Michael Bierut’s Book List 18 books and 8 comments

5 books
Ayn Rand

The designer as hero. (See also Learning from Las Vegas.)

F. (Francis) Scott Fitzgerald

In what other book does a billboard get to be a main character?

Veronica Geng

Humor writing as a design exercise.

Nicholson Baker

My favorite book of product design criticism.

Vladimir Nabokov

The most elegantly structured, perfectly resolved book ever written. Endlessly mystifying.

Comments about Michael Bierut’s Book List

8 comments
1. Mike 2/1/11 at 5:09 pm

Thoughts on Design was the first design book I ever looked through in my high school art class. Ever since this book has made appearances in my life. This is an excellent site!

2. Cal Hepburn 2/1/11 at 7:04 pm

Luckily I've already read Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design last year.

Very inspiring. Feels like I've only scratched the surface however.

Only six hundred and seventy-seven to go!

3. Tom Parrett 2/1/11 at 7:46 pm

 Excellent list, Mr. Bierut. If design is a metadiscipline, a confluence of many disciplines -- which at its best one hopes it becomes -- your reading reflects high aspirations, good cheer, verisimilitude and salubrious resolutions on your profession.

4. History Is A Weapon 2/2/11 at 9:18 pm

One of your favorite books is Ayn Rand? Oh, Bierut, we hardly knew ya. Hopefully you'll recover.

5. Kate Nielsen 4/26/11 at 6:32 pm

 Ayn Rand? Jesus, I couldn't make it past the first page of that book. So terrible. 

 

Love the rest of the choices though. But what about How to be Graphic Designer by our friend A. Shaughnessy?

6. Ryan 4/27/11 at 8:13 am

Why do so many people dislike Ayn Rand books?

7. jwo 4/30/11 at 8:47 am

Surprised not to see ByDesign on your list.

@Kate the other 727 pages are pretty powerful.

8. Ryan Paonessa 4/30/11 at 9:01 am

 The Fountainhead is probably one of the greatest books I've read.

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