Signs and symbols represent abstract ideas and concrete objects, providing a sense of number, danger, value, distances in time and space, and even love. Over time, these marks and gestures have multiplies into an immense and complex network of images, figures and emblems - pictographs and logographs, maps and charts, letterforms, colours and patterns. How does a sign represent something other than itself? How do we come to understand the meaning of a written symbol? What happens when a sign crosses international borders of language and culture? Can clothes constitute a sign? Can colours? Can sounds? Signs, Symbols and Ciphers takes the reader on a journey of discovery through the intriguing universe of symbols.
Bought the book because I was interested by the topic of course but also very atracted by its format.
It's a pocket book, very colorful and full of illustrations and pictures, fairly short (128 pages followed by pages of annexes in black and white containing many interesting documents for complementary reading).
With such a wide topic for such a tiny book, one can not expect deep discussions and many details. It's an entertaining non-fiction read, to be a bit smarter after having read it. Nice.
Another book by the same author and in same format: Writing. Same qualities :-)
While an intriguing review of how we interpret signs, symbolism and beyond. It's not the most concise in format, still worth a read if you're on the subject.
Um mergulho na história dos símbolos, de forma abrangente. Olha-se para a linguagem, os alfabetos, as simbologias que nos permitem registar e veicular informação, para os meios de transmissão de informação, e um pouco para o lado esotérico dos símbolos. Estes estão no cruzamento de culturas e necessidades de comunicação, e a riqueza da sua história é um pouco esquecida no nosso dia a dia, onde tanto depende deles. Edição profusamente ilustrada, como mimo para o olhar.
It's informative, fun and educational book where you read and learn about signs and symbols, signals, secret codes, systems and means of communication their meanings behind -history of everyday signs, symbols, gestures throughout history.
I own it and just made a comment about it. signs, symbols, signals, gestures, language ,systems of communications throughout human history - maps, drawings .... their meanings