On "Just My Type": A Book Review

Title: Just My Type: A Book About Fonts 

Author: Simon Garfield 

Genre: Non-fiction

About the book…

A brief look at the history of typography, the way society views typography, and the specific fonts that we see most commonly. 

What I think…

While this book may not seem like the most interesting topic in the world, even if you have only a passive interest in typography it will suck you in.

Admittedly, I did prefer the first half of the book in regards to the history of early printing (the reason I picked up the book in the first place) and the progression of font types. The latter sections, especially those that focused on fonts on road signs and those used in subway station, I did not find as interesting.

Between chapters there are short sections of a couple of pages called Font Breaks, which offered a bit of background on specific fonts. I really enjoyed these sections and felt like they were a great way to break up the more weighty information presented or to add to an understanding of something that had been discussed in the chapters. 

I also loved the witty titles for each chapter, such as “We don’t serve your type” and “The Ampersand’s Final Twist”.

To sum it all up… 

A great book if you’re interested in the history of typography or even if you’re just a little bit curious about some of the more popular fonts used every day. ♥