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book (design) story #252

walther riese:
seele und schicksal

prometheus-bücher, hesse & becker verlag, leipzig, 1927
printer: hesse & becker, leipzig
size: 19 x 13 cm
designer: walter dexel (cover + jacket)

another book from the "prometheus-bücher" series, with the standardised cover design by walter dexel (1890-1973) – other examples are books 249 and 250.

dexel desined this jacket in the style of his constructivis paintings.

the typography of the inner pages is still traditional with the fraktur typeface.

walther riese (1890-1976) was a jewish psychiatrist and neurologist at the university of frankfurt/main. after being sacked in 1933 he emigrated to france, then to the u. s. in this book riese writes about the importance of a healthy lifestyle – sports and no booze. he also critisises bourgeois sexual double standards for men and women, considering working class (sexual) relationships being "more honest".

below "unhealthy" people painted by diego velazquez and edvard munch, ...

... and statistics showing how alcohol consumption correlates with crime and mental illness.