Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #432671 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

Missed opportunity
The subject area is potentially very interesting but this book doesn't doit justice.The author is far from dispassionate- she is actively in favourof superficiality and goes out to prove This Is A Good Thing. The factthat the chapter outlining rebuffs to this idea from architecture,philosophy and ethics is more convincing than her own arguments makes fora bad start. The observations seem limited to hairstyles, interior designand planned communities in the US and these are extended to prove thatstyling affects everyone and everything. Again, this isn't convincingmainly as it seems entirley limited to the US urban middle class. Mostpeople do NOT live like this. The writing style is the snappy nasaleagerness of business journalists which doesnt help- the authors ownappeal for more style hasnt reached her own pen, it seems. However, theconcept is vast and all-encompassing, but it needs a writer with moreauthority first to frame it and then to define it.

beautiful cover , lack of substance
Having worked on design I couldn't wait to read it.
What a pity I couldn't finish it.
The book continuously states the obvious,it's far from revolutionary.
If this book was meant for people within the design industry
it is simply wafflle,if it was meant for the" hobnob" go ahead
and buy it - especially if you ... " just want a more attractive living room."
Silvio Artero-Italy

A magnificient book.
"The Substance of Style" is a beautifully written book about how the quest for aesthetically pleasing surroundings and objects is affecting the way we trade, work and behave. The book is wide ranging and witty - it takes the reader from monumental architecture to humourous insights into the styling of the toilet brush.
But this is no mere celebration of all things bright and beautiful. Ms Postrel analyses how differing, even clashing tastes affect our environment. She describes how markets have changed, how mass production and mass markets enable niche tastes to be catered for today when they could not be before. She explores the regulatory dimension of aesthetics, in particular how town and country planning rules affect the way our towns look. There is even a wonderfully insightful passage on the economics of aesthetics and an inspired application of the famous Coase theorem.
In sum, a thoughtful, thought provoking book which is a joy to read !