Things I have learned in my life so far

Things I have learned in my life so far
by Stefan Sagmeister

Things I have learned in my life so far
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Book Summary Information

Author: Stefan Sagmeister
Contributor: Daniel Nettle
Contributor: Steven Heller
Contributor: Nancy Spector
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-02-01
ISBN: 0810995298
Number of pages: 248
Publisher: Abrams

Book Reviews of Things I have learned in my life so far

Book Review: self help books usually turn me off
Summary: 5 Stars

There is one section of bookstores that I traditionally avoid when browsing:
the self-help section. It's not that the ideas of how to live a fuller life are not
worthy of my attention, but the way these book are written usually wears me
down by their linear nature and repetition of thought. And they often seem
disingenuous. Sagmeister's book is the opposite. It is an alternative
self-help book designed for those of us that like to think about our values
but suffer from short attention spans and require visual stimulation and
maybe some shock value to get us motivated.

There is a lot of work here. A lot of ideas and images. It is a bold compilation of twenty thoughts presented in provocative visual pamphlets. Like his graphic work, the book breaks boundaries and is a bit rebellious, but not in a self-conscious manner. You actually get the feeling that Sagmeister takes his personal development as seriously as his ideas on
design and that he believes that design can make a difference. It's very optimistic. It makes you want to want art or change the world or change yourself or rethink the very form of a book. Maybe the fact that it is broken up into bite size chunks with dramatic and hilarious and curious photographs of real world examples makes us see that it is possible. Or maybe the fact that this compilation is a work in progress rather than a final thesis makes it accessible.

"Everybody who is honest is interesting" is an appropriate aphorism taken from the text. You get the sense that Sagmeister is being honest in this work. And in our world of marketing jive this is refreshing. I'm guessing that one other thing that Sagmeister has learned in his life is that most gifted designers are not gifted writers and that most need good editors. The book is especially well written and concise. My only criticism is that the pamphlets don't go back into the sleeve so easily, but I have learned to live with that.

Summary of Things I have learned in my life so far

This book began as a list designer Stefan Sagmeister made in his diary under the title Things I have learned in my life so far, which includes statements such as "Worrying solves nothing" and "Trying to look good limits my life." The list reveals something that is profoundly true: Although human beings have been pursuing happiness for countless generations, it is not so easily achieved. And we need constant reminders to keep us on the right path.

With the support of his clients, Sagmeister transformed these sentences into typographic works, from billboards in France to sign-toting inflatable monkeys on the streets of Scotland. Accompanied by essays from design historian Steven Heller, Guggenheim chief curator Nancy Spector, and UK psychologist Daniel Nettle, as well as Sagmeister's own words, the series is revealed as a complex blend of personal revelation, art, and design--an eclectic mix of visual audacity and sound advice.

This book consists of 15 unbound signatures in a laser-cut slipcase. Shuffling the sequence of the signatures will produce 15 different covers.

Amazon Best of the Month, March 2008: Many consider Stefan Sagmeister to be our most important living designer, but he reaches beyond design circles in sharing 20 Things I have learned in my life so far, including the fact that "keeping a diary supports personal development." Proving his point, this book grew from a list in his diary during a year-long commercial hiatus. He returned to paid work with greater freedom from clients and himself, and created a series of projects spelling out personal truths--"worrying solves nothing," "trying to look good limits my life," and other simple, meaningful statements. Most are public and interactive (words spelled out on the backs of swimmers in the Hudson River, or displayed by enormous blow-up monkeys lounging around Scotland, or flaming in Singaporean bamboo scaffolding), while others are more private experiments with intriguing materials (sausages, cacti, sperm). All are presented--along with personal anecdotes supporting his assertions and notes on the practicalities of creating each project--in an alluringly interactive format: a "box" of 15 booklets with unique covers that can be switched to transform the look of the case from creepy to lovely. --Mari Malcolm

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