Chip Kidd: Book Two

One of the publishing industry’s most revered graphic designers follows his 2005 monograph, Book One, with another equally satisfying art book, this time showcasing his work from the years 2006–2017. Kidd, an art director at Knopf and editor at large of graphic novels at Pantheon, shares the stories behind his high-profile cover designs for big-name authors in genres across the board: the cover stories of Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road, Mark Strand’s Collected Poems, and a paperback reissue of James Ellroy’s short story collection Hollywood Nocturnes, as well as of nonfiction works by Henry Louis Gates Jr., Mary Roach, and Oliver Sacks are all featured here. Kidd’s love of the written word and the publishing industry shines through as he details his meticulous and considered approach to book design. Some design concepts came to him in a flash, while others were developed in more iterative processes. Readers will find the scrapped ideas are often more interesting than the final designs themselves, for they provide insight into the hard work of conceptualization that goes into each book’s jacket design (not to mention the corporate machinations). Kidd is quick to share credit with his collaborators and, of course, the writers, relaying the discussions and debates he has had with authors such as Augusten Burroughs, Jay McInernay, and David Sedaris as each concept evolves. The result is a richly illustrated keepsake for book lovers and designers. Color illus. (Oct.)