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Patternalia

An Unconventional History of Polka Dots, Stripes, Plaid, Camouflage, & Other Graphic Patterns
Apr 27, 2017ck9aTony rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Excellent in terms of interesting facts, not so much in terms of illustrations. Surprised? I sure was. Many of the pictures exist as whimsical backdrops for quotations. When you expect to find pictures which actually illustrate a pattern unfamiliar to most readers, it is lacking. For instance, reference is made to striped Kente cloth, but no illustrations (ironically, there is an example of a bar code - how likely is it that a reader hasn't seen one of these?); same is true of adrinka squares and kanga, among others. I found it rather frustrating. Is that why it is an "Unconventional History"? Lack of actual illustration? Also, a decision appears to have been made somewhere along the line to produce it in a format that might appeal more to millennials: somewhat like a ebook with references to other pages to divert to. This would actually be more than appropriate for an ebook, but not so much for a hardcover.