Drawing on his background in writing computer software and his previous works explaining the origins of pocket calculators (
Empire of the Sum), books (
The Book), and punctuation (
Shady Characters), Houston’s new history of the emoji starts by showing how the emoji’s creation in Japan in the late 1980s influenced global culture and then moves forward through the icons’ development, intricacies, and adoption up to 2024. Houston writes with humor and an easy-going tone, plus a pace that is smooth and seems effortless, keeping readers engaged. He discusses everything from the silly, such as the unintentionally controversial placement of cheese on the hamburger emoji, to the serious, such as the creation of for more diverse complexion options for emoji that depict people. At all points, Houston’s enthusiasm for the emoji’s creativity, use, and function comes to the fore, and reading the book feels like grabbing a coffee with a friend and listening to them happily describe their most recent interests and discoveries.
VERDICT An excellent read for those interested in history, technology, and the global scale of digital communication. Appropriate for both casual and professional audiences.
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