This book opened my eyes to what a small team can do in a short time if they are dedicated to the mission and masters of their craft. It’s an inspiring read for anyone who’s interested in the history of technical innovation in aerospace or in learning more about the Skunkworks philosophy.
Sister book to Lightness, this is also an inspiring consolidation of ideas on structural optimization, but this one focuses solely on transportation. If you also share a passion for sustainable transportation, this is the book for you. You’ll likely only be able to find this book used, but it’s absolutely worth the effort!
An inspiring consolidation of ideas and technologies around the subject of structural optimization in many fields — primarily architecture. Though difficult to find and somewhat challenging to read (you’ve never seen captions like these!), this book will be an absolute inspiration for anyone interested in the pursuit of structural purity and performance.
With our singular focus on NPD, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the same tools we use to develop new products, packages and medical devices have been used by the most innovative organizations on the planet to inspire some of the greatest achievements of humanity. The Art of NASA is a powerful and inspiring reminder of how powerful are the tools of design.
If you’re interested in a brilliant coffee table book with rich visuals and a tangible reminder of design’s power to inspire intellectual and scientific greatness, click here to buy this title on Amazon.
It’s no overstatement to say that this book is life-changing. I had been screwing around with bread baking for years with almost zero success. When this book was recommended by Allez Bakery owner Thomas McKenna, I had essentially given up on ever being able to bake an airy, crusty, delicious loaf of bread. This book taught me to think of bread-making as a fermentation process. (And as someone who regularly makes 3 - 5 gallon batches of homemade kimchi and home-brewed beer, this revelation was mind-blowing!)
Perhaps equally important — and unlike other cookbooks I’ve read — Flour Water Salt Yeast is written to truly educate its reader rather than provide rote instructions. For just one example, ingredients are listed in such a way as to allow the reader to compare recipes at a glance and to develop an understanding of how the proportions of each recipe — combined with temperature, humidity and time — can be adjusted to achieve different results. (it sort of reminds me of how tables of offsets are used to describe boat hulls.)
If you’ve always wanted to make amazing bread, pick this book up immediately. Click here to buy on Amazon.
No. It is not a book. Still, this brilliant kit from LEGO is the perfect way to indoctrinate your three year old into the world of sailing — and LEGOs! The set provides two great models with mechanical steering and sail handling — and it looks a lot like a Volvo Ocean 65. Check it out! Click here to buy on Amazon.
A quite literal spiritual successor to The Whole Earth Catalog, “Cool Tools” is a book form of the website by the same name, both by writer Kevin Kelly. Kelly captures the same DIY feel and breadth of “the catalog” but with modern recommendations. This giant coffee table book is a great gift for curious kids (and adults), and is perfect for poring over on a rainy afternoon — just be prepared to find yourself saying “Huh! I had no idea that exists!” and then heading to the internet to buy whatever clever tool you’ve just discovered. Click here to buy on Amazon.
I had been running across reverential mentions of “the catalog” multiple times in the last few months in books and podcasts, so I jumped on eBay and picked up a yellowed, 72’ copy for ten bucks. In addition to being a delightful proto-internet, “hippy” time-capsule to browse, it is still a great resource for book and tool recommendations on a vast array of subjects. While the sources for purchasing said recommendations have changed, the sound knowledge remains, and that may be the catalog’s most impressive trick. Definitely worth a look if you come across a copy.
It goes without saying that there are certainly some procedural expectations of organizations, especially mega-corps, but most of these “best practices” pre-date most of the big innovation that have helped shape today's workplace. If our world is different than it was, should’t our businesses also be different? Up The Organization takes everything we’ve grown to accept about organizational culture and turns it on its head; providing insights about how taking a different approach can help companies get more out of their employees, without sacrificing morale. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Unlike the growing body of writings that belabor the romance and nostalgia of making things by hand, Craeft explores the history and meaning of the concept itself. In it, Langlands describes the concept through the lenses of several ancient crafts (of which he is an actual practitioner) and from his perspective as an experimental archaeologist. This book has the depth and intelligence of Richard Sennett's The Craftsman but with an historical scope that spans millennia. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Still as relevant today as when it was published in 1971, this industrial design classic delivers a square kick in the teeth to every budding product designer by demanding they consider the responsibility they wield. This classic text opens one's eyes to the potential for both good and bad we have in the design profession. If you're in the business of designing products or even just buying new products (yep, that means you), and you haven't read it yet, please take this opportunity to do so! Click here to buy on Amazon.
The Hokule'a is a modern marvel: a Polynesian style sailboat that circumnavigated the globe in the span of two years without modern navigation technology. By reviving the nearly forgotten Polynesian wayfinding techniques, the Polynesian Voyaging Society preserved a culture and showed the world it was more than possible. More importantly, their story is a great example of the feats we can accomplish when we understand the natural world, work with it, and preserve it. It's an enthralling read with gorgeous photography! Click here to buy on Amazon.
Patagonia is a company that P&T admires for a number of reasons, to say nothing of their amazing products. This book brings their most admirable achievement — the globally responsible business of Patagonia itself — to the forefront. While not exactly a manual for how to run any business the way Patagonia does, it makes a great case for why one should try. Plus, the simple rules of thumb for culture and decision making, paired with examples of their genuine success are always motivating to return to when the day's events have you feeling down. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Nick Offerman uses Gumption to tell the stories of the 21 historical figures who have inspired him to grow into the Ron-Swanson-esque human we all know and love today. Throughout the book he weaves historical anecdotes with light hearted humor to reveal hard truths such as the fact that it's incredibly unlikely that a young George Washington could have chopped down a cherry tree using nothing but a hatchet and an abundance of youthful energy. It's a fun, thought provoking read that finds a way to draw parallels between seemingly unlikely bedfellows, like Ben Franklin and Yoko Ono. Plus, this book is heartily loved and endorsed by every member of P&T — so read it already! Patagonia is a company that P&T admires for a number of reasons, to say nothing of their amazing products. This book brings their most admirable achievement — the globally responsible business of Patagonia itself — to the forefront. While not exactly a manual for how to run any business the way Patagonia does, it makes a great case for why one should try. Plus, the simple rules of thumb for culture and decision making, paired with examples of their genuine success are always motivating to return to when the day's events have you feeling down. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Research shows that most people would rather have satisfaction than balance in their lives. But if that's the case, why is it that every big corporation talks about helping their employees find work-life balance? Employees don't burn out because they work too many hours, they burn out because they are working for something they don't believe in. Off-Balance leads readers through the author's journey of finding personal and professional satisfaction, not work-life balance. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Part storybook, part actionable advice — the Go-Getter was originally published 80+ years ago, but its content hardly feels dated. Kyne tells a tale of a young employee sent on a wild goose chase to complete an almost impossible task, and it's packed full of great motivational tidbits. The Go-Getter is a quick read, but it's one that inspires readers to always put forth the extra effort. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Written by a group of venture capitalists, this book points out the 4 common traits that have been observed in successful business builders: heart, smarts, guts, and luck. Each individual will favor one trait over the others, and the authors help you decipher if you are heart-dominant, smarts-dominant, guts-dominant, or maybe you tend to be in the right place at the right time — luck-dominant. Knowing which trait drives you can help you make better decisions, and perhaps most importantly, help you build the right team. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Originally published in the 5th century BC, The Art of War served as the fundamental military strategy text in east Asia. The text is divided into 13 chapters, each devoted to a specific aspect of warfare. In recent history it has gained popularity with applications in business strategy, legal tactics, and beyond. The wisdom and verbiage of Sun Tzu may be ancient, but the applications are as timely as ever. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Couched in a long and uncomfortable narrative, this book conveys probably the best description of Quality I've ever read. For better or worse, you can't just skip to the quality part. It's part of the ride. Click here to buy on Amazon.
Yes, they're novels. No description I can write will properly convey how fantastic they are. I recommend that you read every single one of them... Except the last. Click to buy the whole set on Amazon.
Good products teach their user how to use them. For books — traditional teaching tools — the bar for great teaching is higher. In addition to providing a fantastic written guide to making traditional and modern sails, including the fundamentals of sail design, broad-seaming, and sewing, this book guides the reader through a "Ditty Bag Apprenticeship" during which he/she completes a simple project that conveys many of the basic skills. Click to buy on Amazon.
This book puts into words thoughts that every designer has had around the subject of interconnectivity and elevates them to include science, art, religion... everything. It's typical E.O. Wilson brilliance but applied to an idea that will change the way you think about design. Click to buy on Amazon.
John Muir can wax poetic about exploring a forest better than any writer I've read to date. When I am frazzled and frustrated (and can't go for a hike myself), reading this is the next best path to calm. Click to buy on Amazon.
This shiny little book provides ten easily digestible guidelines around Maeda's philosophy of simplicity in product design. It serves as a great reminder (and loaner) for those of us who sometimes find it difficult to describe to others the beauty and benefits of simplicity. I've lent this to students more than any other book. (That is, I've had several copies. You know who you are.) Click to buy your own copy on Amazon.
A comprehensive and accessible book on the subject of Tenkara fly fishing. Like the philosophy that underpins many of the books in this list, Tenkara celebrates the idea that "the more you know, the less you need." In this short text, Yvon Chouinard unpacks this simple fishing technique and the tools and techniques that make it beautiful. Click to buy on Amazon.
