Themed Book Lists

Our themed book lists are compiled from the books that appear on Designers & Books and focus on special subjects. For a complete listing, see List of Lists.
75 blog entries
Themed Book Lists
December 30, 2014

Happy New Year from Designers & Books! Entering a new year means looking to the future. To mark the occasion we’re highlighting 15 books that contemplate the future of design from different perpectives and at different times in history—from Buckminster Fuller’s utopias to recent digital developments. See more books about design and the future at the Designers & Books Online Book Fair. More...

Themed Book Lists
December 23, 2014

Here are 10 books on set and theater design from our contributors, inspired by our Book List of the Week from David Rockwell. More...

Books on Cities
December 16, 2014

We revisit our original list of books—now with 10 additional titles—about the city of Los Angeles and its design, past, present, and future. New additions to the list include L.A. [Ten]: Interviews on Los Angeles Architecture, 1970s–1990s by Stephen Phillips, 2013 (Lars Müller Publishers); Sense of Place: Elements of California Modernism, 2014 by Michael Webb and Kovac Architects (ORO Editions); and Earthquakes, Mudslides, Fires & Riots: California and Graphic Design, 1936–1986 by Louise Sandhaus, 2014 (Metropolis Books). More...

Themed Book Lists
December 9, 2014

Photography has long been a communicator of architectural ideas. Here are 10 books that showcase a range of perspectives on the built environment—from photographs taken by architects themselves (LC Photo: Le Corbusier Secret Photographer) to artistic interpretations (Shooting Space) to the documentation of architectural “ruins” in America (Abandoned). More...

Themed Book Lists
December 2, 2014

The architectural, interior, product, and graphic design developed during the mid-20th century, from approximately 1933 to 1965, has generated a wealth of books. Here are 10 favorites, including an overview of the houses designed by architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen and a survey of the work of California designers Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman. More...

Themed Book Lists
November 26, 2014

In this list of books on food and food design, cooking, and dining (with a design twist) are 20 recommendations by our contributors, including Tim Brown, Louise Fili, Zuzana Licko, Michael Manfredi, and Maria Popova. More...

Themed Book Lists
November 18, 2014

Ten books on the history of toy design and designing toys for children—from classic wooden toys to Lego and more. More...

Themed Book Lists
November 11, 2014

Children’s fiction has been an inspiration to designers all over the world. Here are 12 children’s stories that Gail Anderson, Sheila Bridges, Angus Hyland, Chip Kidd, Inga Sempé, Maira Kalman, Peter Mendelsund, and Daniel Libeskind, among others, have noted as shaping their creative work. More...

Themed Book Lists
October 31, 2014

Halloween reading—from Gothic fiction to horror in architecture—chosen by designers Jonathan Barnbrook, Jeanne Gang, Angus Hyland, and other contributors. More...

Themed Book Lists
October 28, 2014

Inspired by our post earlier this month on the Books That Inspire Five Designers from Finland and Scandinavia, here are 25 books on Scandinavian design from our contributors. More...