 | Eames Design by John Neuhart
Buy new: $59.85 / Used from: $39.99 This is far and away the most comprehensive book out there on the incredible Eames'.
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 | George Nelson: The Design of Modern Design by Stanley Abercrombie
Buy new: $35.04 / Used from: $31.26 Engaging and thorough biography of one of the 20th centuries great designers.
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 | Alexander Girard Designs for Herman Miller (Schiffer Design Book) by Leslie A. Pina
Buy new: $32.97 / Used from: $28.00 The third arm of the great herman miller design team in the 50's-70's. This is a fantastic book that truly gives you a glimpse of how talented Girard really was.
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 | Bucky Works : Buckminster Fuller's Ideas for Today by J. Baldwin
Buy new: $23.36 / Used from: $12.39 Very good biography of an amazing mind. Bucky's ideas are finally being taken seriously. See Metropolis Mag. summer 2008 issue. Also the Whitney Museum of American Art is hosting an exhibition on Fuller on view June 26 - September 21, 2008.
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 | Arts & Architecture: The Entenza Years
Buy new: $30.04 / Used from: $14.99 If you are a fan of mid-century design then you must buy this book. It's a great trip through the cutting edge of art, design, and architecture of the mid 20th century.
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 | Case Study Houses: 1945-1962 by Esther McCoy
Buy new: $20.94 / Used from: $12.61 This is a re-issue but well worth the money. Includes drawings as well as some photos of all of the case study houses. Esther McCoy was there when it happened!
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 | The Films of Charles & Ray Eames
Buy new: $79.99 / Used from: $38.00 This is an amazing collection of the Eames' film work!
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 | The Herman Miller Collection, 1952: Furniture Designed by George Nelson and Charles Eames, With Occasional Pieces by Isamu Noguchi, Peter Hvidt, and (Acanthus ... 20th Century, Landmarks in Design, V. 5.)
Buy used from: $70.00 Nelson and the Eamse' in the top of their form.
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 | Spirit of Folk Art by Henry Glassie
Buy used from: $19.98 If you have seen any of the Eames films such as Tocatta for Toy Trains, Parade, or Day of the Dead, you have an idea of how fantastic the Girard collection truly is. This book will put you on a plane to Santa Fe to see the fantastic museum that has the collection!
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 | THE DESIGN QUARTERLY 98/99: THE DESIGN PROCESS AT HERMAN MILLER - NELSON, EAMES, GIRARD, PROPST by Olga Gueft
Buy used from: $15.95 |
 | Critical Path by R. Buckminster Fuller
Buy new: $14.93 / Used from: $5.95 Written towards the end of his life. Great book to get to know the accomplishments and gain some insights into one of the great minds of the 20th century.
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 | Case Study Houses: 1945-1966: The California Impetus (Taschen Basic Architecture) by Elizabeth Smith
Buy used from: $29.83 An introduction to the Case Study house program initiated by John Entenza in his Arts and Architecture Magazine in the 40's and 50's.
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 | Eero Saarinen, 1910-1961: A Structural Expressionist (Basic Art) by Pierluigi Serraino
Buy used from: $13.95 This is part of a great series on the Modern architecture. Especially if you are on a budget and you are interested in an intro. into the great design and architecture of the 20th century. Taschen has done an excellent job.
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 | Modern Retro: Living With Mid-Century Modern Style (Compact Paperbacks) by Neil Bingham
Buy used from: $49.97 Great pocket size to mid-century design. I love this book.
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 | The Chair (Living with Modern Classics) by Elizabeth Wilhide
Buy used from: $30.97 Nice book with a specific focus on all of the classics and their designers.
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 | An Eames Primer by Eames Demetrios
Buy new: $21.56 / Used from: $5.93 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this behind-the -scenes biography of the great husband and wife design team.
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 | Marimekko: Fabrics, Fashion, Architecture (Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design & Culture)
Buy new: $47.25 / Used from: $29.95 Beautiful book about one of the great color and pattern design offices there has ever been. This book also opened my eyes to the architectural designs of Marimekko. I thought that they were just about fabric and fashion design.
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 | Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream by Paul Adamson
Buy new: $31.50 / Used from: $20.13 Great book on the history of California modernism and all of its players as well as the rise of Joseph Eichler's vision of bringing affordable modernist housing to the middle class family. Great Book!
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 | Architecture of Richard Neutra: From International Style to California Modern by Arthur Drexler
Buy used from: $10.99 If you can find it this is an excellent monograph of Neutra which was published back in 1982 as the catalog to accompany an exhibition of his work at MOMA.
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 | Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture by Alan Hess
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $5.04 We have all eaten in a least a couple of these buildings. This is what I used to think of when "mid-century-modern" was mentioned. Googie style is also where you find some of John Lautner's best and most fun work.
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 | The New Look: Design in the Fifties by Lesley Jackson
Buy used from: $5.16 High quality academic approach to the study of design in the dynamic 1950's.
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| Breuer Houses by Joachim Driller
Buy new: $42.51 / Used from: $11.84 I recommend many books concerning the BAUHAUS players of which BREUER was a significant one. Breuer certainly contributed more than just interesting house designs, still his homes are very cool.
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 | Craig Ellwood. Architecture by Esther McCoy
Buy new: $33.71 / Used from: $22.48 A fine study of a great "Case Study" modernist. My only issue with the soft cover. For the price it should be a hardcover. Hopefully Hennessey and Ingalls will issue a hardcover, in the mean time this is what is available unless you can find an original.
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 | Frank Lloyd Wright: An American Architecture
Buy new: $26.37 / Used from: $10.60 Their are a lot of books out there on Wright's work but this one is edited by Edgar Kaufmann; It does make the difference. Check it out!
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 | Le Corbusier: Ideas and Forms by William J R Curtis
Buy new: $22.76 / Used from: $13.91 Towards a New Architecture is a Must Read by the Master himself. Get this book for an objective rest-of-the-story.
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 | Design of the 20th Century by Charlotte Fiell
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $5.07 This is a small encyclopedia of 20th century design, and an excellent value!
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 | Louis I. Kahn: In the Realm of Architecture: Condensed by David B. Brownlee
Buy new: $25.00 / Used from: $5.16 If you agree with Richard Serra that architecture isn't art and architects are not artists, then you haven't studied Kahn's work. He is one of the 20th centuries great artists. Enough about Serra go discover Louis Kahn, and don't skip Scully's poignant Introduction.
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| Makers of Contemporary Architecture. Eero Saarinen, Kenzo Tange, Louis I. Kahn, R. Buckminster Fuller, Philip Johnson
Buy used from: $49.99 I found several of the books in this series at my local used book store and have thoroughly enjoyed them. If you can find them as a set for this price it's a good value for what you get.
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 | Herman Miller: The Purpose of Design by John Berry
Buy new: $40.50 / Used from: $20.25 This is an excellent history of the United States finest modern furniture company
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 | California Design: The Legacy of West Coast Craft and Style by Suzanne Baizerman
Buy used from: $7.09 This is the Design equivelant to the Case Study house program initiated by John Entenza and Arts and Architecture. California Design showcases the California Design Exhibition series that were held at the Pasedena Art Museum (presently the Norton Simon)from 1954-1976. I had so much fun reading and looking at this book. It truly is a walk through a glorious past of west coast design. Check it out!!
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 | Tanaka Ikko: Graphic Master by Gian Carlo Calza
Buy used from: $85.00 Certainly one of the great graphic designers and artists of the twentieth century and beyond. This is simply a beautiful book. Every time I pick it up I find myself late for another appointment.
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| Herb Lubalin: Art Director, Graphic Designer and Typographer by Gertrude Snyder
Buy used from: $210.95 If you can find this book cherish it. It is a lovely biography of the 20th century's greatest typographer!!
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 | Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury by Elizabeth Armstrong
Buy new: $40.95 / Used from: $25.99 This is a great catalogue to a wonderful show on art, architecture, and design in California after World War ll.
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 | Learning from Las Vegas - Revised Edition: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form by Robert Venturi
Buy new: $16.29 / Used from: $8.79 Controversial, maybe. However a list of books on 20th century design must include this title as well as anything written by Vincent Scully.
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 | Modern Architecture by Vincent Joseph Scully
Buy new: $14.96 / Used from: $0.85 If you want to understand anything about 20th century architecture read Scully's books.
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| Memphis by Barbara Radice
Buy used from: $29.99 Excellent look at the eccentric late 20th century design group. Also an important part of Ettore Sottsass' carrer.
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 | Milton Glaser: Graphic Design by Milton Glaser
Buy used from: $17.00 A must have for any 20th century design library. Also keep yours eyes open for the Pushpen Graphic periodicals.
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