Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #73312 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Customer Reviews

A transcendental view of typography
This book searches for the deep and hidden reasons of typographical choices.

The mixing of type, the size and layout of a page, the matching between type and text are explained in terms of conceptual reasons which go far beyond the more down-to-earth perceptive approach typographers usually take.

For instance, the size of pages is linked to the intervals of music (octave, fourth, and so on) and to the Fibonacci series and, of course, to the golden section.

It is, therefore, a pythagoric vision of typography.

I think practical people will dislike it and consider it unnecessarily affected and, speaking for myself, I considered it too far fetched.

But because the author is very clear and writes well, you are never left in doubt about what he means, and, therefore, you can make up your mind as to accept or rejects his views.

Even if I found the arguments artificial, the fact remains that it is plenty of good advice on all the finer points of typography and, more than that, it is one of the really beautifull recent books I have read.

So, if you choose to judge the author by the results he achieves and not for the reasons he claims are the cause of that achievement, you can only respect and admire the author and his principles.

Certainly a must.

THE best book on type you will ever read
I've got dozens of books about type and typography. This is by far the best. It is clear, intelligent, scholarly and practical. It is also beautifully written, well designed and often downright funny.

If you know a designer or typophile who doesn't own this yet, buy it for them.

A revelation
This book seriously deserves the five stars. It is both beautifully written and very thought provoking. I am now having problems reading some books as my mind strays off to how a book has been designed - or sometimes not...

An awesome introduction to a fascinating subject. Bringhurst is both authoritative and humble. I couldn't put the book down once I started reading it.

Wonderful.