Taking Things Seriously: 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance by Joshua Glenn and Carol Hayes, published by Princeton Architectural Press; (August 9, 2007)

Ok ok I love this book. Such a little unassuming book, who would think that it contains the power to make you laugh, cry, think and discuss all within a few minutes. It is basically short essays about the objects that inspire us, that we love or hate and cannot part with. Artists, designers and writers have contributed their stories about their weird, strange and wonderful objects to motivate and energise our creativity.

The objects described in the book all have a past, sometimes seedy and embarrassing, other times sad and depressing, uplifting and funny and powerful too - always interesting. I flick through this book, back and forth, something catches my attention - the image or the title or maybe I want to read a short story or maybe a word pops out and grabs me. There is a pile of dirt - the writer says of it “I was hit powerfully with how much of the land is inside of me, how much it makes me who I am.” A black t-shirt with ‘love is not enough’ written on it - the writer says “My mum died eight months to the day after I made the shirt.” I love the story of the guy who kept an artichoke on his kitchen window sill while it went through the process of decay - now it is a dried up husk but is treasured more than the expensive antiques it is displayed with. And the story of the woman who bought an educational torso from a garage sale and recognised the woman who was selling it - the whole sad tale of this womans life was suddenly remembered. A needlepoint sampler with the word “thoughts” on it puzzles the owner. It was given her by her aunt and invokes deep anxiety everytime she looks at it - what could her aunt have been thinking when she made it - but it is the perfect combination of humble craft and philosophical expression.

These are just a sample of the 75 objects with their stories that are included in this wonderful thought provoking book.

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