I have not read the book mentioned in the announcement below. But there are 2 good reasons to mention it. One is that the publishers first initiative was a book about the open and free paradigms, called “How Open is the Future?”. The second is that the authors of the individual essays are amongst the best and the most innovative that I know. (there is a third reason, I’m from Belgium as well, and happy to support initiatives in the Low Countries).

The book focuses on the invisible architectures and the protocollary power that is shaping much of our connected lives.

New Book: Brave New Interfaces. Individual, Social and Economic Impact of the next Generation Interfaces.

Second CROSSTALKS’ publication, VUBPRESS 2007, Eds Vice-rector Jan Cornelis & CROSSTALKS Director Marleen Wynants

Interfaces define the way we work, learn, live, communicate, play and love. Since we are speeding towards a world in which every object, building or body becomes part of an integrated network, CROSSTALKS – the university and industry network of Vrije Universiteit Brussel – invited an impressive range of academics, corporate leaders, designers, architects and artists to express their vision on the challenges of future interfaces.

To round up themes and issues that popped up during a congress on Brave New Interfaces last year and instigate further debate, CROSSTALKS asked them to focus on the conditions, processes and methods that might lead to better design concepts and products and to formulate critical reflections on the systems and processes on which we depend so much today. Names? Josephine Green (Innovation Manager Philips Design), Ezio Manzini (Politecnico di Milano), Hugo De Man (co-founder IMEC), Jan Van Den Bergh (i-Merge), Joannes Vandermeulen (Namahn), Salvatore Bono (Buro2N) and the artists Wim Cuyvers, Angelo Vermeulen and Philippe Dejonckheere.

“Brave New Interfaces. Individual, Social and Economic Impact of the Next Generation Interfaces” is a documented collection of articles and photographs with an esthetic look and feel and contains explanatory graphics and two artists’ portfolio’s. The book counts 324 pages and a useful index and was published by VUBPRESS. More info: http://www.vubpress.be.

The book was launched on April 26th in the Namahn Library in Brussels, introducing Jan Kriekels (CEO of JAGA and initiator of the Uchronians project at Burning Men in 2006) and musical contributions by artists Angelo Vermeulen and Walter Hus. For a report, please visit http://crosstalks.vub.ac.be.