This is a remarkable book about a remarkably everyday topic:  font or typography.  With over 100,000 fonts in use since the invention of movable type by Guttenburg in Germany over 500 years ago, the tension between creating beauty and the desire to be invisible is reflected in most fonts today.  The major develops in font history from movable type to Monotype and Linotype in the late 19th C to today’s digital-based type are described in this quirky, humorous and incredibly informative book.  Much of the history is built around specific individuals, personalities whose artistic skills are reflected in their creations.  Who would have guessed that there is an Encyclopedia of Typefaces, dozens of web sites devoted to fonts, and individuals who continue the tradition of hand-made and newly designed typefaces.  Most font designers want you to be unaware of the change in your newspaper graphic, your sign or your book, but want the change to enhance your experience.  The tensions between beauty, originality, the quality of arresting and the requirements of clarity and readability are always there.  A survey of more than 100 designers in 2007 asked them to identify the top 10 fonts they used regularly and showed the following:  Frutiger (1970’s: airport signs in Heathrow, athletic jerseys), Helvetica (1957), Futura, (1927), Gill Sans (1928, British Railways, BBC, Penguin books), Univers (1957, Westminster St. signs, French and Montreal Metro, SF Bart), Garamond (16th C Paris, Harry Potter and Dr. Seuss books), Bembo (1490’s), Franklin Gothic (1905, movie and album titles), Minion, and Arial (1980’s, Microsoft).  There are dozens of other wonderful characters, e.g. Matthew Carter who we met a Cambridge dinner party and his Verdana used by IKEA.  A book to be bought and browsed through the years.