Listmania!
Design books that inspire
The Shock of the New: Art and the Century of ChangeThe Shock of the New: Art and the Century of Change by Robert Hughes
Buy new: £14.72 / Used from: £11.48
Essential guide to twentieth century art
Business Cards: The Art of Saying HelloBusiness Cards: The Art of Saying Hello
Buy used from: £7.97
A wealth of ideas for business cards
Basics Design: TypographyBasics Design: Typography by Gavin Ambrose
Buy new: £9.89 / Used from: £8.77
Nice compact introduction to typography
Grid Systems in Graphic Design: A Handbook for Graphic Artists, Typographers, and Exhibition DesignersGrid Systems in Graphic Design: A Handbook for Graphic Artists, Typographers, and Exhibition Designers by Josef Muller-Brockmann
Buy new: £50.00 / Used from: £37.42
Superb guide to page layout and using grid systems
Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type (Design Briefs)Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type (Design Briefs) by Kimberly Elam
Buy new: £9.18 / Used from: £7.00
Guide to using grids that's a little lighter on the wallet
Swiss Graphic Design: The Origins and Growth of an International Style  1920-1965Swiss Graphic Design: The Origins and Growth of an International Style 1920-1965 by Richard Hollis
Buy new: £16.97 / Used from: £14.46
Excellent history of the Swiss style of graphic design that still has a huge influence today
AGI: Graphic Design since 1950AGI: Graphic Design since 1950 by Ben Bos
Buy new: £20.06 / Used from: £18.62
Excellent overview of some of the greatest graphic designers from recent years
Josef Muller BrockmannJosef Muller Brockmann by Kerry William Purcell
Buy new: £27.50 / Used from: £20.75
OMG the posters of a genius... drool
Otl AicherOtl Aicher by Markus Rathgeb
Buy new: £32.33 / Used from: £45.00
Icons and signage to die for
Typographic SystemsTypographic Systems by Kimberly Elam
Buy new: £7.94 / Used from: £11.35
Practical lessons on using type
Geometry of Design: Studies in Proportion and Composition (Design Briefs)Geometry of Design: Studies in Proportion and Composition (Design Briefs) by Kimberley Elam
Buy new: £8.44 / Used from: £6.00
The golden section, proportion et al
"Ways of Seeing": Based on the BBC Television Series"Ways of Seeing": Based on the BBC Television Series by John Berger
Buy used from: £0.87
Art school essential, this is a great insight into perception and how our visual language has evolved