Reviews
"A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain's colorful calculations." -- The Economist "Fascinating." --BuzzFeed "Gorgeous." -- The Guardian "Riveting . . . diligently researched . . . Whatever your opinion of a shade, The Secret Lives of Colors provides some illuminating perspectives on it." -- Hyperallergic "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly " The Secret Lives of Color holds surprise and satisfaction at every striation of the rainbow." -- Booklist "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "Weirdly fascinating." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly color has shaped histories and disciplines, fueled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book." --The Pool "St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet." --Nature.com, "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "Charming." --The Financial Times "Inspiring, compelling and beautifully designed . . . this will appeal to anyone." -- The Lady "Well-researched and engaging." -- House & Garden (UK) "From pink boys' clothes to blue warpa∫ why orange spells danger and other colorful tales." -- The Daily Telegraph, A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain''s colorful calculations." -- The Economist "This is a gorgeous book." -- The Guardian "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly " The Secret Lives of Color holds surprise and satisfaction at every striation of the rainbow." -- Booklist "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "The weirdly fascinating history of your favorite hues . . . Drying paint just became more interesting." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Inspiring, compelling and beautifully designed . . . this will appeal to anyone." -- The Lady "Discursive and anecdotal . . . this book holds many surprises. Nothing is quite what it seems or how it is seen." -- The Oldie "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "A vivid exploration . . . [St. Clair] finds colorful threads running through the tapestry of history, gives them a tug, and follows them into interesting and unexpected realms. . . . [She] is able to dance effortlessly through an astonishing range of subjects. . . . It''s impossible not to thrill at the scope and to marvel at the connective threads. . . . What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly colour has shaped histories and disciplines, fuelled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "Kassia St. Clair writes with style, energy and knowledge, working through a huge range of material and explaining many mysteries of color succinctly and wittily. . . . The Secret Lives of Colour is snappily designed and . . . presents its subject as an encyclopaedic Pantone swatch-book annotated with good-natured and diverting anecdotalism. . . . An excellent, innovative book [that] will color your thinking." -- The Spectator "Well-researched and engaging." -- House & Garden (UK) "If you want to fall back in love with color, read The Secret Lives of Color ." --The Sunday Telegraph "Almost every page throws up an unexpected detail and insight. . . . Extraordinarily full and interesting. . . . An ideal crib and a valuable resource not only for the design-conscious but for students." --The Times "Beautiful . . . See how a single color can tell different stories across the globe." --The Daily Mail "A dazzling and vibrant history of color." --Mail on Sunday "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book whose pages are filled with fascinating anecdotes about every color from blonde to puce." --The Pool "[A] fascinating volume about the history and cultural significance of all the hues of the rainbow and more." --Hampstead & Highgate Property "Heliotrope, gamboge, umber: the names of colors are as luscious as the hues themselves. Kassia St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet of the chemistry, history and cultural associations of 75 dyes, pigments and shades." --Nature.com "From pink boys'' clothes to blue warpa∫ why orange spells danger and other colorful tales." -- The Daily Telegraph, "Beautifully written and thoughtfully produced . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers." --Nina Martyris, NPR 's Best Books of 2017 "If you adore color, you'll love The Secret Lives of Color . This passionate and majestic compedium . . . will leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light." -- Elle "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain's colorful calculations." -- The Economist "Fascinating." --BuzzFeed "Gorgeous." -- The Guardian "The history of colors, it turns out, is the story of science as well as art. Kassia St. Clair's entertaining book brings them both into vivid relief." -- The Wall Street Journal " The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair presents readers with [an] opportunity to relish in otherwise mundane aspects of reality. . . . An engaging mix of aesthetic analysis and optical science, it could make anyone a keen observer of our kaleidoscopic world." -- Popular Science "Riveting . . . diligently researched . . . Whatever your opinion of a shade, The Secret Lives of Color provides some illuminating perspectives on it." -- Hyperallergic "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly " The Secret Lives of Color holds surprise and satisfaction at every striation of the rainbow." -- Booklist "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "Weirdly fascinating." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly color has shaped histories and disciplines, fueled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book." --The Pool "St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet." -- Nature, "Beautifully written and thoughtfully produced . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers." --Nina Martyris, NPR 's Best Books of 2017 "If you adore color, you'll love The Secret Lives of Color . This passionate and majestic compedium . . . will leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light." -- Elle "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain's colorful calculations." -- The Economist "Fascinating." --BuzzFeed "Gorgeous." -- The Guardian "The history of colors, it turns out, is the story of science as well as art. Kassia St. Clair's entertaining book brings them both into vivid relief." -- The Wall Street Journal "Riveting . . . diligently researched . . . Whatever your opinion of a shade, The Secret Lives of Color provides some illuminating perspectives on it." -- Hyperallergic "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly " The Secret Lives of Color holds surprise and satisfaction at every striation of the rainbow." -- Booklist "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "Weirdly fascinating." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly color has shaped histories and disciplines, fueled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book." --The Pool "St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet." --Nature.com, "Beautifully written and thoughtfully produced . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers." --Nina Martyris, NPR 's Best Books of 2017 "If you adore color, you'll love The Secret Lives of Color . This passionate and majestic compedium . . . will leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light." -- Elle "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain's colorful calculations." -- The Economist "Fascinating." --BuzzFeed "Gorgeous." -- The Guardian "Riveting . . . diligently researched . . . Whatever your opinion of a shade, The Secret Lives of Colors provides some illuminating perspectives on it." -- Hyperallergic "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly " The Secret Lives of Color holds surprise and satisfaction at every striation of the rainbow." -- Booklist "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "Weirdly fascinating." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly color has shaped histories and disciplines, fueled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book." --The Pool "St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet." --Nature.com, A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain''s colorful calculations." -- The Economist "This is a gorgeous book." -- The Guardian "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "The weirdly fascinating history of your favorite hues . . . Drying paint just became more interesting." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Inspiring, compelling and beautifully designed . . . this will appeal to anyone." -- The Lady "Discursive and anecdotal . . . this book holds many surprises. Nothing is quite what it seems or how it is seen." -- The Oldie "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "A vivid exploration . . . [St. Clair] finds colorful threads running through the tapestry of history, gives them a tug, and follows them into interesting and unexpected realms. . . . [She] is able to dance effortlessly through an astonishing range of subjects. . . . It''s impossible not to thrill at the scope and to marvel at the connective threads. . . . What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly colour has shaped histories and disciplines, fuelled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "Kassia St. Clair writes with style, energy and knowledge, working through a huge range of material and explaining many mysteries of color succinctly and wittily. . . . The Secret Lives of Colour is snappily designed and . . . presents its subject as an encyclopaedic Pantone swatch-book annotated with good-natured and diverting anecdotalism. . . . An excellent, innovative book [that] will color your thinking." -- The Spectator "Well-researched and engaging." -- House & Garden (UK) "If you want to fall back in love with color, read The Secret Lives of Color ." --The Sunday Telegraph "Almost every page throws up an unexpected detail and insight. . . . Extraordinarily full and interesting. . . . An ideal crib and a valuable resource not only for the design-conscious but for students." --The Times "Beautiful . . . See how a single color can tell different stories across the globe." --The Daily Mail "A dazzling and vibrant history of color." --Mail on Sunday "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book whose pages are filled with fascinating anecdotes about every color from blonde to puce." --The Pool "[A] fascinating volume about the history and cultural significance of all the hues of the rainbow and more." --Hampstead & Highgate Property "Heliotrope, gamboge, umber: the names of colors are as luscious as the hues themselves. Kassia St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet of the chemistry, history and cultural associations of 75 dyes, pigments and shades." --Nature.com "From pink boys'' clothes to blue warpa∫ why orange spells danger and other colorful tales." -- The Daily Telegraph, "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain's colorful calculations." -- The Economist "Gorgeous." -- The Guardian "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly " The Secret Lives of Color holds surprise and satisfaction at every striation of the rainbow." -- Booklist "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "Weirdly fascinating." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly color has shaped histories and disciplines, fueled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book." --The Pool "St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet." --Nature.com, "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain's colorful calculations." -- The Economist "Brimming with facts and historical insights." -- Elle "Drying paint just became more interesting." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Inspiring, compelling and beautifully designed . . . this will appeal to anyone." -- The Lady "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "A vivid exploration . . . [St. Clair] finds colorful threads running through the tapestry of history, gives them a tug, and follows them into interesting and unexpected realms. . . . [She] is able to dance effortlessly through an astonishing range of subjects. . . . It's impossible not to thrill at the scope and to marvel at the connective threads. . . . What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly colour has shaped histories and disciplines, fuelled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "Kassia St. Clair writes with style, energy and knowledge, working through a huge range of material and explaining many mysteries of color succinctly and wittily. . . . The Secret Lives of Colour is snappily designed and . . . presents its subject as an encyclopaedic Pantone swatch-book annotated with good-natured and diverting anecdotalism. . . . An excellent, innovative book [that] will color your thinking." -- The Spectator "Well-researched and engaging." -- House & Garden (UK) "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book whose pages are filled with fascinating anecdotes about every colour from blonde to puce." --The Pool "[A] fascinating volume about the history and cultural significance of all the hues of the rainbow and more." --Hampstead & Highgate Property "Heliotrope, gamboge, umber: the names of colors are as luscious as the hues themselves. Kassia St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet of the chemistry, history and cultural associations of 75 dyes, pigments and shades." --Nature.com "From pink boys' clothes to blue warpa∫ why orange spells danger and other colorful tales." -- The Daily Telegraph, A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain''s colorful calculations." -- The Economist "This is a gorgeous book." -- The Guardian "London-based writer St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . St. Clair''s rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "The weirdly fascinating history of your favorite hues . . . Drying paint just became more interesting." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Inspiring, compelling and beautifully designed . . . this will appeal to anyone." -- The Lady "Discursive and anecdotal . . . this book holds many surprises. Nothing is quite what it seems or how it is seen." -- The Oldie "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "A vivid exploration . . . [St. Clair] finds colorful threads running through the tapestry of history, gives them a tug, and follows them into interesting and unexpected realms. . . . [She] is able to dance effortlessly through an astonishing range of subjects. . . . It''s impossible not to thrill at the scope and to marvel at the connective threads. . . . What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly colour has shaped histories and disciplines, fuelled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "Kassia St. Clair writes with style, energy and knowledge, working through a huge range of material and explaining many mysteries of color succinctly and wittily. . . . The Secret Lives of Colour is snappily designed and . . . presents its subject as an encyclopaedic Pantone swatch-book annotated with good-natured and diverting anecdotalism. . . . An excellent, innovative book [that] will color your thinking." -- The Spectator "Well-researched and engaging." -- House & Garden (UK) "If you want to fall back in love with color, read The Secret Lives of Color ." --The Sunday Telegraph "Almost every page throws up an unexpected detail and insight. . . . Extraordinarily full and interesting. . . . An ideal crib and a valuable resource not only for the design-conscious but for students." --The Times "Beautiful . . . See how a single color can tell different stories across the globe." --The Daily Mail "A dazzling and vibrant history of color." --Mail on Sunday "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book whose pages are filled with fascinating anecdotes about every color from blonde to puce." --The Pool "[A] fascinating volume about the history and cultural significance of all the hues of the rainbow and more." --Hampstead & Highgate Property "Heliotrope, gamboge, umber: the names of colors are as luscious as the hues themselves. Kassia St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet of the chemistry, history and cultural associations of 75 dyes, pigments and shades." --Nature.com "From pink boys'' clothes to blue warpa∫ why orange spells danger and other colorful tales." -- The Daily Telegraph, "Beautifully written and thoughtfully produced . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers." --Nina Martyris, NPR 's Best Books of 2017 "If you adore color, you'll love The Secret Lives of Color . This passionate and majestic compedium . . . will leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light." -- Elle "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain's colorful calculations." -- The Economist "Fascinating." --BuzzFeed "Gorgeous." -- The Guardian "The history of colors, it turns out, is the story of science as well as art. Kassia St. Clair's entertaining book brings them both into vivid relief." -- The Wall Street Journal " The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair presents readers with [an] opportunity to relish in otherwise mundane aspects of reality. . . . An engaging mix of aesthetic analysis and optical science, it could make anyone a keen observer of our kaleidoscopic world." -- Popular Science "Riveting . . . diligently researched . . . Whatever your opinion of a shade, The Secret Lives of Color provides some illuminating perspectives on it." -- Hyperallergic "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly " The Secret Lives of Color holds surprise and satisfaction at every striation of the rainbow." -- Booklist "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "Weirdly fascinating." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly color has shaped histories and disciplines, fueled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book." --The Pool "St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet." --Nature.com, "Beautifully written and thoughtfully produced . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers." --Nina Martyris, NPR 's Best Books of 2017 "If you adore color, you'll love The Secret Lives of Color . This passionate and majestic compedium . . . will leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light." -- Elle "A kaleidoscope of charming, discursive essays . . . A light and lively guide [that] offers plenty of fresh clues for the brain's colorful calculations." -- The Economist "Fascinating." --BuzzFeed "Gorgeous." -- The Guardian "Riveting . . . diligently researched . . . Whatever your opinion of a shade, The Secret Lives of Color provides some illuminating perspectives on it." -- Hyperallergic "A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every color has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking." --Simon Garfield , New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type: A Book About Fonts "St. Clair delivers a mix of science, humor, and art history in this collection of bite-sized essays on the cultural and social lore of colors. . . . Her sentences guarantee sustained reading. . . . [Her] rhetoric beautifies the form of the brief essay." -- Publishers Weekly " The Secret Lives of Color holds surprise and satisfaction at every striation of the rainbow." -- Booklist "Brimming with facts, historical insights and curious tales." -- Elle Decoration "Weirdly fascinating." -- Wired "Charming." --The Financial Times "Fascinating insights . . . a lexicon of colors, simultaneously revealing the cultural attitudes that determine our responses to them." -- Country Living "What The Secret Lives of Color offers really is, in some sense, a flash portrait of human civilization, a zigzagging and unpredictable exploration of how significantly color has shaped histories and disciplines, fueled empires, changed the nature of war and caused species to flourish or face extinction." -- Chemistry World "A must for anyone interested in color [or] decorating, but also language, culture and art." --The Chromologist "A work of art in its own right, The Secret Lives Of Color is a beautiful tactile book." --The Pool "St. Clair serves up a chromatic buffet." --Nature.com
