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