Affiliated with Alfred A. Knopf Publishers for two decades, book designer/novelist Chip Kidd has created covers for many hundreds of books. This collection offers a generous sampling of his work in approximately 900 color and b & w illustrations, along with Kidd's anecdotal and exuberant commentary about how the designs came together. Also included are an introduction by John Updike, quotes and comments from 40 writers, and an introductory section devoted to biographical info and pictures of Kidd's family. The book's binding is unusual (and cumbersome for readers): only half of the 12-inch width is supported with a hard cover.