Customer Reviews

The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects

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

 

 

This book is one of the most comprehensible, intelligent, and clever books I've read in a long time.

Deyan Sudjic has an non-American perspective which is refreshing and presents a style devoid of capitalistic or consumerist undertones. Sudjic's statements are often quick and to the point and his citations from the works of prestigious designers and architects reinforce his perspectives. Sudjic cites John Berger's Ways of Seeing: Based on the BBC Television Series to support his assessments frequently and often. Sudjic identifies several attributes of design that seem to be overlooked or forgotten in modern products such as consistency, redundancy, and a lack of durability while proving that the product cycle of each new version of a device is too quick to ever foster a meaningful and lasting owner/object relationship. Overall, Sudjic does a great job of transposing design into commonly available forms and communicates what design is not.

I finished this in one day because I was enamored with it's brevity and precise thoughts. Sudjic's thoughts are clear and once you've completed this book, perhaps your thinking of what design is and isn't will be clear too....

This book is not perfect. That is not the point. The joy of reading the English language and the connection between thought, reason, and a simple appreciation for things of beauty provides the reader with a simply gorgeous journey. Kudos to the author for taking a particularly ethereal topic and giving it flesh and bones. To the gentleman from Texas, I am sorry you were looking for something to easily grasp and understand. I think you missed the point. The attempt to explain challenging topics with humility and tact should be applauded. Kind regards to one and all. M

It tries to define a lot of the moral and other issues each designer is struggling with. A very good book for all industrial designers. No straight answers but something to make everyone think harder before they put pencil on paper...

I searched this book for some sort of social value or usefulness. Unfortunately with the exception of a few buzz words and concepts that are secondary to what he's trying to say, there is nothing of any meaning in this book.

The author Deyan Sudjic starts his dissertation with the complaint; he bought an Apple Computer because it was cute and fruity. Later he finds that the cute and fruity is not functional. So he buys an Apple because it's black and flat. Later he finds that the black and flat doesn't mean it's functional.

Throughout the book he cites other people that buy things because they're fruity or black and flat. He makes the point that people are duped into things because they're fruity or black and flat such as money, cars, lamps, clothing, and whatnot that they are usable. He suggests that people collect things because they're either kitsch or have nostalgic value or have some other elusive quality that is irrelevant to the function.

He wraps up the book written in late 2008 with "what depression?" Everything seems as though it costs just the same, everybody still buys just the same stuff, and who would ever dream of a car company shutting down for 30 days over Christmas. This goes to show that he is still living and a fruity, flat black world.

We learn nothing of any value from this book. Even his speculation that the red around the radiator a black car is based on the red dot on a Walther PP K is stretching it a bit.


Helvetica [Blu-ray] ~ Gary Hustwit