Signs and Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings

by D.K. Publishing

Since when did certain hand gestures become offensive? And why are scales a symbol of justice?

For thousands of years, humans have communicated through a language of signs and symbols. From uniforms to body adornment and corporate logos, symbols are everywhere, and this book is your guide to their secret meanings and history.

The Sun as well as the night sky with its stars and planets has long been used to symbolize supernatural forces. Learn about this and also how humans have used patterns, numbers, clothing, and more to signal authority, kinship, and status. Signs & Symbols decodes over 2000 emblems, explaining the visual language of architecture, heraldry, religion, and death. It answers questions such as why, for example, Christianity is symbolized by a fish, or how the Chinese use the crane bird to signify longevity.

This comprehensive book also explores how certain gemstones or flowers became linked to personal qualities and how the alphabet and national flags came into being.

Signs & Symbols will open your eyes to the fascinating world of symbolism that is embedded in every area of our lives.

Genres: Reference

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2019

About the author

Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Ravi Sinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I came across the fictional character Robert Langdon, I've wanted to read up on symbology. I think it's not only fascinating as a matter of fact but also very useful if one is ever interested in creative outlets such as interface design, interaction design, character design in fiction writing, and whathaveyou. Leveraging appropriate and relevant symbols to evoke an emotion could be a powerful tool. I found some of the pages to be very densely packed but it can also be a great coffee table book.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating