How to See: A Guide to Reading Our Manmade Environment

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George Nelson

Little, Brown, Boston, 1979, 1977, English

Design, General

ISBN: 9780316603126

Originally published in 1977 with the subtitle Visual Adventures in a World God Never Made. More than a guide to visual appreciation, this is a book about how to recognize, evaluate, and understand the objects and landscape of the man-made world. The pursuit of design is not about the way things appear, but rather about the way things give meaning and relevance to the human experience.

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Amanda Dameron

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My copy of this book is old and smells like mold. It was another second-hand purchase, and it once belonged to a library. Not only do I love the wit and clarity found in Nelson’s writing, I also love the way this book is composed. Whether he’s dealing with the visual pollution clogging our daily lives, the necessity of avoiding “the monstrosity of sprawl,” or the proper way to “read” a painting or a sign, Nelson is a patient but forthright teacher for training oneself to embrace the right kind of sight.

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