Just My Type (eBook)

Every so often someone writes a book about an obscure subject and uses it to illuminate the rest of the world... this is one of the best.

Garfield convinces us it's okay to actually like typography. What shines about this book is its accessibility; you don't have to be a typeface historian or a designer to find it enthralling ... It's fascinating to read about the history, origins and revolutions of typefaces, and this book strikes a great balance between fact and humour. Garfield's book isn't snobbish or elitist, and this is its most refreshing quality - it's for everyone to enjoy and share ... reading this book may just change your life; it'll certainly make you smile. If nothing else, it'll make you appreciate the beauty - and sometimes the horror - that is all around you.

A quirky and informative study of fonts

Highly recommended to all, whether or not you feel predisposed to like this kind of thing! Eye-opening and mind-expanding!

A whistle-stop tour of fonts ... Garfield's book will open your eyes to the array of typefaces that demand our attention every day.

Punchy and entertaining overview of typography ... Garfield's intriguing book can send you online to look more deeply, typographically speaking into the character issue.

Deliriously clever and entertaining.

A lively history of fonts, from the first moveable letters used by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1440s to the latest cutting edge typefaces ... lavishly and imaginatively illustrated ... a joy to look at as well as to read ... encapsulates the romance and magical possibilities of type.

Light-hearted but comprehensive, from rather odious typefaces, such as the hairy Grassy, to the ubiquitous Helvetica, each font is given a rundown. Garfield says he's unable to walk past a sign until he has identified the typeface. Now, neither can we.

Accessible, informative and often amusing... Copiously illustrated, it's a painless way to develop an appreciation for the subject.

A celebration of our way with words

Bouncy, well-informed and wittily designed ... an engaging book.

[A] lively romp through the history of fonts. Garfield's evocative prose entices us to see letters instead of just reading them

A witty and illuminating history of typography... As a writer who succeeds in re-interpreting arcane design-speak for a wider audience, Garfield is at his best when investigating the personal histories of designers... It is a book that opens our eyes afresh to the jostling array of "armour-plated" "balletic" "nuzzling" typefaces that demand our attention and appreciation... An unexpectedly engrossing read, this is a book that threatens to make font wonks of all of us.

Reading this book may just change your life; it'll certainly make you smile. If nothing else, it'll make you appreciate the beauty - and sometimes the horror - that is all around you.

Hugely entertaining ... a lively history ... my considerable enjoyment of this book may have been enhanced by the fact that I've always been very interested in print design. But even those who have never considered the beauty of the Baskerville Q ... should find themselves being drawn in by Garfield's enthusiasm and wit

Dozens of compelling anecdotes are clearly told by Simon Garfield in this eye-opening book, which is utterly convincing in its central idea - that we are surrounded by fonts and influenced by their subtle message ... a delightful, brain-expanding book.

Garfield has a track record of making odd subjects fascinating ... a weirdly addictive book.

Entertaining feast of fonts for graphic geeks and a humorous insight into the fonts dominating print today.

Chatty, anecdotal ... illuminates even a walk to the shops

Superb ... it is a fascinating and funny book that delves into the history and oddities of typefaces throughout the ages ... it's full of weird and wonderful stories.

A delight from start to end

There's a ton of fascinating stuff you never knew about fonts and thankfully Simon Garfield has stuck practically all of it in this friendly and informative book about the subject ... packed with nuggets that are way more relevant to your cool young life than you might realise ... riveting, and truly educational stuff.

Equipped with both knowledge and a nimble way with words, Garfield is an entertaining and congenial guide to this ubiquitous but little-known world.

A gift for aesthetes and arty types ... funny and fascinating

Garfield's great strength is his storytelling. His book comprises dozens of lovely vignettes, anecdotes that make a potentially dusty subject utterly compelling ... he shows as judicious a sense of imagery as he has of more technical description ... a fine primer

Garfield is extremely knowledgeable about type history while ignoring the politics and egos ... the tone is often funny and always entertaining ... thoroughly enjoyable.

The most interesting and entertaining parts of the book are the glimpses into the strange internet world of type fanaticism.

Brilliant ... whether you're a graphics geek or have never given a second thought to what you're reading, don't miss this quirky, fact-filled font fest.

Engrossing ... I've long been a fan of Garfield's popular touch, but he also writes knowledgeably about the minutiae of printing and layout. The book is attractive too ... for this book's many pleasures he should, at least, have a typeface named after him.

After being walked through these stories, it's difficult to even look at a cereal packet in the same way again... This book won't just turn readers into avid font-spotters; it will also nudge them towards admiring the beauty of a single letter or a well-drawn ampersand. Garfield's... clear, lyrical prose is infectious, and sometimes as though the letters themselves were living things.