The Illustrated Book of Signs and Symbols
Miranda Bruce-Mitford
Barnes & Noble
Nonfiction, Symbolism
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DESCRIPTION: The sun and the moon, the Star of David and the Christian cross, ancient totems and modern company logos... every culture either adopts or invents a multitude of signs and symbols, their meanings easily recognized or hiding deeper, more profound messages. Using many pictures, this book covers all manner of cultures and symbols, from plants and animals to people and things.
REVIEW: This is more like an Eyewitness book than anything else, though I can find no sign of any association with DK; it relies mostly on pictures and brief summaries or captions to convey information. I gave it its marks because, like the Eyewitness series, it has great visual appeal, and the great variety of cultures and ages covered makes up for a lack of depth in any particular area. It makes a good beginning reference on the subject, and that's all I was looking for when I bought it. (Incidentally, the author refers to the stone carnelian as "cornelian." It checks out in my unabridged dictionary as an acceptable variation, but for some reason I found it subtly irksome.)
You might also enjoy:
The Little Giant encyclopedias (The Diagram Group, Nonfiction - Quick compendiums of superstitions, spells, fortune telling and more)
The Concise Lexicon of the Occult (Gerina Dunwich, Nonfiction - A glossary of magic terms)
The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans (Migene González-Wippler, Nonfiction - How to create protective items, with many diagrams and pictures)
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Divination (Stephen Karcher, Nonfiction - Various methods of divination from around the world)
Eyewitness Books: Mythology (Neil Philip, YA Nonfiction - Illustrated guide to world mythos)
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