Extreme Textiles: Designing for High Performance

Book Description

Stronger, faster, lighter, safer, smarter—these are the textiles of tomorrow. From the carbon-fiber composite bicycle frame to the cardiac constraint sock and the Mars Pathfinder landing airbags, material innovations surround us. Our landscape, our buildings, our vehicles, our clothes, and our bodies all benefit from these highly engineered performance textiles.

Featuring examples of fully realized products from all classes of technical textiles—architectural, product design, apparel, medicine, transportation, aerospace, industry, and the environment—Extreme Textiles highlights successful collaborations between design, industry, and science. Large, full-color illustrations and essays by some of today's most influential designers and scientists trace the extraordinary developments made in textiles over the last twenty years and suggest what is to come.

Tradition, technology, beauty, and strength are joined together in the materials and products presented in this volume. Whether exploring space, running a marathon, or fashioning the latest trend, we will be inspired by these extreme textiles every day.

Extreme Textiles accompanies the exhibition of the same name at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum beginning in April 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!!!.......2007-01-16

This book is AWESOME!!
I love it, it is very educational!
I used it to write a presentation on Techno Textiles, and I got so much info out of it!

Whether it's architecture or art, students at the college level will find Extreme Textiles both accessible and detailed.......2006-02-03

Innovative textiles offer some of the most intriguing design options today, but few design or textile coverages discuss extreme textiles in such depth and detail. Matilda McQuaid's Extreme Textiles: Designing For High Performance surveys engineered fabrics and their radical uses, from cardiac constraint socks to airbags and transportation textiles. Even buildings use these extreme textiles in construction, and Extreme Textiles surveys all these uses in a blend of startling full-page illustrations and discussions of fiber properties, performance standards, and unique uses. Whether it's architecture or art, students at the college level will find Extreme Textiles both accessible and detailed.

A Report on Recent Progress in New Materials........2005-09-01

There has been tremendous progress made in materials science in the last twenty years or so. And a surprising amount of that work has been in materials used in fabrics. Fabrics, including rigid items like fiberglass or carbon fiber items, have been designed to handle a wide variety of tasks that previously either couldn't be done (the bouncing satellite on Mars), or were much more expensive, or were performed less adequately (sporting equipment).

This book is a review of these advances. Ms. McQuaid is at the National Design Museum where she oversees a collection of more than thirty thousand textiles produced over 23 centuries. She has written much of the book, but has gotten contributions from a series of other textile experts from London, Canada, and of course the United States. The book is profusely illustrated to serve as an idea book of the types of items that can be manufactured with the new fabrics.

Customer Reviews:

Very recommended for artists.......2001-06-01

It's a thin book... very scarce or practically no text - but it is all full page fabulous art deco illustrations. Besides enjoying the wonderful baroque and resplendent style of George Barbier, you will be treated to the delectable pleasure of leafing through the petals of this dead and beautiful epoch - the glamour fashions, the opium den, the twenties bathing beauties in flapper swimsuits on the beach, the rich and captivating oriental splendor, jeweled and pearled divas, monocled and reserved gents - this book is Jazz Age art incarnate. It' s pleasure for a refined connoisseur, it's a treasure for an artist. It's only drawback is that it is so thin (but then - look at the price)! Barbier was a very prolific artist and illustrator, his works could have filled a hundred such books, and I hope there will appear more books on him and the epoch he reflected in his miniature delights.

The Illustrations of George Barbier in Full Color

Average customer rating:

The Illustrations of George Barbier in Full Color
Meyer Francois & Harlow Frederica Editors
Manufacturer: Dover Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LC8NE2

Book Description

Kiss the competition goodbye! The only guide you'll ever need to take photographs like a professional. Understand how cameras work and how to choose the right one for you. Discover how to use light sources and lenses, apertures and shutters as creative tools. Master the skills you need to create portraits, landscape, still-life, action, and travel photography. Learn how to develop your photographs in the darkroom or scan and retouch digital pictures. The Keep It Simple Series is the new standard in how-to books! Written by leading experts, each book includes full-color photographs and illustrations throughout, making these the first and only truly accessible guides for beginners. The KISS format is designed to help readers build confidence from the start, and learn gradually and thoroughly to the very last page. Much more than introductions to various subjects, these inspiring and innovative books are the ones that readers can trust!

Customer Reviews:

Good Overall Book.......2007-07-06

I just took a photography course and this book was one of the ones recommended. It is a little shallow, but covers all the basics and all the items covered in the class. It covers all the various topis from portrait to building photog as well as types of cameras, etc. If you want a basic book, this is the one to get. However, if you are looking for a lot of depth, keep looking. Then again, it is "Keep it Simple" so it delivers just what it says.

One of the Best Photography Book I ever read.......2006-03-03

I have several photography books that I have had no desire to read from cover to cover. Then I found this one! This is by far the best photography book that I have laid my eyes on. I am reading it cover to cover and plan on reading it again. John Garret has written it in such a fun, simple way that really makes you understand photography. I've even learned more from this book than I have in a photography class that I have taken.
If you are just getting started in your photography adventure, I highly recommend this book! I hope John Garret can write a very good book on Digital Photography too, because I am now into Digital but this book really helped understand a lot of thing that is common between Film and Digital Photgraphy.

Inspiring.......2005-10-01

This is the first K.I.S.S. series book I've read, and thankfully, this author and publisher skipped the lame humor and fluff sometimes seen in the "for Dummies" and "Idiots Guide" books. Instead, they packed this well-organized book with well-written explanations, inspiring and instructive photographs and excellent color graphics that only enhanced my learning. I learned more from this book than from the twelve-session photography class I took at a local camera store. I highly recommend it to anybody interested in film photography.

A great and useful tool!.......2003-03-05

I bought this book on a whim because I had just found my interest in photography, and I was done reading it two days later! Garrett makes all the concepts of photography understandable to those without any prior knowledge! I even found myself going through the book again and jotting down notes about film speeds and filters for easy reference later! I cannot wait to try out the things I have learned from this wonderful book! I only wish I had more to read! I recommed this for anyone who thinks he would not be able to understand the concepts of photography and the camera. This book is not written on a technical level so make this the first photography book you buy!

Excellent!.......2002-09-26

If you are just getting started in your photography adventure, I highly recommend this book!

Average customer rating:

Good book for beginners, and even an intermediate thing or two.

Too simple--not much you can learn

Great book for those who want to get started or know more

KISS Guide to Digital Photography (KISS Guides)
Tom Ang
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Reference | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Digital Photography | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Digital Photography | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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KISS Guide to Photography (Keep It Simple Series)

KISS Guide to Organizing Your Life (Keep It Simple Series)

Complete Digital Photography

KISS Guide to Weight Loss

KISS Guide to Fitness (Keep It Simple Series)

ASIN: 0789496968

Book Description

User-friendly explanations of technical terms and equipment, clear step-by-step instructions, and full-color photography make this the ideal guide to digital photography. Find the right camera and accessories, master digital tricks, lighting and composition, while demystifying buzzwords, from pixels and jpegs to cropping and cloning.

Customer Reviews:

Good book for beginners, and even an intermediate thing or two........2007-01-26

This isn't the best single book on photography, but it is a solid book that covers a lot of the basics, and even offers a few intermediate tips along the way. There are some pretty good tips on composition as well as the technical writing.

It does tend to lean towards the film side of things, but I found it to be a valued addition to my photography book collection. And lets face it, there is no one book that is going to cover everything, so you will need several 4 and 5 star books to put in your bookcase.

I am probably somwhere in the intermediate skill level and perhaps even past that in knowledge level on photography and digital photography. I recently picked this book up after having not looked at it in some time and still found SOME things that were of interest to me on the second time around.

Too simple--not much you can learn.......2004-06-17

Instead of teaching you how to shoot a good picture using your digital camera, this book is more about introducation of digital camera and how to manipulate the picture you have taken. If you have one digital camera and play with it, I wont recommend you to buy this book, because you would not learn anything from the book. But if you have no digital camera and not much experience with computer, this book is a good start.

Great book for those who want to get started or know more.......2004-04-23

I have been taking photos for many years with my digicam and have learned plenty about the correct techniques: lighting, composition, photo editing, storing, etc. However I have mostly been using the AUTO setting of my digicam. Even though I have been getting pretty decent pictures, I still wanted to further and fine tune my picture taking techniques by learning more about the other settings like compression, ISO, aperture, white balance, flash slow synchro, color balance, etc. This guide is simple enough for the beginner who is learning the basics of the of digital photography; it covers everything from taking the pictures to uploading them to your computer, editing and storing, sharing (emailing, web posting), printing, etc. At the same time, the guide contains resourceful information and tips for those who are more experienced, without getting way too technical (and thus confusing you even more!) It also provides useful recommendations regarding the hardware and software needed. The guide is very well illustrated, something the DK Guide Series knows best! I will recommend this guide to all of my friends and family members who have ventured into buying a digicam and who are not sure of where to start!For those who know some ... it will still definitely teach you new!

Average customer rating:

Make The Kiss Count
Larissa K. McPheeters
Manufacturer: Lifevest Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Weddings | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Planning | Weddings | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1598792660
Release Date: 2006-11-13

Product Description

A way to keep all your contacts, ideas and information in one place. There are tips to make the day more enjoyable for everyone. Plus, learn a little about the meaning behind some traditions.

Product Description

Dandelion Through the Crack: The Sato Family Quest for the American Dream tells of a real Japanese-American family, formed both by ancestry and by the American way of life. We see mother, father, and children, and their challenges over seven decades. There are the extraordinary times of the Depression, wartime emergency, internment in the Poston "relocation" camp in the Arizona desert, oppressive prejudice, and the struggle to recover from near-total loss. But there are also many simple, almost-pastoral moments. The wise fables of the author's father -- tales of his old and new homelands and his haiku poetry -- are interwoven throughout. This is Kiyo Sato's first-person account of the family's struggles and triumphs. The result is a work of literary grace, emotional power, and historical and social importance.

Customer Reviews:

Compelling memoir.......2007-09-19

I must start by saying that Dandelion Through the Crack is not a book that I would have picked up at a store, even to browse through. However, upon hearing and reading rave reviews of the book, I decided to read it for myself.

Kiyo Sato tells an excellent, bracing story of her life as the daughter of Japanese immigrants, growing up on a farm outside Sacramento. Everything is great for her family until 1942, when the American government posts the dreaded "NOTICE TO ALL PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY" that require her to report to a camp for the duration of the war. Despite the fact that she is an American citizen and was in no way responsible for the attack, she and her family are rounded up and taken to an internment camp in Arizona.

From there, the story is very fast paced, as she writes about daily life in the camp, her release to attend college, and how she always keeps her family first and foremost despite being separated from them by a thousand miles. She moves from place to place, trying to secure the future for her family. And, her family is trying to do the same for her, despite their hardships.

Dandelion Through the Crack is a wonderful book that anybody interested in reading a well-crafted true adventure should read. There are several bracing conflicts in the books: the family vs. the government, vs. developers, vs. anti-Japanese sentiment, and vs. nature. But, throughout each conflict, the family grows stronger.

In addition to be a good story, the book opened my eyes up about what Japanese internment camps were like during World War II. Highly recommended.

Inspiring.......2007-09-17

An incredible and inspiring true story that moves one to reflect on the importance of family and determination of will. At a time when the entire country was in upheaval the Sato's clung to each other in a way that provides a lesson for everyone; fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, siblings, children and communities. Hard to put down as you the reader are taken in to experience an area of this countries history that is seldom talked about.

Unforgettable.......2007-09-17

This is one of those books you will never forget reading, and which you will recommend to everyone you know who reads. It is the story of a family, surviving despite insurmountable odds, at a time when the whole country had turned against them. Through hardships which most of us cannot imagine, this family finds ways to perservere. Their courage and work ethic is beyond admirable, and their unity as a family is such a beautiful thing that it moved me to tears. Buy this book. You will be glad you did.

Touching Poignant Unforgettable!.......2007-09-04

Dandelion Through the Crack is a compelling memoir. One of the few memoirs by Japanese Americans who experienced the internment experience during World War II, it is worth reading for that aspect alone. This book is historically significant and skillfully written. Kiyo Sato's story is never preachy or asking for pity. She reports the facts simply and eloquently. As I read about her treatment at college the day after Pearl Harbor, I felt her bewilderment and shock as people in the hallways turned away from her and refused to speak. On the previous Saturday she had been a young American college student with a bright future. By the following Monday she and her family had become The Enemy. Dandelion is touching, poignant, and unforgettable!

Dandelion Through the Crack is a must read!.......2007-08-30

This book is a must read. Dandelion Through the Crack is so beautifully written from the heart of Kiyo Sato.

You will experience every possible emotion from the front cover to the last page. This book is not just about internment, rather a life of love, compassion and determination.

I found myself wanting to jump ahead to read the next haiku written by her father.

I love the title and how it came about. Thank you Kiyo for sharing this part of your life with us.

Average customer rating:

AARON SETTLE
FROM EAST BAY EXPRESS

War Haiku
Geoff Edwards , Wilmer McLean , and Jonathan Hughes
Manufacturer: Waiver Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Japanese & Haiku | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0971170673

Book Description

In February 2003, a medical officer named Geoff Edwards left Tennessee for the deserts of Kuwait. A few months later he was dodging mortars, braving sandstorms, and negotiating ethnic tensions as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He related his experiences to his friend David in letters, postcards, and poems. David got writer Wilmer McLean and artist Jonathan Hughes to adapt Geoff's letters, postcards, and poems into a graphic novel. The result is WAR HAIKU, the first comics memoir of the Iraqi war.

Customer Reviews:

AARON SETTLE.......2004-05-26

There have been comic accounts of several wars, but up until now there hasn't been one of the war in Iraq. That changes with War Haiku the original graphic novel recounting the experiences of medical officer Geoff Edwards as he leaves Tennessee for Kuwait in February 2003. Edwards sent his thoughts back to his friend David who in turn got writer Wilmer McLean and artist Jonathan Hughes to adapt Geoff's poems, postcards and letters into this first comic memoir of the war in Iraq.

FROM EAST BAY EXPRESS.......2004-03-23

You've read comic books about war (Maus). You've read poetry about war (The Iliad and the works of Wilfred Owen). You've heard jokes about war (Q. How many Vietnam veterans does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A. You wouldn't know, man, you weren't there!) and revelations about war (it's hell). But never before have all these disparate realms been tied together in a single package. Deployed to Kuwait and then Iraq last spring, infantryman Edwards wrote postcards home, which were adapted and transformed into this brief but biting graphic novel by journalist McLean and artist Hughes. Edwards is a contemplative soldier who describes Operation Iraqi Freedom with all the grim perceptiveness ("One man's bloodthirsty killer is another man's best friend"), irony ("These Iraqis are good little capitalists"), frank terror ("I've never been more scared"), and gallows humor ("We had four scud alerts today. But things are calm. All these capitulations are putting us in a good mood") of someone who was -- well, who was there. What does a soldier really see in Iraq? Blood, sand, and self-important embedded journalists. No pat answers here, no knee-jerking. In a quiet way, it's explosive.

Average customer rating:

Too Far Away, Too Long

Manufacturer: JL Paper Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japanese & Haiku | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0976230178

Product Description

Protest and inspirational commentaries in haiku poetry on daily life experiences for a nation at war.

Book Description

This is the first full-length biography of Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, one of the three notable Peabody sisters of Salem, Massachusetts, and sister-in-law of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Horace Mann. In elegant prose it traces the intricate private life and extraordinary career of one of nineteenth-century America's most important Transcendental writers and educational reformers. Yet Peabody has also been one of the most scandalously neglected and caricatured female intellectuals in American history.

Bruce Ronda has recaptured Peabody from anecdotal history and even blue-stocking portrayals in film--most recently by Jessica Tandy in Henry James's The Bostonians. Peabody was a reformer devoted to education in the broadest, and yet most practical, senses. She saw the classroom as mediating between the needs of the individual and the claims of society. She taught in her own private schools and was an assistant in Bronson Alcott's Temple School. In her contacts with Ralph Waldo Emerson's Transcendental circle in the 1830s, and as publisher of the famous Dial and other imprints, she took a mediating position once more, claiming the need for historical knowledge to balance the movement's stress on individual intuition. She championed antislavery, European liberal revolutions, Spiritualism, and, in her last years, the Paiute Indians. She was, as Theodore Parker described her, the Boswell of her age.

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