Customer Reviews

Design Your Self: Rethinking the Way You Live, Love, Work, and Play

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book because it was popularly reviewed in some hipsterish magazine. The book is immediately appealing, with engrossing typography and stunning colors.

The content is very much a philosophical diatribe on the part of the author. Some of his philosophy I liked and immediately embraced, but much of it my intuition told me wasn't quite right on a personal level. Things like: abolish all black from your wardrobe, furnish your house with no sharp edges, use gawdy bright colors to fill your living spaces with, and make sure every piece of furniture has at least one purpose.

But I keep thinking about this book. It won't leave my mind alone. I've started realizing that my mood and life experience *is* actually more enjoyable when I surround myself with white and gawdily bright colors.

This comes as somewhat of a shock. I'm a somewhat conservative software engineer who likes to keep all his ducks in a row.

But the look of surprise/concern/envy/comedy on my coworkers faces when I showed up to work in flourescent green sneakers was worth the price of this book alone.

If you can change something about your life to make it more enjoyable, then go with it. If you can remove something from your life to make it more enjoyable, do that.

I just finished this book and like its overall theme and concept. However, Rashid ignores a huge part of many adults' lives: having and raising children. They are briefly mentioned in a relationships section, and later at the end with a life timeline, but the reality of the day-to-day work of raising children is completely missing.

Rashid also seems to presume that people have enough discretionary income to upgrade their electronics regularly (he suggests readers purchase new computers, new music-listening devices, new appliances, etc., as soon as they become more efficient). He also disdains books, suggesting that people not display them openly because it reduces clutter to simply read things online. If this is the case, why would anyone actually buy one of Rashid's books?

Why does everyone seem to like this book? Are we all so much in a daze, going with the flow, keeping up with the neighbors, that we have never stopped to think that we might be doing something for reasons other than that we really want or need to do them? If you are at all a spiritual person, or a designer with a more developed aesthetic, this might not be the book you're looking for. I came to it expecting insight about the relationship between work and play in a creative person's life, but had to stop reading after 50 pages (which is rare, my habit is to finish a book no matter what) because he was preaching at me. Why the insistence on bright colors, for the design of the book and a recommended way of life? It is arbitrary. It happens to be what inspires him, he happens to love his life, but that doesn't mean I would benefit in any way by removing all of the edges from my house and wearing bright colors. I have never come across a design related book that made me so angry. Design is not spirituality. Creative work can be a very spiritual thing but I felt he was instructing others in what he considers good taste. How ridiculous! Advice for what to do at each age! a layout like a children's book! Maybe he should rethink his indulgent highlighter book design; traditional book layouts are far more efficient and legible.

For those that need examples of bringing creativity into one's everyday life, a better start would be a biography of an artist whose work is related in some way to a personal vision or ideal. Many artists, scientists, and thinkers have led extraordinary lives we can learn from, and would easily expose rashid's life as merely stylized.

For those that need to think more about life choices and habits, perhaps a spiritual guide would be in order, not an arrogant, preachy designer.

In reading this book I was reminded of an assignment I had in school one time to write a paper on my philosophy of life. This book is kind of like that paper, but written by Karim Rashid and greatly expanded to 300+ pages.

He presents his view of thinking about how you live life. In some ways I agree, such as to not get to tied down with possessions, unless you really want them for personal, artistic, or other reasons. In some ways I don't, for instance he recommends buying a new computer every year or so because the new ones are so much better. I'm writing this on one that is several years old but which will take data in just as fast as I can type it. A faster machine would not make me type any faster.

On the whole, I like more of his ideas than the ones I reject. But what I really liked was the fact that he wrote them down in such an entertaining way that makes a book enjoyable and gives you food for thought.

Overall, I'm glad I bought and read this book and agree with the points made by many of the other reviewers but coming to a slightly different conclusion rating-wise.

Pros:
- The layout of the book and the materials used to make it are unique and interesting. Personally, I thought they were very cool.
- It's a very easy read; approachable and uncomplicated while still having plenty of content.
- He has some really interesting and potentially useful takes on what one decides to intentionally include in one's life. It's essentially an exercise in awareness and mindfulness and a reminder of the gift that as autonomous adults we can choose (within existing limits) what we want our lives to include. He covers a range of specific categories from the tangible (home and posessions) to the more esoteric (relationships and what they mean to us).

Cons:
- He presents his personal taste as universal. Besides being contradictory to the main point of designing your own life in a way that makes sense to you, it is also naive of the author to assume that everyone would be happy in the space and conditions that make him happy. Personally, I loved flourescent colors in my teens but would never decorate my home with them now. Also, my husband has no interest in wearing bright pink or silver shirts with white pants and lots of rings (which he claims every man should). And his rule of not having any books in the house because they look horrible... unthinkable in our case and we happen to like the way our library shelves look, complete with his book on them. :-)
- This is my own soapbox, but his recommendations to ditch the old and get new seems like irresponsible stewardship. I'm all for maintaining an efficient and up-to-date home, but I believe that needs to be balanced with considering the overall impact that one's choices (including posessions that are potentially hazardous or toxic when disposed of) make overall.
- And, echoing what several other reviewers have said, not everyone has that kind of income and needs to make posessions last as long as possible for practical reasons.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a fresh, energetic, and interesting take on assessing what's important to include in their life and can tell the difference between Rashid's generally helpful insights and his exhortations on his personal taste and is not bothered by needing to do so.

To a designer, everything is up for grabs. This is premise that drives Rashid's book. A wonderful concept segregated in categories of relevance that make it a fun and simple read at first blush. Upon futher investigation, one begins to decipher Rashid's intent to taking on design as a lifestyle as well as a concept that is applied to tangible goods. Brilliant at times, waxing poetic other time, and slightly sterotypical in his opinions (but then again, he is entitled to them), I have to say that I adore this book. It is a wonderful reference book for daily living and it is a great source for reminding oneself to be present and how to create an environment that fosters being present. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in re-vamping, organizing and enjoying their life vis a vis their lifestyle design.

Rashid talks about designing your own life by your own rules. Somewhat ironically, he provides you with many of his own "rules" for doing so. But don't let that steer you from this book. He provides an amazing approach to building and growing in today's modern world. You don't have to agree with all suggestions and ideas, but it will help you understand what it means to live a life that is substantially more fulfilling than the typical paint-by-numbers, status quo lifestyle that is all too common.

I was hoping to find more inspiration in this book. It seems a bit random and self-absorbed. I just get the impression that because he's very successful as a designer that he thinks he's tapped into some sort of universal truths about style, which just isn't true. It started out alright, with some positive, energetic outlooks on life and making it your own, but then he also tells you to copy his style. Shouldn't we be finding what makes us feel most positive? Perhaps bright candy colors aren't for everyone? or wearing all white? Also he seems totally unconcerned with what happens to all this stuff after you're done with it.. he encourages you to upgrade things all the time, but what happens to it then? We can't all afford to and even if we could, how much waste do we really need to create? it's irresponsible.

I typed in Karim's name looking for some of his decor on Amazon, and to my surprise there was the listing for this book. I went to my local bookstore, and read 70 pages of it. I had it in my hand, took it to the counter, and then changed my mind, because it was $25! The design and layout of the book is great, and full of what the author constantly notes as "BRIGHT COLORS".

The next day I immediately started to declutter, some of my things, and even my husbands! This is surely a reference book for design and self help.

I have been looking for a book like this for a long time! I am a freelance graphic and interior designer, and I appreciate Rashid's words. I just received the book in the mail today, and cannot wait to read the rest of it when I get home. I'm so excited.

You might not agree with all of Rashid's ideas about what to do and how to live. However I found most of what he said to be inspiring and spot-on. Particularly the organizing hints and the suggestion to be yourself. Only I'm proud to flaunt my bookcase. I checked this book out of the library and will also buy it because the pros outweigh the cons. He gives you something to think about. The book is worth reading even if only for your amusement.