The Art of More

Author: Michael Brooks
Publisher: Pantheon
ISBN: 1524749001
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
An illuminating, millennia-spanning history of the impact mathematics has had on the world, and the fascinating people who have mastered its inherent power Counting is not innate to our nature, and without education humans can rarely count past three — beyond that, it’s just “more.” But once harnessed by our ancestors, the power of numbers allowed humanity to flourish in ways that continue to lead to discoveries and enrich our lives today. Ancient tax collectors used basic numeracy to fuel the growth of early civilization, navigators used clever geometrical tricks to engage in trade and connect people across vast distances, astronomers used logarithms to unlock the secrets of the heavens, and their descendants put them to use to land us on the moon. In every case, mathematics has proved to be a greatly underappreciated engine of human progress. In this captivating, sweeping history, Michael Brooks acts as our guide through the ages. He makes the case that mathematics was one of the foundational innovations that catapulted humanity from a nomadic existence to civilization, and that it has since then been instrumental in every great leap of humankind. Here are ancient Egyptian priests, Babylonian bureaucrats, medieval architects, dueling Swiss brothers, renaissance painters, and an eccentric professor who invented the infrastructure of the online world. Their stories clearly demonstrate that the invention of mathematics was every bit as important to the human species as was the discovery of fire. From first page to last, The Art of More brings mathematics back into the heart of what it means to be human.

The Art of Aardman

Author:
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 1452166579
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description
See the iconic, energetic art of Aardman Animations like never before! The Art of Aardman takes readers on an unforgettable, behind-the-scenes journey through the studio's archives. This collection features original character sketches and never-before-seen concept art, offering a unique look inside the studio that created Chicken Run, Morph, and, of course, Wallace & Gromit. Kicking things off with forewords from founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton, this celebration of all-things Aardman is a must-have for all animation fans.

The Art of Looking

Author: Lance Esplund
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465094678
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 252

Book Description
A veteran art critic helps us make sense of modern and contemporary art The landscape of contemporary art has changed dramatically during the last hundred years: from Malevich's 1915 painting of a single black square and Duchamp's 1917 signed porcelain urinal to Jackson Pollock's midcentury "drip" paintings; Chris Burden's "Shoot" (1971), in which the artist was voluntarily shot in the arm with a rifle; Urs Fischer's "You" (2007), a giant hole dug in the floor of a New York gallery; and the conceptual and performance art of today's Ai Weiwei and Marina Abramovic. The shifts have left the art-viewing public (understandably) perplexed. In The Art of Looking, renowned art critic Lance Esplund demonstrates that works of modern and contemporary art are not as indecipherable as they might seem. With patience, insight, and wit, Esplund guides us through the last century of art and empowers us to approach and appreciate it with new eyes. Eager to democratize genres that can feel inaccessible, Esplund encourages viewers to trust their own taste, guts, and common sense. The Art of Looking will open the eyes of viewers who think that recent art is obtuse, nonsensical, and irrelevant, as well as the eyes of those who believe that the art of the past has nothing to say to our present.

The Art of Insight

Author: Charles Kiefer
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1609948114
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 177

Book Description
A practical guide to fostering innovative insights and solutions for yourself and your organization—including online skill-building exercises. We have all experienced it: the jolt of an insight arriving like a thunderclap, unexpectedly and without warning. But what if insights could be accessed more reliably? Drawing on years of research, reflection, and experiences with colleagues, friends, and clients, Charles Kiefer and Malcolm Constable present a thorough, pragmatic approach for dependably generating fresh thoughts and perspectives. The Art of Insight features helpful exercises both in the book and online. Readers will develop their own personal approach to cultivating insights, allowing them to solve long-standing problems with confidence and ease. “Creating insights isn't a magical process—this book provides a practical framework for generating insights for yourself and your organization. We've used many of these techniques with our innovation teams and they work.” —Wayne Delker, Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President, The Clorox Company

The Art of Silliness

Author: Carla Sonheim
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399537589
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 194

Book Description
Ready to play? Whether you think of yourself as an artist, a doodler, a dreamer, or none of the above, this book will jump-start your creativity. Popular art instructor Carla Sonheim offers fun, engaging ideas on every page, from drawing upside down to imagining new worlds (down to their silly hats and strange animal species). All you need is a pencil or pen and your imagination.

Playing with Books

Author: Jason Thompson
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA
ISBN: 1616738588
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 153

Book Description
A guide to repurposing used books and pages into unique, accessible art projects—the perfect gift for artists, crafters and book lovers. In these pages, Jason Thompson has curated an extensive and artistic range of both achievable upcycled crafts made from books and book pages and an amazing gallery that contains thought-provoking and beautiful works that transform books into art. The content encompasses a wide range of techniques and step-by-step projects that deconstruct and rebuild books and their parts into unique, recycled objects. The book combines in equal measure bookbinding, woodworking, paper crafting, origami, and textile and decorative arts techniques, along with a healthy dose of experimentation and fun. The beautiful high-end presentation and stunning photography make this book a delightful, must-have volume for any book-loving artist or art-loving book collector.

The Art of the Epigraph

Author: Rosemary Ahern
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1451693249
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Book Description
"A collection of 250 or more epigraphs arranged thematically and chosen from a broad range of books and genres, approximately half of which will be annotated with original commentary by the author"--

Mastering the Art of Creative Collaboration

Author: Robert A. Hargrove
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Book Description
Creative collaboration makes the impossible, possible. But all too often collaboration stifles creativity. This exciting new book offers tradition-shattering advice that gives readers the tools to make any collaborative activity creative, productive, and rewarding.

The Art of Asking

Author: Amanda Palmer
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 1455581070
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 349

Book Description
Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world's most successful music Kickstarter. Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of The Art of Asking. Part manifesto, part revelation, this is the story of an artist struggling with the new rules of exchange in the twenty-first century, both on and off the Internet. The Art of Asking will inspire readers to rethink their own ideas about asking, giving, art, and love.

The Art of Comic Book Drawing

Author: Maury Aaseng
Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing
ISBN: 1633228304
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 131

Book Description
Wham! Pow! Bam! Kaboom! Learn everything you need to make your own comic books, superheroes, and story lines with The Art of Comic Book Drawing. Featuring step-by-step tutorials, helpful tips, and dozens of drawing and illustration techniques, aspiring cartoonists, graphic illustrators, and comic book artists will discover all of the basics, from creating characters to mastering features and expressions to bringing it all together with unique and interesting story lines. Veteran comic book artists teach you to draw basic cartoon characters, superheroes, villains, and more using simple, step-by-step drawing lessons. Once you get the hang of illustrating your favorite characters, you’ll learn to draw action scenes, set up panels, add speech bubbles, and even learn the basics of cartoon and comic book word treatments. With approachable exercises and projects to guide you, The Art of Comic Book Drawing allows beginning artists to create their own comic books, step by step. This helpful guide also includes practice pages to put your newfound skills to immediate use.