What I'm reading....

'Just My Type' is a super fantastic book about, yes you guessed it, TYPE. Teaching Graphic Design at an FE college means that I need to keep up with the latest thoughts, trends, news and just general goings on in the industry. Thats why when I went of on my lovely journey of maternity leave last spring a fellow work colleague and good friend bought me this book to 'keep my head in the game' and give me some welcomed release from nappies, baby wipes and cbeebies.

I started reading it in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, however the arrival of my little boy Buddy soon put a stop to that (luxuries such as sitting down with a nice coffee and a book don't really exist with a newborn in the house). However, once things settled down I soon got back into it...

Simon Garfield is not an kind of typomaniac or even a Graphic Designer, he is a British Journalist and author of non- fiction books. He has written a range of books from type, wrestling, the 'mini' and the colour 'mauve' to name but a few. How this man has such a huge knowledge of such disparate subject matters I will never know.

Anyway this book has taught so much about type than I ever knew I book could, and I'm only half way through. Without spoiling it for anyone who wants to read it.... It discussed the good old Comic Sans and Helvetica as well as a brief condensed history of other famous classic typefaces. I discovered the origin of the typeface used on all our transport/ road signs.... amongst so much more. Definitely worth a read.