Synopses & Reviews
and#8220;If good design tells the truth,and#8221; writes Robert Grudin in this path-breaking book on esthetics and authority, and#8220;poor design and#160;tells a lie,and#160; a lie usually related . . . to the and#160;getting or and#160;abusing of power.and#8221;
From the ornate cathedrals of Renaissance Europe to the much-maligned Ford Edsel of the late 1950s, all products of human design communicate much more than their mere intended functions. Design holds both psychological and moral power over us, and these forces may be manipulated, however subtly, to surprising effect. In an argument that touches upon subjects as seemingly unrelated as the Japanese tea ceremony, Italian mannerist painting, and Thomas Jeffersonand#8217;s Monticello plantation, Grudin turns his attention to the role of design in our daily lives, focusing especially on how political and economic powers impress themselves on us through the built environment.
Although architects and designers will find valuable insights here, Grudinand#8217;s intended audience is not exclusively the trained expert but all those who use designs and live within them every day.
Review
and#8220;At a time when ethics and integrity are increasingly important in design,andnbsp;Grudinand#8217;s perspective is particularly interesting. . . . To him, design is--or should be--joyous, inclusive and empowering, and#8216;an erotic pragmatismand#8217; which is and#8216;fundamental to the survival of our humanity.and#8217; and#8221;--Alice Rawsthorn,
International Herald Tribune
Review
and#8220;
Design And Truth [is] a very good book. . . . It proves that the Golden Age of science and philosophic writing may not have yet crested. Get it, read it, and indulge the times.and#8221;--Dan Schneider, Blogcritics.org
andnbsp;
Review
“A must-read book.”--
Qompendium Magazine, featured book
Review
and#8220;Grudin's call for a moral design holds appeal, inasmuch as it claims that user-centered design is the only kind of design that keeps us honest.and#8221;--Mandy Brown,
Barnes and Noble Review andnbsp;
Review
and#8220;A must-read book.and#8221;--
Qompendium Magazine, featured book
Synopsis
"If good design tells the truth," writes Robert Grudin in this path-breaking book on esthetics and authority, "poor design tells a lie, a lie usually related . . . to the getting or abusing of power."
From the ornate cathedrals of Renaissance Europe to the much-maligned Ford Edsel of the late 1950s, all products of human design communicate much more than their mere intended functions. Design holds both psychological and moral power over us, and these forces may be manipulated, however subtly, to surprising effect. In an argument that touches upon subjects as seemingly unrelated as the Japanese tea ceremony, Italian mannerist painting, and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation, Grudin turns his attention to the role of design in our daily lives, focusing especially on how political and economic powers impress themselves on us through the built environment.
Although architects and designers will find valuable insights here, Grudin's intended audience is not exclusively the trained expert but all those who use designs and live within them every day.
Synopsis
A profound meditation on how design reflects the uses and abuses of power from the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of Time and the Art of Living
"If good design tells the truth," writes Robert Grudin in this path-breaking book on esthetics and authority, "poor design tells a lie, a lie usually related . . . to the getting or abusing of power."
From the ornate cathedrals of Renaissance Europe to the much-maligned Ford Edsel of the late 1950s, all products of human design communicate much more than their mere intended functions. Design holds both psychological and moral power over us, and these forces may be manipulated, however subtly, to surprising effect. In an argument that touches upon subjects as seemingly unrelated as the Japanese tea ceremony, Italian mannerist painting, and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation, Grudin turns his attention to the role of design in our daily lives, focusing especially on how political and economic powers impress themselves on us through the built environment.
Although architects and designers will find valuable insights here, Grudin's intended audience is not exclusively the trained expert but all those who use designs and live within them every day.
Synopsis
In an argument that touches upon subjects as seemingly unrelated as the Japanese tea ceremony and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation, Grudin turns his attention to the role of design in our daily lives and explains how designs can be manipulated to surprising effect.
About the Author
Robert Grudin is professorand#160;emeritus in the English Department at theand#160;University of Oregon. His Book: A Novel was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize in Literature. He lives in Berkeley, CA.