Chosen Books

Invited designers and commentators have chosen these as the books that inspire them and that have shaped their worldview or their ideas about design.
480 books
An Intimate History of Humanity Zeldin, Theodore Comments:
A World Without Time Yourgrau, Palle
Autobiography of a Yogi Paramahansa, Yogananda
NonZero Wright, Robert
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus Wittgenstein, Ludwig et al.
Shelley Winters, Shelley
Playing and Reality Winnicott, D. W.
The Historian as Detective Winks, Robin W.
The Professor and the Madman Winchester, Simon
The Future of Life Wilson, Edward O.
Lincoln at Gettysburg Willis, Gary
Inventing America Wills, Garry
The Nashville Number System Williams, Chas
And the Sea Is Never Full Wiesel, Elie
Memoirs Wiesel, Elie
Night Wiesel, Elie
Souls on Fire Wiesel, Elie
The Flâneur White, Edmund
Here is New York White, E. B.
The World Without Us Weisman, Alan
The Beak of the Finch Weiner, Jonathan
Unobtrusive Measures Webb, Eugene et al.
The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are Watts, Alan
The Wisdom of Insecurity Watts, Alan
Consider the Lobster Wallace, David Foster
A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again Wallace, David Foster
The Human Use of the Earth Wagner, Philip L.
Blue Guitar Vose, Kenneth
Imperial Vollmann, William T.
Earth in Upheaval Velikovsky, Immanuel
Worlds in Collision Velikovsky, Immanuel
The Theory of the Leisure Class Veblen, Thorstein
Introduction to the Method of Leonardo da Vinci Valéry, Paul
Applied Grammatology Ulmer, Gregory
The Lunar Men: Five Friends Whose Curiosity Changed the World Uglow, Jenny
If You Want to Write Ueland, Brenda
Beyond Geography Turner, Frederick
Ibn Tufayl’s Hayy Ibn Yaqzan Tufayl, Ibn et al.
Shadow of the Silk Road Thubron, Colin
Walden, or Life in the Woods Thoreau, Henry David
The Making of the English Working Class Thompson, E. P.
On Growth and Form Thompson, D’Arcy Wentworth
The Marsh Arabs Thesiger, Wilfred
The Warren Commission Report The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy,
Nudge Thaler, Richard et al.
The Black Swan Taleb, Nassim
Confronting Silence Takemitsu, Toru
Agricola and Germania Tacitus, Cornelius et al.
The Awakened Self Stryk, Lucien
Ten Points Strickland, Bill
Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons Stravinsky, Igor
Alongshore Stilgoe, John R.
Outside Lies Magic Stilgoe, John R.
Au Revoir to All That Steinberger, Michael
Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. I) Stephenson, Neal
Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein Stein, Gertrude
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas Stein, Gertrude
Against Interpretation Sontag, Susan
Infinite City Solnit, Rebecca
America Primo Amore Soldati, Mario
Longitude Sobel, Dava
Just Kids Smith, Patti
Misogynies Smith, Joan
Weltfremdheit (Worldly Innocence) Sloterdijk, Peter
London Orbital Sinclair, Iain
Meerlust: 300 Years of Hospitality Simons, Phillida Brooke
The Sciences of the Artificial Simon, Herbert A.
101 Best Australian Beaches Short, Andy et al.
Staying Alive Shiva, Vandana
Here Comes Everybody Shirky, Clay
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Shirer, William L.
Reality Hunger Shields, David
Blueprint for a Green Planet Seymour, John et al.
The Hidden Injuries of Class Sennett, Richard et al.
The Fifth Discipline Senge, Peter
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea Seife, Charles
I Like You Sedaris, Amy
Patti Smith: Dream of Life Sebring, Steven
Seize the Time Seale, Bobby
Being Wrong Schulz, Kathryn
The Science of God Schroeder, Gerhard L.
Fin-de-Siècle Vienna: Politics and Culture Schorske, Carl E.
The Lives of the Great Composers Schonberg, Harold C.
World Champion Openings Schiller, Eric
Poseidon’s Steed Scales, Helen
Facundo: Civilization and Barbarism (Facundo: Civilización y Barbarie) Domingo Faustino, Sarmiento
Eye of the Albatross Safina, Carl
The Travels of Marco Polo Rustichello da Pisa,
Paris Was Ours Rowlands, Penelope
A Freewheelin’ Time Rotolo, Suze
Unless It Moves the Human Heart Rosenblatt, Roger
The Telephone Book Ronell, Avital
Jean Christophe Rolland, Romain et al.
The Element Robinson, Ken et al.
The Independent Group Robbins, David
Letters to a Young Poet Rilke, Rainer Maria et al.
The Greening of America Reich, Charles A.
Imagining Language: An Anthology Rasula, Jed et al.
Ramtha Ramtha,
What the Buddha Taught Rahula, Walpola
The Monster of Florence Preston, Douglas. J. et al.
Solar Living Source Book Pratt, Doug
Amusing Ourselves to Death Postman, Neil
Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology Postman, Neil
The Open Society and Its Enemies Popper, Karl
The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind Pollard, Justin et al.
In Defense of Food Pollan, Michael
The Omnivore’s Dilemma Pollan, Michael
Roman by Polanski Polanski, Roman
The Atomic Age Opens Pocket Books,
The Republic Plato,
The Symposium Plato,
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Pirsig, Robert M.
Drive Pink, Daniel H.
A Whole New Mind Pink, Daniel H.
The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen Pépin, Jacques
Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book Penick, Harvey
Winterdance Paulsen, Gary
Pensées Pascal, Blaise
The Portable Dorothy Parker Parker, Dorothy
The Gnostic Gospels Pagels, Elaine
The Origin of Satan Pagels, Elaine
How to Cure a Fanatic Oz, Amos
The Measurement of Meaning Osgood, Charles E.
Homage to Catalonia Orwell, George
Grapefruit Ono, Yoko
The Collected Works of Billy the Kid Ondaatje, Michael
Running in the Family Ondaatje, Michael
The Book of Tea Okakura, Kakuzo
The Blue Sweater Novogratz, Jacqueline
Beyond Good and Evil Nietzsche, Friedrich
Beyond Tragedy Niebuhr, Reinhold
Love and War in the Apennines Newby, Eric
Confieso que he vivido: Memorias (Memoirs) Neruda, Pablo
Black Elk Speaks Neihardt, John
Wilderness and the American Mind Nash, Roderick
The Book of Five Rings Miyamoto, Musashi
Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals Murdoch, Iris
News From Nowhere Morris, William
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt Morris, Edmund
Theodore Rex Morris, Edmund
La voie Morin, Edgar
The Turkish Embassy Letters Montagu, Mary Wortley et al.
Jung’s Psychology and Tibetan Wisdom Moacanin, Radmila
Frederick the Great Mitford, Nancy
The Bottom of the Harbor Mitchell, Joseph
The Society of Mind Minsky, Marvin
The Power Elite Mills, C. Wright
The Colossus of Maroussi Miller, Henry
Obedience to Authority Milgram, Stanley
L’esperienza musicale e l’estetica Mila, Massimo
Setting the Table Meyer, Danny
The Visible and the Invisible Merleau-Ponty, Maurice
Remembering Mr. Shawn’s New Yorker Mehta, Ved
Long Slow March Meador, Clifton
A Sense of Where You Are McPhee, John
The Founding Fish McPhee, John
Basin and Range McPhee, John
Plant Propagation McMillan Browse, Philip
The Medium is the Massage McLuhan, Marshall et al.
Understanding Media McLuhan, Marshall
Experiences in Visual Thinking McKim, Robert H.
The Age of Missing Information McKibben, Bill
On Food and Cooking McGee, Harold
Truman McCullough, David
John Adams McCullough, David
The Meaning of Anxiety May, Rollo
Le vertige Mauriès, Patrick
The Armada Mattingly, Garrett
Land of The Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia Massie, Suzanne
Pavlovsk: The Life of a Russian Palace Massie, Suzanne
Dreadnought Massie, Robert K.
The Machine in the Garden Marx, Leo
Harpo Speaks . . . about New York Marx, Harpo
The Opposable Mind Martin, Roger
West with the Night Markham, Beryl
Teoria e invenzione futurista Marinetti, F. T.
One-Dimensional Man Marcuse, Herbert
Jerusalem 1913: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict Marcus, Amy Dockser
Long Walk to Freedom Mandela, Nelson
The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940 Manchester, William
The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory 1874-1932 Manchester, William
The Voices of Silence Malraux, André
The Journalist and the Murderer Malcolm, Janet
Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice Malcolm, Janet
The Guide for the Perplexed Maimonides, Moses et al.
Young Men and Fire Maclean, Norman
A River Runs Through It Maclean, Norman
Look at the Land MacLean, Alex et al.
Orbiting the Giant Hairball MacKenzie, Gordon
Just Gaming Lyotard, Jean-François et al.
Avision Lunt, Anthony
Essays on Realism (Saggi sul Realismo) Lukács, György
Gaia Lovelock, James
King Solomon’s Ring Lorenz, Konrad
The Art of Fiction Lodge, David
Voices of the Old Sea Lewis, Norman
Moneyball Lewis, Michael
The Savage Mind Lévi-Strauss, Claude
Tristes Tropiques Lévi-Strauss, Claude
The Periodic Table Levi, Primo et al.
Survival in Auschwitz Levi, Primo
A Sand County Almanac Leopold, Aldo
Crossing the BLVD: Strangers, Neighbors, Aliens in a New America Lehrer, Warren et al.
Brother Blue: A Narrative Portrait of Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill aka Brother Blue Lehrer, Warren
Nicky D. From L.I.C.: A Narrative Portrait of Nicholas DeTomasso Lehrer, Warren
Claude: A Narrative Portrait of Claude Debs Lehrer, Warren
Charlie: A Narrative Portrait of Charlie Lang Lehrer, Warren
GRRRHHHH: A Study of Social Patterns Lehrer, Warren et al.
Proust Was a Neuroscientist Lehrer, Jonah
How We Decide Lehrer, Jonah
Left Handed, Son of Old Man Hat Left Handed, et al.
The Production of Space Lefebvre, Henri
Metropolitan Life Lebowitz, Fran
A Hundred Years of Lex Flex Laxson, Ruth
After Method Law, John
Making Things Public: Atmospheres of Democracy Latour, Bruno
The Devil in the White City Larson, Erik
In the Garden of Beasts Larson, Erik
The Sayings of Lao Zi Lao Zi,
Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu,
You Are Not a Gadget Lanier, Jaron
Who Owns the Future? Lanier, Jaron
Bird by Bird Lamott, Anne
Knots Laing, R. D.
Die Spiele (The Games) Kunze, Herbert
Judaism Küng, Hans
L’art du roman (The Art of the Novel) Kundera, Milan
Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon Kubernik, Harvey
End This Depression Now! Krugman, Paul
Into Thin Air Krakauer, Jon
The Lotus and the Robot Koestler, Arthur
The Universal Traveler Koberg, Don et al.
The Shock Doctrine Klein, Naomi
Either/Or Kierkegaard, Søren
Profiles in Courage Kennedy, John F.
Out of Control Kelly, Kevin
New Rules for the New Economy Kelly, Kevin
Breathing on Your Own Kehl, Richard
Report to Greco Kazantakis, Nikos
The Shadow of the Sun Kapuscinski, Ryszard
Imperial Grunts Kaplan, Robert D.
Critique of Judgment Kant, Immanuel
Critique of Pure Reason Kant, Immanuel
Longing for Darkness: Kamante’s Tales from Out of Africa Kamante, et al.
Solution 239–246 Kalliala, Martti et al.
Hyperspace Kaku, Michio
Inside Steve’s Brain Kahney, Leander
Memories, Dreams, Reflections Jung, C. G.
The Dramatic Imagination Jones, Robert Edmond
Where Good Ideas Come From Johnson, Steven
The Dream Society Jensen, Rolf
The Varieties of Religious Experience James, William
Wonder Bread & Ecstasy: The Life and Death of Joey Stefano Isherwood, Charles
Einstein: His Life and Universe Isaacson, Walter
This Sex Which Is Not One Irigaray, Luce
North-South Brandt, Willy
Brave New World Revisited Huxley, Aldous
The Last Place on Earth Huntford, Roland
Agnes’s Jacket Hornstein, Gail A.
Fever Pitch Hornby, Nick
Micrographia Hooke, Robert
Londongrad Hollingsworth, Mark et al.
Metamagical Themas Hofstadter, Douglas
Hitch-22: A Memoir Hitchens, Christopher
Be My Guest Hilton, Conrad N.
A Woman in Berlin Hillers, Marta
Antonio Stradivari Hill, William Henry
The Town That Food Saved Hewitt, Ben
River Town Hessler, Peter
Politics: Observations and Arguments, 1966–2004 Hertzberg, Hendrik
The Histories Herodotus,
Holy Holocaust Herbert, Moss
On Nature Heraclitus,
A Moveable Feast Hemingway, Ernest
Poetry, Language, Thought Heidegger, Martin
Made to Stick Heath, Chip et al.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Hazan, Marcella
Three Levels of Time Hayes, Harold T. P.
On Intelligence Hawkins, Jeff
A Brief History of Time Hawking, Stephen
The Ecology of Commerce Hawken, Paul
Empire Hardt, Michael et al.
Blood, Bones, & Butter Hamilton, Gabrielle
The Happiness Hypothesis Haidt, Jonathan
The Three Ecologies Guattari, Félix
La Passe Imaginaire (The Imaginary Pass) Réal, Grisélidis
Wild Harmonies Grimaud, Hélène
Modern Music: The Avant-Garde since 1945 Griffiths, Paul
Woman and Nature Griffin, Susan
Ping Pong Diplomacy Griffin, Nicholas
Eye and Brain: The Psychology of Seeing Gregory, Richard L.
Insatiable Greene, Gael
Autobiography of a Face Grealy, Lucy
The Silence of Animals: On Progress and Other Modern Myths Gray, John
The Autobiography of General Ulysses S. Grant Grant, Ulysses S.
Animals Make Us Human Grandin, Temple
Animals in Translation Grandin, Temple et al.
Debt Graeber, David
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families Gourevitch, Philip
Bully for Brontosaurus Gould, Stephen Jay
Full House Gould, Stephen Jay
The Mismeasure of Man Gould, Stephen Jay
Team of Rivals Goodwin, Doris Kearns
How the Leopard Changed Its Spots: The Evolution of Complexity Goodwin, Brian
The Earth Report Goldsmith, Edward
L’intraitable beauté du monde Glissant, Édouard et al.
Blink Gladwell, Malcolm
The Tipping Point Gladwell, Malcolm
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures Gladwell, Malcolm
The Man Who Planted Trees Giono, Jean
Life with Picasso Gilot, Françoise
Zero History Gibson, William
The Climate Near the Ground Geiger, Rudolf et al.
The Interpretation of Cultures Geertz, Clifford
Better Gawande, Atul
Imagining America in 2033 Gans, Herbert J.
The Urban Villagers Gans, Herbert J.
Gandhi, An Autobiography Gandhi, Mohandas K.
One Two Three . . . Infinity Gamow, George
Finanzcapitalismo Gallino, Luciano
The Affluent Society Galbraith, John Kenneth
The Great War and Modern Memory Fussell, Paul
A Peace to End All Peace Fromkin, David
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century Friedman, Thomas
Civilization and Its Discontents Freud, Sigmund
The Psychopathology of Everyday Life Freud, Sigmund
The Interpretation of Dreams Freud, Sigmund
Pedagogy of the Oppressed Freire, Paulo
The Golden Bough Frazer, James George
From Slavery to Freedom Franklin, John Hope
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Franklin, Benjamin
The Diary of a Young Girl Frank, Anne
Bag of Toys France, David
The Search for Alexander Fox, Robin Lane
Discipline and Punish Foucault, Michel
The History of Sexuality Foucault, Michel
The Order of Things Foucault, Michel
The Art of Eating Fisher, M. F. K.
Long Ago in France Fisher, M. F. K.
Bureaucrats: How to Annoy Them Fishall, R. T.
Patriarchal Attitudes Figes, Eva
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” Feynman, Richard
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out Feynman, Richard
Against Method Feyerabend, Paul
Bossypants Fey, Tina
The Ascent of Money Ferguson, Niall
Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome Everitt, Anthony
A Year with Swollen Appendices Eno, Brian
The Housing Question Engels, Friedrich
American Sphinx Ellis, Joseph
James the Just in the Habakkuk Pesher Eisenman, Robert H.
The Immense Journey Eiseley, Loren
The Population Bomb Ehrlich, Paul
Travels in Hyperreality Eco, Umberto
Incognito Eagleman, David
Mindset Dweck, Carol
Dream Duncombe, Stephen
Picasso & Lump: A Dachshund’s Odyssey Duncan, David Douglas
Toward a Society of Leisure Dumazedier, Joffre
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Drucker, Peter
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Douglass, Frederick
Beautiful People Doonan, Simon
The Brain That Changes Itself Doidge, Norman
Precolonial Black Africa Diop, Cheikh Anta
The Year of Magical Thinking Didion, Joan
Pensées Philosophiques Diderot, Denis
Guns, Germs, and Steel Diamond, Jared
Collapse Diamond, Jared
Rules of the Game Diagram Group,
Edmund Husserl’s “Origin of Geometry”: An Introduction Derrida, Jacques
Glas Derrida, Jacques
Of Grammatology Derrida, Jacques
A Cure for Serpents Denti di Piranjo, Alberto
Killing Giants Denny, Stephen
Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) Delteil, Joseph
The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque Deleuze, Gilles
A Thousand Plateaus Deleuze, Gilles et al.
Obras Completas: Meditaciones y ensayos espirituales de Unamuno, Miguel
Democracy in America de Tocqueville, Alexis
A Thousand Years of Non-Linear History De Landa, Manuel
Philosophy and Simulation De Landa, Manuel
Intensive Science and Virtual Philosophy De Landa, Manuel
Maxims de la Rochefoucauld, François
Sens-Plastique de Chazal, Malcolm
The Art of Travel De Botton, Alain
Edward de Bono’s Thinking Course de Bono, Edward
Lateral Thinking de Bono, Edward
Miles: The Autobiography Davis, Miles
The Origin of Species Darwin, Charles
Finding Flow Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly
Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen Cowin, Dana et al.
The Speed of Trust Covey, Stephen
Good to Great Collins, James
The Bottom Billion Collier, Paul
Le passé défini Cocteau, Jean
The Second World War (vols. 1–6) Churchill, Winston
Book of Common Prayer Church of England,
Siamo il 99% (We Are the 99%) Chomsky, Noam
The Way to Cook Child, Julia
Sakhalin Island Chekhov, Anton
Le vin en question (Wine in Question) Chauvet, Jules
What Am I Doing Here? Chatwin, Bruce
In Patagonia Chatwin, Bruce
The Songlines Chatwin, Bruce
O-Kee-Pa Katlin, George
Silent Spring Carson, Rachel
The Tao of Physics Capra, Fritjof
Crowds and Power Canetti, Elias
The Conscience of Words Canetti, Elias
The Masks of God Campbell, Joseph
The Power of Myth Campbell, Joseph
Six Memos for the Next Millennium Calvino, Italo
Dead End Gene Pool Burden, Wendy
Ich und Du (I and Thou) Buber, Martin et al.
Moses Buber, Martin
Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light Brox, Jane
Daring Greatly Brown, Brené
Poised for Grace Brooks, Douglas
Less Than One Brodsky, Joseph
On Grief and Reason Brodsky, Joseph
The Diaries of Franz Kafka, 1910–1913 Brod, Max
The Structures of Everyday Life Braudel, Fernand
The Encyclopedia of Stupidity Boxsel, Matthijs van
Moonage Daydream: The Life and Times of Ziggy Stardust Bowie, David et al.
One Special Summer Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy et al.
Ball Four Bouton, Jim
Distinction Bourdieu, Pierre et al.
Kitchen Confidential Bourdain, Anthony
Obras Completas (Complete Works) Borges, Jorges Luis
The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America Boorstin, Daniel J.
L’Ideologia del Traditore (The Ideology of the Traitor: Art, Manner and Mannerism) Bonito Oliva, Achille
The Closing of the American Mind Bloom, Allan
The Wilder Shores of Love Blanch, Lesley
The Venturesome Economy Bhidé, Amar
Blood and Oil in the Orient Bey, Essad
Standing by Words Berry, Wendell
Hold Everything Dear Berger, John
Illuminations Benjamin, Walter
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword Benedict, Ruth
The Consumer Society Baudrillard, Jean
La Sparizione dell’Arte (The Disappearance of Art) Baudrillard, Jean
Il Sogno della Merce (The Dream of Goods) Baudrillard, Jean et al.
The Ecstasy of Communication Baudrillard, Jean
L’autre par lui-même (The Other by Itself) Baudrillard, Jean
The Transparency of Evil Baudrillard, Jean
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Bauby, Jean-Dominique
Materials for the Study of Variation Treated with Especial Regard to Discontinuity in the Origin of Species Bateson, William
Steps to an Ecology of Mind Bateson, Gregory
Visions of Excess Bataille, Georges
Oeuvres completes, vol. 1 Bataille, Georges et al.
The Pleasure of the Text Barthes, Roland
Fragments d’un discours amoureux (A Lover’s Discourse: Fragments) Barthes, Roland
Scenes in America Deserta Banham, Reyner
Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung Bangs, Lester
Notes of a Native Son Baldwin, James
Baedeker’s Rome and Central Italy Baedeker, Karl
El Libro de Levante Azorín,
The Invention of Solitude Auster, Paul
Meditations Aurelius, Marcus
Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity Augé, Marc
The Book of Games Arnold, Peter
In Their Own Way Armstrong, Thomas
The Case for God Armstrong, Karen
The Battle for God Armstrong, Karen
Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle,
A History of Private Life Ariès, Philippe et al.
It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be Arden, Paul
On Being and Essence Aquinas, St. Thomas et al.
The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas Aquinas, St. Thomas
The Cloud of Unknowing Anonymous, et al.
The Letters of Mozart & His Family (3 vols.) Anderson, Emily
Confessions of a Radical Industrialist Anderson, Ray C. et al.
The Golden Book of Biology Ames, Gerald et al.
For Marx Althusser, Louis
Imagined Cities: Urban Experience and the Language of the Novel Alter, Robert
Tuesdays with Morrie Albom, Mitch
Balfour: The Last Grandee Adams, R. J. Q.
The Care and Feeding of Ideas Adams, James L.
Das Kapital (Capital) Marx, Karl
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