Gavin Ambrose & Mr Paul Harris 
Basics Design 05: Colour [PDF ebook] 

Basics Design 05: Colour is a guide to the use of colour in graphic design.
Colour is used to represent thoughts and emotions in a way that no other element of design can. This book explores in depth what colours mean; their inherent associations and cultural connotations. It then tackles how to control colour in a design in order to achieve a desired effect or to fulfil a specific brief.
Starting with the basic principles of colour – how light works, colour wheels, colour combinations and harmonies – the book builds on these principles and explains how the designer can accurately and intentionally control colour.