The Solid Form of Language

Everything I've ever heard or read about Bringhurst's The Elements of Typographic Style has been glowing and justly so. His breadth of knowledge and thoughtfulness is matched by a beautiful writing style. He has a new booklet out, The Solid Form of Language, and it's equally enjoyable. This one is not a manual but rather a reflection on the nature of language and script and their relationship. A must-read for all graphic designers methinks:

Drop a word in the ocean of meaning and concentric ripples form. To define a single word means to try to catch those ripples. No one's hands are fast enough. Now drop two or three words in at once. Interference patterns form, reinforcing one another here and canceling each other there. To catch the meaning of the words is not to catch the ripples that they cause; it is to catch the interaction of those ripples. This is what it means to listen; this is what it means to read. It is incredibly complex, yet humans do it every day, and very often laugh and weep at the same time. Writing, by comparison, seems altogether simple, at least until you try.

(apologies to www.typotheque.com for borrowing their image -- but hey, if you buy the book, consider buying it from them!)

A new 8vo retrospective book?

I heard via a friend that there's a new retrospective book about the hugely influential London graphic design firm, 8vo, coming soon. This is exciting. Does anyone have any more info? links maybe?