The Story behind the Book: The Subversive Utopia (Sakr)

 


Today's book back story is about The Subversive Utopia by Dr. Yasir Sakr.

From the publisher:

In early 2006, through a mutual friend, while living in Jordan, the owners of MSI Press (at that time, not yet an incorporated business) met a young professor of architecture, Dr. Yasir Sakr, at his home where his young son, Abdelrahim, was present. Abdelrahim was about five years old and pretty much the same as 5-year-olds everywhere. 

Yasir had a book idea, based on his dissertation. The topic was to share research he had accomplished on the National Jewish architectural style in Jerusalem and the influence of Louis Kahn, an American architect born in Estonia when that country was part of Russia and transported to the US when his parents emigrated and whose design for the Hurva Synagogue, while never adopted did influence subsequent design for the synagogue and other sacred buildings. 

The typesetting of the book was a challenge, fitting immense drawings into small book pages, especially ones that had to be spread across two pages. With Yasir in Amman and the press relocated (in 2006) in California in the USA, working through these book design challenges proved a difficult feat. Fortunately, some assistance was found in Amman, and with joint effort, the book finally came out. 

And speaking of the passage of time...since the book came out, the MSI Press editor has been able to visit Yasir in his home, once again, in Amman and young Abdelrahim grew up, had a short-term work assignment in California, and was able to visit us. Coming full circle...

As to the author's story behind the book, we will leave that to Yasir and another post.

Meanwhile, we are happy that the book continues to sell, and Yasir is working on some updates to the introduction, which we hope to see in a second edition some time next year.



Read more posts about Yasir and his book HERE. 






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Julia Aziz, signing her book, Lessons of Labor, at an event at Book People in Austin, Texas.




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Steven Greenebaum, author of award-winning books, An Afternoon's Discussion and One Family: Indivisible, talking to a reader at Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, California.





   
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