At the end of last year I posted a bunch of holiday gift books found at the then-new site New Metaphor Books, which specializes in rare art and design books. Recently I combed through their Architecture section to highlight ten more rare books that some of my readers might desire.

Architektur der Dogon: Traditioneller Lehmbau und Kunst in Mali

Although the text is only in German, this book has some great drawings and photos on the traditional Dogon dwellings in Mali.

Atlas of Shrinking Cities

Literally the size of an atlas, this book illustrates beautifully data on forty cities around the world that are shrinking even as more and more people migrate to urban areas.

Ben van Berkel: Mobile Forces/Mobile Kräfte

The first monograph on the work of Ben van Berkel ? "less a conventional architectural monograph than a theoretical statement about finding novel forms for architecture outside of the profession."
Circumventions

Artist Michael Rakowitz is the author of one of the most unique architectural installations: paraSITE, an inflatable shelter for homeless people that attaches to building exhaust vents. The book documenting the project is as modest as the installation itself.

Construction and Design Manual: Architectural and Program Diagrams 1

This first edition "Construction and Design Manual" features 48 projects by 10 architects documented through diagrams ? from simple arrow diagrams to sober graphs, surreal collages, and computer animatio...