Graphic Design History traces the social and cultural role of visual communication from prehistory to the present, connecting what designers do every day to a history of innovative graphic forms and effects.  It offers a unique and exciting set of critical lenses for thinking about the cultural purpose and historical dimensions of the graphic designer's work, placing emphasis on the relevance of the history to the practices of designers today. Designed by the authors, the book is beautiful, spacious, and elegant.  Clearly organized into three content-rich layers, it is informative yet lively and driven by ideas that offer ways of thinking about graphic design from a wealth of historical examples.
This is a long-overdue contribution to the field:  a social history of the image-culture of graphic design and graphic design as a profession, from prehistory to the present.
Kelly Dennis, University of Connecticut.