REVIEW: Pink Flamingos and the Yellow Pages: The Surprising Stories behind the Colors of Our World by Bob Hambly
Discover the weird and wonderful stories of our colorful world!
Why are wedding dresses white? And what is the Ketchup and Mustard Theory? The answers always come back to color. Color infuses our lives with meaning, manifesting in science, language, design, pop culture, and beyond. Specific hues shape our everyday actions and define entire generations. In 75 short essays, this book reveals the hidden histories behind a range of fascinating hues—from shocking shades to subtle tints, from jockey silks on the racetrack to corals on the ocean floor. This elegant little hardcover is bursting with bright photographs throughout. It’s a vivid tour across geography and through time that will leave you with a renewed sense of curiosity and wonder about our colorful world.
Review
This is the perfect bathroom book. No, seriously. It’s divided into short 1-2 page chapters that are a wealth of trivia information about how colors are made; why certain colors are used; and countries, rivers, fabric, and gems – among other things – that are named for colors. What colors influence us – and birds – and why. What are the most used colors in fast food restaurants, why are some highway signs in the US green, what is the “ugliest color” in the world and why was it chosen for use in Australia?
Passport covers used to just be one of four colors but Norway is shaking things up now. The least used flag color is also the same one used by some Kenyan farmers to camouflage their chickens from hawks. Can you guess what product has used “Alien armpit,” “Sasquatch socks,” and “ogre odor” to describe their colors? There’s a bird with vividly colored feet that are an indicator to a potential mate of how good a father a male will be. And yes, there are people who are paid to come up with the sometimes bizarre names for paint colors – such as Grandma’s refrigerator and Lettuce Alone. This is fun to dip into or read straight through then amaze your friends with your new knowledge. B
~Jayne
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