Bookshelf: Zara Arshad, Founder, Design-China.org

My favorite book from childhood is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Who can resist the notion of a chocolate factory with square sweets that look round and a huge chocolate river (which I’ve always dreamed of drinking from)?

The book on my shelf with the most sentimental value is Massive Change by Bruce Mau and the Institute Without Boundaries, which reveals how design is so deeply integrated into everyday life – from the military to the energy sector, from science to politics – and how it has the potential to change the world. This was one of the first books that opened my eyes to design beyond luxury and aesthetics.

Subway reading is whatever book or design magazine (usually Icon) I’m reading at the time. This time, it’s For All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose for the third time! I’m a massive fan of tea, and this account of the history of tea is exciting, captivating and somehow full of mystery.

The book that changed my life is Cultural Resistance Reader by Stephen Duncombe, which instigated my passion in change by design. After reading it, I developed a strong ethic of integrating and considering both context and culture into my design work.

The last book I read was Wild Swans by Jung Chang, a narrative that is both a great historic account as well as inspiring for women all over. The story spans a century of events, recounting the lives of three female generations in China. It’s astounding that so much could happen to one family in such a short amount of time; it really does reveal the power of the human will.

The character in a book I dream of meeting is Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I would love to sit down and brainstorm food design ideas with him, or prompt some sort of collaboration. I’m sure he would drive me nuts, but he is also a genius.

The book I’d like to see adapted as a film is Barry Trotter by Michael Gerber, a parody of Harry Potter. I’m not sure who would play the protagonist, though …

The book I brought with me on my latest travels was Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, which describes the author’s transition from a registered nurse and mountain-climber to a humanitarian committed to reducing poverty and promoting education for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’s helping me to refocus my own work for after Beijing Design Week 2012.

My favorite quote from a book:
“Curiouser and curiouser”
–Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Beijing Design Week starts Sep 29. See Bjdw.org for the full schedule

Click here to see the September issue of the Beijinger in full.

Photo: Mitchell Pe Masilun