SignSpotting: Absurd & Amusing Signs from Around the World

A lot of fun and, unfortunately, you don't have to go very far when traveling in the Middle East or Africa to see some entertaining signs (and I'm not just talking "camel xing" either). I'm glad someone thought to put this collection together!

"Signspotting" is a quirky collection of real signs from around the world, which amuse because of either grammatical or translation issues, unintended innuendo, or otherworldly context. I really like this book, and especially enjoy signs with non sequiturs and seeming contradictions such as a sign in front of a Racine, Wisconsin store proclaiming "Happy Easter! We Sell Handguns" and the sign from Maui that says "Bottomless Pit - 65 feet deep." I love the misspellings as well, finding the sign from Incline Village, Nevada stating "Detuor to College" to be especially entertaining. The sub-genre of disturbing combinations is equally hilarious, like the store in Grafton, Illinois that proclaims "R & R Worm Farm Worm - Castings & Best Dirt in Town - Wine Making Supplies Sold Here." This is a great little book, and I recommend it as a quick and funny read to anyone, especially those that travel internationally frequently.

Bought one copy for a friend and laughed so hard I had to order several more copies for gifts. Lots of fun for a small price.

I didn't have many expectations for a sign book, but actually, this is one of the funniest books I've ever encountered. I don't understand the previous writer's negative comments, who says it wasn't funny and that he had already seen most of them on the web. Well, I don't have friends sending me funny emails about signs all the time, so most of these were new to me, and I thought they were very funny. From the "Sand" sign in the middle of the Namibian desert (what did they think they were driving through for the last 100 miles or so? :-)), to the "Boring Oregon City" sign, to "Dead Slow Children" on a road sign in England, to "Secret Nuclear Bunker," and "Hello Big Nose Friends (a tourist sign in Kashgar, China), I found a lot here to tickle my funny bone. I found the book by chance in a Border's Books and sat down to read it, and had to try to keep from laughing out loud, some of the signs are so funny or ridiculous--such as the "Not a through street--evacuation route," sign on the cover. Then there's the "Bad toilet" sign in Norway (I think "bad" means bath in Norwegian, as it does in German, so that explains it), and the "Turn on lights in clouds" sign in the Andes, and the $exchange" sign at a foreign exchange store. And there was a surprise for me in between the pages that I wasn't expecting--I'd seen one of the signs in person once. In the San Juan Islands of Washington state, there's a bridge over two of the islands that warns people about RVs with large mirrors sticking out that might bonk you in the head as you're walking on the narrow sidewalk over the bridge. The bridge connects Whidbey and Fidalgo islands over Deception Pass, and I saw the sign walking out on the bridge once. :-) And on a visit to Jamaica my father had seen the sign, "Beware of sleeping policeman." The book doesn't explain the sign, though, but a "sleeping policeman" is the local term for a speed bump. Overall, a very funny book and reasonably priced for what you're getting. The brief bio says the author has visited over 120 countries and started taking pictures of signs on his travels. In a sense this book shows what can grow from a seemingly harmless and innocuous little hobby if one is persistent and patient enough.

The price is right for this hilarous collection of odd and quirky signs from around the world. A perfect quick entertainment for a waiting room or as a gift. Just a few of the signs have a bit of innuendo, so better for adults. Doug Lansky adds well-written caption comments for a second smile with each picture. The signs shown here on the cover give you a good idea what to expect.