ABC's of Type: A Guide to Contemporary Typefaces

Rating:
Summary: Vademecum of typefaces
Review: Paracelsus said that every substance in the world can cure and every substance can kill, and that the only difference was made by dose and timing. So, the art of using substances to cure involves the wisdom of chosing among thousands of them which one, how much, how combined, and when, is adequate for an individual case.
That is why pharmacysts and physicians get thick books where they read about the origins, composition, benefits, mechanisms of action and risks of every substance, so they can decide and suggest the appropriate procedure under their professional knowledge and responsibility.
Well, Haley does that with typography.
Reviewing just a few, a well picked, an even obvious, few typefaces among the dozen thousand available to designers, Haley shows us the origins, composition, benefits, mechanisms of action and risks of each one of them as if he was talking about medicine or fine wines.
ABC's stands for Attributes, Background and Considerations for use, reviewed methodically for each typeface quoted.
No restraining and arbitrary design rules, no false aesthetic freedom. Just knowledge, experience, sensible common sense.
Just this is how this typeface works, this is how it does not work, its advantages, inconveniences, risks, for you to choose and combine after you have read this book under your own professional knowledge and responsibility.