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True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color—from Azure to Zinc Pink
Not yet published
Expected 31 Mar 26A kaleidoscopic journey through the secret history of hues—and the story of the obsessive genius behind the definitions of colors we use today, from the beloved author of Word by Word
begonia (n.) : 3 -s : a deep pink that is bluer, lighter, and stronger than average coral (see coral 3b), bluer than fiesta, and bluer and stronger than sweet william — called also gaiety
What could “bluer than fiesta” possibly mean? While editing dictionaries for Merriam-Webster, Kory Stamper found herself drawn again and again to the whimsical color definitions in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary—especially when compared to the dry and impersonal entries that filled the rest of the volume. Stamper couldn’t help but wonder: Who was the voice behind these peculiar definitions?
Meet I. H. Godlove, an erratic but brilliant up-and-coming scientist who was one of the experts Merriam-Webster hired in 1930 to help revise the dictionary to reflect a rapidly modernizing world. His fascinating life mirrors the wild and winding journey that color science, color psychology, and color production took through the twentieth century. Stamper tracks these industries as they move into the atomic age and intertwine in strange and surprising ways, spanning two world wars and involving chemical explosions, an unexpected suicide, dramatic office politics, and an extraordinary love story.
Filled with captivating facts about color words and colors themselves—did you know that the word “puke” used to be a highly fashionable color before it was associated with vomit?—and fueled by Stamper’s inexhaustible curiosity, True Color will transform the way you see the world, from black-and-white to Technicolor.
begonia (n.) : 3 -s : a deep pink that is bluer, lighter, and stronger than average coral (see coral 3b), bluer than fiesta, and bluer and stronger than sweet william — called also gaiety
What could “bluer than fiesta” possibly mean? While editing dictionaries for Merriam-Webster, Kory Stamper found herself drawn again and again to the whimsical color definitions in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary—especially when compared to the dry and impersonal entries that filled the rest of the volume. Stamper couldn’t help but wonder: Who was the voice behind these peculiar definitions?
Meet I. H. Godlove, an erratic but brilliant up-and-coming scientist who was one of the experts Merriam-Webster hired in 1930 to help revise the dictionary to reflect a rapidly modernizing world. His fascinating life mirrors the wild and winding journey that color science, color psychology, and color production took through the twentieth century. Stamper tracks these industries as they move into the atomic age and intertwine in strange and surprising ways, spanning two world wars and involving chemical explosions, an unexpected suicide, dramatic office politics, and an extraordinary love story.
Filled with captivating facts about color words and colors themselves—did you know that the word “puke” used to be a highly fashionable color before it was associated with vomit?—and fueled by Stamper’s inexhaustible curiosity, True Color will transform the way you see the world, from black-and-white to Technicolor.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 31, 2026
7 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
About the author
Kory Stamper
2 books385 followersKory Stamper is a lexicographer (that is, a writer and editor of dictionaries) at Merriam-Webster (the dictionary). She has written and appeared in the "Ask the Editor" video series at Merriam-Webster, and has traveled around the world giving talks and lectures on language and lexicography. Her writing has appeared in a number of publications, including The Washington Post, The Guardian and The New York Times. A medievalist by training, she knows a number of languages, most of them dead. She drinks more coffee and owns more dictionaries than is good for anyone.
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July 24, 2025FINALLY! New book coming from lexicographer Kory Stamper, who wrote Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries, only this time she ✨ deep dives into the history of defining color ✨. DUUUUUUUUDE. I cannot WAIT to read this! 🌈
October 13, 2025
Netgalley ARC- Ms. Stamper has a very interesting writing style which was fun to read. I alternatively found myself laughing and saying Huh? There were parts where the history got a bit bogged down. It wasn't quite about the color names as much as about defining words and how we perceive versus know colors but overall it was a very decent read.
February 8, 2026
Although I am neither a color scientist nor a lexicographer, I have run dye facilities for theatrical costume shops for decades, and color control is exceedingly important to costume designers. Many prefer to talk about the colors they want used rather than provide color swatches, despite the nebulous interpretation of speech with respect to color. Many consider the emotion evoked by a color to be of primary import in the context of theatrical production.
I have worked with creatives who use emotional language rather than color samples to communicate their intentions with respect to how fabrics and costume pieces should be dyed; for example, “this pink needs to be a little more sad,” or “jazz up this orange with more jubilance.”
So a book about the struggle of lexicographers putting together a new edition of a dictionary at a time when the field of color science was beginning to be broadly studied and codified, is directly in my wheelhouse.
I don’t want to nerd out too hard in this book review, so I’ll just mention a few of the interesting (to me, at least) topics covered—synthetic dyestuffs in wartime, color standardization for commercial foodstuffs, urine colorwheels as diagnostic tools (really). The book then dives deep into the pedantic minutiae of hardcore word-nerds battling over hairsplitting points of the definition of colors across the spectrum, with coalitions pulling for scientific rigor, artistic license, practical systemization, and other factors.
This involves exactly the kind of low-stakes drama and beefing I love.
About halfway through the book, the focus turns to color psychology and fashion forecasting, which are fascinating in and of themselves, although be advised that some of the early fashion color names involve racist slurs and other dubious language that now feels jarring & icky.
The book then segues into the maddening limitations to which women scientists were subjected in the mid-20th century—eyeforking yet unsurprising.
I wouldn’t recommend this book to every theatrical dyer, or even everyone who works with color in a scientific, commercial, or artistic context. I can only say that if this review intrigues you, definitely check it out.
I have worked with creatives who use emotional language rather than color samples to communicate their intentions with respect to how fabrics and costume pieces should be dyed; for example, “this pink needs to be a little more sad,” or “jazz up this orange with more jubilance.”
So a book about the struggle of lexicographers putting together a new edition of a dictionary at a time when the field of color science was beginning to be broadly studied and codified, is directly in my wheelhouse.
I don’t want to nerd out too hard in this book review, so I’ll just mention a few of the interesting (to me, at least) topics covered—synthetic dyestuffs in wartime, color standardization for commercial foodstuffs, urine colorwheels as diagnostic tools (really). The book then dives deep into the pedantic minutiae of hardcore word-nerds battling over hairsplitting points of the definition of colors across the spectrum, with coalitions pulling for scientific rigor, artistic license, practical systemization, and other factors.
This involves exactly the kind of low-stakes drama and beefing I love.
About halfway through the book, the focus turns to color psychology and fashion forecasting, which are fascinating in and of themselves, although be advised that some of the early fashion color names involve racist slurs and other dubious language that now feels jarring & icky.
The book then segues into the maddening limitations to which women scientists were subjected in the mid-20th century—eyeforking yet unsurprising.
I wouldn’t recommend this book to every theatrical dyer, or even everyone who works with color in a scientific, commercial, or artistic context. I can only say that if this review intrigues you, definitely check it out.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I have a child who is allergic to nonfiction--not all kinds of books, just nonfiction. (We read to them until they made it to high school, every night, all of Harry Potter and Tolkien, and one time I read "Oranges" by John McPhee, and this child still resents me for that, so you get the idea.) I told her I was reading a book about color, and she said, "Why?"
"Well. it's not about color. It's about how you define color in a dictionary."
"Oh, my God, why would you want to read that?"
Reader, she had a point.
If you look at the cover, and the title, you would think--anyone would think--that this was a book about color. It is not. If you read the subtitle, the word "define" appears, and that gives the game away. This is about how you define what color is in a dictionary. Specifically, how they defined color in two dictionary editions in the mid-twentieth century. And the book is that way because the author is a lexicographer, and she has unlimited access to the Merriman-Webster archives, which is the source for most of the book, and that is why the book is the way it is and if you are going to read this book you need to know that ahead of time because otherwise you are going to be dreadfully disappointed.
At some level, I think, most people can understand the difficulty that the long-ago lexicographers of yore had in defining color. I mean, think of a color, any color you like, and try to figure out how you would put it in the dictionary. I am right this second looking at the next book I have to review, which is TWELVE MONTHS by Jim Butcher, and it has a glowy fiery yellow sigil in the background. What color is that? It's yellow, but it's not buttercup-yellow or mustard-yellow or goldenrod or any other sort of shade like that, it's more golden than anything else, but a very yellowy gold, if that makes sense, and if you are reading this review (thank you for reading this far) you will get the idea that there is difficulty in defining that. And the printing process being what it is, well, you can't just print out a blob of color, because that's difficult to do, and expensive, and...
And, well, why would you want to do that? You know what "yellow" is already, you don't need to go to the dictionary to figure that out, I mean, you've known what "yellow" is your whole life. But if you are writing a dictionary (an unabridged dictionary!), you can't just leave words out because everyone knows what that means. You have to have some way to define things.
So, you know, I get it. And if there had been a laser-like focus on color and how color was defined at, let's say, the length of a long magazine article, it would have been okay. That is not this book. Because there is a stretch in this book, a very long stretch, where the author explores the transition between the second edition of the dictionary, and the third edition of the dictionary, and the personalities and the HR decisions that went into setting up the team that was writing the third edition, and none of this (I can't stress this enough) has anything to do with color, and the purpose of all of this is to set up the idea that one of the senior staff was, hmm, how to say this, not the sort of person you would want to work for. And then when the narrative turns back to color, you get paragraphs like this:
His work on the Third was a source of frustration or confusion for his friends at the NBS, though, who couldn't understand why the lexicographers wer second-guessing a system based on scientific principles, and why they were dictating that science move at the pase of publishing, when obviously any scientist knows it's the opposite. When Godlove wrote in 1953 to the NBS colorimetrist Kenneth Kelly to ask if the ISCC-NBS committee had finished all the Munsell notation for the charts--Merriman would need them--Kelly was baffled as to why he couldn't just wait until the NBS had property reviewed, set, and published the new notations.
And it goes on like that, for pages, and other than a little bit of good-natured ribbing by the author aimed towards her long-ago lexicographer subjects, that is what you are going to get.
I did not finish this book (this is about 60% of the way through, which is about where I stopped) and absent a sudden recurrence of insomnia I am probably not going to finish it. I gave it four stars because it is, absolutely, one hundred percent, the single best book that was ever written or that is ever going to be written about how color was defined in mid-century American dictionaries. Why anyone would want to read that is, sadly, well beyond me.
"Well. it's not about color. It's about how you define color in a dictionary."
"Oh, my God, why would you want to read that?"
Reader, she had a point.
If you look at the cover, and the title, you would think--anyone would think--that this was a book about color. It is not. If you read the subtitle, the word "define" appears, and that gives the game away. This is about how you define what color is in a dictionary. Specifically, how they defined color in two dictionary editions in the mid-twentieth century. And the book is that way because the author is a lexicographer, and she has unlimited access to the Merriman-Webster archives, which is the source for most of the book, and that is why the book is the way it is and if you are going to read this book you need to know that ahead of time because otherwise you are going to be dreadfully disappointed.
At some level, I think, most people can understand the difficulty that the long-ago lexicographers of yore had in defining color. I mean, think of a color, any color you like, and try to figure out how you would put it in the dictionary. I am right this second looking at the next book I have to review, which is TWELVE MONTHS by Jim Butcher, and it has a glowy fiery yellow sigil in the background. What color is that? It's yellow, but it's not buttercup-yellow or mustard-yellow or goldenrod or any other sort of shade like that, it's more golden than anything else, but a very yellowy gold, if that makes sense, and if you are reading this review (thank you for reading this far) you will get the idea that there is difficulty in defining that. And the printing process being what it is, well, you can't just print out a blob of color, because that's difficult to do, and expensive, and...
And, well, why would you want to do that? You know what "yellow" is already, you don't need to go to the dictionary to figure that out, I mean, you've known what "yellow" is your whole life. But if you are writing a dictionary (an unabridged dictionary!), you can't just leave words out because everyone knows what that means. You have to have some way to define things.
So, you know, I get it. And if there had been a laser-like focus on color and how color was defined at, let's say, the length of a long magazine article, it would have been okay. That is not this book. Because there is a stretch in this book, a very long stretch, where the author explores the transition between the second edition of the dictionary, and the third edition of the dictionary, and the personalities and the HR decisions that went into setting up the team that was writing the third edition, and none of this (I can't stress this enough) has anything to do with color, and the purpose of all of this is to set up the idea that one of the senior staff was, hmm, how to say this, not the sort of person you would want to work for. And then when the narrative turns back to color, you get paragraphs like this:
His work on the Third was a source of frustration or confusion for his friends at the NBS, though, who couldn't understand why the lexicographers wer second-guessing a system based on scientific principles, and why they were dictating that science move at the pase of publishing, when obviously any scientist knows it's the opposite. When Godlove wrote in 1953 to the NBS colorimetrist Kenneth Kelly to ask if the ISCC-NBS committee had finished all the Munsell notation for the charts--Merriman would need them--Kelly was baffled as to why he couldn't just wait until the NBS had property reviewed, set, and published the new notations.
And it goes on like that, for pages, and other than a little bit of good-natured ribbing by the author aimed towards her long-ago lexicographer subjects, that is what you are going to get.
I did not finish this book (this is about 60% of the way through, which is about where I stopped) and absent a sudden recurrence of insomnia I am probably not going to finish it. I gave it four stars because it is, absolutely, one hundred percent, the single best book that was ever written or that is ever going to be written about how color was defined in mid-century American dictionaries. Why anyone would want to read that is, sadly, well beyond me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
True Color by Kory Stamper
True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color is an account of how the complexity of color was translated into language. It addresses the reasons that led to the need for a standard nomenclature for color. And how, like the tower of Babel, this attempt at a universal language was fraught with obstacles.
I went into to this read with no expectation other than to learn something new and I did!
It is not the easiest read, but far from dull. In the course of completing “the Third” (Merriam-Webster’s dictionary withparticular focus on color definitions) there was suicide, cancer, explosions, long feuds (by letter), abused/overworked employees, departmental infighting, credit stealing, and a failed hostile takeover are all a part of the tale. Ever heard of Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis? You will! As the book progressed, I was grateful for my science background to help keep me afloat with all the vocabulary.
If you are civilian to the world of color (like me) – I advise skipping the preface. Go back to it after you’ve finished – it will make sense then. The first chapters do an excellent job of pulling the reader in with global history and humor. Concerns ranged from the visibility of gas clouds during chemical warfare, to the color of margarine being anything but yellow. It was easy to grasp how capitalism continued to drive the pursuit of the Third long after World War I.
You learn about the the key players in the lexicography of color: Priest, Carhart, Godlove, Gove, Oakes, Driscoll, Nickerson, Martin, and Noss. Despite pouring decades of knowledge and work into the project, numerous women went underpaid and uncredited.
You will learn tidbits of how a wide array of industries such as: fashion, food, pharmaceuticals, horticulture, art, and advertising require a language for color. And ultimately how limiting language is compared to the boundless imagination of the human mind. Color is in a unique experience to every individual. Influenced not only by their biological sight, but also by their education, and personal experiences.
Much of the writing in True Color is visual and vibrant. A few of my favorite passages are:
“Dyeing killed”
“You will see the nanostructures in question swirling inside each of the feather’s barbules and be lost in a thousand cathedral windows of atomic color:” (Reviewer: be still my nerdy heart – lol)
“the appropriate response was to throw yourself under the erudite wheels of lexicography and be anonymously crushed”
“tens of thousands of entries to wheedle out of these petty dictators of their tiny academic islands”
I have no background in the language or history of color. I’m a complete novice at make-up. I don’t even watch home décor or make-over shows. My only regular interaction with color (besides online clothes shopping) is when I select the design for my manicure every three weeks. But I know that color matters to me. It greatly influences my mood, and how I select what I spend my money on (see my shelf of special editions with sprayed edges, lol).
I found the middle of this book laborious. Lots of the same terminology and names being repeated over and over. I felt as fatigued at the editors of the Third. I most enjoyed learning about the women who had been omitted from the original published dictionary. Most notably Margaret Noss, Dorothy Nickerson, and Anne Driscoll.
I rated True Color 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color is an account of how the complexity of color was translated into language. It addresses the reasons that led to the need for a standard nomenclature for color. And how, like the tower of Babel, this attempt at a universal language was fraught with obstacles.
I went into to this read with no expectation other than to learn something new and I did!
It is not the easiest read, but far from dull. In the course of completing “the Third” (Merriam-Webster’s dictionary withparticular focus on color definitions) there was suicide, cancer, explosions, long feuds (by letter), abused/overworked employees, departmental infighting, credit stealing, and a failed hostile takeover are all a part of the tale. Ever heard of Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis? You will! As the book progressed, I was grateful for my science background to help keep me afloat with all the vocabulary.
If you are civilian to the world of color (like me) – I advise skipping the preface. Go back to it after you’ve finished – it will make sense then. The first chapters do an excellent job of pulling the reader in with global history and humor. Concerns ranged from the visibility of gas clouds during chemical warfare, to the color of margarine being anything but yellow. It was easy to grasp how capitalism continued to drive the pursuit of the Third long after World War I.
You learn about the the key players in the lexicography of color: Priest, Carhart, Godlove, Gove, Oakes, Driscoll, Nickerson, Martin, and Noss. Despite pouring decades of knowledge and work into the project, numerous women went underpaid and uncredited.
You will learn tidbits of how a wide array of industries such as: fashion, food, pharmaceuticals, horticulture, art, and advertising require a language for color. And ultimately how limiting language is compared to the boundless imagination of the human mind. Color is in a unique experience to every individual. Influenced not only by their biological sight, but also by their education, and personal experiences.
Much of the writing in True Color is visual and vibrant. A few of my favorite passages are:
“Dyeing killed”
“You will see the nanostructures in question swirling inside each of the feather’s barbules and be lost in a thousand cathedral windows of atomic color:” (Reviewer: be still my nerdy heart – lol)
“the appropriate response was to throw yourself under the erudite wheels of lexicography and be anonymously crushed”
“tens of thousands of entries to wheedle out of these petty dictators of their tiny academic islands”
I have no background in the language or history of color. I’m a complete novice at make-up. I don’t even watch home décor or make-over shows. My only regular interaction with color (besides online clothes shopping) is when I select the design for my manicure every three weeks. But I know that color matters to me. It greatly influences my mood, and how I select what I spend my money on (see my shelf of special editions with sprayed edges, lol).
I found the middle of this book laborious. Lots of the same terminology and names being repeated over and over. I felt as fatigued at the editors of the Third. I most enjoyed learning about the women who had been omitted from the original published dictionary. Most notably Margaret Noss, Dorothy Nickerson, and Anne Driscoll.
I rated True Color 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Creating an unabridged dictionary is, at its core, a lesson in futility. from True Color by Kory Stamper
My love affair with color and color names began very young–with my first box of 64 color Crayola crayons. I still remember the names of my favorite colors. Periwinkle. Sky Blue. Carnation Pink. Spring Green. Salmon. Cornflower. Sea Green. Orchid. Thistle. Goldenrod. Plum.
In recent years I have enjoyed reading a number of books about dictionaries and how word definitions evolve. So, with my fascination with color and interest in words, this book caught my eye.
I knew from my time as a copywriter working with artists that cyan, magenta, and yellow were core to making all printed colors. I knew from watching Mom mix oil colors how red, green, and blue, along with white and black, can made any color. I understand that objects reflect some parts of light, which we experience as color. And gloss in paint deepens color: I fell in love with a photograph of a paint in a room, which on my office wall is far deeper and darker and intense than in the room pictured.
But I had never considered the importance of defining what color is, or how to identify specific colors. Or, knew that our color perception could be based on our language and expectations. Turns out the Himba people refer to one group of light greens and blues under one color term, while other light blues and greens are considered a different color name!
With the rise of technology and manufacturing, it became important to standardize the color of products to appeal to consumers. Products needed to be graded, standardized, identified.
I knew that early oleo-margarine was sold with a yellow dye to make it look like butter, but not that there was pressure to make it black or red so customers KNEW it wasn’t butter!
In the 1930s, the Merriam-Webster Third dictionary was being revised. It was to include new words from emerging technology, including color definitions based on science. Color definitions became quite complicated and detailed. Later there was a rebellion that sought to return to clearer definitions.
The Third was full of technical vocabulary, but it wasn’t the result of a dastardly plan to make communist robots of us all. I was the unfortunate consequence of one man’s nearly monomaniacal desire to get language right, pure, and clear–al language. from True Color
I learned about the organizations that arose to coordinate everything color and the researchers who forged the research and language.
All this technical and historical information is presented in an entertaining way that I enjoyed.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
My love affair with color and color names began very young–with my first box of 64 color Crayola crayons. I still remember the names of my favorite colors. Periwinkle. Sky Blue. Carnation Pink. Spring Green. Salmon. Cornflower. Sea Green. Orchid. Thistle. Goldenrod. Plum.
In recent years I have enjoyed reading a number of books about dictionaries and how word definitions evolve. So, with my fascination with color and interest in words, this book caught my eye.
I knew from my time as a copywriter working with artists that cyan, magenta, and yellow were core to making all printed colors. I knew from watching Mom mix oil colors how red, green, and blue, along with white and black, can made any color. I understand that objects reflect some parts of light, which we experience as color. And gloss in paint deepens color: I fell in love with a photograph of a paint in a room, which on my office wall is far deeper and darker and intense than in the room pictured.
But I had never considered the importance of defining what color is, or how to identify specific colors. Or, knew that our color perception could be based on our language and expectations. Turns out the Himba people refer to one group of light greens and blues under one color term, while other light blues and greens are considered a different color name!
With the rise of technology and manufacturing, it became important to standardize the color of products to appeal to consumers. Products needed to be graded, standardized, identified.
I knew that early oleo-margarine was sold with a yellow dye to make it look like butter, but not that there was pressure to make it black or red so customers KNEW it wasn’t butter!
In the 1930s, the Merriam-Webster Third dictionary was being revised. It was to include new words from emerging technology, including color definitions based on science. Color definitions became quite complicated and detailed. Later there was a rebellion that sought to return to clearer definitions.
The Third was full of technical vocabulary, but it wasn’t the result of a dastardly plan to make communist robots of us all. I was the unfortunate consequence of one man’s nearly monomaniacal desire to get language right, pure, and clear–al language. from True Color
I learned about the organizations that arose to coordinate everything color and the researchers who forged the research and language.
All this technical and historical information is presented in an entertaining way that I enjoyed.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The world of color illuminates nearly every aspect of life, from astronomy to fashion, cars to geology. True Color is about the language we use to make sense of color in all its glorious -- and vexing -- hues of meaning. But it's also about dictionaries and standards and just how hard it is to pin down words with precision, and the people, particularly one couple by the name of Godlove, who dedicated their lives to trying to get colors nicely sorted and standardized. True Color is about color language in all its glorious -- and vexing -- hues of meaning. But it's also about dictionaries and standards and just how hard it is to pin down words with precision, and the people, particularly one couple by the name of Godlove, who dedicated their lives to trying to get colors nicely sorted and standardized.
Combing through the archives of Merriam-Webster, Big Dictionary itself, as well as personal papers, former Merriam-Webster lexicographer Kory Stamper narrates the production of the Third Edition through the prism of the color words. The pedantry, pettiness, penny-pinching, sexism, overwork, ill health, and even death involved with a lexicographical undertaking make for a fascinating saga.
What True Color is not is an etymological work. Frankly, I thought there'd be more about where color words actually come from, and while there's a bit here and there, for the most part Stamper isn't concerned with that. That's the main reason I give a four- rather than five-star rating. And though Stamper does an admirable job of making it as painless and comprehensible to the layman as possible, there still is a lot of technical language that can make one's eyes glaze over.
Highly recommended for word nerds and color enthusiasts.
Combing through the archives of Merriam-Webster, Big Dictionary itself, as well as personal papers, former Merriam-Webster lexicographer Kory Stamper narrates the production of the Third Edition through the prism of the color words. The pedantry, pettiness, penny-pinching, sexism, overwork, ill health, and even death involved with a lexicographical undertaking make for a fascinating saga.
What True Color is not is an etymological work. Frankly, I thought there'd be more about where color words actually come from, and while there's a bit here and there, for the most part Stamper isn't concerned with that. That's the main reason I give a four- rather than five-star rating. And though Stamper does an admirable job of making it as painless and comprehensible to the layman as possible, there still is a lot of technical language that can make one's eyes glaze over.
Highly recommended for word nerds and color enthusiasts.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
I am an unrepentant nerd. I love learning about the special interests of other unrepentant nerds. Kory Stamper is an unrepentant word nerd, and I love her so much for it. I adored her debut Word by Word about the workings of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It's so nerdy. It's nerdy with funny nerdy footnotes. That is the absolute best kind of nerdy.
Needless to say, I was stupid excited to read True Color. Because Kory Stamper is a nerd. And because I am a nerd about color. And this a very nerdy book by a nerd about something the author is nerdy about married to something I was nerdy about.
I adored this book! It's a wonderful history of the creation of the Merriam-Webster 3rd unabridged edition, the various attempts at codifying color both academically and industrially, and the rigors of managing a project of tremendous magnitude. Stamper painted lovely, nuanced portraits of a number of figures involved in the structuring and defining of color terms in the 3rd. She gave complete pictures of their personality quirks, failures, and successes with a touch that made me feel charmed by and empathetic for even the martinets.
While this book is certainly niche, it was so much fun to read (more amusing footnotes-yay!!!). It is absolutely worth the read if you have even the slightest interest in learning more about the machinations of an unusual profession.
I am an unrepentant nerd. I love learning about the special interests of other unrepentant nerds. Kory Stamper is an unrepentant word nerd, and I love her so much for it. I adored her debut Word by Word about the workings of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It's so nerdy. It's nerdy with funny nerdy footnotes. That is the absolute best kind of nerdy.
Needless to say, I was stupid excited to read True Color. Because Kory Stamper is a nerd. And because I am a nerd about color. And this a very nerdy book by a nerd about something the author is nerdy about married to something I was nerdy about.
I adored this book! It's a wonderful history of the creation of the Merriam-Webster 3rd unabridged edition, the various attempts at codifying color both academically and industrially, and the rigors of managing a project of tremendous magnitude. Stamper painted lovely, nuanced portraits of a number of figures involved in the structuring and defining of color terms in the 3rd. She gave complete pictures of their personality quirks, failures, and successes with a touch that made me feel charmed by and empathetic for even the martinets.
While this book is certainly niche, it was so much fun to read (more amusing footnotes-yay!!!). It is absolutely worth the read if you have even the slightest interest in learning more about the machinations of an unusual profession.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
My expectation was “a kaleidoscopic journey through the secret history of hues—and the story of the obsessive genius behind the definitions of colors.” Instead the book focuses much more on the lexicography when writing (rewriting?) Webster’s Third New International Dictionary. The story is much more about the people, process and office politics driving that rather than an exploration into the world of color. The author seems to have been sidetracked into color science, color psychology and color production as they are examined in depth. There are some interesting sections, such as how descriptions in the U.S. Pharmacopeia could be the difference between life and death. Confusing descriptions, and similar-sounding names, could lead to a pharmacist grabbing the wrong bottle.
After reading the entire book, I still don’t know what “bluer than fiesta” signifies or why the color “duckling” is not the soft lemony yellow of newly hatched ducklings but is a dark, saturated blue.
The impertinent and humorous writing style is amusing at first, but quickly the snarkiness becomes overused and loses its edge (although I would like to know what was meant by “her hair as busy as birds”).
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
My expectation was “a kaleidoscopic journey through the secret history of hues—and the story of the obsessive genius behind the definitions of colors.” Instead the book focuses much more on the lexicography when writing (rewriting?) Webster’s Third New International Dictionary. The story is much more about the people, process and office politics driving that rather than an exploration into the world of color. The author seems to have been sidetracked into color science, color psychology and color production as they are examined in depth. There are some interesting sections, such as how descriptions in the U.S. Pharmacopeia could be the difference between life and death. Confusing descriptions, and similar-sounding names, could lead to a pharmacist grabbing the wrong bottle.
After reading the entire book, I still don’t know what “bluer than fiesta” signifies or why the color “duckling” is not the soft lemony yellow of newly hatched ducklings but is a dark, saturated blue.
The impertinent and humorous writing style is amusing at first, but quickly the snarkiness becomes overused and loses its edge (although I would like to know what was meant by “her hair as busy as birds”).
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
November 22, 2025
This book was not about color. Let's just get that out there right now. Color disappeared from the story for whole chapters at a time. This book was about lexicography, with color as the recurring example of how lexicography works, or doesn't. There was more about the creation of Webster's Third Unabridged dictionary than about color. The blurb said something about the genius who defined colors for the dictionary, but if that refers to I. H. Godlove, he died halfway through the book, and anyway he was not as present as some of the major figures at Merriam Webster while the dictionary was being compiled.
There were interesting nuggets about how color has been standardized in fashion, printing, paint formulation, and so on, and occasionally we'd get to see a contested definition for a color, but on the whole I wouldn't suggest reading this book unless it's the WORDS for colors that interest you.
Stamper gives a very good idea of what it's like to work on creating a dictionary, and recovers the labor of women scientists in the field of color during the 20th century. Her writing style is entertaining. Just be prepared for what you will and won't find in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.
There were interesting nuggets about how color has been standardized in fashion, printing, paint formulation, and so on, and occasionally we'd get to see a contested definition for a color, but on the whole I wouldn't suggest reading this book unless it's the WORDS for colors that interest you.
Stamper gives a very good idea of what it's like to work on creating a dictionary, and recovers the labor of women scientists in the field of color during the 20th century. Her writing style is entertaining. Just be prepared for what you will and won't find in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thoroughly enjoyed, and learned quite a lot from Kory Stamper's "Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries." So I was particularly pleased to get a copy of her new book, "True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color - from Azure to Zinc Pink." It didn't disappoint. Stamper has a talkent for making the technical clear (within limits, I have to acknowledge) and to do so charmingly.
Color science, if you've never considered it (as I have not) is complex and multi-disciplinary. Colors of natural light, paint, textiles, and more are necessarily calibrated and created differently. And the thousands of shades are, at some level, all distinct visually, scientifically, chemically, and as especially relevant here, definitionally. From deep in the weeds of Merriam Webster where lexicographers are struggling to compile "Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language - Unabridged," she brings to life the lexicographers, editors, and expert consultants who worked tirelessly - in one case worked himself to death - on the task. And she does it with a light touch and down-to-earth style.
I never thought I'd find color fascinating. I was wrong.
Color science, if you've never considered it (as I have not) is complex and multi-disciplinary. Colors of natural light, paint, textiles, and more are necessarily calibrated and created differently. And the thousands of shades are, at some level, all distinct visually, scientifically, chemically, and as especially relevant here, definitionally. From deep in the weeds of Merriam Webster where lexicographers are struggling to compile "Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language - Unabridged," she brings to life the lexicographers, editors, and expert consultants who worked tirelessly - in one case worked himself to death - on the task. And she does it with a light touch and down-to-earth style.
I never thought I'd find color fascinating. I was wrong.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a fascinating read! As a fan of the author's debut book, I was excited to read more niche history related to lexicographers. True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color—from Azure to Zinc Pink by Kory Stamper is all about defining color, the history of its impact on the globe, the major figures involved, and the making of the Merriam-Webster 3rd edition, which surprisingly includes some workplace drama I wasn’t expecting.
True Colors was well-written, informative, and extensively researched. I liked that the colors were organized into single chapters and examined by how they were defined, impacted the world, or revealed in the disputes they caused. I enjoyed reading the author’s witty footnotes, as they paired well with some of the dense history parts. I also appreciated the occasional graphics, as they added visuals to the learning experience.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was an interesting read, and I loved the deep dive into the history of it all. I’d recommend this book for anyone intrigued by the subject matter.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
True Colors was well-written, informative, and extensively researched. I liked that the colors were organized into single chapters and examined by how they were defined, impacted the world, or revealed in the disputes they caused. I enjoyed reading the author’s witty footnotes, as they paired well with some of the dense history parts. I also appreciated the occasional graphics, as they added visuals to the learning experience.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was an interesting read, and I loved the deep dive into the history of it all. I’d recommend this book for anyone intrigued by the subject matter.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
December 7, 2025
This wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be.
I wanted an explanation of how colors came to be and how they were named.
But this read so much more like a textbook than I was expecting. And I much prefer a more conversational non-fiction book. When they read too textbook-y, it feels like I'm being talked down to.
I wish the whole book had the same tone as the footnotes, those felt more conversational. I could see the author's sense of humor and personality in the footnotes, but the rest read like a dense old textbook.
There is a lot of information in this book and I found the charts/diagrams great aids to help visualize what was being talked about, but I really wanted it to be more palatable. Maybe it would've come across differently as an audiobook?
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I wanted an explanation of how colors came to be and how they were named.
But this read so much more like a textbook than I was expecting. And I much prefer a more conversational non-fiction book. When they read too textbook-y, it feels like I'm being talked down to.
I wish the whole book had the same tone as the footnotes, those felt more conversational. I could see the author's sense of humor and personality in the footnotes, but the rest read like a dense old textbook.
There is a lot of information in this book and I found the charts/diagrams great aids to help visualize what was being talked about, but I really wanted it to be more palatable. Maybe it would've come across differently as an audiobook?
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a lovely book!
This is a work of love by a lexicographer, exploring the history of color through a lexicographer's lens. This includes some history and science on pigments and color perception, but more than anything, it's a history of the "concept" of color--how we define it and perceive it in the English language, as told by Merriam-Webster's journey to define color and its many descriptors. Stamper also delves into the drama of the book, i.e., the stories of the many people involved. It might be a little upsetting for anyone who's sensitive to stressful and toxic work environments, lol.
Overall, I highly recommend! Well-researched, well-cited (as is fitting), and an interesting read.
This is a work of love by a lexicographer, exploring the history of color through a lexicographer's lens. This includes some history and science on pigments and color perception, but more than anything, it's a history of the "concept" of color--how we define it and perceive it in the English language, as told by Merriam-Webster's journey to define color and its many descriptors. Stamper also delves into the drama of the book, i.e., the stories of the many people involved. It might be a little upsetting for anyone who's sensitive to stressful and toxic work environments, lol.
Overall, I highly recommend! Well-researched, well-cited (as is fitting), and an interesting read.
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January 31, 2026pub date: 31 March 2026
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