Meggs' History of Graphic Design,   ISBN:9780471699026

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I will definetely buy from this seller again. Very good quality book. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

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This is a wonderful book, and lives up to its reputation. Some of the images are not as of high quality as one would hope, but the author tells me that the next edition will have higher quality of some of the images. Overall, love the book

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This book is an absolute must have for any graphic designer and should be required for any design program. I got this book twenty years into a graphic design career and I still find it invaluable. It is the foundation of any good reference library. It is worth every penny!

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this book is great! helps you get acquainted with the detailed history of graphic design.

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It may (or may not) be of interest to the reader to ponder some design facts not specified in this book. My review being number 46 in line, I thought it apropos to inject something new. If I am mistaken I apologize in advance.

Science now tells us that within seconds of the blast which created the universe, then, too, was every element of design created. And these are line, shape, size, texture and color.*

Through eons of time, blast matter coalesced.

We need look no further than our own solar system to witness the formation of design in the universe: planets round the sun in designated orbits; the planet Saturn, with its rings, a beautiful design. Meanwhile, back on Earth, we behold an atom, perfectly in balance and in harmony with itself as a full moon hangs above a horizontal plane.

The words "design" and "art" are sometimes used interchangeably. However, there exist basic differences between the two. Design, as noted above, is a creation of the universe; art, on the other hand, a creation of man. Design is approximately fifteen billion years old; man's first verifiable art approximately fifteen thousand years old. Art requires the human hand; design exists without us. Whenever we design, we borrow from the universe; we use numbers and calculations of which we are often unaware--our "design sense" at work.

Design is an exponent of certain elements and principles (dating from creation) whereas art is all else not included therein, for instance, the smile on Mona Lisa's face. Man DISCOVERED design; he in no way created it. Safer to say that design created man. Design is forever obligated to obey nature's laws whereas art is under no such obligation whatsoever.

Although "art" defies a universally accepted definition, it has been stated that anything which an artist produces is art. This, in fact, may very well be true, but not everything which an artist produces is good art, meaningful art, poignant art, relevant art or significant art, and much, therefore, deservedly falls by the wayside.

Man, as graphic designer, combines art and design. The ultimate goal: a message understood.

Meggs' History of Graphic Design might in other respects be of significance to this industry, however, the author draws no distinction between art and design and seemingly "blurs" the two into one single entity, depicting design as a manmade concoction, possibly the work of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. This book, being used as a textbook in schools, I would expect a higher level of clarification from this author if only a few paragraphs somewhere at the outset. A designer need not necessarily be an artist and it would be helpful, particularly to students, for the author to note the difference. As far as being the industry's "Bible", as some have decreed, only that which bears witness to the truth can claim that distinction. Meggs History of Graphic Design has still a way to go.

Well, thanks for your time. Very kind of you to give a listen.

*For information regarding the ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES of design see John Lovett's informative site. If you're interested in watercoloring check out his book, "Watercolor For The Fun Of It" now available at Amazon.

Suggestions for further reading: The Harmonies of the World by Johannes Kepler; The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin; The Discovery of the Future by H.G. Wells; Cosmos by Carl Sagan. Find them all at Amazon.