GREYWORLD in the city

A little girl living in a magical city.

This book begins by telling the story of a little girl, and a day in her life. She lives in a town full of very special things. This first section describes one day there. The main body of the book illustrates in detail our installations, in full colour. And finally, the book ends with transcripts and interviews, along with an essay by Dr. Charlie Gere.

With 64 full colour pages, this hardback book is available from our tiny little bookshop, at www.greyworld.org/store

Tank: Books in a fag packet

So you get little books inside a custom design cigarette packet, which come in a metal tin for adding Packaging goodness.

TankBooks are for people on the move, lovers of literature and connoisseurs of design. Try one and you’ll be hooked.

Titles:

Joseph Conrad - "Heart of Darkness"
Ernest Hemingway - “The Undefeated” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”,
Franz Kafka - “The Metamorphosis” and “In the Penal Colony”
Rudyard Kipling - “The Man who would be King”, “The Phantom ’Rickshaw” and “Black Jack”
Robert Louis Stevenson - "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
Leo Tolstoy - “The Death of Ivan Ilych” and "Father Sergius”

ReWork: Change the Way You Work Forever

Following on from the 37 Signals first book, Getting Real. This books takes their software development thinking and expands on it for business. Basically stop spending cash on rubbish, stop having lots of boring, useless meetings, stop being dicks, stop wasting time and concentrate on what is really important. So you have more time to write book blogs of course.

Getting Real is available here to read for free.

From the founders of the trailblazing software company 37signals, here is a different kind of business book - one that explores a new reality. Today, anyone can be in business. Tools that used to be out of reach are now easily accessible. Technology that cost thousands is now just a few pounds or even free. Stuff that was impossible just a few years ago is now simple. That means anyone can start a business. And you can do it without working miserable 80-hour weeks or depleting your life savings. You can start it on the side while your day job provides all the cash flow you need. Forget about business plans, meetings, office space - you don't need them. With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, "Rework" is the perfect playbook for anyone who's ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs who want to get out, and artists who don't want to starve anymore will all find valuable inspiration and guidance in these pages. It's time to rework work.

The Internet Case Study Book

Preordered and dispatching on the 31st. From the people at FWA and packed full of interesting goodness from Industry Peers. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with this stuff, as I've usually seen it and the last thing you want is a book crammed full of useless, good looking, marketing web stuff...

The Amazon synopsis talks about Strategies for Success - let's see, as we put a few to teh test.

This title offers strategies for success. It discusses how to make your business work online. Featuring 60 success stories, from clients' briefings to final projects, this book provides detailed studies divided into five chapters: e-Commerce, Corporate Sites, Campaigns, Social Media, and Promotional Sites. These subjects form the core of what the web can offer to every person or institution, and knowing how these projects were developed can help differentiate your business or online presence from that of your competitors. Strategies examined range from those of giant corporations to small businesses, but all have a common goal: a successful, efficient and cost-effective investment on the web. Each project is laid out in terms of Brief, Challenge, Strategy and Results. From Coca-Cola to Prine of Persia, from Diesel to Domino's Pizza, this book shows how successful businesses of any size can devise an effective online presence, and features the work of strategic innovators such as Ajaz Ahmed, Alex Bogusky, and Jeff Goodby.

(Penguin Classics) RED

Re-released as part of the (Penguin Classics) RED Charity Series. Interesting cover designs and to be fair, that's why I am posting them here. Originally spotted on Creative Review Blog.

Books from Tolstoy, Stoker, Wharton, Zola, Dickens, James, Dostoyevsky, Conrad. In fact I could be very tempted.

Rodchenko & Popova: Defining Constructivism

Always had a soft spot for Rodchenko. Unfortunately missed this Tate Exhibition, so this book is a welcome reference. However like most of my Art Books, they sit on the shelf looking impressive and get rarely used. Maybe in retirement I will read them all.

Written by Margarita Tupitsyn with an essay by Christina Kiaer. Available from Tate Shop.

Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956) and Lyubov Popova (1889-1924) were figureheads of the Russian avant-garde during its most exciting period following the Russian Revolution, a heady period when they and other artists dedicated themselves to creating a new world. As leading lights in the Constructivist movement they were responsible for an astonishing array of iconic works. For the first time male and female artist are given equal status, throwing new light on their achievements and tracking the extent of their influence, still felt today.

The book concentrates on four key periods. From the Revolution in 1917 to 1921 both artists believed that abstract art had the potential to transform everyday life. The legendary 5 x 5 = 25 exhibitions, which created a community of artistic and revolutionary endeavour, are examined in depth. Between 1921 and 1924, the year of Popova's tragically early death, both artists abandoned art for art's sake and put their artistic skills at the service of the Revolution. The final section follows Rodchenko's later move into photography, the medium for which he is perhaps best remembered, and explores his involvement with film.

The lives and work of these two artists, along with their extensive network of colleagues and collaborators, provide a key to the whole Constructivist project. For the first time the issue of gender is explored; is there a difference between the approach of a female Constructivist and a male one? The wealth of new scholarship and previously unpublished works the book includes make it indispensable for anyone wishing to know more about the art of this fascinating period.

John Baldessari Pure Beauty

Perhaps the perfect antidote to Pop Life, this gorgeous book documents the conceptual and imaginative work of John Baldessari. This large size books has a great combination of glossy plates, wise words and thought provoking commentary.

Edited by Leslie Jones and Jessica Morgan and available from Tate Shop. Preview here:

"I am interested in what gets us to stop and look, as opposed to simply consuming images passively."

A quietly towering figure in contemporary art, John Baldessari is widely considered one of the most influential artists to emerge since the mid-1960s. For nearly five decades his prolific and highly varied work has challenged our ways of looking at art, images, and text. A renowned teacher as well, first at California Institute of the Arts and later at UCLA, he has had an important impact on the practice of subsequent generations of media savvy artists. From his early text-and-image paintings to the more recent photocollages and installations, Baldessari has continued to make art that addresses the social impact of mass culture, often playfully, and always with a sly profundity. His lifelong exploration of the gap between the verbal and the visual has probed the very nature of communication and perception.

John Baldessari: Pure Beauty, the most comprehensive volume to date on this legendary California artist, features more than 240 illustrations. Eleven insightful essays, by critics, curators, art historians, and an artist and former student, illuminate many aspects of Baldessari's oeuvre and provide a context for the artists extraordinary contribution to twentieth and twenty-first century art. Few contemporary artists have achieved Baldessari's range and relevance and this stunning volume, with its expansive reproductions and substantial text, provides the definitive look at an artist who has engagingly challenged our very ways of seeing.

And now the back cover

Pop Life: Art in a Material World

Accompanying book to the recent Tate Modern exhibition, Pop Life. Comes with a Warning of Contains explicit imagery, wit woo. Lots of additional goodies available.

From Tate Shop. By Jack Bankowsky, Alison Gingeras and Catherine Wood

"Good business is the best art." Andy Warhols notorious statement provides a starting point for this book, which examines the legacy of Pop art and its most celebrated exponent in the lives and work of succeeding generations of artists. Rather than shying away from the limelight, these post-Warhol artists have wholeheartedly embraced both the cult of celebrity and the commercial cut and thrust of the art market. Keith Haring set up his Pop Shop in Manhattan to sell his own branded products direct to the public; alongside making painting and sculpture, Takashi Murakami produces editions via his multinational corporation, Kaikai Kiki; and Damien Hirst arranged his own, hugely successful auction of his work at Sotheby's, entitled Beautiful Inside My Head Forever.

Jeff Koons's celebration in painting and sculpture of his marriage and sexual union with porn star and latter-day politician Illona Staller (aka La Cicciolina) is just one example of an artist crossing the usually accepted boundaries between the public and the personal, and between art and flagrant sensationalism. British artist Cosey Fanni Tutti caused similar outrage by electing to make performance art by working within the sex industry, appearing as a model in 'adult' magazines. For other artists featured, including Tracey Emin, Richard Prince and Martin Kippenberger, their public persona or 'brand' is something to be knowingly manipulated as part of their artistic practice.

Extensively illustrated and with illuminating essays by critics and curators from both the United States and Britain, this book is guaranteed to be as entertaining, challenging and provocative as the art it portrays.

Herd: How to Change Mass Behaviour by Harnessing Our True Nature

Following on the heals of Nudge, is Herd. Again talking about behaviour and behavioural change. We've heard a lot about this herd behaviour in the recent Credit Crunch Crisis as everyone piled in to buy shares, CDOs and property. ALL PILE IN>>

Herd behaviour is exactly the kind of behaviour we want when creating virals. Book has mixed reviews, so goes to the less important list.

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Wealth, Health and Happiness

Seems like the world is going crazy for Behavioural Economics, as Advertising & Brand Agencies realises that just building a brand isn't going to help shitty businesses pay there employees. So we have to influence customers to do the things we need, be that for a business or for society. Nudge has lots of good examples and makes you think about Choice Architectures. So when people talk about User Centred Design - stop them and make sure they are weaving some Behavioural stiff in there too.

With regards to the detailed content - you could read this - or go visit a market and watch the traders in action. You'd certainly see BE in action. To many this is good business and common sense.

Baked in: Creating products and businesses that market themselves

In Baked In, CP+B's Alex Bogusky tells us how 21st Century marketing will give us better products. To quote Mr Sall Ball, I wonder if Product Design agencies across the land are talking about doing advertising...

In principle this sounds interesting but the book gets bad reviews. Creating products is something that takes time, talent and vision. Ultimately this book says less about product design and more about advertising, and how it needs to be useful and/or entertaining and/or connecting and/or educational.

Brands must build a new relationship with their customers and the culture they participate in. The old rule was: Create safe, ordinary products and combine with mass marketing. The new rule is: Create truly innovative products and build the marketing right into them. Today the product is at the centre of the conversation. It's within the product itself that a brand has the most leverage with consumers. Baked In gives companies a step-by-step guide to how to adapt and succeed in this brave new world, where the product is not separate from the message but is the message.

Seth Garner

So ar' Seth popped up today. We'd been talking about authors we know and we referenced these two easy to read, entertaining jaunts through the marketing industry inspired whodunnit thrillers.

Getting 5 star reviews on Amazon these two are a perfect holiday read - you'll struggle to put them down once you start.

Blood Partnership

Ben Spencer is the ambitious young owner of The Blood Partnership, an online property marketing company. Over the past few months, he has become heavily involved with every member of the wealthy property - developing Westlake family - including becoming engaged to beautiful young Caitlin Westlake - and now he's beginning to regret it. Things go from bad to worse when Ben's own family are targeted by the Westlakes. Now, he must choose a side and it seems the only way out is death - but whose will it be?

Broken Surface

This book presents the haunting secret of a 15 year old murder. Fifteen years ago two teenagers killed a mentally handicapped boy called Doofy. It was an accident, but things got out of hand and they never reported it. Instead, they hide the body but as Duncan and Richard grow up the secret continues to haunt them both. While Richard matures into a psychopath, Duncan becomes a respectable and successful businessman with a lot to lose if the truth ever comes to light. Now, the secret, like Doofy's body, is about to be revealed with dire consequences.

DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material - An Encyclopaedia of Camouflage: Nature, Military and Culture

This beauty made an appearance as part of an military related pitch. It really is a fantastic collection of camouflage and related visual stimulus. Some amazing photography and designs in here. A double pack of books that costs a pretty penny.

Lovely packaging and you're certain to recognise its ISBN as its plastered across the pack. Very DPM.

Ray Gun: Out of Control

I spied this on a client's bookshelf the other day. Reminded me of my own copy. Takes me back to a time when so many designers wanted to do everything in the style of Mr Carson.

I do like the line of typesetting an entire article in Dingbats, as the interviewee as total prick. Would make decent Greasemonkey plugin to change the typeface and pages that bore you. I've never seen a webpage set in Dingbats - maybe it's time....

Amazon Synopsis is to the point, if a little unhelpful. Not sure it's really that potent.

A potent blend of selected pieces from Californian magazines "Ray Gun", "Stick" and "Bikini". This text traces their evolving design with the work of David Carson, Vaughan Oliver and Robert Hales, and examines the culture that has produced them. Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, Quentin Tarrantino, Michael Stipe and Oasis are among contributors.

Adland and the Futurist

Again drawn from Welcome to Optimism this quote made me think that Adland: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet could have its moments as a read. Although like all ad/creative books probably includes a lot of client bashing

Being put up for review (of an account as the incumbent) is akin to having your spouse announce in front of everyone you know that he or she no longer loves you and for the next several months he or she will be seeing other people -- dozens of smarter, younger, cooler people, many of whom, by the way, you know quite well -- and then having all sorts of kinky, experimental sex with the most interesting and promising of them, probably no more than six, often doing many of the things that you may have once suggested but were never allowed to... (Read more at W+K)

The author, James P. Othmer - also penned the novel, the Futurist. Here's what Amazon/critics have to say:

'This spirited dissection of the contemporary cultural and political zeitgeist is a stylish winner in its own weird right' Publishers Weekly
'A debut novel so slick and seductive, you'll find yourself reaching for your wallet without even knowing what's for sale' LA Weekly
'Othmer has mingled the conceits of the corporate-spy thriller with those of domestic fiction, over-the-top lampoon with moving passages of suburban angst' The Washington Post
'The Futurist is a novel to enjoy right here, right now, before time renders its meticulous name-dropping totally cryptic' The Village Voice.

Up the Organisation

Discovered on W+K blog with a simple introduction:

Robert C. Townsend's 'Up The Organization' is a classic business book from the sixties. Checking it out on Amazon, I came to the conclusion that it's as good for you today as it's always been. Townsend was the CEO at Avis who appointed DDB and approved the famous 'We try harder campaign'.

This excerpt is appealing:

Moral: Don't hire a master to paint a masterpiece and then assign a room full of school-bot artists to look over his shoulder and suggest improvements.


Now I like these kind of books but they are usually 50-70% over on content - being much easier to read, better value and be more of use if made shorter. The publishers must think they need to be padded out to justify an increased price.

Social media as book covers

While browsing found these, which I like. (Re)envisioning popular web services as book jackets. Could be extended to technology, brands, people as made up book titles. Reminds me of this gem with Wu-Tang Clan as Blue Note artists.

Home is Where The Heart Is

by Ilse Crawford (Author)

Seen it a few times as a reference for a project I'm working on. If you keep your eyes peeled in the Bond Street/Oxford Street area in a few weeks you'll be able to see what it inspired.

It's a lovely book, with great photography and an interesting idea behind it.

From Amazon: "We want to be modern, but we want to be human too' Ilse Crawford Ilse Crawford is constantly breaking new ground in her study of the individual's search for the perfect home. Continuing the theme of 'one eye sees, the other feels' from her previous book, Sensual Home, this book moves beyond the senses to an investigation of our basic human drives for survival, safety, love, respect and self-fulfillment. This is then expanded to how we live, our homes and our daily activities. Despite our increasing reliance on technology to bring ease and comfort to our lives, Ilse says 'we still want a sense of humanity, of home - a space that speaks to us radically and emotionally.' A unique flow of thought-provoking text, evocative photography and state-of-the-art design combine to produce a reaction in the reader which is as emotional as it is intellectual.

Art U Need: My Part in the Public Art Revolution

by Bob Smith (Author), Roberta Smith (Author)

Just caught my eye as an interesting read. Let you know what I think.

From Amazon: Artist Bob and Roberta Smith was recently appointed by Commissions East to oversee a project in which five artists were commissioned to create site-specific projects to transform open spaces in South Essex. Art U Need: My Part in the Public Art Revolution is an intimate account of this project, written in diary form. With sensitivity, candour and a great deal of humour, Bob Smith, and his alter ego, Roberta, ponder the nature and place of public art in today s world

Turner Prize 2009 Booklet

The show catalogue for this years Turner Prize at Tate Britain - showcases the four shortlisted artists. A quick and interesting read.

From Tate: "The Turner Prize is a contemporary art award that was set up in 1984 to celebrate new developments in contemporary art. The purpose of the annual Turner Prize is to draw attention to new developments in the world of contemporary art in Britain and to encourage wide debate around them. Each year a jury is asked to select a shortlist of four artists, British-born or working in Britain, whose publicly exhibited work over the past year has seemed especially innovative or important. An exhibition introducing the work of each artist is then staged at Tate Britain.

This booklet accompanies The Turner Prize 2009 and highlights each of the four artists being nominated this year, Enrico David, Lucy Skaer, Roger Hiorns and Richard Wright."