The Bottom Line
This slim, nicely illustrated volume takes a complex subject and makes it fairly accessible and understandable. Not a must-read but a good historical look at signs and symbols.
Pros
- Beautiful Illustrations
- Broad coverage of many topics
- Interesting coverage of map symbols
Cons
- Sometimes dry reading
- Mostly historical, limited modern references
- Out of print, could be hard to obtain
Description
- 1998. Paperback. 207 pages.
- Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publisher; Georges Jean, Author
- ISBN: 0-8109-2842-6
- 6 chapters cover pre-writing, maps, road signs, and other signs, symbols and cipher systems.
- Documents section provides excerpts from somewhat scholarly sources.
Guide Review - Signs, Symbols, and Ciphers
The first few chapters are easy to follow although it's more the subject matter than the writing style that provides incentive to keep reading. I got bogged down in the Documents section which was primarily excerpts from texts and writings on sign theory. Illustrations are numerous, varied, and appropriate to each section.
Signs, Symbols, and Ciphers is an intriguing introduction to the history and evolution of signs and symbols. It is not written specifically for visual communicators so the reader must sometimes draw their own conclusions as to how the information applies to graphic design. Nevertheless there are some valuable tidbits, especially in the chapter on Maps and the too-brief chapter on Road Signs.
