Overview

A profound meditation on how design reflects the uses and abuses of power from the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of Time and the Art of Living “If good design tells the truth,” writes Robert Grudin in this path-breaking book on esthetics and authority, “poor design  tells a lie,  a lie usually related . . . to the  getting or  abusing of power.” From the ornate cathedrals of Renaissance Europe to the much-maligned Ford Edsel of the late 1950s, all products of human design communicate much more than their mere intended functions. Design holds both psychological and moral power over us, and these forces may be manipulated, however subtly, to surprising effect. In an argument that touches upon subjects as seemingly unrelated as the Japanese tea ceremony, Italian mannerist painting, and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation, Grudin turns his attention to the role of design in our daily lives, focusing especially on how political and economic powers impress themselves on us through the built environment. Although architects and designers will find valuable insights here, Grudin’s intended audience is not exclusively the trained expert but all those who use designs and live within them every day.

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9780300161403

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Reviews

Grudin's call for a moral design holds appeal, inasmuch as it claims that user-centered design is the only kind of design that keeps us honest. --;i>Barnes & Noble Review --Mandy Brown Barnes & Noble Review

Grudin's call for a moral design holds appeal, inasmuch as it claims that user-centered design is the only kind of design that keeps us honest. --;i>Barnes & Noble Review <br><br> <br><br>--Mandy Brown Barnes & Noble Review

Design And Truth [is] a very good book. . . . It proves that the Golden Age of science and philosophic writing may not have yet crested. Get it, read it, and indulge the times. --;br><br> <br><br><br><br>--Dan Schneider Blogcritics.org (04/15/2010)

Grudin's call for a moral design holds appeal, inasmuch as it claims that user-centered design is the only kind of design that keeps us honest. --Mandy Brown, Barnes & Noble Review -- Mandy Brown * Barnes & Noble Review * A must-read book. --Qompendium Magazine, featured book * Qompendium Magazine * Design And Truth [is] a very good book. . . . It proves that the Golden Age of science and philosophic writing may not have yet crested. Get it, read it, and indulge the times. --Dan Schneider, Blogcritics.org -- Dan Schneider * Blogcritics.org * At a time when ethics and integrity are increasingly important in design, Grudin's perspective is particularly interesting. . . . To him, design is--or should be--joyous, inclusive and empowering, `an erotic pragmatism' which is `fundamental to the survival of our humanity.' --Alice Rawsthorn, International Herald Tribune -- Alice Rawsthorn * International Herald Tribune *

Author Information

Robert Grudin is professor emeritus in the English Department at the University of Oregon. His Book: A Novel was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize in Literature. He lives in Berkeley, CA.

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