A detailed exploration of how more than fifty of the most iconic chairs from the last 150 years were conceived and made--the design principles, the material selection, the manufacturing processes, and the designers and architects behind them.

James Orrom is Professor for Product and Furniture Design at the Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences in Germany. He co-founded Umlauf & Orrom Studio for Industrial Design in 1987, producing furniture, film equipment, porcelain, glassware and other products for such international clients as BMW, Siemens and Villeroy & Boch.