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lukejones's review against another edition
4.0
Delves into how humans perceive color and how color has developed in the universe. I was expecting it to go into more color theory, but it was my fault for not reading the blurb / description properly. As a reference book about the science behind color, this is great.
duparker's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting overview of color and what it represents to humans, as we interact with nature and each other.
thrilled's review against another edition
4.0
did you know that the red in your starbucks strawberry frappucino comes from dead bugs? or that new york was called new orange for a year? or that yellow is equal parts yin and yang to the chinese? or that green scrubs allow surgeons to more effectively do their jobs? or that during the inquisition, you were deemed christian (a.k.a. acceptable) if you could see blue blood in your veins? or that nero would have you killed if you wore his favorite color, purple? yeah, me neither
embers_of_amber's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
Please read this book, it is so insightful. I read it shortly after reading "The Secret Lives of Color" (which I LOVED) and reading the 2 together work wonderfully.
There are tons of fun facts in both books, the strength of the Secret Language of Color lies in its colorful photographs that perfectly illustrate and illuminate their points!
My main gripes about this book were printing errors. The animal chapter has a paragraph repeat on 2 separate pages, the blue chapter had white text over a white cloud.
My other gripe with the blue chapter was it's surprisingly pro-police stance. In a book not afraid to take on slavery, colonialism, racism, etc with color, the "blue-blooded protectors" felt like a very odd choice.
My final criticism is the lack of footnotes! The Secret Lives of Color had properly sourced facts, was still a fun read and also academic, and I appreciate the care. Cite sources!!!!
There are tons of fun facts in both books, the strength of the Secret Language of Color lies in its colorful photographs that perfectly illustrate and illuminate their points!
My main gripes about this book were printing errors. The animal chapter has a paragraph repeat on 2 separate pages, the blue chapter had white text over a white cloud.
My other gripe with the blue chapter was it's surprisingly pro-police stance. In a book not afraid to take on slavery, colonialism, racism, etc with color, the "blue-blooded protectors" felt like a very odd choice.
My final criticism is the lack of footnotes! The Secret Lives of Color had properly sourced facts, was still a fun read and also academic, and I appreciate the care. Cite sources!!!!
sahureading's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
annachronism's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this more. It's full of interesting research and beautifully pulled together with the graphics. Unfortunately, I was consistently distracted by the narration. The authors are such putzes.
joshurl's review
5.0
This is simply the coolest book I have read! Between beautiful pictures and a great discussion of the science and culture of color I enjoyed every moment! This is a must read for anyone interested in color.
katenetz's review against another edition
3.0
Totally fascinating! I certainly loved the historical/cultural discussions of color more than the scientific discussions, but I learned a ton and this book effectively blew my mind about what I previously thought I knew about vision, color, and language.
bardicbear's review against another edition
4.0
This book alternates between chapters discussing the science related to color and chapters about each individual color. The science chapters cover a wide variety of topics such as how plants and animals evolved to use colors to why various minerals are the color they are. There is also a chapter detailing how humans see color and the way it's processed by our brains.
Each color chapter also has mix of information. It discusses emotions associated with colors and their origins, the history and background of certain dyes or paint colors and various other stories related to specific colors.
It contains a whole bunch of information, most of which I will probably not remember for an extended time, but I found it a very interesting read.
Age Recommendation:
I think it would be interesting for all ages but some of the science could be difficult for younger kids to follow.
Each color chapter also has mix of information. It discusses emotions associated with colors and their origins, the history and background of certain dyes or paint colors and various other stories related to specific colors.
It contains a whole bunch of information, most of which I will probably not remember for an extended time, but I found it a very interesting read.
Age Recommendation:
I think it would be interesting for all ages but some of the science could be difficult for younger kids to follow.