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Rating: 
Summary: more for looking at than reading
Review: This is another one of those fairly good design books that relies far more on the images than on analysis and description. While the objects should certainly be able to speak for themselves, and they do, their age and what they meant at the time of their invention need far more explanation than is available here. Indeed, many pages have only a paragarph or less of text, a mere supplement to beautiful photos.That being said, I learned a lot about the early history of industrial design from this book, from its origins as a reaction to the drab and near-featurelessness of early efforts to mass manufacture everyday objects to the abstract philosophy of the constructionists and the heavy duty functionalism of the Bauhaus. The longest treatment is rightfully reserved for Bauhaus and its immediate predecessors in the Werkbund, all Germans who were attempting to systematically merge artistic expression with the demands of industrial production, thereby creating a new movement. These developments are covered to a near-acceptable degree, but the language is confusing and often abstruce or cryptic and hence hard to understand. THe text also assumes a lot of knowledge and hence is not introductory, though at least it does not get lost in academic jargon. I got the lightest introduction to the early history of industrial design in this book, but obviously I wanted more. I guess I will have to keep reading. Also, the Art Deco movement, which is a French/American development from the same period and largely a reaction to the utilitarianism and minimalism of the Germanic schools, is mentioned in a single paragraph and hence left completely unexplored. One thing that really struck me was the direct line of continuity with much contemporary design. There must be subtle differences that I hope to discover later, but it made a lot of what I admire now look derivative. That was interesting and extremely stimulating. Recommended as a starting point and a visual feast. It can be read at leisure in one day.
Rating:
Summary: more for looking at than reading
Review: This is another one of those fairly good design books that relies far more on the images than on analysis and description. While the objects should certainly be able to speak for themselves, and they do, their age and what they meant at the time of their invention need far more explanation than is available here. Indeed, many pages have only a paragarph or less of text, a mere supplement to beautiful photos. That being said, I learned a lot about the early history of industrial design from this book, from its origins as a reaction to the drab and near-featurelessness of early efforts to mass manufacture everyday objects to the abstract philosophy of the constructionists and the heavy duty functionalism of the Bauhaus. The longest treatment is rightfully reserved for Bauhaus and its immediate predecessors in the Werkbund, all Germans who were attempting to systematically merge artistic expression with the demands of industrial production, thereby creating a new movement. These developments are covered to a near-acceptable degree, but the language is confusing and often abstruce or cryptic and hence hard to understand. THe text also assumes a lot of knowledge and hence is not introductory, though at least it does not get lost in academic jargon. I got the lightest introduction to the early history of industrial design in this book, but obviously I wanted more. I guess I will have to keep reading. Also, the Art Deco movement, which is a French/American development from the same period and largely a reaction to the utilitarianism and minimalism of the Germanic schools, is mentioned in a single paragraph and hence left completely unexplored. One thing that really struck me was the direct line of continuity with much contemporary design. There must be subtle differences that I hope to discover later, but it made a lot of what I admire now look derivative. That was interesting and extremely stimulating. Recommended as a starting point and a visual feast. It can be read at leisure in one day.
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