Notable Design Books of 2012

Our designers, commentators, guest bloggers, and specially invited guests have chosen these as the most notable design books of 2012. Also see Notable Design Books of 2011.
81 books
Writing About Architecture Lange, Alexandra Princeton Architectural Press $24.95
Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey (Japanese edition) Brook, Tony et al. BNN
Wiel Arets McCarter, Robert et al. Birkhäuser $69.95
The Where, the Why, and the How Volvovski, Jenny et al. Chronicle Books $24.95
Wendell Castle: Wandering Forms Castle, Wendell et al. Gregory R. Miller & Co. $60.00
Walkable City Speck, Jeff Farrar, Straus and Giroux $27.00
A Visual Inventory Pawson, John Phaidon Press $49.95
Understanding Architecture McCarter, Robert et al. Phaidon Press $85.00
Underground: How the Tube Shaped London Bownes, David et al. Allen Lane $35.59
20th-Century World Architecture: The Phaidon Atlas Editors of Phaidon Press, Phaidon Press $135.14
Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet Blum, Andrew HarperCollins $26.99
Tree Houses Jodidio, Philip et al. TASCHEN $69.99
Torre David Brillembourg, Alfredo et al. Lars Müller Publishers $60.00
To Forgive Design Petroski, Henry Harvard University Press $27.95
Thanks for the View, Mr. Mies Aubert, Danielle et al. Metropolis Books $29.95
Terunobu Fujimori Rössler, Hannes et al. Hatje Cantz $60.00
The Style of the Stedelijk Huygen, Frederike nai010 Publishers $26.00
Some Remarks Stephenson, Neal William Morrow $25.99
Sign Painters Levine, Faythe et al. Princeton Architectural Press $24.95
The Shape of Green Hosey, Lance Island Press $60.00
The Shape of Design Chimero, Frank Frank Chimero $29.99
ReThinking a Lot Ben-Joseph, Eran The MIT Press $24.95
The Raw and the Cooked Bialobrzeski, Peter Hatje Cantz $95.00
Quay Brothers Magliozzi, Ron et al. The Museum of Modern Art $24.95
The Postcard Age Klich, Lynda et al. Museum of Fine Arts Publications $45.00
Porsche: Origin of the Species Ludvigsen, Karl et al. Bentley Publishers $119.95
Photo Gallery of Good Buildings: West Building Mania Cafe, PIE International $38.49
The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design Editors of Phaidon Press, Phaidon Press $117.50
100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design Heller, Steven et al. Laurence King Publishing $29.95
Norman Bel Geddes Designs America Albrecht, Donald et al. Abrams $65.00
The New Art of Landscape: Conversations between Xin Wu and Contemporary Designers Wu, Xin et al. China Architecture & Building Press
Mirko Ilić: Fist to Face Kršić, Dejan et al. Print Publishing $29.25
Makers: The New Industrial Revolution Anderson, Chris Random House $26.00
Machine Art, 1934 Marshall, Jennifer Jane The University of Chicago Press $45.00
Luca Barcellona: Take Your Pleasure Seriously Barcellona, Luca Lazy Dog Press $90.57
Lowrider Space Chappell, Ben University of Texas Press $55.00
Logo Life Van der Vlugt, Ron BIS Publishers $32.00
Le Corbusier Redrawn Park, Steven Princeton Architectural Press $24.95
La Formentera Piasecki, Eric et al. The Monacelli Press $65.00
Katsuji Wakisaka: Japanese Textile Designer Wakisaka, Katsuji PIE International
Juliaan Lampens Campens, Angelique ASA Publishers
Japan Japanese Schmid, Helmut Robundo Publishing $47.70
Instant: The Story of Polaroid Bonanos, Christopher Princeton Architectural Press $24.95
Information Graphics Rendgen, Sandra et al. TASCHEN $69.00
Imperfect Health Borasi, Giovanna et al. Lars Müller Publishers $70.00
Ikko Tanaka and the Future/Past/East/West of Design Koike, Kazuko Foiru
I Saw a Peacock with a Fiery Tail Urveti, Ramsingh Tara Books $12.25
How to Make a Japanese House Nuijsink, Cathelijne nai010 Publishers $55.00
House Keaton, Diane et al. Rizzoli International Publications $85.00
Hippopposites Coat, Janik Abrams $14.95
Herb Lubalin Shaughnessy, Adrian Unit Editions $100.00
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City Ehrenhalt, Alan Knopf $26.95
Graphic Design: A History, 2nd Edition Eskilson, Stephen J. Laurence King Publishing $65.00
Girls’ Fashion in Japanese Manga Takemura, Mana Paiintanashonaru
Futuro Augé, Marc et al. Bollati Boringhieri $14.95
The Future Will Be…China Obrist, Hans Ulrich et al. Pinacoteca Agnelli/UCCA $15.00
FUSE 1-20 Brody, Neville et al. TASCHEN $59.99
The Fractalist Mandelbrot, Benoit Pantheon $30.00
Fear of Music Lethem, Jonathan Continuum $12.95
English Graphic Lubbock, Tom Frances Lincoln $29.95
Elegantissima Fili, Louise et al. Princeton Architectural Press $40.00
The Dutch Photobook Gierstberg, Frits et al. Aperture $75.00
Designing Information Katz, Joel John Wiley & Sons $55.00
Design Is a Job Monteiro, Mike A Book Apart $18.00
Confessions of a Generalist Diffrient, Niels Generalist Ink $50.00
Concrete Koren, Leonard et al. Phaidon Press $49.95
The Color Revolution Blaszczyk, Regina Lee The MIT Press $34.95
City: A Guidebook for the Urban Age Smith, P.D. Bloomsbury $39.99
Cinesi (The Chinese) Visetti, Giampaolo Feltrinelli $12.00
China’s Design Revolution Justice, Lorraine et al. The MIT Press $21.95
Building Stories Ware, Chris Pantheon Books $50.00
The Book of Books Lommen, Mathieu Thames & Hudson $65.00
Blown Covers Mouly, Françoise Abrams $24.95
Bio Design Myers, William et al. The Museum of Modern Art $50.00
The Avant-Garde Applied (1890–1950) Fontán del Junco, Manuel et al. Fundación Juan March $65.00
Asia-Pacific Design No. 8 Sandu Publishing Co. Limited, Sandu Publishing Co. Limited $72.00
The Art of Punk Bestley, Russell et al. Voyageur Press $40.00
Architecture Concepts: Red is Not a Color Tschumi, Bernard Rizzoli International Publications $85.00
Adversarial Design DiSalvo, Carl The MIT Press $28.00
Abstract City Niemann, Christoph Abrams $24.95
15 Years of Media Arts Furuya, Kurando BNN $37.65