5 comments about A Smile in the Mind.

1. This is a delicious book. I'd love to use it for a college design textbook.



2. This book effectively and clearly outlines different kinds of visual wit. People often say you cannot learn or study topics like this... "A Smile in the Mind" dispels this myth. For anyone who is interested in learning more about communication through wit.



3. I read the reviews, I like wit. I like deisign. thought that this wiuld be a good book for me to get. WRONG. The book is filled with lackluster designs using wit from the 80's and 70's. WIT is not an excuse for poor design. There are some good pieces, but most of them are out dated. Get this book if you want a history lesson about 80's design. The only good thing about the book are the interviews at the end and that is not worth the price of admission. Phaidon has done me wrong again. Will, no, can they put out a good book?



4. This is an exceptional book on the topic of visual wit. It does give more credit to a few pedestrian examples than is absolutely deserved, but it's an awesome read. That is, if you actually READ it, and not just look at the pretty pictures, it is interesting, inspiring, and invigorating. It's an excellent book to read when you are getting burned out by killjoy clients, the CEO's wife, or non-existant budgets.
   
   Especially useful are the interviews in the back. Realizing that even Saul Bass and Milton Glaser had/have issues with creativity and wit is inspiring.



5. I've read tens of design books, yet this is the one I'd recommend if you were lost on an island and only had access to one.
   
   It contains some of the wittiest designs and creations, and takes a good stab at explaining what made them witty in the first place.
   
   If you want to get your creative juices flowing and innovate to the extend the world has never seen, this is the book to pray to.
   
   A pleasure to read from start to finish.
   
   Plus I got my copy almost free using a coupon from UnderTag.com

1 comments about Unique Packaging.

1. Even it has some good work, it is not impressive or different or unique. You can find almost all of this work in other books and magazines. Is far away of being one unique book, just another packaging book. If you already have a descent collection of packaging material you won't need this.

3 comments about The Pop-Up Book of M.C. Escher.

1. We have a good collection of pop-up books for our toddler, but this one is for the adults in the family. Eight representations of Escher's work are presented in black-and-white with one or two sentences of analysis and/or an explanatory quote by the artist. These short comments are interesting and informative, and it is made clear that Escher is precisely an artist whose ideas and work should be presented three-dimensionally. The eight presentations are: Ascending and Descending, Drawing Hands, Puddle, Hand with Reflecting Sphere, Mobius Strip II, Regular Division of the Plane V, Relativity, and Tower of Babel.

   These renditions don't knock your socks off, but they are thought-provoking and interesting -- fun for adults, not so much for children.




2. I bought this book to use in my third grader's study of M.C. Escher and tessellations. The pictures that make up the pop-ups are too small to use with a group and might be even too small and non-vibrant for children at all. The narration was adult-like. For adult Escher fans this is probably good, but for children, who adore pop-up books, it was a disappointment.



3. Pop up Book lovers need this in their collection. If you like the work of M. C. Escher this is great.

2 comments about Merian's Antique Botanical Prints CD-ROM and Book (Pictorial Archives).

1. Had I know that there were worms on every plant I would not have purchsed this item. The pictures, when viewed up close are horrible.



2. Excellent illustrations! Good and great colors and images. I use these for decoupage and they are great.

No comments about The Encyclopedia of Monograms: Over 11,000 Motifs for Designers, Artists, and Crafters.

5 comments about The New Typography (Weimar and Now: German Cultural Criticism).

1. When Tschichold wrote this text, the German foundation of typography was in upheaval, and Tschichold was clearly the first against the wall when the revolution came. As he was writing, the predominant typefaces in Germany were of the Fraktur type, which did not incorporate the advancements of transitional or modern typefaces. It is quite clear that Tschichold sought to completely do away with the old types and bring in the new sans serifs as a way of countering them.
   
   The first half of the book is filled with bombastic rhetoric, which gets tiring very fast. Still, there is plenty of good advice and there are excellent examples to follow. The second half is more technical, but perhaps too technical, as most of the standards that Tschichold discusses are either now well accepted or superseded and thus any appeal to use them is now moot in either case. The second half again provides good advice, despite the mooted standards discussion, and it is certainly something that any designer, of any printed matter should be acquainted with.
   
   Finally, the historical significance of this text makes it essential reading for designers. The various introductions and forewords give the reader a good idea of these circumstances, but at 60 pages (when Tschichold's introduction is taken into account), it occupies far too much of the text.
   
   All in all, I may have overrated this book at four stars, but it definitely deserves more than 3.



2. This is a nice handbook for creating stark minimal layouts but the dogmatic, unwavering theory of 'objective' design is best taken with a grain of salt. Reading this reminds me of when I took painting with Modernist painter Guido Molinari and everyone around me ended painting squares out of fear of retribution. But even with his strict approach, I don't think he would have quoted a text that says "The more primitive a people, the more extravagantly they use ornamentation ... To insist on decoration is to put yourself on the same level as an Indian." While this book has some great tips on reducing clutter and improving readability, reading the 'ideals of Modern Man' stuff is like sitting through a fire and brimstone sermon. Nice diagrams.



3. Typographic history, at least. This book was first published in 1928, and seems to have been the founding manifesto of the "Swiss school" of typography. This is a must-read for all serious students of type, and for a few others as well.

   First, the messages for typographers. The book itself is part of that message: sanserif body text, bright white paper, and geometric red and black graphics. Tschichold uses a few conventions that I quite like. Footnotes are indicated inline and at the end of the page by a heavy black mark. At first, it looked like a blot on the gray of the body type. After seeing it a few times, though, I realized that the heavy mark was very helpful for recovering my place in the reading after my eyes moved away to read the footnote. Emphasis is shown with heavy rules in the outer margins around text, much the way I mark books myself. My only complaint about the book as a whole has to do with indistinct paragraph breaks - there is clue from indentation or line spacing, so it is actually possible to miss a pragraph break altogether.

   The second half of the book shows a number of examples, good, bad, and (today) historically interesting. Almost all examples are bold red and black - the first two colors to be used up in most sets of crayons. It is easy to forget that these examples were often designed for letterpress, since photocompostion barely existed as we understand the term. Despite Tschichold's passion for modernity, the style now looks as dated as Bauhaus, streamlined locomotives, and Art Deco.

   The first half of the book is for typographers, but also for any modern student of polemic. Not many people have strong feelings about typography, so the ranting can be considered by itself. Tschichold's style is based on "the spirit of our age" somehow revealed to him alone, and on Germanic philosophical absolutes. It is ironic that, during the cultural purges of pre-WWII Germany, Tschichold was among those rounded up for politically incorrect artwork - another absolute in conflict with his own.

   Happily, Tschichold was able to emigrate to Switzerland before war broke out. He had a long and influential career, and later regretted the strident excesses of youth that this book captures.

   This is useful as a guide to typographic style, but beginners will probably get more from modern texts. It gives a very informative view of the DIN standards for paper and business correspondence. Most of all, however, it captures a time and a mentality that no longer exist, but that guided one strong school of typographic practice for over 80 years.




4. As other reviewers have written before me, this book surely has an historical value to it. It allows the reader to have a quick glance to a particular historical moment of typography in pre-WWII Germany, written in a Marxist tone. Also, the layout of the book is a beauty in itself, with its glossy paper and sans-serif Futura font. But that is pretty much it, unless you want to read it because you are a student in History of Typography. Do not expect to learn basic or advanced typographic elements here. If you want that, read "The Elements of Typographic Style" by Robert Bringhurst instead.



5. I'll confess I was expecting something more contemporary when bought this book. If you're not carefull the title will fool you. "New" in this case means early 20th century. Tschichold, as I came to learn, is one of the great names in typeface design. This book is reissued as his classic rant/manifesto on graphic design and type.
   
   Tschichold makes strong statements on what constitutes good typography, even going so far as to make philosophic natural law arguments in favor of san serif type. Serif fonts, particularly black letter styles, are the enemy. You have to take a historical leap in order to understand Tschichold's sour view of black letter. To us, black letter is a period typeface appearing outside pubs of the "Ye Olde Ale House" variety (or alternately to tattoo your back with gang symbols). But to Tschichold, black letter type was the Times New Roman of the day, plastered over every document and sign around. He argues correctly (in self-righteous, quasi-Marxist tones) about the unintelligibility of black letter type. He champions san serif styles, such as Futura.
   
   Strictly speaking, Tschichold's arguments aren't of much practical use to contemporary designers now that the scourge of black letter has fallen aside and Helvetica/Arial rules the world, but I enjoyed the reproductions of Tschichold's own Weimar Republic era work. It reminds me of the possibility of using a strictly typographic solution to a design problem. I think if you were ever a fan of Emigre's type and design philosophy, you'll find things to like about this book.

1 comments about Latin American Graphic Design.

1. Fantastic book, it fills a much needed gap in the knowledge of Contemporary Latin American Graphic Design

5 comments about All American Ads of the 60's (Midi Series).

1. what an incredible look into the not-so-distant past! ads always show an airbrushed version of reality, and it's funny to see 60s products like polaroid cameras and nehru suits presented as if they were the cat's pyjamas. a great gift book for any graphic designers or advertising-types on your list.



2. This is an excellent way to take a trip back to the 60's and some of the culture of that time. Look at those cars! How about that Maidenform Bra ad! How about those fashions and hairstyles! If you want to learn or remember some of what was popular then this is an excellent, thoroughly enjoyable way to do it!



3. These books are a great resource and provide hours of enjoyable reading. My graphic designer keeps borrowing them for reference. When I was a kid, I used to love going through the old copies of TIME and NEWSWEEK...just to read the ads! I think they provide more insight into popular culture than articles.
   
   There are some limitations. The source of materials seems to be from particular magazines, and perhaps some manufacturers did not consent to some ads. For example, in the Consumer Products section, there are ads galore for the SEARS bicycles, but NONE for the Schwinn "Sting Ray" - certainly the icon of mid-60's bicycling. Similarly, the car ads appear to favor big Cadilliacs and some offbeat marques. Perhaps the Euro-centric view of things colors (colours?) this.
   
   Also, there is a certain amount of mockery in the book. Each section features a "winner" advertisment, which is often derided for its naievity or for its promotion of racial stereotypes, overconsumption, etc.
   
   But, while our European friends may be laughing at us, it is clear that they lavish attention upon our degenerate culture - four volume's worth!
   
   My only other suggestion is get a magnifying glass. Many ads are reproduced in quarter-page size and are hard to read. Many more are oddly cropped at the edges. While all four books are great, the 50's and 60's may be the best nostalga trip for many - and an interesting commentary on the evolution of popular culture during that time.



4. being a car fan, I know about car ads from the 1960s. I have two major gripes:
   
   1) They did not get the cars right. For example, often they would call a car a '66 when it was a '67, no doubt because the ad probably appeared in October 1966. Still, it would help to get it right.
   
   2) One of the most interesting aspect of the 1960s was the psychedelication of American popular culture, and automobiles reflected this, exemplified best by the musclecars of the late 1960s. What about Dodge's "Scat Pack - the cars with the bumblebee stripes!"? Or Plymouth's Road Runner and the ad where the car looks like it's breathing? AMC's Big Bad colors? Pontiac's "The Judge can be bought"?
   
   So some of you may be thinking, "Oh, what a geek!" but I wonder what else they could have gotten "more" right if they had actually did more research since they, I presume, aren't American.



5. Wow! was my first reaction upon devouring these heavy, nearly one thousand, slick pages of incredibly square, hip, liberal, conservative, and completely cool advertising. Some of the fashions, hairstyles, designs, attitudes, and language that you'll encounter will make you laugh, cry, deeply ponder, and wonder how the world could have changed so much since that era.

   The book begins with a couple of pages of commentary by the author explaining the power of advertising and consumer consumption in the 1960s. If someone doesn't read English, then he can read it in 4 other languages - German, French, Spanish, and an Asian language (not Chinese, but possibly Japanese or Korean).

   Most of the ads are in color, though a few are in their original black-and-white design. The ads are divided into nine categories, starting with the early part of the decade, progressing to the end. There are approximately 60 pages on alcohol and tobacco, 160 pages on automobiles, 100 on business and industry, 160 pages on consumer products, 50 pages on entertainment, 150 pages on fashion and beauty, 100 pages on food and beverage, 60 pages on furniture and appliances, and 50 pages on the travel industry. Thus, the book is not geared towards men or women or any age group.

   Inside, you'll find the one-and-only Groucho Marx declaring, "If you don't serve Smirnoff (vodka)....hide the label!"

   For those who think that foreign imports are just little toys, an ad for the 1966 Dodge Dart proclaims, "Join the Dodge Rebellion. Stamp out cramped compacts. Up with man-sized Dodge Dart."

   One of the more surprising ads was for Motorola television in 1962. About a dozen nude, smiling people (you can't see private parts) are outside in a meadow, all gathered around a tiny television set displaying the face of a little boy.

   In 1965, the Hoover company shows a smiling man in a neat little shirt and tie with thick black glasses and a crewcut surrounded by a mop, dustpan, and other household goods. The ad declares, "Chances are you won't marry a guy who cooks, cleans, irons, scrubs, and sweeps." The next picture shows several vacuum cleaners and other household products and says, "We've thought about that."

   "How come all non-conformists look alike?" In 1969, with a picture of a Janis Joplin look-alike, Simplicity states, "Sew your own thing."

   "When your TV screen goes black for an hour, you're watching ABC," the company's ad says in 1969. "Because ABC is five major television stations that are the leaders in community-minded broadcasting. Each one, for instance, is currently involved in programming exclusively for black people. On San Francisco's KGO-TV, it's `Black Dignity,' an hour program every Sunday. Originated and produced by black people. For black people."

   To appeal to the teenage mod community, who apparently were threatening to consume mass quantities of diet colas, the sugar industry began telling us that we need more sugar in our lives. In 1966, we see a girl with a slightly thick midriff in a bikini on a surfboard with the caption, "Lisa needs a sugarless, energy-less soft drink like a kangaroo needs a baby buggy. Lisa's strictly the go-go type. After sunning, shopping, afternoon tennis date, and discothèquing into the wee hours, she's up first thing to catch the early morning surf. What keeps Lisa from washing out? Energy...And sugar's got it. That's right, sugar. Everything in it is go. Note to people on the go: Exhaustion may be dangerous. It can even rob you of your resistance to illness. But sugar helps offset exhaustion - puts back energy fast. Synthetic sweeteners put back nothing. So play safe - make sure you get sugar every day. People need what sugar's got.....18 calories per teaspoon....and it's all energy."

   That's all I needed to hear. I'm off to energize my life with some Krispy Kreme donuts. For my health, you know.

5 comments about Icons Of Fashion: The 20th Century (Prestel's Icons).

1. Icons of Fashion: The 20th Century is a very edgy and sophisticated book. It takes on a unique approach about the icons of the 20th century. The content of this book is not in chronological order but rather in theme and designer ranging from the 1900s to 2000.
   
   To details of the pictures to the interesting facts of the earliest designers made me want to read more about the book. Reading about the designers, on the side of the book, there is a timeline about their life and businesses, which was really helpful, considering I had to write an assignment about the different designers and I could just refer back to the timeline.
   
   I loved how the book gave pictures dating back to the 1900s to today. It was really interesting to see how fashion goes in a circle. For example, the belt around the waist, that just came into fashion two years ago. Also the design, the little black dress.
   
   This book is very helpful and I suggest it to anyone who is interested in the fashion Industry becuase it was interesting, colorful and very educational.



2. The history of the 20th century can be revealed through its fashion trends, and Gerda Buxbaum Icons Of Fashion: The 20th Century proves this with an overview of fashion trends and revolutions. Yes, there are the icons of fashion to testify to these changes: Chanel, Karan and others - but also fine photos capturing styles ranging from body stockings to military and cocktail dress; all contained in an excellent overview blending visuals with a running commentary on fashion's influence.



3. The history of the 20th century can be revealed through its fashion trends, and Gerda Buxbaum Icons Of Fashion: The 20th Century proves this with an overview of fashion trends and revolutions. Yes, there are the icons of fashion to testify to these changes: Chanel, Karan and others - but also fine photos capturing styles ranging from body stockings to military and cocktail dress; all contained in an excellent overview blending visuals with a running commentary on fashion's influence.



4. The history of the 20th century can be revealed through its fashion trends, and Gerda Buxbaum Icons Of Fashion: The 20th Century proves this with an overview of fashion trends and revolutions. Yes, there are the icons of fashion to testify to these changes: Chanel, Karan and others - but also fine photos capturing styles ranging from body stockings to military and cocktail dress; all contained in an excellent overview blending visuals with a running commentary on fashion's influence.



5. I have only just begun this book (20 pages in), and I am enthralled. So many fashion books are written chronologically, so this book, arranged by theme and designer, is an interesting change. The pictures are gorgeous, many of them are in color, and every other page contains an essay on various topics. The topics range from an influence on fashion, a particular designer, themes in collections, or a period of history. Included are also short timelines of the careers of designers from the last century. This book covers a wide range of topics, and gives the reader a comprehensive look at the past century in fashion. I would not recommend this book for someone who wants a chronological look at the development of fashion trends, because the articles skip from the thirties to the Victorian era to the twenties. It is interesting, colorful, and even educational.

5 comments about The Big Book of Design Ideas (Big Book (Collins Design)).

1. This is a must-have for any graphic designer. It is an excellent visual reference, full of inspiration and professionalism. There is a great mix of creativity and originality as well as logos we are familiar with already. If you ever feel stuck for ideas, this is an awesome book to get you out of a designer's block. It is very-well put together, both in design and layout... as well as the book itself. Definitely not a book that is going to fall apart, very sturdy and printed on good paper to really bring out the quality of the art.



2. The Big Book of Design Ideas is eye candy for the Graphic Designer. This oversized book is packed to the gills with nearly 400 pages of examples of graphic design from around the world and is the perfect book for solo-brainstorming. There is no text in the book at all, other than in the designs themselves and in a short caption under each design that details the designer/design team. The book is organized into 24 sections, each one containing designs from a particular type of print; books, catalogs, menus, Music CDs, letterhead sets and more. Every design is in full color. The reader can easily find a section dealing with what he/she is working on and get inspiration for their design or they can just simply flip through the pages for the shear enjoyment of it. One should not expect to learn graphic design from this book, but then that is not really the purpose of the book to begin with. Once one has a good foundation in the basics of graphic design, this book becomes more valuable as an inspirational tool. The book is a good addition to the library of any one in graphic design.



3. Beautifully done. Tons of categories. Extreme Picture book. Is nice enough to be a coffee table book even for those that aren't excited about graphics as much as I am. This is a great book to get some fresh ideas from. Nice reference book for any graphic artist. I loved this book so much that I bought it for one of my clients in the UK so they could have it, too. This would also make a great gift for any type of artist since it covers everything from corporate logos, letterheads, brochures, and even displays. It has much more than that because all the little color boxes on the front of the book are actual sections in this book. This is something that I wanted to have in hardcover.



4. This is what it should be called. It has many images of so-so to excellent design. However, all of the images seem to be thrown around on the pages with no regard to the layout of the page or the sections of the book.

   The section headers were so faint that you almost missed them. Some of the images were bled off the page in such a way that you could not appreciate what was being illustrated. On other pages the examples were so close to the binding you almost have to rip the book in half to see them.

   It was hard to find what you were looking for or to focus on the designs themselves as the design of the book itself was so poor.

   Its OK to have a book with minimal text, but the design should be strong enough to support that.




5. I ordered this book hoping it'll give me some fresh and new ideas for designing. I am very dissapointed, because what I've got is not more than 330 pages of outdated, temporary designs. Pretty much 330 of its 374 pages are filled with the same of what I call "typical american design from 90-95". So if you look at it that way, this book is way overpriced for 40 good pages.