & Current.......2003-11-22
I'm relatively new to scrapbooking and don't have a lot of time to devote to it, so I look for books like this one to help me get ideas and learn new things. I found this particular one to be full of pictures and instructions. It even includes ideas for alternate ways of applying certain techniques - which can help you be more creative on your own. The book is arranged by themes, offering several ideas for each topic. It covers a range of skill levels and refers to a lot of different tools - some of which I didn't know existed. The only reason I don't give a 5 is because some of the topics could use a little more instruction or assume you are using certain tools - which can be VERY expensive for someone who doesn't do this full time.
I recommend this book for anyone who wants to add polish to their pages and give them a more finished look. It worth the $$ for sure.
Book Description
Gilbert Law Summaries are America's best selling outlines and have set the standard for excellence since they were introduced more than thirty-five years ago. It's Gilbert's unique combination of features that makes it the one study aid you'll turn to for all of your study needs! Walk into class prepared with a comprehensive outline of the law, a concise capsule summary perfect for a quick review before class, charts of every kind, a text correlation chart so that you can match your specific reading assignment to the relevant pages in the Gilbert outline, and an index and table of cases. Ace your final exams with a step-by-step approach to attack your exam, exam tips, and sample multiple choice, true-false, and essay questions.
Customer Reviews:
Don't get me started on this boring topic!!!!.......2002-03-31
A) Why is there a whole law class on cashing checks? B) Why is the subject so convoluted and obnoxious??? This Gilberts was useful in that it gave diagrams and drawings to illustrate points. The first two chapters were helpful and (somewhat) easy to understand. The later chapters on bank deposits and electronic banking give light to the future of this subject (and future bar exam questions). However, the longest chapter, "Liability of the Parties" was the most confusing. It should have had more diagrams and would have been better as two chapters. But this Gilbert's help me understand this nefarious topic more than any other legal aid.
Average customer rating:
- very philosophical and abstract
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The Design Factory (Art & Design Monographs (Paper))
Alberto Alessi
Manufacturer: Academy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Architecture
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General
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Decorative Arts
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All Titles
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ASIN: 1854903349 |
Customer Reviews:
very philosophical and abstract.......2003-01-25
THis is a very difficult book to read, more for the professional designer and industrialist than for the lay reader curious about the company. I was astounded to learn that, behind the fabulous products this company creates, there is an entire philosophy: it references dadism and readymades, structuralism, and the Winnicott version of psychoanalysis (the company consciously seeks to creat "transition objects" that have deep emotional meanings for the consumers who like them)and that represents just a few of the influence. Much of that is very abstruce and admittedly over my head - I was reading the book in preparation for a writing project I am embarking upon on the company.
That being said, the images are fantastic and you get to know a lot about the company and the incredible family that founded and still manages it. It just isn't easy to read. Thus, I would recommend this book for those who want to know very deeply about this unique company, which is probably the best design firm for household goods in Europe if not the world. The book served my purposes as a professional, but I would never have gotten through it just for fun.
Book Description
Jane Frank examines all aspects of BerkeyÂ's work, with more than 100 color illustrations drawn from all periods of his career-including personal illustrations painted for his own artistic satisfaction. Berkey himself contributes an autobiographical introduction. “His wonderfully facile style is the perfect balance between painterly impressionism and hard-edged realism.”—Vincent Di Fate, Infinite Worlds.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent artwork.......2006-08-25
I used to think of John Berkey as just a sci-fi artist. But after viewing this book its clear Berkey is quite simply an excellent artist on all levels. What I find masterful about his work is that upon close viewing you see that he uses simple brush strokes for his approach. Yet, when viewed from a distance his art appears as detailed as any photograph I've seen. This is what it means to be a true artist: Being able to convey a clearly conceived and well-executed idea while maintaining an original sense of style and technique. Mr Berkey's work should be viewed by all, whether sci-fi fan or not.
An excellent chronicle.......2004-02-29
For those of you who were inspired by John Berkey's fantastic visions of the future decades ago, you will find continued inspiration in Jane Frank's new book, The Art of John Berkey. This book complements the earlier Painted Space book well, but stands on its own as a serious work about John Berkey. Several pages of autobiographical notes from Mr. Berkey himself followed by several chapters chronicling the many phases of Berkey's remarkable career. Back before computers, Berkey mastered the brush, inferring technological complexity with only minimal strokes in a way few other artists can. He ranks high along with legendary futurist artists like Syd Mead and Ralph McQuarrie. The book is beautifully printed, with lush colorful pages that bring Berkey's paintings to life. I recommend you purchase this book-it will take you on a fantastical journey you will want to come back to time and again.
Average customer rating:
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The Paper Tiger Fantasy Art Gallery
Manufacturer: Paper Tiger
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Museums & Collections
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ASIN: 1855859572 |
Book Description
Twenty-five of the finest fantasy and science fiction artists reveal their creative secrets. The interviews come from The Paper Snarl, Paper Tiger’s own e-zine; each features the artist’s personal choice of work. Among those who speak are Brom, Frank Kelly Freas, Fangorn (concept artist for the movie A.I.), Bob Eggleton, Jim Burns, Vincent Di Fate, Jael, Anne Sudworth, Ron Walotsky, and more.
Book Description
This audio tape provides the essentials on commercial paper and payment law, including negotiable instrument types, holder-in-due-course, real and personal defenses, and jus tertii. Explores contracts, obligations, suretyship, agent signatures, and Article 4. Addresses banks and their customers, properly payable rule, wrongful dishonor, stopping payment, death of customer's subrogation, bank statements, and contract of deposit. Examines offset, check collection, final payment, Expedited Funds Availability Act, delays, forgery, alteration, impostor rule, negligence rule, wire transfers, and Electronic Fund Transfers Act.
Customer Reviews:
Saved me on the exam.......2006-05-05
These tapes saved me in my Payments class, and they were basically all I needed to know to do well on the exam. Whaley also has a good sense of humor. The black letter law is still current on these tapes as of 2006 as far as I can tell.
Too few tapes for such a long subject.......2002-05-23
The professor giving this lecture freely admits that if you don't study CP in a law class or for the bar, you will never get it in practice. Still, this tape series has only 3 tapes when your typical sum & substance subject has between 4 and 6. The professor crams cp rules into 3 tapes sides and article 4 payment rules in the last 3 sides. These tapes didn't become useful until I had read and made flash cards from his Gilberts law summary text. I can't believe the most difficult bar subject has so few study aids out there. This is very frustrating. I can't even say Whaley did a bad job here; it's just that these tapes alone won't do it.
Book Description
L'argent. Dinero. Geld. Dough. Whatever you call it, money makes the world go round. The United States is dispensing its first redesigned bills in decades, and the Euro is on the brink of unifying European notes. It's the perfect time for this visual tour of the world's currencies. The various people, places, animals, and historical events depicted on money reflect how countries see themselves—and how they want the rest of world to see them. Author David Standish begins with a brief, fascinating history of currency, and then presents a striking gallery of international bills from more than 80 countries that corner the market on visual flair. The cast of characters on these small canvases is vast—from the Little Prince on French currency to the furry denizens of the rainforest of Madagascar to the obscure Salmon P. Chase, Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State, on the $10,000 US note (did you know that the US Secret Service originated with Lincoln's efforts to curb counterfeiting during the Civil War?). The Art of Money is an entertaining and lustrous tour of cash for design aficionados, history buffs, travelers, and everybody who handles money (or dreams of handling more).
Customer Reviews:
Collorful Images.......2002-04-17
If you are looking for something with a lot of images, that's what you need.
Very nice and fine printed, but it has not so much to say.
Imaginative Currency Does Exist. Just Not Here........2002-02-04
Probably not the venue to launch into a tirade against the stultified, diploma/stock certificate-like house design style of the American treasury. But when you see the variety, color, flare and adventuresome spirit of other countries' currency designs, it is enough to make you positively ill. This is an old complaint, of course. This books visuals make a totally convincing case for the plaintiffs, however.
There WAS one brief shining moment when American money designers put something better, a real world-class moolah design, in our wallets. --See the gorgeous 3 bill "Educational" series of the 1890's or the Buffalo dollar from the first decade of the 20th Century (with, yes, a full body engraving of a buffalo in the usual bureaucrat spot on front, and two bonus spots on the left and right bearing likenesses of Lewis and Clark). After this frolicking fist full of dollars, American currency design "went corporate"; there hasn't been a really fun or cool bill in almost a century now.
The US post office has dolled up their issues to the point people accuse them of tackiness or pandering to populist taste. This is how we can see that stamps are alive as a design vehicle. When everything is august and handsome and tasteful, it is precisely as dead as...well, as American money design.
Beautiful images, irritating text.......2001-11-15
Make no mistake -- this is a very attractive book. Frankly, its Jeremy Stout's design and Joshua Dunn's photography that make this book worth buying. Full color images of hundreds of U.S. and foreign paper currencies delight the eye. The layout itself takes its inspiration from money, with security stripes and microprinting, and even page numbers look like currency serial numbers.
The commentary, however, is another issue. While often containing valuable tidbits of the history of paper currency, especially in the section on the United States, "The Art of Money" suffers from failed attempts at humor and an often joyless condescending tone. In an entry on Queen Elizabeth II she's described as looking a little too much like "Prince Charles in drag." The portraits on the redesigned U.S. currencies are described as looking like characters on "South Park".
For most readers, this is not helpful information. In addition, there are too many explanations of images that include the modifiers "must be", "could be", "it would seem so" and modern interpretations of allegorical scenes. Absent an expert's analysis or first-hand knowledge of the reasons behind the placement of images on currency, the author's speculations do not help the novice currency collector and are likely to annoy the professional.
In the final analysis, its the photos of the currencies, and not the captions, that make this book an enjoyable "read." And, as a former articles editor for "Playboy", Mr. Standish might forgive readers if we pick up his book only to look at the pictures.
Glass Half Empty..........2001-01-13
Clearly this book is not directed to specialists in the field of world paper money collecting, though many dealers, it seems, are happy just to have something glossy and well-produced to entice people into joining the hobby. Yes, the book is pretty, and yes, it is entertaining. Unfortunately, it ignores an important issue that is at the core of paper money: politics. Why do some paper money designs change while others remain the same? Why do some countries put their leaders' pictures on their money while others would never do such a thing (at least not until they are dead)? Why do pounds become dinars, cruzados become reals, etc.? The book leaves the reader with the impression that the designs on paper money are hardly more than a celebration of a country's cultural and technological accomplishments, but there is more than that...
This is why the book ultimately falls short: By studying the art of money only as an end rather than as a means to an end, a vast -- and fascinating -- dimension of the story is lost. Hopefully there will be other books on the topic that go beyond this initial effort.
worth its weight in gold.......2000-12-29
Money money money. We all want it. We all need it. We all have it. But how much do we know about the heart and soul of this powerful paper?
In The Art of Money, David Standish expands our world by exposing money's role in politics, industry, commerce, nature, art, and sex - yes, even sexy money - "...an appreciation and celebration of the human form, an admission that we are flesh, after all..."
This beautiful book is a masterpiece of what it means to truly work outside the box. Of all the people I know, I am the least interested in (or good at) understanding the mechanics of money. All I know about money is that when I have some of it in my pocket, I can eat. When I don't have any, I go hungry. I never looked at its colors, pictures, history, and certainly never considered it art. Art? Human nature? Intrigue? Those were the things I was interested in....and The Art of Money contains all these subjects and more. Much more.
The Art of Money captured my interest from the very first page with an amazing reproduction in full color of a 50-Gulden bill, displaying a detailed sunflower and bee: "In indirect but bright homage to van Gogh, the image says, simply being placed on the bill, that they value art and beauty in the Netherlands." This was especially relevant to me because of my Dutch ancestry and my fondness for the Dutch impressionists. But my main interest is animals - what could possibly be written about animals and money? Standish includes an international zoo with four exotic sections on nature, includingwild birds and an African safari. No nature lover will be disappointed in these pages.
Standish takes off full speed from there, guiding us around the world as only a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide could. The exquisite color pictures and stories behind the pictures are as captivating as their countries of origin. The graphics alone make this book worth its weight in gold. But the bonus is in the words which transported me effortlessly into an exciting realm of which I had been totally unaware. My 20 dollars spent on this book bought me a larger, brighter, more interesting world. A bargain any way you look at it.
Cathie Katz, Melbourne Beach, Florida
Books:
- The Global Environment: Institutions, Law, And Policy (Global Environment)
- The Official LSAT SuperPrep
- The Philosophical Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, viscount St. Albans, and Lord High Chancellor of England; Methodized, and made English, from the Orginals, with Occasional Notes, to Explain what is Obscure; And shew how far the several Plans of (Collected Works of Sir Francis Bacon - 3 volumes)
- The Pre-Foreclosure Property Investor's Kit: How to Make Money Buying Distressed Real Estate -- Before the Public Auction
- The Turnaround: How America's Top Cop Reversed the Crime Epidemic
- The Ultimate Gift (The Ultimate Series #1)
- Unchecked and Unbalanced: Presidential Power in a Time of Terror
- Understanding Social Welfare: A Search for Social Justice (7th Edition)
- Understanding the European Union: A Concise Introduction, Third Edition (European Union)
- Understanding the European Union: A Concise Introduction, Third Edition (European Union)
Books Index
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How Things Are Made: From Automobiles to Zippers
