Table of Contents

Preface Introduction Ancient Greek Letters Latin Letters and the Enduring Influence of Roman Scripts Christian Letters The Letters of Humanism Baroque Variations and the Search for a Universal Language Logical Letters: The Alphabet in the Age of Reason The Alphabets of the Industrialized World From Modern Experiments to Post-Modern Experiences Into the New Millennium

Promotional Information

"The Letter and the Cosmos is a groundbreaking and enjoyable read about the role played by the alphabet in Western culture. Laurence de Looze's remarkable ability to synthesise and explain, with clarity and elegance, complex situations and ideas makes the reader wonder why it has not been addressed before. The considerable challenge of encompassing centuries of Western culture has been met with much grace and marks an important contribution to the field." -- Madeline Jeay, Department of French, McMaster University "This study is a synthesis of erudition and curiosity that manages to capture the reader's interest with its lucid and straightforward style. Never before has the subject, on how the alphabet conditions perception in Western culture, been addressed with such scope." -- Laura Kendrick, Institut d'Etudes Culturelles et Internationales, Universit de Versailles / Paris-Saclay

About the Author

Laurence de Looze is a professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Western Ontario.

Reviews

"A sharp and entertaining examination of how languages, letterforms, orthography, and writing tools have reflected our hidden obsession with the alphabet, "The Letter and the Cosmos" is illustrated with copious examples of the visual and linguistic phenomena which de Looze describes. Read it, and you'll never look at the alphabet the same way again." -- Paul T Vogel Midwest Book Review, August 5, 2016