Craig Conley, bless him, has given us plenty of literary treats - but his Magic Words: A Dictionary is one of the excellentest. The entries are essay-style, so they're fun to read (like I would ever recommend anything that wasn't), and feature words and symbols from around the world - each with its own etymology, as well as mythical, historical, and cultural background. Illustrations of symbols and icons are included where applicable. Bippity boppity boo.
—"Books by Design: Reference Books You'll Actually Use"
A reminder: our posts about magic words and symbols spotted in the wild has officially moved here:
http://mysteryarts.typepad.com/magicwords/
