Book on the history of design in Europe and North America in the 'Icons' series. After a brief introduction to the structure of the book, explanation of the concept of design and brief introduction to the themes, 85 diverse topics from the late 19th century to the present are covered in alphabetical order (between 1 and 10 pages per theme) and divided into `Concepts' such as aerodynamics, kitsch and packaging, `Materials' such as plastics, rubber and tubular metal and `Stromes' such as Bauhaus, De Stijl and Memphis. Always also highlighting important designs and designers.