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.
71 books
Ai Weiwei’s Blog: Writings, Interviews, and Digital Rants, 2006–2009 Weiwei, Ai Comments:
Arranging Things: A Rhetoric of Object Placement Koren, Leonard et al.
Biomimicry Benyus, Janine M.
Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough Tisch, Jonathan M. et al.
Cleopatra’s Nose Boorstin, Daniel J.
The Craftsman Sennett, Richard
Creating with Paper Johnson, Pauline
Creative Intelligence Nussbaum, Bruce
The Decline of the West Spengler, Oswald
Design and Truth Grudin, Robert
Design fai da te Recession Design,
Design for the Real World Papanek, Victor
Design Now! Fiell, Charlotte et al.
Design Process: Olivetti 1908-1978 Shapira, Nathan H. et al.
Design Revolution Pilloton, Emily
Diderot Encyclopedia Diderot, Denis
The Dream Society Jensen, Rolf
Elements of Design Hannah, Gail Greet
Fantasia Munari, Bruno
From Atoms to Patterns Jackson, Lesley
A Grammar of Chinese Lattice Dye, Daniel Sheets
Grammatica della Fantasia (The Grammar of Fantasy) Rodari, Gianni
Heraldry Neubecker, Ottfried
The Hidden Dimension Hall, Edward T.
The Hot House Branzi, Andrea
How to See Nelson, George
How to See: A Guide to Reading Our Manmade Environment Nelson, George
I Seem To Be a Verb Fuller, R. Buckminster et al.
Image/Music/Text Barthes, Roland
In Praise of Shadows Tanizaki, Jun’ichiro
Interface Culture Johnson, Steven
The Kimono Mind Rudofsky, Bernard
Kitsch Dorfles, Gillo
Language of Vision Kepes, Gyorgy
The Laws of Form Spencer-Brown, G.
The Laws of Simplicity Maeda, John
Le système des objets (The System of Objects) Baudrillard, Jean
Makers: The New Industrial Revolution Anderson, Chris
Marinetti: Selected Writings Marinetti, F. T. et al.
Masterpieces from the House of Fabergé Solodkoff, Alexander von
McMaster-Carr Catalog McMaster-Carr Company,
Meine Lieblings-Flops, gefolgt von einem Ideen-Magazin Enzensberger, Hans Magnus
Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise, The Interface Model Anderson, Ray C.
The Modern Ideal Greenhalgh, Paul
Module, Proportion, Symmetry, Rhythm (Vision + Value Series) Kepes, Gyorgy
Nature Design Sachs, Angeli
Nella Nebbia di Milano (In the Fog of Milan) Munari, Bruno
Nella Notte Buia (In the Darkness of the Night) Munari, Bruno
Notes on the Synthesis of Form Alexander, Christopher
Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth Fuller, R. Buckminster
Outliers Gladwell, Malcolm
Pasta by Design Legendre, George L. et al.
Pedagogical Sketchbook Klee, Paul
Personal Space Sommer, Robert
The Philosophy of Symbolic Forms (vols. 1–3) Cassirer, Ernst
The Practice of Everyday Life de Certeau, Michel
The Rise of the Creative Class Florida, Richard
Setting the Table Meyer, Danny
The Shape of Things Flusser, Vilém
Shaping Things Sterling, Bruce
Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia Townsend, Anthony M.
Stone and Steel Billout, Guy
The Substance of Style Postrel, Virginia
The System of Objects Baudrillard, Jean
Thinking in Systems Meadows, Donella et al.
Ugly: The Aesthetics of Everything Bayley, Stephen
Verf Hartog Jager, Hans den
Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers Koren, Leonard
The War of Art Pressfield, Steven
Whole Earth Catalog Brand, Stewart
Wiener Werkstätte: Kunst und Handwerk, 1903–1932 Schweiger, Werner