We’ll keep this simple, as I’ve put off writing this review for close to two weeks now. I really enjoyed Just My Type. It was enjoyable and informative, written with simplicity and clarity and boosted by a good deal of visual material. Anyone who has never considered fonts beyond the drop-down menu of their word processing program of choice will enjoy this as an introduction to a rarified and seemingly invisible world, and those who do know font-lore and methodology will probably enjoy it as a comfortable, readable overview filled with little-known anecdotes and observations (I’m assuming, as I fall mostly into the first category). It is a streamlined combination of history, biography and cultural analysis, all of which mesh well to give a broad, beginner’s perspective to an often underappreciated subject.
If you have any interest in the way fonts have shaped our culture, or how they’re made (it’s more painstaking than you might think, even in this computer age), or why certain fonts have developed particular reputations *coughComicSanscough* then check this out. Even if you just want to know how incest and bestiality could possibly be connected to typeface, this is a recommended read.
