Swiss architect Hannes Meyer (1889-1954) was the second director of the Bauhaus (then at its Dessau location) from 1928 to 1930. Though he held the post but briefly, Meyer made substantial changes to the school's educational program and teaching approach, notably by prioritizing concrete social issues in the design process.

Building on recent research, this book offers an in-depth assessment of Meyer's major contributions to the Bauhaus curriculum, investigating the intellectual background to his approach through contributions from 31 authors, including former teachers and students at the school.

With over 250 illustrations, the book also examines the impact of Meyer's work beyond the Bauhaus, specifically at the Ulm School of Design (founded by one of Meyer's former students, Max Bill) and in Mexico, where Meyer worked for the government's Instituto del Urbanismo y Planificación from 1939 to 1941.