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My Bookshelf
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Shawnna Rennae Porter
These are some of the books on my shelf. For inspiration, reference, learning or just because its beautiful.
Sections
7
 
Graphic Design Reference
 
Pattern and Print Making
 
Getting Crafty
 
Business and Philosophy
 
Science
 
Illustrated Books

Graphic Design Reference

Some books I collect because they are beautiful, others because they are useful or informative.

 
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A look at old print methods in modern times.
Studio on Fire: Iron Beasts Make Great Beauty
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A look at the era of artistic letterpress.
The Handy Book of Artistic Printing: Letterpress Examples
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A guide to design eras and what made them notable or distinct.
Retro Graphic Design Pocket Essentials
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A look at color combo inspiration in fashion.
Color Collective's Palette Perfect
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A beautiful book on color within Japanese culture and environment.
Traditional Colors of Japan
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Pattern and Print Making

Each of these offers a big dose of inspiration to spark creativity while marveling at that of others.

 
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A lovely reference for pattern design through the ages.
The Complete Pattern Directory: 1500 Designs
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Learn about making complex geometric patterns.
Islamic Geometric Patterns
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Really useful guide for beginners to fabric design.
Complete Guide to Designing and Printing Fabric
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Lessons in how to setup a repeat design and various other techniques.
Designing Patterns for Decoration & Fashion
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Experiment with shapes and images to create interlocking designs for quilts.
Designing Tessellations: Secrets of Patterns
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A look at historical pattern design.
Treasury of Historic Pattern and Design
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A celebration of current surface design.
Print and Pattern: Bowie Style
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Celebration of surface design continued.
Print & Pattern 2
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Celebration of surface design for children.
Print & Pattern: Kids
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A look at hand drawn pattern inspiration.
Over and Over: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns
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A look at surface design in England.
Sanderson: The Essence of English Decoration
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A reference to work of Ernst Haeckel.
Art Forms in Nature
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Getting Crafty

How to guides and hands on project work.

 
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Fun projects to get started with paper cutting.
The Crafter's Guide to Papercutting
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Project ideas to put your cutting machine to work.
Cutting Machine Crafts with Cricut, Sizzix & Silhouette
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Get started with the origami x paper cutting craft.
Beginner's Guide to Kirigami: 24 Projects
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I can't even begin to describe how much I love these!
For the Love of Paper: 320 Tear-off Pages
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Love these so much.
For the Love of Paper: Botanicals Vol 3
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Have I mentioned I love these?
For the Love of Paper: Florals, 160 Pages
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Business and Philosophy

I don't buy many business type books, but these are all very on point for my business. 

 
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All about finding what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Purple Cow
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How and why to have raving fans.
Raving Fans: Revolutionary Customer Service
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Exercises to get your creative spark lit.
The Art of Noticing
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Understanding inspiration.
Steal Like an Artist
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On getting seen.
Show Your Work!
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On not giving up.
Keep Going
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An interesting look at how society responds to the architecture of decision making.
Nudge: The Final Edition
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An eye-opening look at what's possible within capitalism if you strip out corruption, greed and short-sighted decision making.
Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take
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Science

How the world works and how we're affected by it.

 
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A scientific look at how art heals us and reaffirms humanities need for creativity and all forms of art.
Your Brain on Art
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A great gift idea for the birder in your life, a sarcastic and insulting description of each bird next to hand drawn illustrations.
The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America
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A wonderful look at the historical lore of the beaver and how this powerful rodent shaped north america, literally.
Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America
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I love the science of the forest, but its ironic how native people knew the connections of nature long before science proved it.
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest
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Jane Goodall is masterful at weaving life stories with lessons about resilience, I always enjoy her perspective.
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times
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Wonderfully educational about the deepest parts of the ocean, and a warning for what could happen if it is not protected.
The Brilliant Abyss: Exploring the Majestic Hidden Life of the Deep Ocean
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An in depth look at how these water systems keep the planet healthy, and by extension, all life on it.
Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis|
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Illustrated Books

Fun books I enjoy for their humor or creativity.

 
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So funny and so relatable.
Hyperbole and a Half
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A funny biop from Steve Martin.
Number One Is Walking: My Life in Movies
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A dark murder mystery that is fabulously graphic.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees
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A funny take on the real life struggles of aging parents.
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant
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A fantastic look into the mind of artist Lynda Barry.
What It Is
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A illustrated story of the people in subarctic Canada.
Paying the Land
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A hilarious (and sometimes emotional) look at caring for aging parents.
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant
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Memoirs and Stories

Interesting lives and stories from artists and creatives.

 
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The journey of a woman who went to art school in her retirement years.
Old In Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over
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A playwright who develops Bells palsy shares her journey through motherhood and the theatre.
Smile: A Memoir
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Iceland is truly amazing, the world could learn so much from their culture.
Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World
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A series of funny stories from a man with a fantastic sense of humor.
We Learn Nothing
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I adore Nick Offerman's dry witty humor, and his writing is very much just how he talks, with a wonderful love for nature.
Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside
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Quite the poet, the stories are funny and revealing but also very philosophical. An enjoyable read.
Greenlights
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One of my favorite reads. Original, entertaining and fun. A memory book of 1970s new york.
Arbitrary Stupid Goal
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