Jan Chipchase is the founder of Studio D Radiodurans, a consultancy that specialises in ethnographic research, publishing books and running events usually on or near mountains. He also is the founder of a niche travel luggage brand sdr traveller that enables discreet travel. Every year, Studio D Radiodurans runs human behavioural research experiments.
Which three books would you recommend?
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces William H. Whyte
Written by William H. Whyte, and published in 1980, it reveals how people navigate and interact with the pockets of New York City and why. While I started my career in interaction design, it broadened my mind to urban planning, human behaviour, and social dynamics—everyday stuff that shapes the daily experiences of city-dwellers. It's very accessible, lots of pictures and wonderfully uncynical. Recommended as an introductory text to urban planning.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
Written by C.S. Lewis in 1950, it's a timeless tale of children's imagination, exploration, and the opportunities that come from overcoming fear. A central tenet of our research is to understand and create worlds, situate stories within them, and it's a reminder that the embodied memory of a well told story lasts a lifetime. For kids, and adults that didn't read it as a kid.
The Dictator's HandbookBruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith
OK, so from the title, you might imagine that joy is the last thing you'd get from this book. However! It was recommended by a bibliophile friend and reminds me of his intellect and curiosity, and does a fantastic job of making complex research digestible. It also helps us manage a certain strand of our projects by putting on the ground challenges into a wider framework.
Whose reading list are you most curious about?
Thjis Niks, consummate bibliophile and recommender of book three above.