Customer Reviews

Disappearing Through the Skylight: Culture and Technology in the Twentieth Century

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At first I didn't know what to make of this sometimes bizarre but always intriguing work. At some point I stopped trying to categorize it and decided to accept the thing as it was. It is true that subjects seem to vary but a careful reading reveals an underlying unity.

The essays are certainly not traditional but nevertheless they appeal and "work". It is culture and all its many facets that are explored in this book. From art to architecture to poetry (great chapter on Dada) to symbols, evolution, technology in all its many variants - eclectic essays accompany each. There are many diagrams, photographs, charts, etc that enhance the reader's pleasure. Some insights into the acceleration of evolutionary change are quite readable.

Hardison's book has been out of print for a few years now, which is really a shame. It tells the story of 20th century art, architecture, poetry and science. The author compares the curiosity of artists and scientists and how they influenced each other throughout the century. It is a real eye-opener, especially when you are familiar with 20th century art and architecture but want to understand more of it.

Enjoyment of Hardison's book depends on the purpose of your reading--for leisure or credit. I first read it as a requirement for a class I was taking and did not appreciate it on its face. It gives a picture of 20th century art, architecture, poetry and science. It offers up interesting comparisons of artist's oddities and scientists inquisitiveness and how each prejudiced the other throughout the century. It is an interesting picture. If you are familiar with 20th century art and technology but strive to gain a deeper understanding of culture and technological changes, this book is for you.

This book is about how man's environment has increasingly become abstracted from nature, or "disappearing" into various areas such as art, architecture, writing, music, technology, and even man himself. The first section summarizes the overall message of the book, the remaining sections are just expansions on the elements described in the first section.

There were some interesting ideas in this book, but overall it seemed to be pretty abstract and I didn't want to have to work that hard to "get" why this was important. This reminded me of the type of books you get forced to read in school, and I forced myself to complete it. I think some of the ideas, particularly in the last chapter, may have been off base in terms of predicting the future. This book was written before the online revolution took shape, and this book did not seem to anticipate the effects of the online revolution.

I give it four stars since it was well written and I'm sure it is good for you, like eating your vegetables.