Ask HN: What's your favorite coffee table book?

2 pointstucif4y ago6 comments

Looking for "coffee table books" from which you can learn something by reading just a couple of pages, optionally with some imagery.

Something in the lines of: Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe (xkcd), The secret lives of color by Kassia St.Clair.

6 comments

a3n4y ago

The Edward Tufte books from his course.

tucifOP4y ago

Data visualization books seem perfect for this purpose, thanks!

ggm4y ago

"the whole earth catalog"

"the rudiments of wisdom" by Tim Hunkin

"A Museum of Early American Tools" by Eric Sloane

"Pillar to Post" by Osbert Lancaster

"Prehistoric Man" by Zdenek Burian

tucifOP4y ago

Really nice list, the rudiments of wisdom looks great for what I’m after, thanks.

ggm4y ago

It was the endpage for the 'Observer' colour magazine (sunday paper in the UK) when I was a child, made perfect 'bog' reading. I love the book!

Earth From Above and variations are all winners.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

2 pointstucif4y ago6 comments

Looking for "coffee table books" from which you can learn something by reading just a couple of pages, optionally with some imagery.

Something in the lines of: Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe (xkcd), The secret lives of color by Kassia St.Clair.

a3n4y ago

The Edward Tufte books from his course.

tucifOP4y ago

Data visualization books seem perfect for this purpose, thanks!

ggm4y ago

"the whole earth catalog"

"the rudiments of wisdom" by Tim Hunkin

"A Museum of Early American Tools" by Eric Sloane

"Pillar to Post" by Osbert Lancaster

"Prehistoric Man" by Zdenek Burian

tucifOP4y ago

Really nice list, the rudiments of wisdom looks great for what I’m after, thanks.

ggm4y ago

It was the endpage for the 'Observer' colour magazine (sunday paper in the UK) when I was a child, made perfect 'bog' reading. I love the book!

Earth From Above and variations are all winners.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse