Pittsburgh�s Monongahela River is named after the Lenape Indian word Menaonkihela; meaning �where banks cave and erode.� The name is fitting: for over a century; these riverbanks were lined with steel plants and railroads that have now �caved and eroded� away. By the 1880s; Carnegie Steel was the world�s largest manufacturer of iron; steel rails; and coke. However; in the 1970s; cheap foreign steel flooded the market. Following the 1981�1982 recession; the plants laid off 153;000 workers. The year 1985 saw the beginning of demolition; by 1990; seven of nine major steel plants had shut down. Duquesne; Homestead; Jones Laughlin; and Eliza Furnace are gone; only the Edgar Thomson plant remains as a producer of steel. The industry could be said to have built and nearly destroyed the region both economically and environmentally. While these steel plants are lost today; the legacy of their workers is not forgotten.
#2725610 in eBooks 2008-04-21 2008-04-21File Name: B00192SL1S
Review
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Visual Thinking to Enhance Problem SolvingBy Cynthia A.Im not an architect or a designer. I bought this book on a hunch. I wanted to learn how to see the world as it is and transform it. Sketching teaches you to do that. And. the process described in this book - if learned - will make you a better problem solver. Its different than other books because it explores sketching as a instrument of critical thinking. No need to be Picasso. While being able to draw makes visual note-taking easier - quicker - it can be just as effective for the unsteady hand. And. over time. as has been the case for me. you learn to see better and draw more realistically. Its an acquired skill. but its worth it.The book opens with a discussion on the importance of visual literacy. being able to see and interpret the world around us and express our observations and insights. The book goes on to talk about the creative process as it pertains to visual literacy. mentioning ways to gather and record information. examine and analyze it. and then spin out your interpretation or solution. There are two chapters devoted to analyzing other peoples sketchbooks. And. none of them included were Picassos either. Every sketch either solved a problem or expressed an observation that led to some insight about what the notetaker was seeing. By the end. I was reading about drawing principles. such as perspectives. values/tones. and diagramming - each concept briefly explained.This book will not teach someone how to draw. It will taught a person how to pay attention. how to use the "right side" of the brain. and how to come up with better ideas by recognizing information in a different format.I gave this book four stars instead of a five. because I expected the book to delve further into learning to draw. To be fair. its a thin book. It covers a lot. and the authors wrote it so that anyone could "jump into" visual note-taking. But. after going over the book as many times as I have (its just that useful!). I always finished the Tools and Techniques section. feeling that it ended too soon - like a good conversation.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. This is one of my favorite booksBy PeterI got this book from a recommendation by one of my architecture professors. Its a great study on sketching and the different ways people go about it. Unlike other books which tell you how to draw with different mediums etc. this book dwells into the usefulness of sketching. and even how different professions can make use of keeping sketchbooks with them to express and develop thoughts and ideas. Fantastic book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Architects and Engineers.By DaveAn excellent source with the philosophy of visual notes and sketches. It is written from the Architects perspective. and so misses some of the business uses. There is lots of good resource material though.
