The Ice Palace That Melted Away: Restoring Civility and Other Lost Virtues to Everyday Life

"No thing is too large or too small to have within it a civil message," writes designer Bill Stumpf, "inventions, all manner of urban architecture from public schools, daycare centers, to housing, police cars and uniforms, taxicabs, food, plumbing, telephones, computers, media, affordable and available products of quality." Stumpf has been doing his part to make the world a more comfortable place for years--among the products he's designed was the world's first ergonomic chair--and in The Ice Palace That Melted Away, he shares his thoughts (and a few flights of fancy) with readers.

Stumpf has a folksy, grandfatherly style of delivery that serves him well, whether he's talking about a set of lace curtains he saw in the window of a Swiss police station, Britain's lamentable phase-out of its archetypal red telephone booths, or his suggested redesign of the 747 to allow more passengers to enjoy the thrilling airborne views. Stumpf lives in Minneapolis (the titular ice palace was a 100-foot-plus sculpture at the neighboring St. Paul Winter Carnival), and his quiet celebration of his neighbor's way of life is somewhat reminiscent of Garrison Keillor, but with some urbane twists all his own.