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Kassia St Clair
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The Secret Lives of Color Hardcover – October 24, 2017

by Kassia St. Clair (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 4,201
#1 Best Seller in Graphic Design Color Use
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    October 24, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    1.1 x 5.5 x 8.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0143131141
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0143131144
  8. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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Previous page
  1. So, in a way, the color we perceive an object to be is precisely the color it isn’t: that is, the segment of the spectrum that is being reflected away.
    Highlighted by 543 Kindle readers
  2. It was only in the seventeenth century that the idea emerged of red, yellow, and blue as primary colors, and green, orange, and purple as secondary ones.
    Highlighted by 282 Kindle readers
  3. A metaphysical debate over whether colors really, physically exist or are only internal manifestations has raged since the seventeenth century.
    Highlighted by 260 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

About the Author

Kassia St. Clair is a freelance journalist and author based in London. She graduated from Bristol University with a first-class honors degree in history in 2007 and went on to do a master’s degree at Oxford. There she wrote her dissertation on women’s masquerade costumes during the eighteenth century and graduated with distinction. She has since written about design and culture for publications including The Economist, House & Garden, Quartz, and the New Statesman. She has had a column about color in Elle Decoration since 2013 and is a former assistant books and arts editor for The Economist.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Later Printing edition (October 24, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143131141
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143131144
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.1 x 5.5 x 8.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 4,201

About the author

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Kassia St Clair

Kassia St Clair

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Writer and cultural historian Kassia St. Clair is based in London and is Britain’s bestselling historian under 40. She specializes in telling gripping stories about the overlooked and the everyday. Her first book, The Secret Lives of Colour, is a top-ten bestseller, was selected as Radio 4′s Book of the Week and has been translated into twenty languages. The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History was a Radio 4 Book of the Week, a Sunday Times Book of the Year and was shortlisted for the Somerset Maugham Award. Her third book, The Race to the Future, will be published in the UK on November 9th 2023 and in the US in early 2024.

For more information visit http://kassiastclair.com/ or follow her on Twitter and Threads, @kassiastclair

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
4,201 global ratings
Greasy fingerprints
5 Stars
Greasy fingerprints
The book, delivery and time of delivery were all great. However, the book itself had a few scratches and scuff marks on the cover. But worse than that, it had greasy fingerprints all over the book that I couldn't simply wipe away. I'll have to use a damp cloth/paper towel or maybe even some cleaning product to try and get it out. Who knows what that may do to the cover. I realize that I may be nitpicking a bit, but I bought a new book because I wanted it in as near pristine condition as possible. And although some imperfection were expected and would have been accepted without any fuss, the greasy fingerprints got to me. Why? Was the person eating? Handling oily products before touching my book? I don't know but those hands were definitely not clean and I sure didn't appreciate finding the evidence of that on the brand new cover of my book. Nor did I appreciate the train of thought as to why that it made my mind jump on. It wasn't pleasant. I would have messaged the seller directly had I been able to find out how to do so.
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Top reviews from the United States

orlando
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely delightful book
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024
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cheryl e.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating perspective on color...
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2024
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Sarah Beth
5.0 out of 5 stars Bite-sized and Captivating
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2024
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3 people found this helpful
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R. Lee Hadden
4.0 out of 5 stars Color me Surprised!
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2018
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186 people found this helpful
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MCT
5.0 out of 5 stars So Colorful!
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
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2 people found this helpful
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Hunter55
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023
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Sandy
5.0 out of 5 stars Interersting
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2024
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love This!
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2024
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Top reviews from other countries

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Joris
5.0 out of 5 stars So entertaining
Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2024
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Intensa13
5.0 out of 5 stars 💯
Reviewed in Mexico on December 4, 2023
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Raissa Signor Ruggeri
4.0 out of 5 stars Livro incrível, manuseio a desejar.
Reviewed in Brazil on February 17, 2022
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Raissa Signor Ruggeri
4.0 out of 5 stars Livro incrível, manuseio a desejar.
Reviewed in Brazil on February 17, 2022
O livro tem um conteúdo impecável, a história das cores é incrivel e mt bem pesquisada. O que me entristece é a falta de cuidado no manejo por parte da transportadora e da amazon, além de pequenas falhas no refile. Pedi o livro pela primeira vez e veio com muitos amassos na ponta, pedi uma troca e foi feita com muita facilidade. Recebi a troca hoje, o livro veio com a capa suja e alguns amassos (menores dessa vez), acredito que seja algum problema no estoque e no transporte, já que o livro não tem nenhuma película protetora. Felizmente consegui limpar a capa com álcool e algodão, mas para um livro neste valor esperava um pouco mais de cuidado com a encomenda ☹️
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5 people found this helpful
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richix9
5.0 out of 5 stars Fasinating Read.
Reviewed in Germany on February 14, 2024
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Aoindrila Sarkar
5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Color Encyclopedia
Reviewed in India on January 25, 2024
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Aoindrila Sarkar
5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Color Encyclopedia
Reviewed in India on January 25, 2024
This book is a must-have for artists, designers, and fashion influencers seeking profound insights into color schemes. It beautifully combines scientific features with artistic and historical information, making it an invaluable resource. The book goes beyond the basics, revealing secrets about unknown colors, unlocking a world of inspiration. It serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone passionate about understanding the intricacies of color. From the science behind hues to their historical significance, this book offers a rich tapestry of knowledge. It's not just a book; it's a journey into the secrets of colors that every creative mind should embark upon. A truly enlightening and indispensable addition to any artist or designer's library.
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