The Ice Palace That Melted Away: Restoring Civility and Other Lost Virtues to Everyday Life

The Ice Palace That Melted Away: Restoring Civility and Other Lost Virtues to Everyday Life
ISBN-10
0307822885
ISBN-13
9780307822888
Category
Design
Pages
148
Language
English
Published
2013-04-03
Publisher
Pantheon
Author
Bill Stumpf

Description

With The Ice Palace That Melted Away, Bill Stumpf, the designer of the first ergonomic chair, addresses the symbiotic relationship between design and the way we live, the often deadening effect of technology, and his hopes for a more humane future. As a designer associated with Herman Miller, Inc., for more than twenty years, Stumpf has been thinking about the profoundly positive or negative effect design can have on our culture. He is both an idealist and a pragmatist, and his wry, anecdotal style gently reveals his shrewd observations about American customs and values. Stumpf is convinced that good design can create the right atmosphere to inspire learning, rehabilitate criminals, and generally lift our spirits. Since technology has succeeded in distancing us from the real experiences of life and such former pleasures as travel, in this facinating book he proposes a playful redesign of the Boeing 747 and a jaunty carriage-like taxicab to put us back in touch with travel as it once was. But it is an event such as the construction of the ephemeral ice palace in St. Paul, Minnesota, during the winter carnival—a source of joy and pride to adults and children alike—that encapsulates the idea of play, which Stumpf feels is essential to all our lives. This provocative book asks whether we might want to do something about our ever-declining levels of "comfort, hidden goodness, play, personal worth, and helping others" to make our future society a truly civilized one. (Black-and-white illustrations throughout.)

Similar books

  • Designing Type: Second Edition
    By Karen Cheng

    Centaur • Monotype Bruce Rogers with punchcutter Robert Wiebking Bembo • Monotype Frank Hinman Pierpont, ... Kai Bernau and Susana Carvalho Bodoni • Monotype Originating designer Giambattista Bodoni; adapted for Monotype by Sol Hess.

  • The Art of Looking Sideways
    By Alan Fletcher

    A primer in visual intelligence and an exploration of the workings of the eye, the hand, the brain and the imagination is comprised of an inexhaustible mine of anecdotes, quotations, images, trivia, oddities, serious science, jokes and ...

  • Hollywood Intuition: It's What Separates Fashion Victims from Fashion Victors!
    By Karen Salmansohn, Jaye Hersh

    This July will see the launch of "Hollywood Intuition"-Hersh'sexciting line of accessories for the fashionista on a budget.Accompanying the splash debut of this exclusive accessoriesline, Hollywood Intuition the book, offers in print for ...

  • Arne Jacobsen: Compact Design Portfolio
    By Christopher Mount, Arne Jacobsen, Marisa Bartolucci

    Arne Jacobsen's furniture, such as his classic Ant Chair and Egg Chair, have become world-famous exemplars of Danish modern design. This book includes some of his most significant work, with an overview from established design writers.

  • Digital Textile Printing
    By Susan Carden

    ... here–here, here Awaken project here Bankes, H. here Banks, J. here Barber, E. here Barrett, E. here batik here, here–here, here Beckow, S. here Beddard, H. here Bell, Thomas here, here Benjamin, W. here–here, here, here–here Biggs, ...

  • Functional Clothing Design: From Sportswear to Spacesuits
    By Susan M. Watkins, Lucy Dunne

    Daniels, G. 1952. “The 'Average Man'?” Contract AF1860030, Report #0302010. Wright-Patterson AFB: Air Force Aerospace Medical Research Lab. de Bono, E. 1985. Lateral Thinking. New York: Viking Penguin. ———. 1999. Six Thinking Hats.

  • Camp: Notes on Fashion
    By Andrew Bolton, Karen Van Godtsenhoven, Amanda Garfinkel

    II/7–II/8 Sontag, “Notes on 'Camp,'” p. 518, Note 8 pp. II/9–II/11 Sontag, “Notes on 'Camp,'” p. 528, Note 49 pp. II/12–II/13 Sontag, “Notes on 'Camp,'” p. 527, Note 45 pp. II/14–II/17 Mark Booth, Camp (London: Cameron Books, 1983), p.

  • Druids, Celts, and Romans: The Founders of Europe
    By James Francis Smith, Sean Judy

    Author James Francis Smith Smith's 350-page narrative-history illustrates the Celts deference of women as leaders and warriors to that exhibited by Rome.

  • Reader's Companion: A Book Lover's Guide to the Most Important Books in Every Field of Knowledge as Chosen by the...
    By Fred Bratman, Scott Lewis

    Politicians, historians, movie stars, religious figures, and authors offer suggestions for the finest books in a wide range of fields and reveal those titles that have most affected their lives,...

  • Design Your Life: The Pleasures and Perils of Everyday Things
    By Ellen Lupton, Julia Lupton

    Use this book to gain control over your environment and tap into the power of design to communicate with friends, family, and the world.