Shelf

Every book I own, where each stands, and a line on why it is here. Three stars is a book I would press on you.

218 books · 2 reading · 9 read

History & society

on the shelfThe Control RevolutionJames R. BenigerI don't remember exactly where I saw this. I think it was when I was looking at graduate syllabuses for literature on technology and history. It's a foundational text in MIT graduate programs like Science, Technology, and Society (STS). Researchers there actively use its framework to understand how automation and massive data networks impact society. It has an interesting timeline view here: https://thecontrolrevolution.com/
read★★★Silencing the PastMichel-Rolph Trouillot
on the shelfPrison NotebooksAntonio GramsciI found the concept of "cultural hegemony", how a ruling class maintains control over society through consensual dominance, interesting and as usual I like to read sources rather than hand-me-downs.
on the shelfPropagandaEdward BernaysA good friend recommended learning about Edward Bernays. He has strong family ties in psychoanalysis—his mother was Sigmund Freud’s sister, and his father was Freud’s wife’s brother. Bernays realized that human beings are rarely driven by rational thought. Instead, he mapped Freud’s theories of hidden fears, desires, and the "herd instinct" onto commercial products and politics. He's basically the founding father of public relations.
on the shelfPedagogy of the OppressedPaulo Freire
on the shelfWar and PeaceLeo Tolstoy
on the shelfThe Great Political Theories, Volume 1Michael Curtis (editor)
on the shelfThe Great Political Theories, Volume 2Michael Curtis (editor)
on the shelfMedia ControlNoam Chomsky
reading nowWhat Is History?E. H. Carr
on the shelfThe MuqaddimahIbn Khaldun
on the shelfThe Consequences of ModernityAnthony Giddens
on the shelfModernity and Self-IdentityAnthony Giddens
on the shelfOn HistoryFernand Braudel
on the shelfThe Uncertain PromiseDenis Goulet
on the shelfThe Birth of Social TheoryNader Saiedi
on the shelfSovereign Individuals of CapitalismNicholas Abercrombie, Stephen Hill, Bryan S. Turner
on the shelfConstructing Social RealityMichael Karlberg
on the shelfSocial and Economic DevelopmentH. H. Vick
on the shelfSeeing Like a StateJames C. Scott
on the shelfThe Four LovesC. S. LewisStopped into a coffee shop in Pescadero on my way to Santa Cruz. The shop has all sorts of vintage items ranging from an old Macintosh to baseball gloves. Found this in the pile. I think it was a mixture of an appreciation for vintage covers, moral and religious questions, and nostalgia for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He explores human and divine love.
on the shelfThe Rise and Decline of Patriarchal SystemsNancy Folbre
on the shelfTeenageJon Savage
on the shelfEverything Is TuberculosisJohn Green
on the shelfThe Art of GatheringPriya Parker

Systems, science & learning

on the shelfCounterblastMarshall McLuhan
on the shelfThe Systems View of LifeFritjof Capra, Pier Luigi Luisi
read★★God, Human, Animal, MachineMeghan O'GieblynA fascinating exploration of how the tech industry has quietly inherited some of the oldest questions, metaphors, and aspirations of religious theology. In many ways, technology has become the religion of the Bay Area. I came across this after reading Marc Andreessen’s "The Techno-Optimist Manifesto", which struck me as almost religious in its undertones: a call for faith in technology as the fundamental force of civilization-building, an unwavering belief in unfettered free markets, and a vision of abundance and consumption as the path to human flourishing. Technology becomes not merely a tool for progress, but a kind of salvation—a promise to transcend humanity’s limitations and deliver us from scarcity, suffering, and perhaps even mortality. I find it a wild claim but deeply revealing. What makes this exploration particularly interesting is how it reveals that many of Silicon Valley’s seemingly secular ambitions are, in fact, reimaginings of deeply theological ideas. For an abridged version, I recommend listening to her talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTXleWp5fUA
on the shelfDoughnut EconomicsKate Raworth
on the shelfPrisoners of ReasonS. M. Amadae
on the shelfBecause InternetGretchen McCulloch
on the shelfHow to Tell When You're TiredReg Theriault
on the shelfMeasuring Our LivesJoseph E. Stiglitz, Amartya Sen, Jean-Paul Fitoussi
on the shelfThinking in SystemsDonella H. Meadows
on the shelfNotes on ComplexityNeil Theise
on the shelfThe Way We're Working Isn't WorkingTony Schwartz
on the shelfMindsetCarol S. Dweck
on the shelfFluent ForeverGabriel Wyner
on the shelfHealth EternalEvelyn E. Pritchard
on the shelfJusticeMichael J. Sandel
on the shelfThe Golden RatioMario Livio
on the shelfThe Fifth Discipline FieldbookPeter Senge et al.
on the shelfIndustrial DynamicsJay W. Forrester
on the shelfBusiness DynamicsJohn D. Sterman
on the shelfGetting to LeanBob Miller
on the shelfThe Pragmatic ProgrammerAndrew Hunt, David ThomasRecommended reading by Matt Pocock
on the shelfThe Knowledge-Creating CompanyIkujiro Nonaka, Hirotaka Takeuchi
on the shelfA Philosophy of Software DesignJohn OusterhoutRecommended reading by Matt Pocock
on the shelfWhy Greatness Cannot Be PlannedKenneth O. Stanley, Joel Lehman
on the shelfJust Enough ResearchErika Hall
on the shelfThe Culture CodeDaniel Coyle
on the shelfMultipliersLiz Wiseman
on the shelfThe Coaching HabitMichael Bungay Stanier
on the shelfManaging HumansMichael Lopp
on the shelfThe Practice of Adaptive LeadershipRonald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky
on the shelfThe Lean Product PlaybookDan Olsen
on the shelfThe Minto Pyramid PrincipleBarbara Minto
on the shelfThe Elements of StyleWilliam Strunk Jr., E. B. White
on the shelfNever Split the DifferenceChris Voss, Tahl Raz
on the shelfThe Power of a Positive NoWilliam Ury
on the shelfThe Lean StartupEric Ries
on the shelfThe Art of StatisticsDavid Spiegelhalter
on the shelfStatistics in a NutshellSarah Boslaugh, Paul Andrew Watters
on the shelfBetter Data VisualizationsJonathan Schwabish
on the shelfStorytelling with DataCole Nussbaumer Knaflic
on the shelfData Visualizations: A Guide to Scholars, Researchers, and WonksJonathan Schwabish
on the shelfVisual Thinking for DesignColin Ware
on the shelfThe Visual Display of Quantitative InformationEdward R. Tufte
on the shelfEnvisioning InformationEdward R. Tufte
on the shelfBeautiful EvidenceEdward R. Tufte
on the shelfThe Field Guide to Human-Centered DesignIDEO.org
on the shelfOrchestrating ExperiencesChris Risdon, Patrick Quattlebaum
on the shelf★★Corporate LifecyclesIchak AdizesI think about the concepts of this book a lot. How each stage influences the way a corporation or company operates. I've never read this book completely. I often thumb through it.
on the shelfScaling PeopleClaire Hughes Johnson
on the shelfAn Elegant PuzzleWill Larson
on the shelfManaging Up and AcrossHarvard Business Review
on the shelfEmotional IntelligenceHarvard Business Review
on the shelfManaging YourselfHarvard Business Review
on the shelfPlatforms and EcosystemsHarvard Business Review
on the shelfHigh-Impact Tools for TeamsStefano Mastrogiacomo, Alexander Osterwalder

Bahá’í studies, religion & philosophy

on the shelfMagnifica HumanitasPope Leo XIVVery curious to read this. I'm not Catholic but I love hearing the moral discourse surrounding technology and society.
on the shelfThe Spirit of AgriculturePaul Hanley (editor)
on the shelfParis Talks‘Abdu’l-Bahá
on the shelfFounders of FaithHarold Rosen
on the shelfThe Universe Within UsJane E. Harper
on the shelfThe Origins of Knowledge and ImaginationJacob Bronowski
on the shelfA History of KnowledgeCharles Van Doren
on the shelfMinimalismWilliam S. Hatcher
on the shelfIn Search of Human NatureMary E. Clark
on the shelfGate of the HeartNader Saiedi
on the shelfLogos and CivilizationNader Saiedi
on the shelfRevelation & Social Reality
on the shelfCreating a New Mind
on the shelfStories of Bahá’u’lláh‘Alí-Akbar Furútan
on the shelfFor the Love of SoilNicole Masters
on the shelfMoral Empowerment: In Quest of a PedagogySona Farid-Arbab

Art, illustration & craft

on the shelfHow to DrawScott Robertson, Thomas Bertling
on the shelfThe Naked CartoonistRobert Mankoff
on the shelfSpatial Design for Visual StorytellersMarcos Mateu-Mestre
on the shelfFramed InkMarcos Mateu-Mestre
on the shelfUnderstanding ComicsScott McCloud
on the shelfAnatomy for Artists: Drawing Form & Pose3dtotal Publishing
on the shelfThe Human FigureJohn H. Vanderpoel
on the shelfPeck's Atlas of Human Anatomy for the ArtistStephen Rogers Peck
on the shelfThe Complete Guide to Anatomy for Artists & IllustratorsGottfried Bammes
on the shelfBridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from LifeGeorge B. Bridgman
on the shelfThe NudeKenneth Clark
on the shelfThe Practice of Oil Painting & DrawingSolomon J. Solomon
on the shelfThe Practice & Science of DrawingHarold Speed
on the shelfArtistic AnatomyPaul Richer, Robert Beverly Hale
on the shelfRendering in Pen and InkArthur L. Guptill
on the shelfThe World of EdenaMœbius
on the shelf35mm HandbookMichael Freeman
on the shelfAnatomy of ColorPatrick Baty
on the shelfColor: A Workshop for Artists and DesignersDavid Hornung
on the shelfThe Anatomy of ColorPatrick Baty
read★The Book of TeaOkakura KakuzōI bought this book while at a Japanese woodworking workshop in Ashland, Oregon. It's a dialogue between eastern and western culture, philosophy and aesthetics told through the Japanese tea ceremony. When I looked for other people's comments on the book I found little except a podcast that read books so boring they were meant to put you to sleep. I guess that's my niche.
read★★The Unknown CraftsmanSōetsu YanagiI bought this book while at a Japanese woodworking workshop in Ashland, Oregon.
on the shelfThe Art of Japanese JoineryKiyosi Seike
on the shelfSharpening and the Japanese Hand PlaneDale Brotherton
on the shelfJapanese Woodworking ToolsToshio Odate
on the shelfThe Penguin Book of OulipoPhilip Terry (editor)
read★★Ways of CuratingHans Ulrich ObristI enjoyed so many things about this book. It's part memoir part how-to. It helps you understand how curation need not be bigger than life. It can fit in your pocket, be showcased in an unused kitchen or be as large as needed. The random cameo from well-known artists made it extra sweet. I bought this book when I visited Barcelona. I was awe-struck by the lively displays of art, was inhaling Gaudí everywhere I could and decided I must have more of this in my life.
on the shelfLives of the Artists, Lives of the ArchitectsHans Ulrich Obrist
on the shelf100 Artists' ManifestosAlex Danchev (editor)
on the shelfAestheticsRoger Scruton
on the shelfThe Ocean Is ClosedJon Beardsworth
on the shelfArt-Making from Mexico to China
on the shelfThe Shape of DesignFrank Chimero
on the shelfWhiteKenya Hara
on the shelfPrinciples of Two-Dimensional DesignWucius Wong
on the shelfPoint Line PlaneKengo Kuma
on the shelfIn Praise of ShadowsJun'ichirō Tanizaki
on the shelfInside ParagraphsCyrus Highsmith
on the shelfAmerican Wood Type: 1828–1900Rob Roy Kelly
on the shelfIslamic Geometric PatternsEric Broug
on the shelfCurating Digital ArtAnnet Dekker
on the shelfLaying the FoundationsAndrew Couldwell
on the shelfThe Art of SeeingAldous Huxley

Design, typography & product

on the shelfNotes on ConceptualismsRobert Fitterman, Vanessa Place
on the shelfPage Design: New Layout & Editorial Design
read★★Structuring DesignUlysses Voelker · finished 2026-09When I see a good grid book I try and buy it up. I think I bought this a long time ago at Builder's Books in Berkeley. The first few chapters changed how I think about grids and their relationship to content. It builds in complexity starting with the novel and gradually exploring newspapers and magazines. The relationship between word and image and structure. Worth a read.
on the shelfLayout EssentialsBeth Tondreau
on the shelfCartographies of TimeDaniel Rosenberg, Anthony Grafton
on the shelfDesigning NewsFrancesco Franchi
on the shelfGrid Systems in Graphic DesignJosef Müller-Brockmann
on the shelfThe Intelligent Lifestyle MagazineFrancesco Franchi, Christian Rocca
on the shelfCommunicationHarvard Business Review
on the shelfA Dash of StyleNoah Lukeman
on the shelfOn Writing WellWilliam Zinsser
on the shelfNicely Said: Writing for the Web with Style and PurposeNicole Fenton, Kate Kiefer Lee
on the shelfLearning to CodeJoshua C. Taylor
on the shelfSculpting in TimeAndrei Tarkovsky
on the shelfBlack MountainMartin Duberman
read★★The Medium Is the MassageMarshall McLuhan, Quentin Fiore
read★Q & AAdrian TomineAnother Brooklyn purchase after getting a cortado at Der Pioneer I ducked into Lofty Pigeon Books and felt drawn to this. He has a chapter on people pronouncing his name in which I found myself viscerally seen. I admittedly didn't know much about him before other than his work in the New Yorker. I found that he worked in the East Bay and recognized the streets he drew from.
on the shelfDon't Follow the WindNikolas Hirsch, Jason Waite (editors)
on the shelfGraphic Design ManualArmin Hofmann
on the shelfTypographic SystemsKimberly Elam
on the shelfGeometry of DesignKimberly Elam
on the shelfHow to Create Typefaces: From Sketch to ScreenCristóbal Henestrosa, Laura Meseguer, José Scaglione
on the shelfPaul RennerChristopher Burke
on the shelfTypographic Web DesignLaura Franz
on the shelfThe Anatomy of TypeStephen Coles
on the shelfDetail in TypographyJost Hochuli
on the shelfDramatic WritingLajos Egri
on the shelfTypographieEmil Ruder
on the shelfDesigning ProgrammesKarl Gerstner
on the shelfSHJan Middendorp
on the shelfBending LettersSofie Beier
on the shelfOn Web TypographyJason Santa Maria
on the shelfThe Elements of Typographic StyleRobert Bringhurst
on the shelfDesigning TypeKaren Cheng
on the shelfType TricksSofie Beier
on the shelfType Tricks: User DesignSofie Beier
on the shelfArt Direction for the WebAndy Clarke
on the shelfMade in North Korea: Graphics from Everyday Life in the DPRKNicholas Bonner
on the shelfTaking a Line for a WalkNina Paim (editor)
on the shelfSystematic Book Design?Jost Hochuli
on the shelfUniversal Methods of DesignBella Martin, Bruce Hanington
on the shelfUnderstanding ContextAndrew Hinton
on the shelfBusiness Model GenerationAlexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur
on the shelfDesign Thinking and Innovation MetricsMichael Lewrick
on the shelfTesting Business IdeasDavid J. Bland, Alexander Osterwalder
on the shelfValue Proposition DesignAlexander Osterwalder et al.
on the shelfProduct IdeasJomer Sharon
on the shelfBeyond the PrototypeDouglas Ferguson
on the shelfShikake: The Japanese Art of Shaping Behavior Through DesignNaohiro Matsumura
on the shelfDesigning EmotionAarron Walter
on the shelfInnovating for PeopleLUMA Institute
on the shelfCreative ConfidenceTom Kelley, David Kelley
on the shelfThis Is Service Design DoingMarc Stickdorn et al.
on the shelfService DesignAndy Polaine, Lavrans Løvlie, Ben Reason
on the shelfExpressive Design SystemsYesenia Perez-Cruz
on the shelfDesign SystemsAlla Kholmatova
on the shelfThe Wall Street Journal Guide to Information GraphicsDona M. Wong
on the shelfRecommender Systems
on the shelfBaseline ShiftBriar Levit (editor)
on the shelfWhat Design Can't DoSilvio Lorusso
on the shelfReason & RigorSharon M. Ravitch, Matthew Riggan
on the shelfColor Design WorkbookAdamsMorioka
on the shelfPantone Guide to Communicating with ColorLeatrice Eiseman
on the shelfBlack & White: New Monochrome Graphics
on the shelfPastel: New Light-Toned Graphics

Literature, reading & other

on the shelfHow to Read a BookMortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren
on the shelfWhy I WriteGeorge Orwell
on the shelfABC of ReadingEzra PoundI found this in a box when I was walking around Brooklyn.
on the shelfLet My People Go SurfingYvon Chouinard
on the shelfDaytripperFábio Moon, Gabriel Bá
on the shelfThe Journal of Bahá’í StudiesVarious
on the shelfMexico CityArquine
reading nowWriting Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer WithinNatalie GoldbergI've seen this recommended a lot. I've started reading it away from the keyboard. I've been building more and more practices that involve notebooks, drawing pads and other analog forms of reflection.
on the shelfMythologiesRoland BarthesOne of my favorite questions to ask friends is if they read anything that changed the way they thought. After reading "Silencing the Past" a friend recommended reading this one.

Art, drawing & visual communication

on the shelfGreat Women Artists
on the shelfModern ColorFred Herzog
on the shelfGood Pictures: A History of Popular PhotographyKim Beil
on the shelfOn PhotographsDavid Campany
read★★The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical ReproductionWalter BenjaminIt touches on questions essential to today's moral questions regarding new technologies. He wrote it in 1935 exploring the moral dilemma of the camera operator versus the painter. What is lost in the age of endless reproduction? He argues that technology strips art of its unique, authentic "aura" by making it endlessly repeatable, shifting its value from sacred ritual to mass public consumption. John Berger's "Ways of Seeing" is heavily inspired by and directly paraphrases this essay by Walter Benjamin.