Cracking the Whip: Essays on Design and Its Side Effects

Design is inescapably part of our lives--from the alarm clocks we wake up to and the cups we use for our morning coffee, to the chairs we sit in, the cars we drive, and the houses and cities we live in. In 63 engaged and engaging essays, Caplan explores how we use design, language, and instinct in our everyday world to relate to others, maintain traditions, and advance our causes. He probes our relation to the things that both comfort and disorient us—from pasta to corporate culture—and shows how we are shaped by our own artifacts and our attitudes toward them. Our sense of place and regional diversity are also examined—as are the shock of the new, the persistence of the old, and the expectation of a future. In this age of global sensibilities and "tourism as a lifestyle," we're continually recycling as we create. Previously published in forums such as The New York Times, I.D., Print, and Interior Design, Caplan (author of the popular classic By Design) is sharp, thoughtful, charming, and challenging. With a foreword by Milton Glaser.