What If? 2 by Randall Munroe (Hardcover)
The xkcd creator answers absurd questions with real science and stick-figure drawings - a book geeks read out loud to whoever is nearby.
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For Him / Her / Kids
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman — required reading for anyone who builds things people use
The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition by Don Norman (Paperback)
Reviewed by the WhyToBuyThis team · Updated September 2026 · How we choose
Perfect for
- Product and mechanical engineers
- Designers
- Engineering students
- Under $20
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Price: $10.81
Price may change on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This won't cost you anything extra.
- Great gift ideaChosen for real-world gifting
- Hand-pickedCurated, not scraped
- Honest reviewThe catch, not just the hype
Why this gift works
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman explains why so many products frustrate their users and sets out the principles - visibility, mapping, constraints, feedback - that make designs work. This Revised and Expanded Edition from Basic Books (2013, 368 pages) adds the idea of signifiers and two entirely new chapters, and its cover shows Jacques Carelman's 'Coffeepot for Masochists', a pot with the spout on the handle side.
For a product, mechanical or systems engineer, it is the book that changes how they look at every door handle and control panel afterward.
Who is this gift for?
Great for
- Product and systems engineers
- A new engineering graduate
- Designers and makers
Think twice if
- They have read it
- They want a technical manual
The catch
It is about usability and human-centered design rather than engineering math or structures; some technology examples predate current devices; and other editions exist, so check the ISBN.
Skip if they have read it, or want a technical reference.
Key specs
| Author | Don Norman |
|---|---|
| Edition | Revised and Expanded, 2013 |
| Format | Paperback, 368 pages |
| ISBN-13 | 9780465050659 |
| Publisher | Basic Books |
| Cover | Carelman's 'Coffeepot for Masochists' |
Worth knowing before you buy
- The revised edition adds two new chapters.
- An Indian edition has a different ISBN.
Why we like it
- A genuine classic
- Changes how you see products
- Readable
- Inexpensive
What to look for in a book for an engineer
- Staying power. Classics are read again years later.
- Scope. Books on how people use things apply across disciplines.
- Edition. Revised editions add newer examples.
Questions people ask
The 2013 Revised and Expanded Edition, paperback.
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