Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical MarksAn absolutely fascinating blend of history, design, sociology, and cultural poeticshighly recommended.Maria Popova, Brain Pickings A charming and indispensable tour of two thousand years of the written word, Shady Characters weaves a fascinating trail across the parallel histories of language and typography. Whether investigating the asterisk (*) and dagger ()which alternately illuminated and skewered heretical verses of the early Bibleor the at sign

Joudah reminds us “Wonder belongs to all

The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew

He outmanoeuvred his influential ethno-religious opponents through a parlous condition of Malay politics

the author establishes a historical timeline for mankind

Later books

He explores the ethical and humanist issues raised by the technological successes of modern clinical practice

“Jack Malik delights in his anxieties of influence

and ending with Johannes’s own thoughts as he embarks upon a day in his life when everything is exactly the same

But a true education goes far beyond the classroom

William Carlos Williams

Amin Sweeney

Written with a light touch and with a wry sense of humour