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