Status
Available
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Genres
Collection
Publication
W W Norton & Co Inc (1969), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 757 pages
Description
First published in 1948, Mechanization Takes Command is an examination of mechanization and its effects on everyday life. A monumental figure in the field of architectural history, Sigfried Giedion traces the evolution and resulting philosophical implications of such disparate innovations as the slaughterhouse, the Yale lock, the assembly line, tractors, ovens, and "comfort"as defined by advancements in furniture design. A groundbreaking text when originally published, Giedion's pioneering work remains an important contribution to architecture, philosophy, and technology studies.
User reviews
LibraryThing member archidose
Sigfried Giedion wrote one of the most influential books on architecture last century, "Space, Time and Architecture," released in 1941 and updated four times more before Giedion died. If one masterpiece in his lifetime was not enough, Giedion also wrote this masterful volume seven years later on
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the "anonymous history" of mechanization taking hold of just about every aspect of people's lives. Having covered architecture in the earlier book, here he tracks the changes in the food we eat, the chairs we sit on, the rooms we bathe in, and even the locks that secure our homes. As much a product of its time as "Space, Time and Architecture," "Mechanization Takes Command" is, as Stanislaus von Moos states in the postscript to the 2013 printing (University of Minnesota Press) of the 1948 book, equal parts "factographic" historical account and manifesto. I prefer to read it in the former sense, since the balance of textual and visual evidence paints a clear picture of technology's advance, even as the unbiased nature of Giedion's writing comes through from time to time. It does make me wonder if a similar "anonymous history" could be done on the computer age, on the influence of the digital in similar areas of our life. Perhaps somebody's done that and I'm not aware; if not, Giedion's reprinted book is a wake-up call for somebody to dive in. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Notable Books List (1948)
Language
Original publication date
1948
Physical description
743 p.; 7.6 inches
ISBN
0393004899 / 9780393004892