"A richly absorbing exploration, from B.C. to PCs, of the evolution of the most fundamental 'characters of our cultural history, the alphabet we so much take for granted. John Man writes with a compellingly restless curiosity and immediacy. The ever surprising, exotically detailed narrative in his informative book makes it as undryly enjoyable as a successful archaelogical dig of one of Alan Mooreheads colorful histories of African exploration." David Grambs, author of The Describers Dictionary and The Endangered English Dictionary

"Text that is crisp, taut, and as clear as a bell.... A fascinating story with many a beguiling subplot along the way." -- New Scientist

"Letter perfect -- the best histories and mysteries of our ABCs!" -- Jeff McQuain, author of Never Enough Words and Power Language