A working library is an exploration of—and advocate for—Collections
-
U&lc
John D. Berry
U&lc was a magazine of experimental typography, founded by Herb Lubalin in 1973, and published through 1999. John D. Berry’s tome includes reproductions of many of the original issues (the yellowing paper of the original newsprint was photographed for the book), plus notes on the history of the magazine from Berry and others. The older issues are especially beautiful and expressive.
-
The Solid Form of Language
Robert Bringhurst
Bringhurst’s short essay meanders through the history of scripts and their varied forms, touching on the origins of their physical shapes as well as the political and social forces that impacted them along the way. Set in Chaparral, the very same typeface used here, and perhaps my favorite.
-
Manual of Typography
Giambattista Bodoni, Stephan Füssel
A reproduction of Bodoni’s lifelong project to document as many typefaces as possible, complete with the dedication by his widow, and an essay from Stephan Füssel placing the book in historical context. The labor required to painstakingly produce such a work is lost in a modern reprint, but the extraordinary love of type persists. The exhaustive exploration serves as a reminder of the attentiveness to detail that marks all great type.
-
Book Typography
Michael Mitchell, Susan Wightman
A thorough and beautiful guide to typography and typesetting, worthy of any designer’s desk.
-
Handcrafted CSS
Dan Cederholm, Ethan Marcotte
An excellent, practical overview that demonstrates how to use CSS3 properties today, as well as other methods of “handcrafted” design. The approach blurs the line between design and development in myriad and lovely ways.
-
Detail in typography
Jost Hochuli
-
The Elements of Typographic Style
Robert Bringhurst
The typographer’s bible; a book that is never too far from reach.
-
Modern typography
Robin Kinross
A rare object—a book on typography that is as beautifully written as it is designed.
-
Unjustified texts
Robin Kinross
