Graphic Design: David Pearson is a hero of book jacket design

I can’t work out whether it’s galling or incredibly exciting to discover that some of your absolute favourite book covers were created by the same man. Perhaps it’s just a bit of both; galling because it demonstrates an ignorance of an industry you thought you knew inside out (and this guy is a big name in the design world) and exciting because now that you’ve worked out who he is, more beautiful book covers must surely follow. And that’s always a good thing.

The man I’m referring to is David Pearson, a London-based book designer who’s produced magnificent jackets for the likes of Penguin, Ridley Scott Associates, White’s Books and Éditions Zulma. He’s either art directed or designed all the books above and below which, as a die-hard fan of Penguin’s Great Ideas series’, means he’s responsible for the lions share of good-looking books on my shelves at home. That Books vs. Cigarettes cover gets me every time.