A weighty tome landed through my mailbox this morning. Nearly killed the cat.
I’d give you a detailed, indepth review of its marvelousness, but I realize that this line on the cover might lead some of you, in your more unworthy moments, to suspect my motives:
Very well then, I’ll leave such tasks to those more “impartial”… suffice to say, it’s bloody heavy, filled with thoughtful moments, and rather good eye candy. Edited by Robert Klanten, Sven Ehmann, Kitty Bolhöfer, and Floyd Schulze (or as I call them, The Gathering), and designed by Schulze himself, Turning Pages: Editorial Design For Print Media (Gestalten) is filled with, well, you know.
I mean, what did you expect? Recipes? Pictures of pixies wielding common or garden vegetables? Recipes for pixie-vegetable casseroles?
The index is by designer, so you can cross-reference their work, and where it’s mentioned.
My contribution begins with a stirring intro about the state of modern print design. I like to imagine myself holding this book by a podium, delivering the intro Billy Graham-style to a quivering crowd of MPA believers. Which is probably why they never invite me to their conferences.
The following 97 pages feature texts by me on such topics as “The Grid”, and “The Structure”. With titles like that, the movie thriller adaptations can’t be far behind.
Then on page 98, I leave the book to the caption writers and the pictures, signing off with a salutary warning.
There’s plenty of things inside this book to inspire, featuring lots of designers and their work beyond just the usual suspects, including some remarkable student creations. Overall, it’s a snapshot of an editorial wave, and the bodacious designers surfing it.
Please, never quote that line back at me. The book deserves better than that. Take a look, and grab yerself a copy, why dontcha?
