Creative type A sourcebook of classic and contemporary letterforms

This book's jacket actually presents an accurate summation of the book's characteristics: "A comprehensively illustrated record" with "three essays addressing ... the impact of the digital era on typography and the ways in which contemporary designers are harnessing the typefaces of the past to satisfy the needs of the present," followed by sections that "illustrate thirty-four modern classic typefaces produced between 1985 and 2004, accompanied by comments from each font's designer." Each is also usually accompanied by some framing biographical or historical information as well, followed by "A section devoted to the great typefaces of the past, from ... 1543 ... to ... 1969." Primary author (and designer) De Jong describes it as "a very handy reference book for young designers." These statements are all accurate but incomplete. In itself, this is a beautifully designed book bringing informational texts, typeface styles and samples, and photographic illustrations together into a visually and intellectually coherent whole, making the book a joy to read. (Something, oddly enough, that is unfortunately not always true of books on design.) That pleasure overrides the instance of a transposed caption and the occasional small quirks in meaning deriving from the text's translation from Dutch to English. An excellent "Sourcebook of Classic and Contemporary Letterforms." ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates. W. S. Johnson Monroe Community College