An architect I met once told me that this is the standard textbook for architecture 101 classes. I am not an architect in any way, so this book might seem out of place on this list, but I enjoy it for two main reasons. First, Ching rigorously starts considering architecture in two dimensions (point, line, shape) before moving to three, thus giving us a logical sequence in which to appreciate a variety of buildings and forms. Secondly, the entirety of this black and white book are comprised of his hand drawings (and now some of them were done on computer), which are visually appealing. Ching is keenly aware of the interplay between materials and the spaces they create, and he draws his examples from all kinds of buildings around the world (including blueprints for structures that were never built).