This book recounts an Italy in constant evolution and presents unusual insights into changes in behavior, the development of the industrial system, social developments, and the capacity for constant innovation of the country's dynamic system. Starting with the historical Compasso d'Oro Collection of iconic objects of Italian design, the book tells the story of Italian creativity and cutting-edge production between 1961 and 2011, thus reconstructing some aspects of Italy's history, a story told through images ranging from documentaries and film stills to first hand accounts and advertising.

Some four hundred Italian design objects form the collection of contemporary high-quality products whose reference points are not just the world of production but also research, experimentation, and the contamination of languages, a highly topical theme.