Glass

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

Pause and look around- you will see that you are surrounded by glass. It reflects and refracts light through your windows; it encircles a glowing filament above you; it's in a mirror hanging on the wall; it lies shattered in a dented corner of an iPhone you're drinking water out of a pint glass.

Taking up a most common object, rarely considered because assumed to be transparent, John Garrison draws evocative connections between historical depictions of glass and emerging visions that see it as holding a unique promise for new forms of interaction. Grounded in everyday examples, this book offers a series of surprising insights into how we increasingly find ourselves living in a world made of glass.

Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.

About the Author

John Garrison is Associate Professor of English at Carroll University, USA. Prior to teaching, he helped develop technology and marketing innovations for leading companies such as Sony Electronics, Marvel Entertainment, Yahoo!, Panasonic, and Warner Brothers Pictures.