Amazon.com
Because design is all around us, it often goes unnoticed unless it's strikingly awful--as in the case of an uncomfortable chair or a pen that's too large to hold correctly. Conversely, great design is commonly overlooked because it performs so well--the perfect typeface or an ever-present logo, for example. An Yves Saint Laurent woman's dinner jacket worn without a shirt and an Eero Aarnio bright orange ball chair from the 1960s, however, are two wonderful designs that won't soon be lost in the shuffle. World Design, an encyclopedia of some of the best designed objects and ideas of the 20th century, takes readers on a visual tour of smart things designed for living. Arranged alphabetically by designer, it begins with beautiful Aino Aalto (the wife of Alvar) ridged glassware from the 1930s. The pressed glass rings that encircle these pitchers and drinking glasses were originally conceived as a means to hide imperfections in the material, but the visual simplicity has been routinely imitated by other designers since then. At the other end of this thick book, readers will find a page for Marco Zanuso, the Italian industrial designer who created a yellow plastic portable television in 1964. In between, readers are treated to glimpses of iconic objects by Le Corbusier and Issey Miyake as well as newer, innovative designs such as a chair made of a transparent gel originally used only in medicine. Along with the beautiful, these pages document objects that changed our world: Earl S. Tupper's ingenious, now-ubiquitous containers revolutionized food storage when they were introduced with their airtight lids in the late 1930s. At a hefty 432 pages with 1,000 color photographs, this book is full of fascinating information and wonderful images that track the last 100 years of influential design. --J.P. Cohen
From Library Journal
As the 20th century draws to a close numerous disciplines are being brought into historical perspective, and the design-related fields are no exception. This volume brings together the "best of the best" that designers of the modern era have created. This colorful, delightful, and elegant resource highlights more than 300 designers and their works featuring brief summaries and photographic examples of their most distinctive pieces. In the main section the entries are arranged alphabetically from Aalto to Zanuso. The traditional introduction has been transformed into a thoughtful overview on design and placed after the individual entries. The book concludes with a design chronology that focuses on some of the most notable events for each year from 1900 to 1999. Thoroughly captivating and packed with fun-filled design trivia, this will prove invaluable for the expert, the novice, and the design student. Essential for all types of libraries.
-Stephan Allen Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
-Stephan Allen Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
