Neil
Obviously some feelings to be worked out from his corporate dealings, a deal and a book where names are not named.
It details his experiences of working in a consultancy - predominantly ex-McKinsey consultants (it seems).
Good overview of Taylorism in the ‘cold' - flawed and influential. Not sure how it works as an explanation or argument toward the flawed origins of management, or specifically scientific management, management as a science.
In service based economies, it is clear that this kind of consultancy is (should) not (be) a viable component, it would seem to be merely ‘polishing' the brasswork - the creation of ideas and taking them to a financial generator should be.
Nice hardcover book in a 10” x 10” format - bonus CD sampler.
Prestige is a great label, unfortunately usually mentioned in comparison to Blue Note. Both labels used a common set of jazz musicians and RVG as the engineer.
I heard that the main difference was that Blue Note paid for rehearsals. That and Alfred Lions high standards. Lots of good sessions were never released.
The book has some excellent covers, most of the ‘collectors' usual suspects. I'd have appreciated more of the rare, hard to find covers.
Prestige had a habit of re-issuing the same albums repackaged - so there are multiple covers and a large sampling to try and cover.
Some of the covers could be photographed in sharper focus (digital artifacts?)
It's a lovely book and companion to the Graham Marsh/Glyn Callingham series.
Not an equal to those 3 books, but a good companion - for a collector, graphic designer or completist.
I got into Blue Note via Acid Jazz.
After discovering my 1st Blue Note record second hand in Edinburgh (1989) (Stanley Turrentine's ‘Joyride') - the cover got me to buy it - the music got me hooked.
I was soon taking the bus to London and visiting Ray's Jazz Shop on Shaftesbury Avenue. Feeling green and embarrassed by my lack of knowledge.
Then the early 90's were a great time for Japanese re-issues, Straight No Chaser, Acid Jazz and Talkin' Loud.
Dean Rudland did some great compilations, so it was possible to hear some great stuff to research from.
Graham Marsh's 3 books, this one on the West Coast was the 2nd (I think) and his other 2 (Volumes1 & 2) dedicated to Blue Note were like porn for the 90's record collectors.
In these books you have some superb almost 12” x 12” prints of covers, and they only make you want to track them down listen to them and (dream) own them.
Now you can hear almost anything online.
I think this quote from early on in the book explains it well,
“In the same way breathing is an unconscious action, patterns are so pervasive we don't notice most of them. Likewise we cannot exist without them and we use them subliminally and constantly.”
Symbology and semiotics are crucial in design - more importantly the ability to understand what we are trying to communicate and then clearly encode within the design - so that the users, customers and audience can easily understand and make the most of them.
I feel that a lot of ‘failed' design, is simply the designer's inability to perform this encoding properly.
I heard Maggie talking on DesignMatters and then set about tracking the book down (at a reasonable price - it's out of print).
After reading the book , I immediately thought, damn - I wish I had had this book 25 years ago. I then thought; this topic and this knowledge is obviously needed, why is Maggie the only one to have written about it.
Personally, I think this book should be required reading on EVERY design course - so, it's tragic that it's “out of print”. There is an eBook, but then you miss the great interactive cover.
Superb colour plates of his strong graphic and textural work. I can go through it for hours, enjoying the simplicity.
I recently went to see the memorial exhibition of Hans-Christer's work at Röhsska - there were works accompanied by books in perspex.
There were no labels or tags regarding the pieces.
I managed to work out the year that the works came from and the book was from the same period. I bought it second hand online and I've really enjoyed it.
They are experiments and the fact that they sit in a paperback, pulp style makes it more ‘sketchy' and enjoyable.
I was curious about this and saw it on amazon. But first searched the university catalogue and found a copy. It was in the archive.
The library seems to have so many unexpected finds.
It turned out to be an original printing from the 1950's. What a lovely book.
It was in French, so it took a bit of effort to translate and understand. What an interesting read. I'd absolutely use this a future reference, so I ordered a reprint.
I think it sits nicely with another book I have on the golden ratio.
It's not often you read a first person account/narrative and the writer comes across as an arse.
As stated, it's hard to find a decent HFLC book. This one was recommended to me - overall good inspiration. Previously I've been adapting low GI and protein recipes.
Presentation-wise - This feels a little spartan, lacking lots of pictures, there are pictures, just not enough for me.
I'm sure others are quite happy with the text to picture ratio.
- I admit it, I often eat with my eyes first.
Base, standard, required reading. Takes you right through 20th Century Management Philosophy and Theory.
A list of methods and brief outline of how to use them.
If nothing else, this book and it's sibling, show concretely that ‘the design process', is a vague and irrelevant phrase. It is a ‘design toolkit' - and a large one.
Different tools for different contexts, with different people, to achieve different things.
I'll keep this on my shelf and everytime I start a project refer to it and keep track of which I'm using.
Interesting case studies, in a way that takes part of their business, to positively support the author's view. The examples are context sensitive.
I was left feeling generally unfulfilled by the book, wondering if it was really just for inspiration - a coffee table book.
This perhaps sounds a little harsh, but strangely I did not feel much about the book after having read it.
We have bothe the Muji book and the Haptic book, I saw that White costs £35 (350 SEK) online - bit I found it in the Göteborg University library, so I've just borrowed it.
I was surprised it was a pocket sized book, even though hardback - unusual. Looking forward to reading it.
Read in school years ago and studied it. It made quite an impression. Re-read it several times over the years and as I get older I see different dimensions in the dynamics, perceptions and personalities.
Although not directly what I'd hope it to be about, there were some interesting points about PTS in school teachers.
I thought some of the case studies were very interesting, esp. the relationships, research and cold calling parts.
A good step-by-step thought provoker.
I first read this in the mid-80's, my only experience with computing was a VIC-20 and a Commodore 64 (1980 & 1982) - the technology in the book was unimaginable for me, pure sci-fi.
I was in my early teens, the drug references were beyond me, it was after this I discovered Burroughs and the Beats.
The Straylight maze and the reference to the palace of the Duke of Mantua now seems contrived, but...
Body augmentation with technology, organ transplant procedures that are common and readily available.
Now re-reading this, you see that like a tanker captain, Gibson was looking over the horizon and in amongst this he is exploring some fairly staple enduring themes, slavery, self determination, evolution, assisted evolution, machine intelligence, squandered potential, etc.
I think I still prefer Pattern Recognition.
