Category: Design

Imagine living in 1958, and knowing that the integrated circuit–the microchip–was about to be invented, and would revolutionize the world. Or imagine 1992, when the Internet was about to transform virtually every aspect of our lives. Incredibly, this book argues that we stand at such a moment right now–and not just in one field, but in many.

In 2030, authors Rutger van Santen, Djan Khoe, and Bram Vermeer interview over two dozen scientific and technological experts on themes of health, sustainability and communication, asking them to look forward to the year 2030 and comment on the kind of research that will play a necessary role. If we know what technology will be imperative in 2030, the authors reason, what can we do now to influence future breakthroughs?

Despite working in dissimilar fields, the experts called upon in the book – including Hans Blix (Head of the UN investigation in Iraq), Craig Venter (explorer of the human DNA), and Susan Greenfield (a leading world authority on the human brain), among many others – all emphasize the interconnectedness of our global networks in technology and communication, so tightly knit that the world’s major conflicts are never isolated incidents. A fresh understanding of the regularities underlying these complex systems is more important than ever.

Using bright, accessible language to discuss topics of universal interest and relevance, 2030 takes the position that we can, in fact, influence the course of history. It offers a new way of looking forward, a fresh perspective on sustainability, stability and crisis-prevention. For anyone interested in modern science, this book will showcase the technologies that will soon change the way we live.

Book Details:

Hardcover: 304 pages

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 16th, 2010)

Language: English

Author: Rutger van Santen, Djan Khoe and Bram Vermeer

Category: Business Books, Technology Books

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There are a lot of books out there that show collections of logos. But David Airey’s “Logo Design Love” is something different: it’s a guide for designers (and clients) who want to understand what this mysterious business is all about. Written in reader-friendly, concise language, with a minimum of designer jargon, Airey gives a surprisingly clear explanation of the process, using a wide assortment of real-life examples to support his points. Anyone involved in creating visual identities, or wanting to learn how to go about it, will find this book invaluable.

Readers will learn:

• Why one logo is more effective than another
• How to create their own iconic designs
• What sets some designers above the rest
• Best practices for working with clients
• 25 practical design tips for creating logos that last

Book Details:

Paperback: 216 pages

Publisher: New Riders Press; 1 edition (December 30, 2009)

Language: English

Author: David Airey

Category: Business Books, Design Books

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Managing Electronic Media recognizes the changes in technology in the global marketplace and the impact these innovations have on media organizations and their integral business practices. It goes beyond the typical media management book by covering media enterprises as large scale businesses that must operate in a converged environment, rather than in separate silos of activity.

Managing Electronic Media lays the groundwork for understanding and participating in digital content creation, marketing, and distribution. It provides the concepts and vocabulary that managers use to meet the challenges of today’s market and to position their organizations to succeed in a relentlessly dynamic 24/7 business environment.

Day in the Life sections highlight the daily activities of top media executives, providing insight into the excitement, the fun, and the challenges, of careers in today’s media industries. Case studies utilize exercises to promote further understanding of real-world situations.

Book Details:

Paperback: 432 pages

Publisher: Focal Press (March 17th, 2010)

Language: English

Author: Joan Van Tassel and Lisa Poe-Howfield

Category: Business Books, Content Management Books

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A web application involves many specialists, but it takes people in web ops to ensure that everything works together throughout an application’s lifetime. It’s the expertise you need when your start-up gets an unexpected spike in web traffic, or when a new feature causes your mature application to fail. In this collection of essays and interviews, web veterans such as Theo Schlossnagle, Baron Schwartz, and Alistair Croll offer insights into this evolving field. You’ll learn stories from the trenches–from builders of some of the biggest sites on the Web–on what’s necessary to help a site thrive.

Book Details:

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: O’Reilly Media; 1 edition (June 21, 2010)

Language: English

Author: John Allspaw and Jesse Robbins

Category: Business Books, Web Development Books

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The up-to-date, “A-to-Z” bible for everything related to web, online, mobile, and social marketing – from planning through metrics!

• Entirely original content – not a compilation of previously published material
• Covers SEO, pay-per-click, mobile marketing, social media, “PR 2.0″, analytics, email, blog marketing, multimedia, and much more
• Shows how to combine multiple web marketing approaches into a single, coherent, optimized strategy – and measure the results

Book Details:

Paperback: 640 pages

Publisher: Que; 1 edition (November 8, 2010)

Language: English

Author: Michael Miller

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In Making Things Move, you’ll learn how to build moving mechanisms through non-technical explanations, examples, and do-it-yourself projects–from art installations to toys to labor-saving devices. The projects include a drawing machine, a mini wind turbine, a mousetrap powered car, and more, but the applications of the examples are limited only by your imagination.

Book Details:

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 1 edition (November 17, 2010)

Language: English

Author: Dustyn Roberts

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The Business Week has recently listed what they claimed the ugliest fifty cars in half a century. So much rebuke to the makers and designers who afflicted nice consumers like us with those “design duds” and “automotive eyesores”.

Well, most of those designs are really heart-breaking pieces of junk. But a few others I do find nice and quite acceptable (like the Jeep Compass and the Toyota Prius). What do you think?

Check the nice slideshow here.

(I like how they described the Corbin Sparrow!)