Words Fail Me

The Book Description above will give you a pretty good idea about the contents of this word-play book. Divided into these chapters: Contradictionary, Antigrams, Ambitexterity, Pleonasties, Antagonyms, Oxycretins and (sic)Note. Each gives examples of the (delightful) obfuscation the English language springs on the unwary and will probably take you less than ten minutes to read the 144 pages.

OK, I spent less than ten minutes reading it but surely the visual presentation will keep me occupied for longer? If only. Nearly all of the pages are designed in a very minimalist way, one typeface (17 point Gill Sans I fancy) and mostly in this size. Because so many of the examples are a word or two on each page there is plenty of empty space throughout the book. As the author is a designer I would have thought this would have been the ideal editorial format to have the contents displayed in a much more creative way. Herb Lubalin would have had such fun!

This is really the kind of item that a trendy ad boutique would give away as a Christmas keepsake to its clients rather than a book to buy.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

As soon as this delightful little book emerged from its packaging, I delved straight into it and finished it in the same sitting. It's that good. And it's worth several re-reads, probably never getting outdated.
Very similar to 'Watching Words Move' - except that it not only looks at how typography can become imagery (McLuhan's idea that logos are not words but images) - but it also goes a little further and a lot deeper. Monachino explores the hidden ironies found within words that betray the essence of their meaning. (E.g. why do we say that noses 'run' but feet 'smell'? Why does the word 'believe' contain the word 'lie'?) All this is done using a plain font, a blank background, and the basic colours of red, black, and white.
It's too clever for words - just one long "Ah!" session from start to finish.
Should appeal to anyone interested in graphic design, anyone interested in language, or anyone with a sense of humour.