Virginia Inman Postrel's Books

The Fabric of Civilization

How Textiles Made the World

By: Virginia Postrel

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The Fabric of Civilization

How Textiles Made the World

By: Virginia Postrel

From Paleolithic flax to 3D knitting, explore the global history of textiles and the world they weave together in this enthralling and educational guide. The story of humanity is the story of textiles -- as old as civilization itself. Since the first thread was spun, the need for textiles has driven technology, business, politics, and culture. In The Fabric of Civilization, Virginia Postrel synthesizes groundbreaking research from archaeology, economics, and science to reveal a surprising history. From Minoans exporting wool colored with precious purple dye to Egypt, to Romans arrayed in costly Chinese silk, the cloth trade paved the crossroads of the ancient world. Textiles funded the Renaissance and the Mughal Empire; they gave us banks and bookkeeping, Michelangelo's David and the Taj Mahal. The cloth business spread the alphabet and arithmetic, propelled chemical research, and taught people to think in binary code. Assiduously researched and deftly narrated, The Fabric of Civilization tells the story of the world's most influential commodity.

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Page Count

320

Publisher

Basic Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1541617614

ISBN 13

9781541617612

The Future and Its Enemies

The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise,

By: Virginia Postrel

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The Future and Its Enemies

The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise,

By: Virginia Postrel

Today we have greater wealth, health, opportunity, and choice than at any time in history. Yet a chorus of intellectuals and politicians laments our current condition -- as slaves to technology, coarsened by popular culture, and insecure in the face of economic change. The future, they tell us, is dangerously out of control, and unless we precisely govern the forces of change, we risk disaster. In The Future and Its Enemies, Virginia Postrel explodes the myths behind these claims. Using examples that range from medicine to fashion, she explores how progress truly occurs and demonstrates that human betterment depends not on conformity to one central vision but on creativity and decentralized, open-ended trial and error. She argues that these two opposing world-views -- "stasis" vs. "dynamism" -- are replacing "left" and "right" to define our cultural and political debate as we enter the next century. In this bold exploration of how civilizations learn, Postrel heralds a fundamental shift in the way we view politics, culture, technology, and society as we face an unknown -- and invigorating -- future.

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Page Count

292

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

1439135320

ISBN 13

9781439135327

The Substance of Style

How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, and Consciousness

By: Virginia Postrel

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The Substance of Style

How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, and Consciousness

By: Virginia Postrel

Whether it's sleek leather pants, a shiny new Apple computer, or a designer toaster, we make important decisions as consumers every day based on our sensory experience. Sensory appeals are everywhere, and they are intensifying, radically changing how Americans live and work. The twenty-first century has become the age of aesthetics, and whether we realize it or not, this influence has taken over the marketplace, and much more. In this penetrating, keenly observed book, Virginia Postrel makes the argument that appearance counts, that aesthetic value is real. Drawing from fields as diverse as fashion, real estate, politics, design, and economics, Postrel deftly chronicles our culture's aesthetic imperative and argues persuasively that it is a vital component of a healthy, forward-looking society. Intelligent, incisive, and thought-provoking, The Substance of Style is a groundbreaking portrait of the democratization of taste and a brilliant examination of the way we live now.

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Page Count

273

Publisher

Harper Collins

Published Date

ISBN 10

0061852864

ISBN 13

9780061852862

The Power of Glamour

Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion

By: Virginia Postrel

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The Power of Glamour

Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion

By: Virginia Postrel

An exploration of glamour, a potent cultural force that influences where people choose to live, which careers to pursue, where to invest, and how to vote, offers empowerment to be smarter about engaging with the world.

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Page Count

288

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

1416561110

ISBN 13

9781416561118

Book's by Virginia Inman Postrel

The Fabric of Civilization

The Fabric of Civilization

The Future and Its Enemies

The Future and Its Enemies

The Substance of Style

The Substance of Style

The Power of Glamour

The Power of Glamour

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