Books Covered by Tobias

Check Out

• Richard St. John: Success is a Continuous Journey (video)
• The outlet wall.
• The Wayback  Machine. Enter web address and see an archived version.
  * Bonus: My first site. 1996

Talent

I remember embarking on my design career sixteen years ago banking on raw talent to make me irresistible to potential employers. Ever since elementary school my ability to draw, create, etc. had been noted by fellow students, teachers and parents. And now, with my well-crafted portfolio in hand, I was set to change the world. After all, I was talented. Everyone (including my grandmother) told me so. 

Since then I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that my level of "raw" talent would never have gotten me very far. That romanticized idealism has been replaced with a pragmatic realism: we work in the real world with people, problems, and limits. 

Talent only gets you so far. But how far? What percentage of success as a designer comes from talent and how much do you attribute to other factors: business sense, people skills, networking, marketing, etc? Specifically, how heavily do you rely on talent for your success?

Please leave your comments. All are welcome to respond. However, unkind, unhelpful or inappropriate comments will be subject to deletion.

GroupThink

Beginning today, I plan to post an ongoing series of questions aimed at book designers as a way of opening discussion about various topics related to our industry. One thing that I so appreciate about the book design "community" is that though diverse in background, location, workstyle, etc, there is a strong camaraderie. The number of us who claim this profession is relatively small and I'm always appreciative of the respect and admiration that is shared. While the business of book design is competitive, the competition tends to breed better work all-around. 

Others outside of book design are certainly free to field the questions or give input. I hope that together we can compile a nice collection of discussions for the benefit of those in the profession now and in the future.

Check Out

• Such fabulous titles as The Goth Scene and How to Live to Be 100 or More at Awful Library Books (via)
• C.S. Richardson, VP and Creative Director of Random House CA on Book Design (Clip 1, Clip 2, Clip 3)
• Discover or be discovered at putiton.com (via)

Partnership Parenting

 

Partnership Parenting: How Men and Women Parent Differently—Why it Helps Your Kids and Can Strengthen Your Marriage

by Kyle Pruett and Marsha Kline Pruett

Publisher: DaCapo

Art Director: Georgia Feldman; Cover Design: Christopher Tobias

Pocket Guide to Crisis Intervention

The Pocket Guide to Crisis Intervention

by Albert Roberts and Kenneth Yeager

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Art Director: Mark LaRiviere; Cover Design: Christopher Tobias

The Miracle

The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia's Quest for Wealth. 

By Asia Business Correspondent for Time, Michael Schuman. 

Publisher: Harper Collins

Art Director: Richard Ljoenes; Jacket Design: Christopher Tobias

Reviewed in the Wall Street Journal.

Covering John Calvin's 500th

Today is the 500th birthday of protestant theologian John Calvin, arguable one of the most influential thinkers, writers, and pastors in the history of the church.  Like all men he had his "warts", which have been well-documented (though often misunderstood). However, his writings have endured the test of time and Christianity owes him a great deal.

Over the past year publishers have been gearing up for this day. I alone have done nearly 10 books on Calvin and his writings. Here are a few.

"The Age of Wonder"

One of my favorite projects of late was for Random House (Pantheon): Richard Holmes' The Age of Wonder. Jonathan Sainsbury originally assigned this project to me last year before his departure and I finished it up under the direction of Brian Barth. All books bring a certain level of satisfaction when you get the finished product in-hand. But, some more than others. This is one of them.

Last week I got a kind note from one of the art directors at Random House about the design of the Holmes book and told me that he would send me copies, which he did. I could not have been happier when I opened the package. The folks in Random House's production department did an outstanding job in overseeing the printing and finishing. The jacket has a nice texture to it. I will have to find out the process. The title type was spec'd with a matte gold foil which works so nicely.

But in keeping with my determination to become more literary this summer (I should have joined with my kids in the reading contest at our local library), I am reading The Age of Wonder. It is an absolutely riveting read about the fusion of Romanitism and science in the eighteenth century. Part history, part science, and part biography, Mr. Holmes has constructed a story that reads more like a novel than nonfiction.

Instead of ineptly trying to explain more about it,  I would recommend today's cover story in the NY Times book section and this interview with Mr. Holmes. Considering the number of pages and the rate at which I read this may last me until Christmas. But, it will be worth it.