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CHOICE Review

Berman is an astute collector of modernist graphic design, who has purchased many choice examples starting in the mid-1970s when these works were obscure and inexpensive. A "who's who" of prestigious designers are represented in his collection, including Jan Tschichold, Piet Zwart, El Lissitzky, John Heartfield, and Lester Beall. Graphic Design in the Mechanical Age is an exhibition and book that gathers together a selection of these modernist works under the umbrella theme of mechanization and its role in influencing graphic designers from the 1920s onward. The curators of the exhibition, Rothschild, Lupton, and Goldstein, have contributed beautifully written essays for the book, explaining the trends, movements, and collaborations that revolutionized graphic design. Not only are the authors enthusiastic about their subject, they express themselves in a style that is clearly understandable to readers unfamiliar with design theory. Many excellent examples of posters, packaging, and book design have been culled from the Berman collection to underscore the themes presented in the essays. A superb addition to any design history collection. Undergraduates through faculty. J. Mendenhall; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo