Modern Man in the Making.

Neurath (Otto)

Published by First English edition with the sheets of the first U.S.,, 4to, 2 p. l., 7-159 pages, illustrations, 26.5cm, Alfred A. Knopf, New York and London, 1939

About this Item

Heavily illustrated with isotypes in blue, red, green and grey (and others). Blue cloth, spine titled in silver, lacks dust-jacket, edges of spine rubbed. A good copy. Modern Man in the Making (1939) is the high point of the Isotype team's core concern with social statistics. It resulted from a generous commission by the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, which gave Otto Neurath great freedom as author of the book. His principal collaborator (and later wife) Marie Reidemeister persuaded him to try something new: a book in what she called 'picture-text' style. A chart inserted into the text constituted a 'paragraph' that had to be 'read' in order to follow the argument. Reidemeister assumed the role of 'transformer', a name coined for the interpreter of statistical data into simplified graphic form - a role that anticipated the modern information designer. She worked closely with Neurath and Gerd Arntz to produce the tight unity of the book. Seven colours in total were used for printing the graphics.

Seller Inventory # 14545

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Modern Man in the Making.
• Publisher: First English edition with the sheets of the first U.S.,, 4to, 2 p. l., 7-159 pages, illustrations, 26.5cm, Alfred A. Knopf, New York and London, 1939
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
• Weight: 1.25 kilograms
• Seller catalogs:
  • Psychology & Anthropology
  • Typography