Books published by Die Gestalten Verlag

Start your engines for a grand tour of the most stylish grand motoring automobiles ever created. Evoking an era when elegance, romance, and outright performance defined the automobile-and the fascinating stories that made them icons of the road. From the shark-inspired Maserati Ghibli to the fiery Lamborghini Miura, from European elegance with American firepower such as the Iso Grifo and Facel Vega to the groundbreaking designs of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale and Renault Alpine and the advanced technology behind the Jensen FF or Porsche 918 Spyder-these cars are less transportation and more testaments to beauty, freedom, ambition, innovation, and speed.Beautiful Machines was conceived and edited by gestalten. The stories are written by automobile expert Blake Z. Rong with a preface by Classic Driver's Jan Baedeker and gestalten's Robert Klanten.

Karl the Fog may never be too far away but who doesn't enjoy a bit of moody mist? Pull on some layers and head for the city's sprawling hills.Poised on its Californian peninsula, San Francisco is an energetic enclave with a storied libertine history, undeniable entrepreneurial fervour and vibrant cultural patronage.It may be known for its thriving technology sector but look beyond the numbers and you'll find a dynamic urban offering, complete with easygoing charm and dramatic natural beauty.The Monocle Travel Guide to San Francisco will help you navigate the varied and rolling cityscape, from the unhurried beachside allure of the Outer Sunset to the psychedelic hippie haze still prevailing in the Haight-Ashbury. We'll direct you to the glitziest art deco cinemas, round up our favourite forward-thinking retailers and show you where to enjoy everything from freshly shucked oysters to a jam-packed burrito. Of course, we'll also point out some first-rate early 20th-century architectural marvels, drop by one or two well-stocked wine bars and show you where to break a sweat - in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, no less.

Als Orte der Neugier, sind Bibliotheken seit jeher kollektives Gedächtnis, Quellen der Inspiration, flüsternd denkende Räume der Stille und des Studiums: Dieses Buch ist eine Ode an das Lesen. Doch diese Kathedralen des Wissens sind weit mehr als Archive der Vergangenheit: Bibliotheken wandeln und öffnen sich, nutzen neue Technologien und geben Orientierung im digitalen Rauschen. Sie sind Orte des gleichberechtigten Lernens, der Begegnung, der freien Bildung - und häufig Meisterwerke der zeitgenössischen Architektur. Büchertempel versammelt mehr als 50 der beeindruckendsten Bibliotheken der Welt und erkundet, wie vielfältig die Idee einer Bibliothek sein kann. Dieses Buch zeigt, warum die Bedeutung der Bibliothek als kulturelle Institution schon immer größer war als die Summe ihrer Bücher - für alle, die an die Kraft des geschriebenen Wortes glauben.

Think of Athens and the first things that spring to mind are ancient ruins and camera-toting crowds (before they hotfoot it to the island-bound ferries at the port of Piraeus, that is). It's true, the Acropolis is ever present and during summer the city thrums with schools of holidaymakers. But there's much more to the Greek capital than temples and tourists.We've looked beyond the admittedly awe-inspiring Parthenon and explored the city's modernist marvels, from circular school to colonnaded embassy. We've combed the cobbled streets for independent boutiques offering straw hats, hand-thrown ceramics and golden jewellery - all proudly "Made in Greece". When you're feeling peckish, choose between traditional family-run tavernas and contemporary restaurants spicing up classic Greek dishes.Attica is a region of riches and, of course, some of the nearby islands are simply too good to miss - so we've included a short and sharp list of our top stopovers. For now, though, strap up your sandals and allow us to introduce you to this chaotic but ever-so-charismatic city.

The title says it all: one man, one bike, one long ride, the adventure, the pleasure, and the pain. It is simultaneously a travelogue and visual journey.Martijn Doolaard traded the convenience of a car and the distractions of daily life for a cross-continental cycling journey: a biped adventure that would take him from Amsterdam to Singapore. Leaving behind repetitive routines, One Year on a Bike indulges in slow travel, the subtlety of a gradually changing landscape, and the lessons learned through traveling.Venturing through Eastern European fields of yellow rapeseed to the intimate hosting culture and community in Iran, One Year on a Bike is a vivid chronicle of what can happen when the norm is pointedly replaced by exceptional self-discoveries and beautiful sceneries. Doolaard shares the gear and knowledge that made his trip possible alongside the passionate curiosities that served as his impetus.

The golden era of industrial design that revolutionized home appliances.The fascinating world of product design that emerged between the 1960s and 1980s symbolized the birth of a new age and human behav- ior. From coffee grinders to fondue sets to hairdryers, each home appliance was intended to help in the daily household routines-but they were also masterpieces of style.Based on Jaro Gielens's collection, one of the largest in the world, Soft Electronics explores a nostalgic and unique set of prod- ucts from a very distinct time for design. Each object possesses a sense of longevity, quality, and innovation-one that has been hard to match since manufacturing was moved overseas and planned obsolescence redefined our relationship with electronic goods. Soft Electronics pays homage to an iconic era of design.