Helvetica e NYC

Helvetica and the New York City Subway System: the True (Maybe) Story (The MIT Press) è il titolo dell'interessante libro di Paul Shaw che spiega la storia dei caratteri scelti per le scritte del sistema metropolitano di New York (MTA) e perché a un certo punto si sia imposto Helvetica. "There are a few truths New Yorkers hold to be self-evident. 1. You can’t get a taxi in the rain. 2. Anything can be delivered at anytime, to anywhere. 3. The official font of the MTA is Helvetica." helveticasubway.

The Bureau Chiefs, Write More Good: An Absolutely Phony Guide (Three Rivers Press), This book might be the least useful writing aid ever compiled. It encourages clichés; it's full of misleading - and flat-out incorrect - definitions; it's got a little green bubble on the cover that reads: "IF YOU USE THIS, YOU WILL GET FIRED!" But then, of course, that's exactly the point: it's the first print offering from The Bureau Chiefs, the group behind the popular Twitter account @FakeAPStyleBook. newyorker.