Foundations of Optimism : My Journey from Communist Poland to Rebuilding the World Trade Center - Softcover

Daniel Libeskind

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0719566738 ISBN 13: 9780719566738

Publisher: John Murray, 2005

Synopsis

Daniel Libeskind's iconic buildings around the world -- from the Jewish Museum in Berlin to the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester, the V&A 'Spiral' to the most symbolic rebuilding project ever: the World Trade Center -- have sparked vigorous debate, not only for the way they look but for the ideas they contain. These are ideas that are important for all of us, and this is the story of those ideas -- a memoir of Libeskind's own life experiences, and of the events of history that have informed them. It is a book about the adventure life can offer each of us if we seize it, and about how we can all harness positively the powerful forces of tragedy, memory and hope.

About this title

About the Author:

Daniel Libeskind is a renowned international figure in architecture and urban design. Following his inspired Jewish Museum Berlin, in February 2003 he won the Master Plan competition for the World Trade Center site. Born in postwar Poland in 1946, Libeskind became an American citizen in 1965. He studied music in Israel and performed internationally, then went on to study architecture in New York and at Essex University. He has received numerous international architectural awards, as well as the Hiroshima Art Prize -- awarded to artists whose work promotes peace.

Review:

'Mr Libeskind is at his best here.' -- The Art Newspaper 20041101 'What fuels Libeskind is passion. This is what makes him so skilled at storytelling.' -- Glasgow Herald 20041020 'Sprightly and often fascinating ... A witty insider's take on the convoluted bureaucracy and rampant egos that bedevil any serious contemporary architecture' -- Scotland on Sunday 20041107 'Libeskind ... is a brilliant populist ... [His] genius ... is never more clearly expressed than here in his own words' -- Scottish Sunday Herald 20041107 'This reader was seduced by the clearly unique philosophy of a man who may one day be viewed, without dispute, as a great architect.' -- Blueprint 20041107 'It is a surprisingly engaging and forgiving book.' -- RIBA Journal 20041107 'Powerful stuff, if unsettling'. -- Focus 20050201 'His new book ... illustrates so vividly that life is an exciting adventure which must be seized. ... This memoir of one man's journey brings together history, personal experience, our physical environment and a fresh international vision. ... Breaking Ground is beautifully produced with many remarkable photos of Daniel's work and ideas. You are left with a man whose profession and love of life coincide.' -- Jewish Telegraph 20041107 'A smart, chatty, selff-assured survey of his life and work ... It's great stuff, and his buildings emerge in a new light' -- Evening Standard 20050822 'His is a brave attempt to reinvent architecture - and one that has succeeded beyond all expectations ... Libeskind likes getting his teeth into the Big Themes ... Which he does, expertly' -- Guardian 'A global star of architecture ... [Breaking Ground] shows the same combination of sharp intelligence ... and straight sentimentality ... that has endeared him to many' -- Time Literary Supplement 20041029 'Just as Libeskind's mind effortlessly zaps back and forth between concrete references and abstract conceptualising, he is as populist as he is highbrow ... Uplifting and fascinating reading' -- Observer 20041029 'One of the most celebrated - and controversial - architects alive. ... He has produced a readable, compelling and highly unorthodox book - part polemic, part celebrity autobiography, part credo ... He really is - as many New Yorkers have come to believe - an architectural visionary.' -- Sunday Telegraph 20041107 'Never have I come across such a lively, totally original, and provocative account of one man's struggle at the cutting edge of architecture.' -- The Spectator 20041107 'His passion is hugely apparent ... even casual readers will find this an extraordinary tale of artistic and personal achievement'. -- Good Book Guide 20050101 'It's as though one is in the presence of a polished conjuror doing fascinating tricks with a pack of cards, making incidents in his life, and in the world, appear and disappear, effortlessly' -- Literary Review 20050205 'Absorbing and well crafted' -- Guardian 20050903 'Fascinating detail' -- Sunday Times 20050925

About this edition

• Publisher: John Murray
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0719566738
• ISBN 13: 9780719566738
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304