This informative and engaging illustrated reference provides the stories behind 1,001 signs and symbols, from ancient hieroglyphs to modern-day political and subculture symbols. What in the world does Ω mean? And what about its meaning might have led my coffee date to tattoo it on his entire forearm? Where did the symbol ∞ originate, and what was its first meaning? How did the ampersand symbol & come about and how was it applied daily in book publishing? And what is the full story behind that staring eye on top of the pyramid on our American dollar bill? This comprehensive guide to signs and symbols explains. Find within: More than 1,000 illustrations An extensive collection of written and cultural symbols, including animals, instruments, stones, shapes, numbers, colors, plants, food, parts of the body, religious and astrological symbols, emojis, and gestures Historical facts culled from a wide variety of sources Learn all about the signs and symbols that surround us and their part in our rich world history.

Describes graphic signs and symbols and their importance to communication, from picture writing by cavemen to today's use of numbers, musical notes, religious signs, trademarks, signs in science and industry, trail markers and traffic signals, and the potentials of international sign writing.

Explains the meaning given by diverse cultures in various eras to animals, plants, patterns, man-made objects, and abstract forms.

This wide-ranging compendium traces symbolism to its ancient roots, examining a vast variety of symbolic images.

"Archaeologist Genevieve von Petzinger looks past the horses, bison, ibex, and faceless humans in the ancient paintings and instead focuses on the abstract geometric images that accompany them. She offers her research on the terse symbols that appear more often than any other kinds of figures--signs that have never really been studied or explained until now"--

Unlock the lost and hidden meanings of the world's ancient and modern signs and symbols. This is the most comprehensive reference book on symbolic objects that you'll ever find.

Discusses the elements of a sign, and looks at pictograms, alphabets, calligraphy, monograms, text type, numerical signs, symbols, and trademarks.