Books

Books

Fiction, non-fiction, and, of course, design
American Kingpin

American Kingpin

American Kingpin is the story of Ross Ulbricht and his dark web empire, the Silk Road. It’s enthralling and I was delighted to learn that San Francisco plays an important role.

Amazon

Atlas Obscura

Atlas Obscura

Atlas Obscura is a giant list of unique things to see when you travel. Every time my wife and I plan a trip we check the book for recommendations.

Amazon

Bad Blood Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

Bad Blood

Bad Blood is the shocking story of Elizabeth Holmes‘ company, Theranos. In addition to the book I recommend listening to the podcast and Hulu series.

Amazon

Billion Dollar Whale

Billion Dollar Whale

Billion Dollar Whale is the wild story of Jho Low and his international fraud empire.

Amazon

Command and Control

Command and Control

Command and Control oscillates between the terrifying history of atomic weapons, and the 1980 Damascus Titan missle accident.

Amazon

Creative Collection

Creative Collection

Creative Selection is Ken Kociendas story of the original iPhone’s design and development process with a focus on a feature we constantly use but not necessarily think about: the keyboard.

Amazon

Designing Design

Designing Design

Designing Design is the perfect design book. Kenya Haras body of work will teach you to approach design projects with a sense of creativity, delight, and impact.

Amazon

Designed by Apple in California

Designed by Apple in California

Designed by Apple in California is simply a collection of beautiful photos of Apple products and their curves, lines, edges, and corners. I recommend acquiring the 13” × 16.25” version of course. Sadly the book is no longer for sale.

apple.com

Ender’s Game

Ender’s Game

Ender’s Game taught me that reading can be fun. This is my favorite science fiction book about children training to save the world against an alien invasion.

Amazon

Ender’s Shadow

Ender’s Shadow

Ender’s Shadow is the same story as Ender’s Game but told from a different character’s perspective. I think the Bean series is better than the Ender series.

Amazon

Foundation

Foundation

Asimov’s Foundation series is about Hari Seldon moving scientists and scholars to a distant planet in order to minimize the empire’s downfall.

Amazon

Grid Systems in Graphic Design

Grid Systems in Graphic Design

Josef Müller-Brockmann’s demonstrations of grids and their rules will inspire you apply grids to everything.

Amazon

Helvetica and the New York City Subway System

Helvetica and the New York City Subway System

Helvetica and the New York City Subway System is a thorough history of signs, plaques, arrows, tiles, and type. If you use New York’s subway system you will notice many subtle details.

Amazon

How to use graphic design to sell things, explain things, make things look better, make people laugh, make people cry, and (every once in a while) change the world

How to use graphic design to sell things, explain things, make things look better, make people laugh, make people cry, and (every once in a while) change the world

Michael Bierut’s body of work is inspiring, and in How to he writes about his origins and projects.

Amazon

iWoz

iWoz

In iWoz Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, tells amazing stories about his childhood and… Apple.

Amazon

Kitchen Confidential

Kitchen Confidential

Anthony Bourdain literally changed my life. I was awake at 2:00am in Barcelona reading Kitchen Confidential, and in one paragraph Bourdain insists the human body should be treated like a rollercoaster instead of temple. In that moment I decided to eat pork. My wife will forever be happy.

Amazon

Losing the Signal

Losing the Signal

Losing the Signal describes the history of BlackBerry Limited (Research in Motion), and how they responded to the iPhone.

Amazon

Midnight in Chernobyl

Midnight in Chernobyl

Midnight in Chernobyl is a detailed account of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. I also recommend watching the HBO series, and listening to the accompanying podcast.

Amazon

Photographers on Photography: How the Masters See, Think, and Shoot (History of Photography, Pocket Guide, Art History)

Photographers on Photography: How the Masters See, Think, and Shoot

Photographers on Photography is a collection of photographers’ processes and how they think about… photography.

Amazon

Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary is the third (and in my opinion best) book from Andy Weir. Ryland Grace is humanity’s only hope, and he’s a badass nerd.

Amazon

Seveneves

Seveneves

Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves explores a sudden destruction of the moon and how humanity can survive. It’s just the right amount of science to keep me excited without feeling confused or overwhelmed.

Amazon

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs has its flaws, but it’s still the best book about Jobs. Note: I’ve read several.

Amazon

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

Bryan Peterson writes about how he approaches taking a photo with a focus on exposure.

Amazon

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

Randall Munroe, the genius behind the webcomic XKCD, breaks down crazy scenarios like what would happen if a pitcher threw a baseball at the speed of light.

Amazon

The Vignelli Canonrbook

The Vignelli Canon

The Vignelli Canon is a journey through the work of Lella and Massimo Vignelli who made significant contributions to the design industry through corporate branding, graphic design, kitchenware, fashion, and more. I recommend watching Design Is One: The Vignellis to learn more about this epic duo.

Amazon

Within the Frame

Within the Frame

David Duchemin writes about telling stories with a camera. I believe telling stories is what separates an amateur from a professional photographer.

Amazon

Yearbook

Yearbook

Yearbook is a collection of stories from Seth Rogen’s life. His combination of Judaism, adolescence, and shennanigans brought me to tears laughing multiple times.

Amazon