Design (Crash Course Series) [Thomas Hauffe] is a condensed history of design from the 18th through 20th century. Hauffe's writing style is interesting, informative and well thought-out. The book itself is visually stunning (a design feat in itself) with high quality images and an intuitive layout. Through the text, Hauffe explores the external influences - the developments and effects of technological advancements throughout time and the implications on design.
As a software engineer and an admirer of design / architecture, I find this small pocket book an excellent source of inspiration and an intriguing read. The factors influencing design also impact the realm of software design (a subset of design in general).
Technical, economic, aesthetic, and social developments along with political, psychological, cultural, ecological, and global influences will continue to impact software design (and all types of design). Throughout the text we can see that design is an integral part of history, and that innovation has been happening for centuries (designers have been constantly improving existing ideas). We can also observe that design is iterative (cyclic) and often occurs in patterns (similar to design patterns in the software realm).
This is an excellent book, a great source of inspiration. Many parallels can be drawn throughout this text and applied to any specific type of design.
We can learn more from history than we may think. Read!