The Cliché
Don’t judge a book…
The majority of you reading this probably completed the above sentence in your head without even knowing it – or without wanting to. The common phrase scolding the act of forming an opinion of others only based upon their appearance is never out of earshot. While it is true that approaching interpersonal interactions with an open mind results in a more accepting community, the superficial impression one forms of someone or something is incredibly important, too. Wait, don’t get me wrong! I’m not encouraging you to get out there and start deducing the character out of everyone – quite exactly the opposite. Remember the pedestrian with the “outrageous” hair colour you saw on the street the other day? What about the individual who chooses to wear hand-me-downs instead of designer clothing? The one with shy, unconfident, and furtive movements? No one can say for sure why those individuals are presenting themselves as they do. It would be unfair to decide for yourself. Noticing those details, instead, teaches one to have sympathy for the stories the individuals possess.
Enough of the ranting – what about book covers?
During Banned Books Week and other events throughout the year, many libraries and book stores launched similar campaigns of blind “dates” with books, where one is to choose a book to read based on its content rather than its appearance. I personally thought it was clever, as I myself has committed the unspeakable crime of choosing one book over another just by the look of its cover (several times, actually… ok, maybe more than several times). However, this behaviour might be more intrinsic than we may think. And don’t worry, our galaxy isn’t overturned. I mean, just imagine that elementary teachers start telling their pupils to read or not read books based on their covers. The cliché itself still holds significance in the sense that by understanding the meaning behind the superficial, one may gain some insight into what is buried underneath.
In the following witty, quirky TED Talk, Chip Kidd takes us on a journey behind the development of many of his well-known book cover designs; it is an exploration like no other…
