《书的形式：设计美德论集》是 20 世纪最具影响力的字体排印与书籍设计大师扬・奇肖尔德的经典文论合集，收录了奇肖尔德 1937 年至 1974 年间的核心文章。本书系统阐释了书籍设计的核心准则与美学伦理，从页面比例、版心设置、字体选择、书名页设计，到图文排版、对称与非对称版式的辩证运用，覆盖了书籍设计全流程的关键环节与精微细节。
奇肖尔德认为做书者是文字“忠实而练达的仆人”，强调排版的首要使命是服务阅读、保障易读性，批判哗众取宠的个人化表达，其理念至今仍深刻影响着当代书籍设计的发展。本书梳理了从文艺复兴时期到现代的排版传统，兼具理论深度与极强的实践指导性，是全球出版人、书籍设计师、排版从业者必读的行业经典。

这本书出自一位世界级设计师之手。复杂的设计原理在书中凝炼为亲密性、对齐、重复和对比4 个基本原则。作者以其简洁明快的风格，将优秀设计所必须遵循的这4 个基本原则及其背后的原理通俗易懂地展现在读者面前。本书包含大量的示例，让你了解怎样才能按照自己的方式设计出美观且内容丰富的产品。
此书适用于各行各业需要从事设计工作的读者，也适用于有经验的设计人员。

This book is the most compact and lucid handbook available outlining the basic principles of layout, typography, colour usage and space. Being a creative designer is often about coming up with unique design solutions. Unfortunately, when the basic rules of design are ignored in an effort to be distinctive, design becomes useless. In language, a departure from the rules is only appreciated as great literature if recognition of the rules underlies the text. Graphic design is a 'visual language' and brilliance is recognised in designers whose work seems to break all the rules, yet communicates its messages clearly. This is a fun and accessible handbook that presents the fundamentals of design in lists, tips, brief text and examples. The chapters include Graphic Design: What It Is; What Are They and What Do They Do?, Choosing and Using Type and Breaking the Rules: When and Why to Challenge all the Rules of this Book.