Is it real? What do I remember? How can you tell a story? Can lying be OK? What goes where? Why is it famous? What makes it problematic? Who do you think you are? Stealing or borrowing? Public or private? These ten questions launch a thought-provoking investigation into what is really going on when you look at a photograph. Peeling back the layers of everything from the earliest daguerreotypes to your latest selfie, you will discover where to find meaning in an image, and the ways in which the photographer, our current culture, and you yourself all collaborate in the creation of that meaning.
Discover art photography through the 100 greatest ever photos. In the two centuries that photography has been practical, it has created a means of communication , the understanding of which is essential to anyone navigating this very visual world. From Daguerre's early images to the real-life sharing of Instagram, photography has never really been "the truth," though nor is it necessarily dishonest. It is ambiguous, complicated and subjective, fleeting and lasting at the same time. This book will introduce the best examples and show you how you can 'read' every image.
Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time. Praise for Decoded “Compelling . . . provocative, evocative . . . Part autobiography, part lavishly illustrated commentary on the author’s own work, Decoded gives the reader a harrowing portrait of the rough worlds Jay-Z navigated in his youth, while at the same time deconstructing his lyrics.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times “One of a handful of books that just about any hip hop fan should own.”—The New Yorker “Elegantly designed, incisively written . . . an impressive leap by a man who has never been known for small steps.”—Los Angeles Times “A riveting exploration of Jay-Z’s journey . . . So thoroughly engrossing, it reads like a good piece of cultural journalism.”—The Boston Globe “Shawn Carter’s most honest airing of the experiences he drew on to create the mythic figure of Jay-Z . . . The scenes he recounts along the way are fascinating.”—Entertainment Weekly “Hip-hop’s renaissance man drops a classic. . . . Heartfelt, passionate and slick.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Do you really need a ten-step skincare regimen? Is that $100 eye cream worth it? And what the heck are “actives” anyway? In this book two professional chemists and beauty industry insiders tell all. Depending on who you listen to, the secret to beautiful skin is microbiomes. Or Korean rice water. Or maybe a dermaplaning tool. It feels like you need a degree in chemistry to even understand what these products are, and if they live up to the hype. Luckily, Victoria Fu and Gloria Lu, professional skincare chemists have done that work so you don’t have to. The science may seem complicated, but this book will show you how simple it can be, giving you what you need to make informed decisions about your skin (and your wallet). Skincare Actives? Technically, cat sneezes could count. SPF? Yep, super important. Caffeine serums? The science is still out. CBD additives? Not enough studies yet, so the jury’s still out. The authors are the creators behind the popular Chemist Confessions Instagram, and this book brings the sass, humor, and solid information they’re known for. Additional chapters address the best ingredients for every skin type, and reveal the only four products you really need.
Decoded tells the story of Rong Jinzhwen, one of the great code-breakers in the world. A semi-autistic mathematical genius, Jinzhen is recruited to the cryptography department of China's secret services, Unit 701, where he is assigned the task of breaking the elusive 'Code Purple'. Jinzhen rises through the ranks to eventually become China's greatest and most celebrated code-breaker; until he makes a mistake. Then begins his descent through the unfathomable darkness of the world of cryptology into madness. Decoded was an immediate success when it was published in 2002 in China and has become an international bestseller. With the pacing of a literary crime thriller, Mai Jia's masterpiece also combines elements of historical fiction and state espionage. Taking place in the shadowy world of Chinese secret security, where Mai Jia worked for decades, it introduces us to a place that is unfamiliar, intriguing and authentic. And with Rong Jinzhen, it introduces us to a character who is deeply flawed and fragile, yet possessing exceptional intelligence. Decoded is an unforgettable and gripping story of genius, brilliance, insanity and human frailty. Mai Jia (the pseudonym of Jiang Benhu) is arguably the most successful writer in China today. His books are constant bestsellers, with total sales over three million copies. He became the highest paid author in China last year with his new book, Wind Talk. He has achieved unprecedented success with film adaptation: all of his novels are made - or are being made - into major films or TV series, the screenplays of which are often written by Mai Jia himself. He is hailed as the forerunner of Chinese espionage fiction, and has created a unique genre that combines spycraft, code-breaking, crime, human drama, historical fiction, and metafiction. He has won almost every major award in China, including the highest literary honor - the Mao Dun Award.
Media philosopher Vilém Flusser proposed a revolutionary new way of thinking about photography. An analysis of the medium in terms of aesthetics, science and politics provided him with new ways of understanding both the cultural crises of the past and the new social forms nascent within them. Flusser showed how the transformation of textual into visual culture (from the linearity of history into the two-dimensionality of magic) and of industrial into post-industrial society (from work into leisure) went hand in hand, and how photography allows us to read and interpret these changes with particular clarity.
In a captivating memoir, an Egyptian American visionary and scientist provides an intimate view of her personal transformation as she follows her calling—to humanize our technology and how we connect with one another. LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD • “A vivid coming-of-age story and a call to each of us to be more mindful and compassionate when we interact online.”—Arianna Huffington NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PARADE Rana el Kaliouby is a rarity in both the tech world and her native Middle East: a Muslim woman in charge in a field that is still overwhelmingly white and male. Growing up in Egypt and Kuwait, el Kaliouby was raised by a strict father who valued tradition—yet also had high expectations for his daughters—and a mother who was one of the first female computer programmers in the Middle East. Even before el Kaliouby broke ground as a scientist, she broke the rules of what it meant to be an obedient daughter and, later, an obedient wife to pursue her own daring dream. After earning her PhD at Cambridge, el Kaliouby, now the divorced mother of two, moved to America to pursue her mission to humanize technology before it dehumanizes us. The majority of our communication is conveyed through nonverbal cues: facial expressions, tone of voice, body language. But that communication is lost when we interact with others through our smartphones and devices. The result is an emotion-blind digital universe that impairs the very intelligence and capabilities—including empathy—that distinguish human beings from our machines. To combat our fundamental loss of emotional intelligence online, she cofounded Affectiva, the pioneer in the new field of Emotion AI, allowing our technology to understand humans the way we understand one another. Girl Decoded chronicles el Kaliouby’s journey from being a “nice Egyptian girl” to becoming a woman, carving her own path as she revolutionizes technology. But decoding herself—learning to express and act on her own emotions—would prove to be the biggest challenge of all.
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Design Industries and Creative Culture (Design Decoded 2021) which has been organised by the College of Creative Arts (previously renown as Faculty of Art & Design), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kedah Branch. Design Decoded 2021 analysed and discussed how art, design and education may have an influence, create a societal difference, and contribute to the economy, as well as how we think, live, work and learn. The main topic of this proceeding was “Decrypt Your Visual Creativity” which consisted of 65 articles about design thinking, interior design, art and design management, industrial design, education in design creativity and innovation, sustainable art and design, visual communication, new media, graphic and digital media, visual culture, design practice, art history, art and creative community, and methodology in design creativity. We are truly thanking you to our four keynote speakers Emeritus Prof. Dr. T.W. Allan Whitfield, Prof. Dr. Khairul Aidil Azlin Abdul Rahman, Dr. Nurul ‘Ayn Ahmad Sayuti and Mr. Firdaus Khalid for their constant support and guidance. Finally, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all colleagues in the steering and organising committee for their cooperation in administering and organising the conference, as well as reviewers for their intellectual effort and dedication to reviewing papers.
Computational Photography combines plentiful computing, digital sensors, modern optics, actuators, probes, and smart lights to escape the limitations of traditional film cameras and enables novel imaging applications. This book provides a practical guide to topics in image capture and manipulation methods for generating compelling pictures for graphics, special effects, scene comprehension, and art. The computational techniques discussed cover topics in exploiting new ideas in manipulating optics, illumination, and sensors at time of capture. In addition, the authors describe sophisticated reconstruction procedures from direct and indirect pixel measurements that go well beyond the traditional digital darkroom experience.
