The Herder Dictionary of Symbols: Symbols from Art, Archaeology, Mythology, Literature, and Religion

Excellent reference book, good illustrations, text and comprehensive. Only one minor complaint, the book is so small. Width wise it is about 4" which makes it difficult to hold open. Next time it's reprint, please widen it just a little.

The Herder Dictionary of Symbols: Symbols from Art, Archaeology, Mythology, Literature, and Religion by Boris Matthews I bought this small book on symbols for the primary purpose of guiding my 'deliberate doodling' as well as mind-mapping processes. It's compact & handy for quick reference. It has more than 1,000 entries & 450 illustrations. It is, in fact, the only symbol book I owned at this moment. It has symbols from art, archaeology, mythology, literature & religion.

I have been using this book as a reference for years. It is a wonderful book, full of information from a wide variety of cultures and disciplines. My only disappointment in the book is that it is not three times larger. I would love to see it expanded to include more symbols.

This book is tiny but full of little pictures that make it an even better reference guide. If you are looking for color pictures, detailed information and/or illustrated examples in culture then this is NOT the book for you.

This book should be on the reference shelf of anyone designing or evaluating logos. It is compact and packed with information on shapes, images and symbols from the perpectives of cultures around the world - from prehistory forward. It is illustrated and cross-referenced. Grab it several time throughout the design process to make sure you are on target with the symbolism inherent in the shapes and images you are using in your designs. Great value.