Who says textbooks are only for scholars? Cram for your next cocktail thing with these illuminating design titles, just off the presses.
For the inquisitive mind
100 Ideas that Changed Architecture by Richard Weston (above)
Come on, don’t tell us you’ve never wondered about how the door was invented. A brief history of anything is usually pretty fun, and this book -covering everything from bricks and roofs to phenomenology and computer-aided design – was specifically written to appeal to non-professionals. Published by Laurence King, $35.
For the urban planner
All Over The Map: Writing on Buildings and Cities by Michael Sorkin
Architect and critic Michael Sorkin, well known for his utopian master plans and large-scale urban design concepts, presents a series of essays on the state of urban design and the global built environment. The book can be read a “call to action” for practitioners to rediscover avant-garde architecture and “re-engage” it with its surroundings. Published by Verso, $45
For the businessman
Material Change Design Thinking and Social Entrepreneurship Movement by Eve Blossom
The author’s own back story—Blossom has a booming textile brand, Lulan Artisans—helps make a case for socially, ecologically and economically-responsible business plans. The book also spotlights global entrepreneurs like Patrick Awuah, Juliana Rotich and MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito, with a forward by industrial designer Yves Behar, the man behind the $100 computer for the One Laptop Per Child program. Published by Metropolis Books, $35
For the furniture lover
DIY Furniture: A Step-by-step guide by Christopher Stuart
Make your own bed, wardrobe, storage, seating and/or outdoor furniture with this delightful book, which offers how-to tips from 30 leading designers like Paul Loebach, Lindsey Adelman and Rich Brilliant Willing. All the projects are made from easy-to-find materials (promise) from your hardware store. Published by Laurence King, $25
For the activist
Open Design Now: Why Design Cannot Remain Exclusive by Bas Van Abel, Lucas Evers, Roel Klaassen and Peter Troxler
A textbook for open-source design, where designers share and collaborate in a networked community, this book outlines the tools, software, legalities and other components needed for this concept to work, along with its underlying principles and potential impacts on the design world. There’s a pretty great roster of contributors, including Bruce Mau and designer Joris Larmann. Published by Bis Publishers, $45.
For the typography nut
Type Navigator Typography: The Independent Foundries Handbook by Jan Middendorp and TwoPoints.Net
If you’re a nerd about typography, this book is your Star Trek. One of the first real roundups of modern fonts—with so many fonts and type foundries launching online every day, it’s hard to keep up—this mammoth 320-page handbook offers an artistic overview of the current market, plus a CD of 100 typefaces. Published by Gestalten, $80.
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Paige Magarrey writes on design for Toronto Standard.
