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SoBrief
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The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
by William H. Whyte • 1980
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
4.33
927
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Summary
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces 96%
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
by William H. Whyte 1980
4.33
927 ratings
The Architecture of Happiness
by Alain de Botton • 2006
The buildings we love don't just look good. They model the person we want to be.
3.86
15k+
The Architecture of Happiness Summary
The Architecture of Happiness 96%
The buildings we love don't just look good. They model the person we want to be.
by Alain de Botton 2006
3.86
15k+ ratings
Tactical Urbanism
by Mike Lydon • 2014
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
3.99
315
Tactical Urbanism Summary
Tactical Urbanism 96%
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
by Mike Lydon 2014
3.99
315 ratings
Happy City
by Charles Montgomery • 2012
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
4.36
10k+
Happy City Summary
Happy City 95%
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
by Charles Montgomery 2012
4.36
10k+ ratings
Streetfight
by Janette Sadik-Khan • 2016
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
4.26
2k+
Streetfight Summary
Streetfight 95%
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
by Janette Sadik-Khan 2016
4.26
2k+ ratings
Palaces for the People
by Eric Klinenberg • 2018
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
3.97
5k+
Palaces for the People Summary
Palaces for the People 95%
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
by Eric Klinenberg 2018
3.97
5k+ ratings
Curbing Traffic
by Melissa Bruntlett • 2021
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
4.38
633
Curbing Traffic Summary
Curbing Traffic 94%
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
by Melissa Bruntlett 2021
4.38
633 ratings
Design for the Real World
by Victor Papanek • 1972
Design fills the world with disposables. A manifesto for building what people actually need.
4.24
2k+
Design for the Real World Summary
Design for the Real World 94%
Design fills the world with disposables. A manifesto for building what people actually need.
by Victor Papanek 1972
4.24
2k+ ratings
You Belong to the Universe
by Jonathan Keats • 2016
Buckminster Fuller never built a world-saving machine. He invented a way of thinking that could.
3.65
393
You Belong to the Universe Summary
You Belong to the Universe 94%
Buckminster Fuller never built a world-saving machine. He invented a way of thinking that could.
by Jonathan Keats 2016
3.65
393 ratings
Design for a Better World
by Donald A. Norman • 2023
Everything around you was designed: economy, waste, climate. Design can repair what it broke.
3.61
198
Design for a Better World Summary
Design for a Better World 94%
Everything around you was designed: economy, waste, climate. Design can repair what it broke.
by Donald A. Norman 2023
3.61
198 ratings
Joyful
by Ingrid Fetell Lee • 2018
Color, curves, and a window with a view: ten physical switches that lift any room's mood.
3.85
11k+
Joyful Summary
Joyful 94%
Color, curves, and a window with a view: ten physical switches that lift any room's mood.
by Ingrid Fetell Lee 2018
3.85
11k+ ratings
Discursive Design
by Bruce M. Tharp • 2019
What if your toaster had an opinion? A field guide to design that argues.
4.36
25
Discursive Design Summary
Discursive Design 93%
What if your toaster had an opinion? A field guide to design that argues.
by Bruce M. Tharp 2019
4.36
25 ratings
Speculative Everything
by Anthony Dunne • 2013
Most design fixes problems. This design invents fictional worlds to test-drive better ones.
4.12
999
Speculative Everything Summary
Speculative Everything 93%
Most design fixes problems. This design invents fictional worlds to test-drive better ones.
by Anthony Dunne 2013
4.12
999 ratings
Escaping the Housing Trap
by Charles L. Marohn Jr. • 2024
Housing can't be both affordable shelter and a good investment. That conflict is the trap.
4.37
503
Escaping the Housing Trap Summary
Escaping the Housing Trap 93%
Housing can't be both affordable shelter and a good investment. That conflict is the trap.
by Charles L. Marohn Jr. 2024
4.37
503 ratings
The Option of Urbanism
by Christopher B. Leinberger • 2007
America's car suburbs were built by policy, not consumer choice. The market now wants the opposite.
3.89
185
The Option of Urbanism Summary
The Option of Urbanism 93%
America's car suburbs were built by policy, not consumer choice. The market now wants the opposite.
by Christopher B. Leinberger 2007
3.89
185 ratings
Healthy Buildings
by Joseph G. Allen • 2020
You spend 72 years indoors. The air you breathe there has a balance sheet.
3.91
170
Healthy Buildings Summary
Healthy Buildings 93%
You spend 72 years indoors. The air you breathe there has a balance sheet.
by Joseph G. Allen 2020
3.91
170 ratings
The Design of Everyday Things
by Donald A. Norman • 1988
Why you can't figure out a simple door: the design classic that blames objects, not people.
4.15
48k+
The Design of Everyday Things Summary
The Design of Everyday Things 93%
Why you can't figure out a simple door: the design classic that blames objects, not people.
by Donald A. Norman 1988
4.15
48k+ ratings
How Infrastructure Works
by Deb Chachra • 2023
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
3.64
937
How Infrastructure Works Summary
How Infrastructure Works 93%
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
by Deb Chachra 2023
3.64
937 ratings
Against the smart city
by Adam Greenfield • 2013
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
3.96
132
Against the smart city Summary
Against the smart city 92%
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
by Adam Greenfield 2013
3.96
132 ratings
Cradle to Cradle
by Michael Braungart • 2002
Waste is a design flaw. The blueprint for a world where everything feeds the next cycle.
4.09
13k+
Cradle to Cradle Summary
Cradle to Cradle 92%
Waste is a design flaw. The blueprint for a world where everything feeds the next cycle.
by Michael Braungart 2002
4.09
13k+ ratings
Triumph of the City
by Edward L. Glaeser • 2011
Poverty flocks to cities because cities are the escape route. The economic case for density.
3.91
6k+
Triumph of the City Summary
Triumph of the City 92%
Poverty flocks to cities because cities are the escape route. The economic case for density.
by Edward L. Glaeser 2011
3.91
6k+ ratings
Smart Cities
by Anthony M. Townsend • 2013
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
3.61
817
Smart Cities Summary
Smart Cities 92%
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
by Anthony M. Townsend 2013
3.61
817 ratings
The Poetics of Space
by Gaston Bachelard • 1957
Your childhood home is a blueprint of your mind: how cellars, attics, and corners form the psyche.
4.18
11k+
The Poetics of Space Summary
The Poetics of Space 92%
Your childhood home is a blueprint of your mind: how cellars, attics, and corners form the psyche.
by Gaston Bachelard 1957
4.18
11k+ ratings
Notes on the Synthesis of Form
by Christopher W. Alexander • 1964
Intuition fails modern design. The answer: map all failures, then solve one subsystem at a time.
4.06
758
Notes on the Synthesis of Form Summary
Notes on the Synthesis of Form 92%
Intuition fails modern design. The answer: map all failures, then solve one subsystem at a time.
by Christopher W. Alexander 1964
4.06
758 ratings
Design Thinking
by Nigel Cross • 2011
Design has its own logic: designers don't analyze what exists but propose what might be.
3.55
315
Design Thinking Summary
Design Thinking 92%
Design has its own logic: designers don't analyze what exists but propose what might be.
by Nigel Cross 2011
3.55
315 ratings
Emotional Design
by Donald A. Norman • 2003
Your brain processes beauty before conscious thought, and good looks make things easier to use.
3.95
6k+
Emotional Design Summary
Emotional Design 92%
Your brain processes beauty before conscious thought, and good looks make things easier to use.
by Donald A. Norman 2003
3.95
6k+ ratings
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City
by Alan Ehrenhalt • 2012
American metros are inverting: affluence returns downtown, immigrants settle the suburbs.
3.77
678
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City Summary
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City 92%
American metros are inverting: affluence returns downtown, immigrants settle the suburbs.
by Alan Ehrenhalt 2012
3.77
678 ratings
Home Therapy
by Anita Yokota • 2022
Your home shapes your mind and your mood. A therapist's blueprint for designing it with intention.
3.58
370
Home Therapy Summary
Home Therapy 92%
Your home shapes your mind and your mood. A therapist's blueprint for designing it with intention.
by Anita Yokota 2022
3.58
370 ratings
Uses of Disorder
by Richard Sennett • 1970
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
3.88
258
Uses of Disorder Summary
Uses of Disorder 92%
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
by Richard Sennett 1970
3.88
258 ratings
Radical Cities
by Justin McGuirk • 2014
The slums and squatter towers of Latin America are the world's most daring urban experiments.
4.27
434
Radical Cities Summary
Radical Cities 92%
The slums and squatter towers of Latin America are the world's most daring urban experiments.
by Justin McGuirk 2014
4.27
434 ratings
The Upcycle
by William McDonough • 2013
Less harm is still harm. The blueprint for designing products, buildings, and systems that heal.
4.00
1k+
The Upcycle Summary
The Upcycle 92%
Less harm is still harm. The blueprint for designing products, buildings, and systems that heal.
by William McDonough 2013
4.00
1k+ ratings
Fostering Sustainable Behavior
by Doug McKenzie-Mohr • 1999
Posters and pamphlets don't change behavior. Six tools that do, and how to combine them.
3.86
188
Fostering Sustainable Behavior Summary
Fostering Sustainable Behavior 92%
Posters and pamphlets don't change behavior. Six tools that do, and how to combine them.
by Doug McKenzie-Mohr 1999
3.86
188 ratings
The Substance of Style
by Virginia Postrel • 2003
The sensory qualities of things now rival price and performance as economic forces.
3.49
527
The Substance of Style Summary
The Substance of Style 92%
The sensory qualities of things now rival price and performance as economic forces.
by Virginia Postrel 2003
3.49
527 ratings
Handbook for a Positive Revolution
by Edward de Bono • 1991
A revolution without enemies: five principles that turn personal effectiveness into global change.
3.23
115
Handbook for a Positive Revolution Summary
Handbook for a Positive Revolution 92%
A revolution without enemies: five principles that turn personal effectiveness into global change.
by Edward de Bono 1991
3.23
115 ratings
The Laws of Simplicity
by John Maeda • 2006
Simplicity is subtraction with meaning: ten design laws for making complex things feel effortless.
3.89
7k+
The Laws of Simplicity Summary
The Laws of Simplicity 92%
Simplicity is subtraction with meaning: ten design laws for making complex things feel effortless.
by John Maeda 2006
3.89
7k+ ratings
Good Services
by Lou Downe • 2020
Your service assumes a normal user. That user doesn't exist. The design rules that work anyway.
4.29
891
Good Services Summary
Good Services 92%
Your service assumes a normal user. That user doesn't exist. The design rules that work anyway.
by Lou Downe 2020
4.29
891 ratings
What's Mine Is Yours
by Rachel Botsman • 2010
Ownership is burden; access is power. How peer networks and digital trust are remaking the economy.
3.96
1k+
What's Mine Is Yours Summary
What's Mine Is Yours 92%
Ownership is burden; access is power. How peer networks and digital trust are remaking the economy.
by Rachel Botsman 2010
3.96
1k+ ratings
User Friendly
by Cliff Kuang • 2019
Effortless design was forged by war, marketing, and psychology, and its ease hides a cost.
4.13
3k+
User Friendly Summary
User Friendly 92%
Effortless design was forged by war, marketing, and psychology, and its ease hides a cost.
by Cliff Kuang 2019
4.13
3k+ ratings
Resilience
by Andrew Zolli • 2012
Why coral reefs recover and banks collapse: the hidden architecture of resilience.
3.62
777
Resilience Summary
Resilience 92%
Why coral reefs recover and banks collapse: the hidden architecture of resilience.
by Andrew Zolli 2012
3.62
777 ratings
The Smart Enough City
by Ben Green • 2019
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
4.12
208
The Smart Enough City Summary
The Smart Enough City 92%
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
by Ben Green 2019
4.12
208 ratings
Designing Regenerative Cultures
by Daniel Christian Wahl • 2016
Designing as separate from nature broke the planet. Regenerative cultures learn from living systems.
4.24
223
Designing Regenerative Cultures Summary
Designing Regenerative Cultures 92%
Designing as separate from nature broke the planet. Regenerative cultures learn from living systems.
by Daniel Christian Wahl 2016
4.24
223 ratings
Optimal Illusions
by Coco Krumme • 2023
Optimization promised perfection. It delivered fragile systems and hollowed communities.
3.00
238
Optimal Illusions Summary
Optimal Illusions 92%
Optimization promised perfection. It delivered fragile systems and hollowed communities.
by Coco Krumme 2023
3.00
238 ratings
The Edifice Complex
by Deyan Sudjic • 2006
From Hitler's Reich Chancellery to the Bilbao Guggenheim, what monuments are really for.
3.8
380
The Edifice Complex Summary
The Edifice Complex 92%
From Hitler's Reich Chancellery to the Bilbao Guggenheim, what monuments are really for.
by Deyan Sudjic 2006
3.8
380 ratings
Exposing the Magic of Design
by Jon Kolko • 2010
Research reveals what is; synthesis reveals what could be. The methods for crossing that gap.
4.09
210
Exposing the Magic of Design Summary
Exposing the Magic of Design 91%
Research reveals what is; synthesis reveals what could be. The methods for crossing that gap.
by Jon Kolko 2010
4.09
210 ratings
Small Things Considered
by Henry Petroski • 2003
Why nothing works perfectly: the constraints hiding inside every object you use.
3.40
334
Small Things Considered Summary
Small Things Considered 91%
Why nothing works perfectly: the constraints hiding inside every object you use.
by Henry Petroski 2003
3.40
334 ratings
Storytelling for User Experience
by Whitney Quesenbery • 2010
Data alone doesn't persuade. Turn user research into stories that align teams and drive design.
3.75
505
Storytelling for User Experience Summary
Storytelling for User Experience 91%
Data alone doesn't persuade. Turn user research into stories that align teams and drive design.
by Whitney Quesenbery 2010
3.75
505 ratings
Engineering in Plain Sight
by Grady Hillhouse • 2022
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
4.20
856
Engineering in Plain Sight Summary
Engineering in Plain Sight 91%
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
by Grady Hillhouse 2022
4.20
856 ratings
Community Building on the Web
by Amy Jo Kim • 1999
Nine design rules for online communities that earn trust and grow more intimate, not less.
3.68
101
Community Building on the Web Summary
Community Building on the Web 91%
Nine design rules for online communities that earn trust and grow more intimate, not less.
by Amy Jo Kim 1999
3.68
101 ratings
Designing Experiences
by J Robert Rossman • 2019
Turn any interaction into a journey: a design system from first anticipation to final memory.
3.97
159
Designing Experiences Summary
Designing Experiences 91%
Turn any interaction into a journey: a design system from first anticipation to final memory.
by J Robert Rossman 2019
3.97
159 ratings
The Basics of User Experience Design
by Mads Soegaard • 2018
The one-question test for product success, and the seven factors that answer it.
3.65
193
The Basics of User Experience Design Summary
The Basics of User Experience Design 91%
The one-question test for product success, and the seven factors that answer it.
by Mads Soegaard 2018
3.65
193 ratings
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