I've collected many, many books over the past few years since I began designing. Books on branding, books on layout, books on interactive design, books on typography, etc. etc. Some I consistently reference, and others I look through once, maybe twice. However, there are two that I treasure above the rest. The first is my bible, "The Elements of Typographic Style" By Robert Bringhurst. The other is "The Typographic Desk Reference", by Theo Rosendorf. These two books help me daily as a designer, and are incredibly valuable reads to anyone, especially Bringhurst's.

While both cover, in-depth the topic of typography, they compliment eachother perfectly. "The Elements of Typographic Style" is a beautifully written and detailed look into the proper use and appreciation of typographic design. Bringhurst teaches us how to choose and combine type, properly set section heads, subheads, etc. and also looks at the history behind many commonly used type families used in Europe and America.

Rosendorf's Typographic Desk Reference, while young, is masterfully assembled. Its something I have at my side daily, and reference quite often. While not such an in depth look into the history and propper usage of type as Bringhurst's, the TDR was created to be a quick reference guide of terms and classification. Also featured within are complete sections on Glyphs, anatomy & form, and a collection of specimens.

I highly recommend these two excellent books to young and experienced designers, if they have not already read them. Many not in the design field may also find Bringhurst's book to be interesting as well. You can find links for purchasing "The Typographic Desk Reference" at it's main site, here. Bringhurst can be purchased on Amazon.