Where Stuff Comes From

Where Stuff Comes From: How Toasters, Toilets, Cars, Computers, and Many Other Things Come to Be As They Are by Harvey Molotch

This book looks like it is going to be about how things work, but really it is about how things are designed. If you are interested in industrial design, this is the book for you. A bit dry in parts, but if you are fascinated with how designers change "everyday" objects - take a look at this.

Molotch offers some interesting points when he suggests that designers can effect social responsibility - when it comes to the things they design and thus can lighten the ecological load.

Never Judge a Book By Its Cover - HA!

Graphic Design. Post-Modernism. Books. Do you like all three? I have the book for you... By Its Cover: Modern American Book Cover Design by Ned Drew and Paul Sternberger. It covers the growth of book design from the 1960's when the paperback first got started, to post-millennium book covers. I'm not an expert in art or design, but I know what I like and some of these covers are "out there" for their era. And by now, some of the designs look like they are very current aka 2006. It will also show you, how current book design has become much more formulaic. And it is very interesting to see which covers/titles have become iconic. Fun in graphics land.