Why did I love this book?
Despite the fact that color is everywhere around us (or perhaps because it’s everywhere around us), we often take it for granted. But every color has a long and layered history. In The Secret Lives of Color, Kassia St. Clair offers brief, beautiful, and fascinating histories of seventy-five different colors. For example, she explores the “curious case of the yellow that vanished,” a.k.a., lead-tin yellow. She explains how the daring 1920s socialite Daisy Fellowes introduced “shocking pink” to the world after being inspired by a glittering diamond. And she exposes how St. Patrick’s blue became the legendary Kelly green.
4 authors picked The Secret Lives of Color as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
One of USA Today's "100 Books to Read While Stuck at Home During the Coronavirus Crisis"
A dazzling gift, the unforgettable, unknown history of colors and the vivid stories behind them in a beautiful multi-colored volume.
"Beautifully written . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers." -NPR, Best Books of 2017
The Secret Lives of Color tells the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes, and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso's blue period to…