A working library is an exploration of—and advocate for—
the reading experience. by Mandy Brown

Diary of a Bad Year

J.M. Coetzee

Coetzee’s latest novel is written as two, entwined diaries—his own and that of a younger woman who he comes to pass the time with. Subtle and capable typography allows the trick to come off.

Waiting for the Barbarians

J.M. Coetzee

Coetzee’s most important novel, sadly more relevant everyday. Perhaps the writer I most admire.

Summertime

J.M. Coetzee

Of Coetzee’s last few works of fiction (this, Diary of a Bad Year, Elizabeth Costello), I can draw only a few, tentative conclusions: that he feels compelled to explore the structure of the novel itself (for reasons I cannot yet articulate), and that he is wise enough to get out ahead of the biographers who will no doubt pounce on his grave while still warm.

The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis

Lydia Davis

Davis’ shorts are very short—sometimes only a paragraph—but they leave impressions larger than the tiny space they consume. The juxtaposition of bold, centered type and handwritten borders on the cover is a near perfect representation of the stories therein.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

Alain de Botton

A lengthy and wonderful photo essay with stories of various kinds of work, from biscuit manufacturer to rocket scientist; a welcome companion to Theriault’s How to Tell When You’re Tired. Alas, de Botton finds many more sorrows than pleasures in the modern workplace.

A Week at the Airport

Alain de Botton

A slim document observing the place most of us strive to avoid. The perfect lazy travel book.

Don Quixote

Miguel de Cervantes

Almost certainly the greatest novel ever written, and an early precursor to postmodernism. Some ten years separated publication of the first and second volumes, during which time an unauthorized sequel was published by an unknown writer. In that spurious text, Quixote is recast as the classic and heroic knight, morphing from satire to cliché. Subsequently, in Cervantes’ second volume, the real Quixote learns of the impostor and seeks him out. Grossman’s translation captures the vernacular humor that made Quixote famous in his own time.

Jan Tschichold, Master Typographer

Cees W. de Jong

Thames & Hudson’s tome to Jan Tschichold is as oversized as he was. Includes beautiful photographs of his work, alongside essays about his life and legacy.

Mediated

Thomas de Zengotita

de Zengotita investigates the ways in which our experience of the world is mediated both through traditional media (television, newspapers) but also the ways in which we self-mediate—whether through photographs or status updates, we’ve come to think of our lives as a narrative, with ourselves always at the center. Written before Twitter came along, but relevant nonetheless.

The Names

Don Delillo

A dense novel, concerning a small group of American ex-patriots and a series of cult murders. Strange and beautiful. I intend to read it again.

Designing for People

Henry Dreyfuss

The first book on industrial design. A lovely, timeless book. Dreyfuss scattered the pages with his sketches, making for a playful, very human read.

Managing Oneself

Peter F. Drucker

An essay turned pamphlet, short enough to reread regularly. Drucker’s advice comes down to knowing yourself well enough to make the right decisions: your strengths, your relationships, and your environment all add up to success or failure. Perhaps the smartest counsel he gives is to start a second career before you’ve completed the first. Less a backup plan than a means of succession.

After Theory

Terry Eagleton

Literary Theory

Terry Eagleton

The classic introduction to literary theory and a capable and somewhat subversive argument for Marxism.

Ideology

Terry Eagleton

The printing press as an agent of change

Elizabeth L. Eisenstein

A long academic work on the history of the advent of printing. The writing is scholarly (read: stuffy), but the subject is fascinating enough to make it worthwhile.

How to Write a Sentence

Stanley Fish

Fish argues that the building blocks of writing are sentences, and that if you want to write a good one, you first have to learn how to read it. An approach to close reading, but instead of attending to literary illusions, you listen to the rhythm, structure, and art of the sentences themselves.

The Subversive Copy Editor

Carol Fisher Saller

Carol Fisher Saller’s irreverent guide to copy editing has helpful advice for working with writers, as well as guidance for writers about working with their editor. Her expert (and often hilarious) responses to The Chicago Manual of Style Online’s Q&A are an excellent reminder that editing is as much art as science.

Made by Hand

Mark Frauenfelder

A chronicle of one man’s attempt to become a DIYer. Frauenfelder learns that making things yourself means mostly making mistakes, but those mistakes can be a source of joy. He also charmingly demonstrates the old adage that the best way to learn is to get in way over your head.

Rework

David Heinemeier Hansson, Jason Fried

On making work better, from the founders of 37Signals. If you’ve been reading Signals vs. Noise, there’s not much new here. But the combination of short, well-written chapters, large type, and clever illustrations make for a charming and persuasive read.