{"product_id":"letter-perfect-the-marvelous-history-of-our-alphabet-from-a-to-z-paperback","title":"Letter Perfect: The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet from A to Z - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDavid Sacks\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA fun, lively, and learned excursion into the alphabet--and cultural history. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLetters are tangible language. Joining together in endless combinations to actually show speech, letters convey our messages and tell our stories. While we encounter these tiny shapes hundreds of times a day, we take for granted the long, fascinating history behind one of the most fundamental of human inventions: the alphabet. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe heart of the book is the 26 fact-filled \"biographies\" of letters A through Z, each one identifying the letter's particular significance for modern readers, tracing its development from ancient forms, and discussing its noteworthy role in literature and other media. We learn, for example, why the letter X has a sinister and sexual aura, how B came to signify second best, why the word \"mother\" in many languages starts with M, and what is the story of O. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePacked with information and lavishly illustrated, \u003ci\u003eLetter Perfect \u003c\/i\u003eis accessible, entertaining, and essential to the appreciation of our own language.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDavid Sacks has embarked on a fun, lively, and learned excursion into the alphabet-and into cultural history-in\" Letter Perfect. Clearly explaining the letters as symbols of precise sounds of speech, the book begins with the earliest known alphabetic inscriptions (circa 1800 b.c.), recently discovered by archaeologists in Egypt, and traces the history of our alphabet through the ancient Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans and up through medieval Europe to the present day. But the heart of the book is the twenty-six fact-filled \"biographies\" of letters A through Z, each one identifying the letter's particular significance for modern readers, tracing its development from ancient forms, and discussing its noteworthy role in literature and other media. We learn, for example, why letter X may have a sinister and sexual aura, how B came to signify second best, why the word \"mother in many languages starts with M. Combining facts both odd and essential, \"Letter Perfect is cultural history at its most accessible and enjoyable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDAVID SACKS\u003c\/b\u003e is author of the \u003ci\u003eEncyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World\u003c\/i\u003e. His articles mainly on cultural topics have appeared in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eOttawa Citizen, \u003c\/i\u003eand dozens of magazines. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 416\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.99 x 8.24 x 5.55 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 03, 2004\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757319979296,"sku":"9780767911733","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/147fc6356de9f24a819c993e037b95cb.webp?v=1780099519","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/letter-perfect-the-marvelous-history-of-our-alphabet-from-a-to-z-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}