In Reading Design, noted architect Craig Hodgetts sorts through the myriad of things that surround us with an eye trained by years of teaching at UCLA's world class School of Architecture. Since the success of the precedent-setting Blueprints for Modern Living exhibition at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Hodgetts has been immersed in the selection and appreciation of objects that are not only outstanding examples of contemporary design, but that exude an emotional connection to evolving lifestyles - attributes that range from the sublime to the brutal. Consisting of over two hundred hand drawn sketches illuminating themes and bold departures from the norm, this book can change the way we look at things, and break down the barriers that markets and tastemakers erect by their recommendations.