One book is a reference work about the ancient greeks. Hardcover discontinued with limited stock this lavish colorful collection, from a to z, of alphabetic examples explores the language of letters in a fascinating and largely visual way. Buy the alphabet first edition by david sacks isbn. Publication date 2004 topics english language alphabet history, alphabets history, alphabets, english language alphabet publisher london. David sacks language visible 1st edition 1st printing ebay. The marvelous history of our alphabet from a to z, and encyclopedia of the ancient greek world, and more on. A playful take on the alphabets relationship with art, design, typography, childrens books, learning aides, commercial signage, contemporary culture and everything and anything in betweenpage 4. Publication date 2003 topics alphabet history publisher broadway books. The alphabet by david sacks is the history of 26 letters which daily describe and change the world from egyptian pictures through the phoenician, hebrew, greek, and roman refinements to our own variations on those few, now abstract symbols.
In the 1990s there was plenty of work for signwriters in baku. The alphabet hardcover october 31, 2003 by david sacks author. Clearly explaining the letters as symbols of precise sounds of speech, the book begins with the earliest known alphabetic inscriptions circa 1800 b. A fun, lively, and learned excursion into the alphabetand cultural history. David sacks has books on goodreads with 2304 ratings. The new book from preeminent alphabet historian david sacks combines eye candy, font fetishism, and sociological etymology in a lavishly illustrated love letter to the modern atoz. David sacks is author of the encyclopedia of the ancient greek world, letter perfect, the alphabet, and many other books and articles about the history and workings of the alphabet. Originally deriving from pictograms, letter forms have been developed, refined and adapted for myriad uses, from a simple clear typeface for advertising to a decorated animal alphabet for children. This highly illustrated exploration of the history and use of letters begins with an essay detailing the development of the western alphabet and then, using each letter as a starting. David sacks charts the millennia of artifice and accident that lies behind each letter in the alphabet. The alphabet by david sacks meet your next favorite book.
Melvyn bragg sacks clever, simple idea is to follow the individual letters, one by one. David sacks has embarked on an excursion into cultural history in language visible. Unraveling the mystery of the alphabet from a to z david sacks, author. He wrote a 26part series for the ottawa citizen on the letters of the alphabet that was received enthusiastically by readers and which he has expanded and. The books contents are detailed on pages reachable via the blue links just at right, here. See all books authored by david sacks, including letter perfect. Reading david sackss wonderful letter perfect is like sitting rapt before the coolest teacher in school.
Books by david sacks author of letter perfect goodreads. The marvelous history of our alphabet from a to z by. A miscellany of letters is an ambitious exploration of the pervasiveness of letters in everyday life, tracing our visual vocabulary to its roots in egyptian hieroglyphs, kanji characters and other. Starting with the origins of the written word, it then explores the alphabet through illustrations, found objects. A delightful journey into the history of our alphabetwith a breezy tone and a passion for letters, sacks tells the life story of all 26 of them from a, the first and best, to z, the leastused letter in printed english. The website maintained by david sacks, author of books about the alphabet and the ancient greeks. Joining together in endless combinations to actually show speech, letters convey our messages and tell our stories.
Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. While we encounter these tiny shapes hundreds of times a day, we take for granted the long, fascinating history behind one of the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The alphabet by david sacks and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Clearly explaining the letters as symbols of precise sounds of speech, the book begins with the earliest known alphabetic. An alphabet book is a book primarily designed for young children. The other book, language visible broadway books, 2003, is on a subject that preoccupies me. A miscellany of letters is an ambitious exploration of the pervasiveness of letters in everyday life, tracing our visual vocabulary to its roots in egyptian hieroglyphs, kanji characters and other ancient alphabets with.
Reading david sackss wonderful language visible is like sitting rapt before the coolest teacher in school. David sacks books list of books by author david sacks. It presents letters of the alphabet with corresponding words andor images. The website maintained by david sacks, author of books about the alphabet and the. Sacks, david language visible 1st edition 1st printing ebay. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle.
While we encounter these tiny shapes hundreds of times a day, we take for granted the long, fascinating history behind one of the most. The heart of the book is the 26 factfilled biographies of letters a through z, each one identifying the letters particular significance for modern readers, tracing its. David sacks is author of the encyclopedia of the ancient greek world. In letter perfect, david sacks has embarked on a fun, lively, and learned excursion into the alphabet, and into cultural history. Founded in 1997, has become a leading book price comparison site. Sacks s excursion through the alphabet is witty and smart. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Two years ago the government of the former soviet republic of azerbaijan. Page for page, the best book available on the history of writing and print. Buy the alphabet first edition by sacks, david isbn. On the paperback edition a fascinating overview of the alphabet s history. From az, david sacks provides answers to the most fascinating questions about the way we talk, write and think in a book which will also be illustrated graphically throughout not just with variations of individual. Some alphabet books feature capitals and lower case letter forms, keywords beginning with specific letters, or illustrations of keywords.
Although he educated himself by delving into scholarly research on alphabets, he decided to build this work around an. Under several titles, this book is published in the u. David sacks has embarked on a fun, lively, and learned excursion into the alphabet and into cultural history in letter perfect. On the paperback edition a fascinating overview of the alphabets history. He wrote a 26part series for the ottawa citizen on the letters of the alphabet that was received enthusiastically by readers and which he has expanded and developed into language visible. Reading david sacks s wonderful letter perfect is like sitting rapt before the coolest teacher in school. An always cleverbut rarely too clevereducational and entertaining history of the alphabet canadian journalist sacks became fascinated with the history and use of written language while researching the encyclopedia of the ancient greek world. Hes hazy or slightly wrong on pronunciation on occasion and sometimes writes things that just arent quite what a true expert might write. From az, david sacks provides answers to the most fascinating questions about the way we talk, write and think in a book which will also be illustrated graphically throughout not just with variations of individual letters but with maps, charts and general narrative images. Mark dunn, author of ella minnow pea letter perfect is distinguished by its remarkably long and broad view of the topic and its omnivorous sense of fun. But a new book by david sacks offers much more depth than the designerly eye candy the genre lends itself to alphabets. He repeats that old untruth that the greeks added vowels to the phoenician alphabet instead of correctly stating that the greek extended the use of letters for vowels that were. Chinese writing requires 2000 basic symbols but theres no language barrier, where an alphabet needs typically less than 30.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. David sacks has embarked on a fun, lively, and learned excursion int. Sackss excursion through the alphabet is witty and smart. There is a story behind each letter of the alphabet. Beginning with the earliest known alphabetic inscriptions circa 1800 bc, recently discovered by archaeologists in egypt, the book traces the history of our alphabet through the ancient phoenicians, greeks, and. Unraveling the mystery of the alphabet from a to z by david sacks and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. David sacks language visible unraveling the mystery of the alphabet from a to z 1st edition 1st printing hardcover new york broadway books 2003 near fine in a near fine price clipped dust jacket. Reading david sacks s wonderful language visible is like sitting rapt before the coolest teacher in school.