Design History

Discover how the Bauhaus transformed the way we live, work, and create. Form, Function, and Vision: Exploring the Lasting Principles of Bauhaus Design takes you inside the movement that forever changed architecture, furniture, typography, and modern culture. Founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus was more than a school; it was a bold vision for uniting art, craft, and industry. Its philosophy of simplicity, clarity, and functionality still shapes the digital age, influencing everything from smartphones and corporate logos to sustainable architecture and minimalist interiors. This ...

A Short History of Human Stupidity is a lovingly researched, gleefully irreverent celebration of humanity at its most confident—and most wrong. This is the story of how civilisation was built not just on genius and insight, but on bad ideas pursued with alarming enthusiasm and excellent posture. From scientists who explained the universe with diagrams that meant absolutely nothing, to doctors who prescribed treatments that made patients immediately regret seeking help, to engineers who stared at a drawing and said, “Yes, gravity will probably be fine,” this book chronicles our ...

In the 1970s, Paris fashion exploded like a champagne bottle left out in the sun. Amid sequins and longing, celebrities and aspirants flocked to the heart of chic, and Paris became a hothouse of revelry, intrigue, and searing ambition. At the center of it all were fashion’s most beloved luminaries - Yves Saint Laurent, the reclusive enfant terrible, and Karl Lagerfeld, the flamboyant freelancer with a talent for reinvention - and they divided Paris into two fabulous halves.

Sometimes designed objects reject their users: a computer mouse that doesn't work for left-handed people, for example, or a touchscreen payment system that only works for people who read English phrases, have 20/20 vision, and use a credit card. These mismatches are the building blocks of exclusion. In Mismatch, Kat Holmes describes how design can lead to exclusion, and how design can also remedy exclusion.

Emotions are inseparable from how we humans think, choose, and act. In Emotional Design, cognitive scientist Don Norman shows how the principles of human psychology apply to the invention and design of new technologies and products. In The Design of Everyday Things, Norman made the definitive case for human-centered design, showing that good design demanded that the user's must take precedence over a designer's aesthetic if anything, from light switches to airplanes, was going to work as the user needed.

In this vivid and captivating journey through the colors of an artist’s palette, Victoria Finlay takes us on an enthralling adventure around the world and through the ages, illuminating how the colors we choose to value have determined the history of culture itself. How did the most precious...

Since 1945, the United States Armed Forces have fielded 70 different nuclear and thermonuclear devices on approximately 120 weapon systems. During this period, the manufacturing operations of the Manhattan Project, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the Department of Energy produced about 70,500 nuclear bombs and warheads. The Air Force and the Navy currently deploy eight types of thermonuclear device on six weapon systems and the Department of Defense maintains about 2,500 nuclear bombs and warheads (tactical and strategic) on active duty. It keeps approximately the same number in reserve. ...

In Designs for the Pluriverse Arturo Escobar presents a new vision of design theory and practice aimed at channeling design's world-making capacity toward ways of being and doing t….

The time has come for you to embrace the power of remembrance and express your full potential, and The Divine Design is your faithful companion on this lifelong journey. Whether you’re looking for daily guidance or long-term clarity, each passage will reveal something different every time you listen to it that serves you exactly where you are in your human evolution.

This is the complete history of the synthesizer—from electromagnetic experiments in the 1870s to the software and hardware you use today. You'll discover how these instruments evolved from room-sized laboratory equipment to portable analog classics to digital dominance to the software revolution to the analog revival happening right now. Every major instrument, every breakthrough, every paradigm shift that shaped how electronic music gets made. You'll understand why the Minimoog became legendary, how the Prophet-5 changed everything with patch memory, why the DX7 killed analog synthesis ...

Written by the forensic nurse who transformed the way the FBI profiles and catches serial killers, this thought-provoking book takes an intimate look at the creation of the Behavioral Science Unit–the inspiration for Hulu’s Mastermind documentary. In the 1970s, the FBI created the...

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy clarifies the muddled thinking underlying too many strategies and provides a clear way to create and implement a powerful action-oriented strategy for the real world. Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader. A good strategy is a specific...

From “tomorrow’s greatest designer” (The Atlantic), a personal and deeply researched look at how the choices we build into our environment reflect and determine the way we think, connect, and live. We've been led to believe that purposefully designed spaces are something reserved only for...

This book argues that we are entering an age where humanity must build truly complex things to continue our progress. This means learning to build as nature builds, and as it turns out, forces us to redefine knowledge and skill, and more broadly our scientific and engineering paradigm.

Analyzing the political and banking history of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil through several centuries, Fragile by Design demonstrates that chronic banking crises and scarce credit are not accidents due to unforeseen circumstances. Rather, these fluctuations result from the complex bargains made between politicians, bankers, bank shareholders, depositors, debtors, and taxpayers.

Covers virtually everything: What they do, their history, components, manufacture, substitutes, clones, replicas—& the companies & bands - people & artists—who invent create, fix, mod, replicate, clone, & use them. Effects—Everything You Wanted to Know in One Book - Book 1: History, Makers, Artists What, Who, When, Where, Why Effects, Pedals, Stomp Boxes, Rack Mounts, Talk Boxes, Wahs, Vocoders, Preamps, Amp Simulators & Modelers Twist a Knob, Stomp a Switch, & Crank It to Eleven—This Is the Guitar Effects Book You’ve Been Waiting For Ever wonder where fuzz came from? Why Hendrix ...

Theme Park Design: Behind the Scenes with an Engineer (20th Anniversary Edition) Have you ever wondered how theme parks create their magic? From soaring roller coasters to immersive dark rides, from spectacular shows to seamless park operations — discover the engineering secrets behind the world's greatest attractions. Written by Steve Alcorn, who helped design EPCOT Center and founded the leading manufacturer of theme park control systems, this insider's guide takes you behind the scenes of themed entertainment design. Whether you're considering a career in the industry or simply ...

New Second Edition (Version 2) This second edition of Leica — The Brand of Light and Legacy reflects a deeper and more expansive exploration of Leica’s enduring cultural and photographic influence. Version 2 has been substantially revised and expanded, with new M-EV1 chapters and essays examining Leica as a collective brand, the philosophy of the Leica “look,” and the evolving relationship between analogue heritage and digital precision. The book now includes extended coverage of contemporary Leica systems, lenses, and design language, alongside refined historical analysis of ...

A groundbreaking reappraisal of medieval femininity, revealing why women have been written out of history and why it matters The Middle Ages are seen as a bloodthirsty time of Vikings, saints and kings; a patriarchal society that oppressed and excluded women. But when we dig a little deeper into...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A whirlwind tour of fundamental physics and cosmology.”—The Wall Street Journal “Fascinating . . . a wealth of ideas [that] leave us with a clearer understanding of modern physics in all its invigorating complexity.”—Los Angeles Times When and how...