Art-school dropout Tom Dixon became an industrial designer by happenstance — after learning to weld so he could fix his motorcycle, he discovered that his newfound skills could put money in his pocket as well as providing him with an outlet for his creative energies. A London design maverick who was awarded an OBE for his innovations in British design in 2000, Dixon got his start with the iconic S-Chair, first produced by Italian design manufacturer Cappellini in 1985; soon after, the indefatigable designer founded a design space, opened a retail shop, and started up a design production company. In 1998, he was named head of design at Habitat (a position he recently left), and in 2004, he became the creative director of Artek, the Finnish furniture manufacturer founded by Alvar Aalto. This massive tome — filled with images and texts that explore Dixon's DIY vision, as well as the world of natural and manmade construction we inhabit — is divided into six chapters: Materialism, Constructivism, Expressionism, Primitivism, Reductionism, and Futurism. Ranging from reproductions and analyses of fractals, hornet's nests, and sandcastles to images of scrap piles, assembly lines, and art installations, this compilation of Dixon's work presents a fascinating world of materials and processes, enlivened by handiwork.

Rove Gallery shows a new chair by Tom Dixon at DesignArt London from October 15 through 19, while Dixon's interior design for the Paramount, a members club atop London's Centre Point tower, is the toast of the town.