{"product_id":"shady-characters-the-secret-life-of-punctuation-symbols-and-other-typographical-marks","title":"Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks","description":"From ancient Greece to the Internet―via the Renaissance, Gutenberg, and Madison Avenue―Shady Characters exposes the secret history of punctuation. A charming and indispensable tour of two thousand years of the written word, Shady Characters weaves a fascinating trail across the parallel histories of language and typography.\nWhether investigating the asterisk (*) and dagger (†)―which alternately illuminated and skewered heretical verses of the early Bible―or the at sign (@), which languished in obscurity for centuries until rescued by the Internet, Keith Houston draws on myriad sources to chart the life and times of these enigmatic squiggles, both exotic (¶) and everyday (\u0026amp;).\nFrom the Library of Alexandria to the halls of Bell Labs, figures as diverse as Charlemagne, Vladimir Nabokov, and George W. Bush cross paths with marks as obscure as the interrobang (?) and as divisive as the dash (―). Ancient Roman graffiti, Venetian trading shorthand, Cold War double agents, and Madison Avenue round out an ever more diverse set of episodes, characters, and artifacts.\nRichly illustrated, ranging across time, typographies, and countries, Shady Characters will delight and entertain all who cherish the unpredictable and surprising in the writing life. 2-color; 75 illustrations\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 0393064425\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: DBV.0393064425.G\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Houston, Keith\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing, but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing, and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly!  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dream Books Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41518512996410,"sku":"DBV.0393064425.G","price":7.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/6011\/0138\/files\/0393064425-0.jpg?v=1783911042","url":"https:\/\/shop.dreambooksco.com\/products\/shady-characters-the-secret-life-of-punctuation-symbols-and-other-typographical-marks","provider":"Dream Books Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}