hey ekianjo. you're absolutely right in that 'design of everyday things'is an old book. It also has some examples that will probably never age. Out of the 5 books in the list, it has been the most useful of any design book (to me). Changed how I think about design.
I consider the design of everyday things a good book but I am not sure I would consider it a "must-have". I bought it because someone mentioned it on HN before in the same way ("Must-read") and while I found it insightful, most of the principles were not new to me and I found it poorly written (it could have been MUCH shorter and concise). Some pages are really fillers. That's also why I question its "universal" status, as it is far from being perfect (especially in the later chapters).
