Books from Brad Pitt

Shigeru Ban

This large-format monograph is the first to chronicle exclusively Shigeru Ban’s explorations in "paper architecture." Informed by a thorough and early interest in sustainable forms, his innovative practice pioneered the use of paper as a structural element in buildings. This book features permanent and temporary structures, ranging from one-off museums and exhibition spaces to emergency structures for communities displaced by natural and man-made catastrophes. The forty projects featured in the book showcase the variety of possible applications for paper and its derivative forms (cardboard, fiber-based composites). As flexible as it is adaptable, when used in tandem with other locally sourced building materials or post-industrial surplus (maritime shipping containers), Ban’s singular use of paper knowingly references paper’s traditional uses in vernacular Japanese buildings, and advances modern construction technology, reducing its environmental impact. A number of prominent works from the last decade are featured, including the Nomadic Museums built in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, his work for the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Metz, the Papertainer Museum in Seoul, his pavilions for design and luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Artek, as well as a number of landmark residences in Japan, Europe, and North America. Of particular focus will be Ban’s humanitarian work. Documented in a book for the first time are all the relief projects his studio has undertaken in the last two decades for the U.N. High Commission on Refugees. These include housing for tsunami victims in Sri Lanka and earthquake victims in Turkey and Japan, and emergency shelter for war-ravaged communities in Rwanda and the Congo.
Brad Pitt
Actor
I figured I’d introduce him to Shigeru Ban, famous for his Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, and other disaster-relief projects around the world. But there, sitting on Pitt’s bookshelf, is an entire monograph of his work.
Books from Brad Pitt

A Brief History of Seven Killings

*WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2015* JAMAICA, 1976 Seven gunmen storm Bob Marley’s house, machine guns blazing. The reggae superstar survives, but the gunmen are never caught. From the acclaimed author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf and The Book of Night Women comes a dazzling display of masterful storytelling exploring this near-mythic event. Spanning three decades and crossing continents, A Brief History of Seven Killings chronicles the lives of a host of unforgettable characters – slum kids, drug lords, journalists, prostitutes, gunmen and even the CIA. Gripping and inventive, ambitious and mesmerising, A Brief History of Seven Killings is one of the most remarkable and extraordinary novels of the twenty-first century.
Brad Pitt
Actor
Brad Pitt Reads Marlon James The actor, who was interviewed by James for T’s Men’s Style issue, shares a passage from James’s novel “A Brief History of Seven Killings.”
Books from Brad Pitt

The Bikeriders

In 1968, just before Easy Rider roared its way into American consciousness, Danny Lyon published The Bikeriders. A seminal work of modern photojournalism, this landmark collection of photographs and interviews documents the abandon and risk implied in the name of the gang Lyon belonged to: the Chicago Outlaw Motorcycle Club. With images and interviews that are as raw, alive, and dramatic today as they were three decades ago, this new edition includes startling new images: 15 additional black-and-white photographs and 14 color prints--long thought missing--of works originally published in black-and-white. With a new introduction by the author, The Bikeriders rides again, capturing like never before the dawn of the counterculture era.
Brad Pitt
Actor
Near his record player are Joe Strummer’s albums with the Mescaleros, not a surprise, but also rare books on fringe culture, including Danny Lyon’s “The Bikeriders,” which are.
Books from Brad Pitt

Design Like You Give a Damn

Design Like You Give a Damn is the indispensable handbook for anyone committed to building a more sustainable future. Following the success of their first book, Architecture for Humanity brings readers the next edition, with more than 100 projects from around the world. Packed with practical and ingenious design solutions, this book addresses the need for basic shelter, housing, education, health care, clean water, and renewable energy. One-on-one interviews and provocative case studies demonstrate how innovative design is reimagining community and uplifting lives. From building-material innovations such as smog-eating concrete to innovative public policy that is repainting Brazil’s urban slums, Design Like You Give a Damn [2] serves as a how-to guide for anyone seeking to build change from the ground up.Praise for Design Like You Give a Damn [2]: “The resourcefulness of the projects in the book is inspiring, its information practical (see Stohr’s chapter on financing sustainable community development) and its numerous factoids sobering.” —TMagazine.blogs.NYTimes.com
Brad Pitt
Actor
Nature consumes and then reuses; there is a cycle to things. But humans just consume. It's obviously time for a new paradigm. And the question is, Do we adopt it now, or do we wait until we're really in trouble? I recommend Addicted to Oil, Thomas Friedman's Discovery Channel program; Cradle to Cradle, a book by William McDonough and Michael Braungart; and Design Like You Give a Damn, a book by Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr.
Books from Brad Pitt

Cradle to Cradle

Recycling is good, isn’t it? In this visionary book, chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough challenge this status quo and put forward a manifesto for an intriguing and radically different philosophy of environmentalism."Reduce, reuse, recycle”. This is the standard “cradle to grave” manufacturing model dating back to the Industrial Revolution that we still follow today. In this thought-provoking read, the authors propose that instead of minimising waste, we should be striving to create value. This is the essence of Cradle to Cradle: waste need not to exist at all. By providing a framework of redesign of everything from carpets to corporate campuses, McDonough and Braungart make a revolutionary yet viable case for change and for remaking the way we make things.
Brad Pitt
Actor
I recommend Addicted to Oil, Thomas Friedman's Discovery Channel program; Cradle to Cradle, a book by William McDonough and Michael Braungart
Books from Brad Pitt

Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do

A refresher course on rights and personal freedom. What is your position on prostitution, pornography, gambling and other victimless crimes? This book will make readers consider their rights and the rights of others in a more humanistic and caring way. (Prelude Press)
Brad Pitt
Actor
It's the big pink elephant no one wants to talk about. Think of all the other things we could do with the money. For an interesting perspective on the whole issue, I recommend the book Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do, by Peter McWilliams.