Five Minutes with Giorgio Ascoli
July 9, 2015
In our latest Five minutes with the author, Giorgio Ascoli discusses his book Trees of the Brain, Roots of the Mind.
Five Minutes with Chris Salter
June 18, 2015
Below, Chris Salter discusses his book, Alien Agency for our “Five Minutes with the Author” series.
In memoriam: Hermann Zapf (1918-2015)
June 10, 2015
Few who daily read the printed word ever consider how those component letters came to be. Yet every single letter of our alphabet has been shaped by the constant effort to render its image suitable in purpose and beautiful in form. It is not only the designer of a type face who creates the form of its letters: many hands join in the common task to find the final and the best adaptation of the creative artist’s design. Rarely has there been an activity with consequences so manifold and far-reaching as those of the formation of a printing type. Those engaged in this work have thus incurred a great responsibility; they take satisfaction in knowing that their work may represent one of the most noble and progressive of all human activities.
Vaclav Smil receives the 2015 OPEC Award for Research
June 8, 2015
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has announced that its 2015 Award for Research has been awarded to our author Vaclav Smil.
In memoriam: Amy Brandt
June 2, 2015
For the second time in as many days, this blog has the unhappy task of bringing news of the death of one of our authors. This one seems especially cruel: The art historian Amy Brandt, at the age of only 37, after what the Chrysler Museum of Art of Norfolk, Va., described as “a valiant health struggle.”
In memoriam: Judith Layzer
June 1, 2015
One of this blog’s more difficult duties is to pass along word of the passing of our authors. Today we bring the sad news of the death of Judith Layzer, an MIT PhD and a faculty member in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning from 2003 until her death on May 28.
Boston Review
May 26, 2015
Starting today, and ending on June 1st, we’re offering a 50% discount on Boston Review books excluding Conflict in Ukraine. Read below for some more info on a few of the titles!
Joplin Tornado Anniversary
May 22, 2015
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the deadly tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri. Keith Tidball, coauthor of Civic Ecology: Adaptation and Transformation from the Ground Up, reflects on his work in Joplin, rebuilding after devastation, and how principles of civic ecology were demonstrated in the aftermath.
Bike Awareness Day
May 12, 2015
The bicycle ranks as one of the most enduring, most widely used vehicles in the world, with more than a billion produced during almost two hundred years of cycling history. Today, it continues to be popular as a convenient and eco-friendly mode of transportation. In honor of Bike Awareness Day and Bike to Work Week, enjoy these images depicting bicycles throughout history from Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History by Tony Hadland and Hans-Erhard Lessing.
Independent Bookstore Day
May 2, 2015
Happy Independent Bookstore Day! We are celebrating with a Q&A with John Jenkins, manager of the MIT Press bookstore.