Quintessence: The Quality of Having It
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
The perfect coffee table book for those who appreciate the finer elements of ordinary things, this beautifully photographed volume displays with the design flair of a museum show the ultimate iconic items. The thoughtful, intellectual--often irreverent--commentary on these commonplace things alongside the artistic photographs of each--over 75 in total--entertains with the search for soul in products that we know and probably use or have used. Whether they agree or disagree with the authors--and this is part of the fun--readers will delight in the homage to these things that we appreciate but rarely take the time to venerate. The martini, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a Mont Blanc pen--these things are not just drinks, foods or writing utensils, "they exhibit a rare and mysterious capacity to be just exactly what they ought to be," as the authors write. We get excited about them, not because they are the "best" but because they have an elusive combination of style, class and utility. The collection is astonishingly eclectic, yet with a flip through the pages readers instinctively understand the connection.
From the Inside Flap
There are things, and then there are...Things. This is a book about the objects of this world that transcend their form and function, that offer more to us than we ask of them - that rise above themselves to assume iconic stature. These are the simple, ageless, yet mythic things that possess Quintessence.
The Steinway Piano. The Oreo Cookie. The Volkswagen Beetle. The Frisbee. These objects, and the dozens of others featured in this book, elicit nods of recognition and smiles of deep satisfaction, as we recognize the classic outlines, the reassuring elegance, the essential perfection of each one.
Whether it is the cool, hand-hugging shape of the original Coke bottle, the aerodynamic glory of the Harley-Davidson ElectraGlide Motorcycle, the simple satisfaction of the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, or the fluid pleasure of the Mont Blanc fountain pen, the feelings inspired by a truly quintessential object reach far beyond its original use - as need makes way for desire.
In 65 captivating essays, each one accompanied by a lush photograph, the authors explore the astonishing quality that might be labeled "soul," or simply "rightness" -but is best described by the word that possesses the very quality it defines: Quintessence. Yes, this is a book about the things that make for style and constancy in out lives, but it is more than that. It is a book about the rare quality that turns the goods of our lives into objects sublime, exemplary, and lasting. What does a Slinky toy have in common with a Goodyear Blimp? Quintessence.
This is a book to savor like the perfect Martini, to luxuriate in like the best-fitting pair of Levis. It is a celebration of the sensual appeal of our favorite things.
Quintessence: The Quality of Having It
Quintessence: The Quality of Having It,Betty Cornfeld,Owen Edwards,Betty Cornfield,Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers,1579121500,General,Humor,Manufactures,Miscellanea,Pop Arts / Pop Culture,Popular Culture - General,Social Science / Popular Culture
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