{"product_id":"shady-characters-the-secret-life-of-punctuation-symbols-and-other-typographical-marks-paperback","title":"Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eKeith Houston\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA charming and indispensable tour of two thousand years of the written word, \u003cem\u003eShady Characters\u003c\/em\u003e weaves a fascinating trail across the parallel histories of language and typography. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether 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;).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRichly illustrated, ranging across time, typographies, and countries, \u003cem\u003eShady Characters\u003c\/em\u003e will delight and entertain all who cherish the unpredictable and surprising in the writing life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 352\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 8 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 20, 2014\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53336774345069,"sku":"9780393349726","price":25.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1001\/0823\/9213\/files\/dzNlQks5eWFaZnAxaWJ6TFJHeUN5dz09.webp?v=1778918661","url":"https:\/\/cleanfreaklab.myshopify.com\/products\/shady-characters-the-secret-life-of-punctuation-symbols-and-other-typographical-marks-paperback","provider":"Clean Freak Lab","version":"1.0","type":"link"}