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

2 points by tucif 5y ago ↗ HN

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

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ggm 5y 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

tucif 5y ago ↗

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

ggm 5y 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!

a3n 5y ago ↗

The Edward Tufte books from his course.

tucif 5y ago ↗

Data visualization books seem perfect for this purpose, thanks!

ncmncm 5y ago ↗

Earth From Above and variations are all winners.