Signs, symbols and books

5/24/2007 3:37:00 PM

One of my strangest hobbies is collecting books on signs and symbols. There is a shitload of them in my bedroom but the following tend to lie at my bedside:

The Book of Signs, Rodolf Koch, 1955

A piece of art. Great company on a long journey. A strong gothic/ medieval flavour. Not much text but a lot to think about. A magnificent font (magere deutsche type).

Dictionnaire de Mythologie et de Symbolique Egyptienne, Robert-Jacques Thibaud, 1996

Well-researched. Detailed drawings and a lot of text (in French).

Tecken, märken och symboler, John Foley, 1995

I have this in Swedish but the original is called "The Guinness Encyclopedia of Signs and Symbols", 1993. A comprehensive encyclopedia that covers everything, even brands. The reproduction of symbols is top-notch, excellent for tattooing, for example. If you only want an overview of this strange world, get this.