Shapes for Sounds

Shapes for Sounds is a very beautiful book. As it states on the cover it’s about “How alphabets look like they do, what has happened to them since printing was invented, why they won’t ever change, and how it might have been”.

The writing is exemplary in its clarity. And the images are compelling. As for the content, well I found it fascinating. I’d never seen so wide a range of topics related to sound and letter— from hieroglyphics to maritime signal flags, from qwerty to Braille, and from typography to speech therapy.

For anybody interested in language, both personally and professionally, this is a treat.

Reference:
Donaldson, Timothy, 2008, Shapes for Sounds, Thames & Hudson