The last in Tony Frys celebrated trilogy of books continues his radical rethinking of design. Becoming Human by Designs provocative argument presents a revised reading of human evolution centred on ontological design. Examining the relation of design to the nature of the human species - where the species came from; how it was created; what it became and its likely future - Fry asserts that current biological and social models of evolution are an insufficient explanation of how we humans became what we are.Making a case for ontological design as an evolutionary agency; the book posits the relation between the formation of the world of human fabrication and the making of mankind itself as indivisible. It also functions as a provocation to rethink the fate of Homo sapiens; recognising that all species are finite and that the fate of humankind turns on a fundamental Darwinian principle - adapt or die. Fry considers the nature of adaptation; arguing that it will depend on an ability to think and design in new ways.
#2499393 in eBooks 2013-02-28 2013-02-28File Name: B00GMIUFCM
Review
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. For beginners? Not for beginners?By William AnnisIts pretty hard to find any instructional material on gouache; of any quality or style; so I was excited to see a modern book by a non-cartoony painter on the medium. Unfortunately; the book seems a bit conflicted with itself about who exactly the audience is.The book devotes rather a lot of space to completely fundamental basics: what is still life; what is gouache; the inevitable list of supplies and equipment; how to stretch watercolor paper. A huge amount of space is devoted to subject matter and composition; including a remarkably brief account of perspective. A little is spent on using a grid to transfer a drawing; a bit on color; and then were off.After that; a series of subjects are tackled. These are far beyond the elementary material given in the first few sections; with only a few in-progress images to guide you along the way. For example; the painting on the cover has a total of four images: the pencil sketch; two in-progress; one done. The book would have benefited from one or two middle chapters that took things slower with much more pictorial documentation about what was going on in terms of gouache consistency; color mixing; even basics like brushwork. A bit of this happens in the "Color and Techniques" chapter; but it moves very quickly; and some of the in-progress photos were photographed in inconsistent lighting; which hardly makes it easier to see whats going on.There is plenty of text in the book; and much excellent advice is given there; but it still sometimes seems like the first part of the book was written for one audience (utter beginners); and the second for an intermediate to advanced audience already familiar with painting; but new to gouache. Rudy de Reynas long out of print "Painting in Opaque Watercolor" remains the better book for beginners.4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Very basic info; well presentedBy Alice Jo WebbAs an experienced painter I found the book covered things I already know and use. A beginning painter would learn a great deal from reading this book. I wanted an all around tutorial on gouache techniques and this does give some; but it is more of a basic painting lesson. $20.00 was a lot to spend on information I already had.If you are an advanced painter; skip this one. If you are a beginner; buy this and read it; the information will apply to any painting method and youll have a good foundation to build your own work on. It is well written and organized.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Worth reading if youre an artistBy mad professorMr. Scully did a good job with this book. Im looking forward to using his recommendations in my own studio. Worth the read and the money if youre looking to improve your gouache painting skill. (Five star reviews from me are rare as Im a curmudgeon.)
