KEYNOTE: A lavish colourful collection, from A to Z, of a multitude of examples of the Western alphabet in use. Alphabets explores the language of letters that we see around us everyday, touching on the alphabet's origins in hieroglyphs through to its development as a significant part of our history and visual vocabulary. Alphabets includes a comprehensive introduction on the origins of the written word and features illustrations, found objects, graphic design, art, conceptual typography, graffiti and much more. It features both historical and contemporay examples of typograhic design from the playful to the innovative and from the practical to the decorative. Letters of all shapes and sizes and alphabets are included ranging from Victorian classroom aides, Dr Seuss' ABC through to Peter Blake, Michael Craig-Martin, Tauba Auerbach, León Ferrari and Mira Schendel to ABC Blocks, phonetics, Braille, and alphabet ice cube moulds, Alphabets offers a cornucopia of imagery for artists, collectors and enthusiasts alike. Highly illustrated, fascinating and delightfully entertaining, Alphabets: A Miscellany of Letters is a beautiful compendium of a subject that is as significant in contemporary design today as it has ever been. It will inspire and intrigue anyone with an interest in cultral history, language, art and design and any visual enthusiast. AUTHOR: David Sacks is a journalist, author and professor at the University of Ottawa. He has written non-fiction books including Language Visible: Unravelling the Mystery of the Alphabet from A-Z along with articles for the New York Times Magazine , New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Elle and Harper's Bazaar. ILLUSTRATIONS 450 colour b/w *
