Wish List 2007

I don’t want clothes. I don’t want video games. I want books. Design books. Organize-Your-Life books.

First Choices

• • 
  • Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design
  • by Michael Bierut. 9781568986999.
  • Reason: Because it's Michael Bierut.
• • 
  • The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)
  • by John Maeda. 9780262134729.
  • Reason: Because I think simplicity is important.
• • 
  • Dictionary of Brand
  • by Marty Neumeier. 9781884081064.
  • Reason: Because the BADCast says so.
• • 
  • Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
  • by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. 9780865475878.
  • Reason: Because respecting the environment is important.

Secondary Selections

• • Sagmeister: Made You Look
  • by Peter Hall. 9781861542748.
  • Reason: Because it's related to Stefan Sagmeister!
• • Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far
  • by Stefan Sagmeister. 9780810995291.
  • Reason: Again, because it's Stefan Sagmeister! Found out on UnBeige.
• • Beautiful Evidence
  • by Edward R. Tufte. 9780961392178.
  • Reason: Because I'm interested in infographics.
• • The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd Edition
  • by Edward R. Tufte. 9780961392147.
  • Reason: More infographics.
• • A Designer’s Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They Really Need
  • by Jennifer and Kenneth Visocky O’Grady. 9781592532575.
  • Reason: Because research is important for design. Heard from BADCast #46.
• • Layout Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Building Pages in Graphic Design
  • by Kristen Cullen. 9781592533527.
  • Reason: I need to improve my layout skills.
• • Typography Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Type in Graphic Design
  • by Timothy Samara. 9781592533015.
  • Reason: I need to learn more about typography.
• • Make It Bigger
  • by Paula Scher. 1568985487.
  • Reason: Learn from one of the best through case studies.
• • The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play
  • by Neil Fiore. 9781585425525.
  • Reason: Attempt to increase productivity.

Still Good to Have

• • Made with Fontfont: Type for Independent Minds by Erik Spiekermann. 9780977985043.
  • Reason: Type! Heard on ESAD lecture on Swiss Legacy.
• • The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher. 9780714834498.
  • Reason: Lots of inspiration. Skimmed through it at a bookstore.
• • The Codebreakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet by David Kahn. 9780684831305.
  • Reason: I like puzzles. Heard about it through something related to the movie “Zodiac”.
• • The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. 9780446691437.
  • Reason: David Allen recommended it.
• • The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson. 9781401302375.
  • Reason: Need to learn about business. Heard about it from Ellen Lupton via SVA Podcast Series.
• • Designing Design by Kenya Hara. 9783037781050.
  • Reason: Core77 reviewed it.
• • Graphic Design: A New History by Stephen J. Eskilson. 9780300120110.
  • Reason: New history, eh? Steven Heller recommended it. Never mind. Two guest writers on Design Observer don’t think it’s that good.
• • Layers: The Complete Guide to Adobe Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature by Matt Kloskowski. 9780321534163.
  • Reason: I want to maximize the ratio of my knowledge of Photoshop features and the amount of space Photoshop takes up my hard drive and my life.

Flush.