Eli Pariser delivers an eye-opening account of how the hidden rise of personalization on the Internet is controlling–and limiting–the information we consume. In a personalized world, we are fed only news that is familiar and that confirms our beliefs, and because the filters are invisible, we won’t know what is being hidden, leaving less room for the encounters that spark a democratic exchange of ideas.
Yatzer has a great inside look at the newest Gestalten book called A Touch of Code. It’s an exploration of the colliding worlds of art, design and technology. Fascinating and beautiful. Check it out.
Thanks to the omnipresence of computers, cell phones, gaming systems, and the internet, a broad audience has traded its past reservations against technology for an almost insatiable curiosity for all things technical. Against this background, unprecedented new tools and possibilities are opening up for the world of design
Check this great trailer he did explaining the concept behind the book.
I could go on and on about how proud of him I am, or why you should buy this book if you want to change your own game– but I’ll just say this: Aaron is one of the smartest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and luckily, I get to work with him almost everyday now.
Go buy the book. Support authors and entrepreneurs and stay tuned for more interviews, Game Frame thoughts and more, very soon.
Anyone wondering where some of my affinity for good design came from? Here’s a good place to start.
Nearly 15 years ago my father William Spear wrote a book about Feng Shui. At the time of release, I believe there were maybe 7 or so books with the words Feng Shui even in the title– and a decade and a half later, there are thousands. His original book was translated into countless languages (15 at last count, actually) and became a staple in a sea of misinformation and comedy. The original Feng Shui Made Easy book went on to become a bestseller with more than 22 printings and the definitive guide to an ancient art.
In the past decade however pop culture really had a fun time with it. Feng Shui haircuts, Feng Shui chocolate bars, Feng Shui pet houses. Feng Shui was a catch phrase and it slowly lost the deep purpose and meaning and began to be more about decor than it did about transforming yourself from the inside.
Today, he is releasing a revised and expanded edition which I think will once again set the bar even higher for the practice of getting your energy flow right– both in the house, and inside your mind and body. You can buy it everywhere books are sold. I encourage you to. Heck, if you’re a friend of mine and you’re unsure about it, I’ll buy it for you.
(By the way when I grew up explaining what my father did for a living was difficult, and near impossible. Part of my life I was convinced he was a spy…)
In the publishers words:
This revised edition expands on the author’s intuitive approach with new sections on health, children’s environments, and ecological concerns and sustainable practices. The author also corrects misconceptions about feng shui and uses fascinating case studies to share valuable insights he gained from interactions with his clients and readers.
Feng Shui Made Easy was created after a lifetime of solving puzzles. Making the most complicated things more accessible and easily understood was ingrained in me; transforming philosophies and concepts into practical methods had been fascinating to me since childhood. This book will be like a feng shui consultant coming into your own home. But Feng Shui Made Easy tells you more than just how to rearrange your furniture, it tells your how to change your life—and that is what feng shui is really all about. This is a remarkable system for self-development and a practical took for improving business and relationships. All you need to do is practice—the energy flows by itself.
A couple great quotes:
“We are shaped by spaces of our lives and, in a time of information overload, the need to create moments of solitude and peace are even more vital than ever before. This guide explains the Feng Shui philosophy and shows you how to define your environment and the surroundings you wish to live in.
In a time of great change there is a great desire to create harmony within one’s personal space. William Spear takes you into a deeper knowledge of Feng Shui and how it can influence your surroundings.”
“My family and I have benefited greatly from our relationship with William Spear over many years. Shortly after my first feng shui consultation with him, I won my first Grammy! In this book, he shares the same great resources for all creative spirits who love the earth.”
—Paul Winter, four-time Grammy® Award–winning composer and musician
EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS PONG is the most important book you’ll ever buy. Well, the most important book about sports you’ll ever buy. Fine, the most important book about table tennis, ever. Go, buy, now. Congrats Roger!
This book tells the ripping story of Ping Pong’s definitive role on global politics, history, and culture with additional fabulous insights from our friends in Pong including Nick Hornby, Jonathan Safran Foer, and fresh off his Booker prize win, Howard Jacobson.
The Autobiography and Sex Life of Andy Warhol belongs on your coffee table right now. Impressive, intriguing and most of all, fun. A special collection of photos and stories from the man that made you question everything, stare at the beauty of soup cans, Marilyn Monroe, and more. Have a look inside here! Congrats Chris!
You should go order my friend Scott Belsky’s book (of Behance Fame), it’s called Making Ideas Happen. Seriously, do it. Very proud of him. It’s going to be great!
The 5 Year Plan is a collection of 32 screen-printed artworks by 32 contemporary artists. Contributors include Yoko Ono, Francesco Clemente, Donald Baechler, Chris Martin and Julie Doucet, as well as under known artists. All profits from sales of 5 Year Plan go to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and to fund the next 5YP benefit project.
Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know and becoming friends with Jonathan Harris through all sorts of different avenues, projects he has done, and more recently the times we’ve found ourselves in the desert in Jordan together. He’s truly one of the most thoughtful, inspiring, and talented folks I know. And I meet a lot of people.
New Victionary book about retro design and how it’s appearing in contemporary graphical work. Looks good as both inspiration and a reference tool.
Emerged today as the perfect marriage between old and new, retrospective designs are deemed to be an inevitable phrase in the design cycle when designers begin to look back and find inspirations for new graphic styles in the depressive pixel age. Some think these designs has cheered the digital era with the lost enthusiasm for new findings and the future, others reckon it as a tribute to the prominent art and design movements between 1920 and 1990. Taking a trip down memory lane, Flashback unveils how the epoch persists to be an enduring spring with a bold and pronounced application of colour, shapes, typefaces and illustration works in contemporary graphic art.
Two crazy (and crazy interesting) books from Gestalten showed up on my desk this week. Both are worth checking out!
The first is called Papercraft: Design and Art with Paper (top) and is all about the crazy and ingenious projects people have managed to do with paper and some serious time and dedication. The second book is admittedly bizarre but still awesome. It’s called Hair’em Scare’em and shows a collection of photographs exploring the inventive possibilities of hair as a medium for artistic expression. Yes, there are some crazy hair styles inside. Inspiration for the next time I hit the salon? Perhaps.
Andy Kaufman was before my time but if what I read about this feud with Jerry Lawler and that “Man on the Moon” movie were any indication, this guy was a walking laugh factory. He blurred the line between the stage and his personal life and often times it was difficult to figure out if he was serious or if you were a victim of yet another one of his pranks. Perhaps one of his most controversial stunts involved challenging women in a comedy club to come on stage and wrestle him. He offered a $1,000 reward to any lady that could successfully pin him. He taunted the women with some pretty sexist, but admittedly hilarious, remarks. It’s clear if you understand Kaufman’s sense of humor that he was simply trying to entice them to join him.
Legions of women from across the country responded to the call, resulting in a barrage of hate mail (and love letters) from would-be contenders. Kaufman kept all of them and two of his colleagues Lynne Margulies and Bob Zmuda have compiled them into a book. “Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts!” is available Dec 1. From the preview I’ve seen, it does not matter if you were around when Kaufman was ruling the comedy circuit. You just need a brief intro into his wrestling stunt and then the pictures and letters do the rest to paint the picture of a legend.
Nearly a year ago I was interviewed for Donna Fenn’s next book Upstarts!. Now, I’m in it (there’s an entire section on Undercurrent and our culture) with a handful of my entrepreneur pals from around the globe… It’s a great book and inspiring gift. Give it to your kids. Give it to your students. Give it to yourself. Go, buy it, now.
Good looking new book called Colour Mania from the folks at Viction:ary!
In a world where everything dances in a veritable kaleidoscope of colours, few of today's uni-colour design has successfully manifested the intrinsic expressive qualities of colours across a variety of design disciplines and genre, including corporate identity, exhibition themes, promotional campaigns, packaging, book designs, illustrations. Arranged in a spectrum of ten colour sections, Colour Mania compiles a simple yet powerful collection of designs that draws on the essence of a range of tints and shades, as well as a rainbow tone that combines every one of them. For a more personalised flavour, the title is available in ten colours for the readers' own choices.
