''The Secret Lives of Colour'' is a 2016

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

book by British writer Kassia St. Clair which explores the cultural and social history of

colours Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

. The book, which is based on a column St. Clair writes for British magazine ''

Elle Decoration ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's Lifestyle magazine, magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and Lifestyle (social sciences), lifestyle. The title means "she" ...

'', is organized in a series of chapters by color, arranged from white to black. Each chapter is composed of short, two to four page, essays on different shades of its respective color, discussing an interesting aspect of science, history, art, or culture relating to the shade. There are a total of 75 essays in the book. Each page is bordered by a stripe of the color it discusses for easy visual identification, even when the book is closed.

Reception

The book was generally well-received by critics.

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

listed it on its Best Books of 2017 list. Lily Le Brun of ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...

'' found the book's design visually appealing and helpful for referencing. Cathy Dillon of ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' called it "perfect gift for a colour enthusiast". Laura J. Snyder of ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' wrote that it brought the history of both science and art "into vivid relief." Critics responded particularly well to the breadth of subjects discussed. Claire Voon of ''

Hyperallergic ''Hyperallergic'' is an online arts magazine, based in Brooklyn, New York. Founded by the art critic Hrag Vartanian and his husband Veken Gueyikian in October 2009, the site describes itself as a "forum for serious, playful, and radical thinking ...

'' found it "diligently researched," and remarked on the topical diversity of the various essays. Ross Stewart of ''

Chemistry World ''Chemistry World'' is a monthly chemistry news magazine published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. The magazine addresses current events in world of chemistry including research, international business news and government policy as it affects ...

'' described the vignette structure as an "effective...conceit" allowing St. Clair to "dance effortlessly through an astonishing range of subjects." Lucy Watson's review in the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'' was more critical, describing the book as "somewhat fragmented," and expressing disappointment that the book focused on anecdotes without discussing the classification of color as a broad topic.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Secret Lives of Colour, The 2016 non-fiction books Art history books Books about color Design books John Murray (publishing house) books Penguin Random House Color in culture