From the Werkbund to the Bauhaus to Braun; from furniture to automobiles to consumer appliances; twentieth-century industrial design is closely associated with Germany. In this pathbreaking study; Paul Betts brings to light the crucial role that design played in building a progressive West German industrial culture atop the charred remains of the past. The Authority of Everyday Objects details how the postwar period gave rise to a new design culture comprising a sprawling network of diverse interest groupsmdash;including the state and industry; architects and designers; consumer groups and museums; as well as publicists and womens organizationsmdash;who all identified industrial design as a vital means of economic recovery; social reform; and even moral regeneration. These cultural battles took on heightened importance precisely because the stakes were nothing less than the very shape and significance of West German domestic modernity. Betts tells the rich and far-reaching story of how and why commodity aesthetics became a focal point for fashioning a certain West German cultural identity. This book is situated at the very crossroads of German industry and aesthetics; Cold War politics and international modernism; institutional life and visual culture.
#902388 in eBooks 2010-11-02 2010-11-02File Name: B003F3PMCU
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. The Kindle version isnt greatBy SrhWI regret purchasing the Kindle version of this book. Its a really cool concept. and the content seems pretty good. but the experience of reading it in black and white is kind of depressing. Its also kind of a hassle to zoom in on images. This book seems like it was intended for print (or at least a higher-resolution e-reader format than the Kindle Touch).5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Not really what I expectedBy EileenThis book is a nice one to pick up and read a few pages at a time and skip around- each item is followed by a page or two explanation of its origins etc so its nice to just page through and not read front-to-back. There are items youd expect in a book with this title: "lace". "champagne". "tea". "masquerades". "nectar and ambrosia" but then there are items like "hello". "talk". "subaquatic". and "crickets" (the bug. not the sport) that seem kind of out of place. The insects for sale as snake food in the pet store are considered exquisite? When I think of exquisite luxurious feminine objects. crickets just dont hold the same appeal as perfume or folding fans and blancmange. Then there are items that just seem to be space-fillers: "lightning" (wait. doesnt that belong in a third-grade science textbook?). cloud type classification (see previous). "velocity" (maybe more fifth-grade science book) "miracles" (really? does literate human not know what a miracle is?) and "twilight" (again. is this a dictionary?). There are some sections in here that are informative and fun to read full of lovely facts. but I thought the entire book would be such. not just a few parts. All in all. I wish I had saved my money (and the whole selling point of "coffee table book" is kind of a stretch- its physically a pretty small book. not the large glossy sort of thing you picture on a coffee table).2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. It does have lengthy descriptions and not as many pictures as people would like. but I find the entries and the overall ...By Rosie TerrazasThis book is absolutely magical. Yes. It does have lengthy descriptions and not as many pictures as people would like. but I find the entries and the overall appearance of the book makes up for this. It looks very expensive and the cover is to die for. I purchased one as a hostess gift. and after looking through it. i purchased one for myself.
