The Colour Code: Why we see red, feel blue and go green

Description

How many colours are there? In the West we see seven, but the Chinese see five, while the Piraha tribe in the Amazon have no words for the spectrum. Colour isn't something we see; it's something we think. In this popular culture miscellany, Paul Simpson takes eleven key colours and explores how they have shaped our evolution as a species, persuaded us in politics and culture and allowed us to express or oppress personal freedoms. His book investigates such issues as the shifting gender of pink, the poisonous potential of green, the decadence of yellow, the performance-diminishing impact of grey and the ways in which orange has shaped power in Europe.

Paul Simpson writes on culture. An award winning journalist, he launched the renowned football monthly FourFourTwo and has edited the Design Council magazine. He has written books on cult movies, Elvis Presley and Tolkien, and became interested in colour after buying a yellow suit and being told he couldn't wear it to the office.

Such fun. An illuminating story for every stitch in your wardrobe and pigment on your wall -- Simon Garfield, author * Just My Type * Fun ... If you want to know about football strips or national flags, why fire engines are red, why the Pope wears white or why the leader of the Tour de France has a yellow jersey you'll find the answer here -- Honor Clerk * Spectator * An entertaining, surprisingly informative piece of work that might even change the way we see the things around us -- Derek Parker * Weekend Australian *