Title
Book from the Ground: from point to point (Mit Press),Used
Delivery time: 8-12 business days (International)
A book without words, recounting a day in the life of an office worker, told completely in the symbols, icons, and logos of modern life.Twenty years ago I made Book from the Sky, a book of illegible Chinese characters that no one could read. Now I have created Book from the Ground, a book that anyone can read.Xu BingFollowing his classic work Book from the Sky, the Chinese artist Xu Bing presents a new graphic novelone composed entirely of symbols and icons that are universally understood. Xu Bing spent seven years gathering materials, experimenting, revising, and arranging thousands of pictograms to construct the narrative of Book from the Ground. The result is a readable story without words, an account of twentyfour hours in the life of Mr. Black, a typical urban whitecollar worker.Our protagonist's day begins with wakeup calls from a nearby bird and his bedside alarm clock; it continues through toothbrushing, coffeemaking, TVwatching, and catfeeding. He commutes to his job on the subway, works in his office, ponders various fastfood options for lunch, waits in line for the bathroom, daydreams, sends flowers, socializes after work, goes home, kills a mosquito, goes to bed, sleeps, and gets up the next morning to do it all over again. His day is recounted with meticulous and intimate detail, and reads like a postmodern, posttextual riff on James Joyce's account of Bloom's peregrinations in Ulysses. But Xu Bing's narrative, using an exclusively visual language, could be published anywhere, without translation or explication; anyone with experience in contemporary lifeanyone who has internalized the icons and logos of modernity, from smiley faces to transit maps to menuscan understand it.
By changing our most important processes and
products, we have already made a big leap forward. This ranges from the
increased use of more sustainable fibers to the use of more
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efficient waste management in our value chain.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
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Shipping
We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
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Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
We accept payments with :
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Paypal, Shopify Payments, Shop Pay and more.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the main theme of 'Book from the Ground'? A: The main theme of 'Book from the Ground' is a day in the life of an office worker, depicted entirely through symbols, icons, and logos, making it universally understandable without the need for words.
- Q: Who is the author of 'Book from the Ground'? A: The author of 'Book from the Ground' is Xu Bing, a renowned Chinese artist known for his innovative use of visual language.
- Q: What is the format of this book? A: 'Book from the Ground' is published in paperback format and contains 128 pages.
- Q: When was 'Book from the Ground' published? A: 'Book from the Ground' was published on November 6, 2018.
- Q: Is 'Book from the Ground' suitable for all ages? A: Yes, 'Book from the Ground' is suitable for readers of all ages as it does not contain any text and relies solely on visual storytelling.
- Q: What is the significance of the symbols used in the book? A: The symbols used in 'Book from the Ground' represent common experiences and daily routines, allowing readers from different backgrounds to relate to the story without language barriers.
- Q: Can 'Book from the Ground' be understood by non-English speakers? A: Yes, 'Book from the Ground' can be understood by non-English speakers as it uses a universal visual language that transcends linguistic differences.
- Q: What type of artwork is included in 'Book from the Ground'? A: 'Book from the Ground' features a variety of pictograms and icons that Xu Bing meticulously arranged to tell the story of a typical urban worker's day.
- Q: How does 'Book from the Ground' compare to Xu Bing's earlier work, 'Book from the Sky'? A: 'Book from the Ground' contrasts with 'Book from the Sky' by using recognizable symbols instead of illegible characters, emphasizing accessibility and universal understanding.
- Q: What kind of experience can readers expect from 'Book from the Ground'? A: Readers can expect a unique visual narrative that invites them to interpret the story through imagery, engaging them in a postmodern exploration of daily life.