Lipstick. 501s. Las Vegas hotels. What do they mean to us? What do they say about who we are? From freeways to surfboards to corporate logos, twelve everyday objects are recast here as icons - single, physical forms that embody a complex universe of associations. Published in conjunction with a major exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, this striking volume explores these icons as benchmarks for the current state of design and suggests new ways to look at the interconnectedness of design, consumer culture, and the aesthetics of desire. -- from back cover.