Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks Cover
Podcast Mentions

Shady Characters The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks

Keith Houston

From ancient Greece to the Internet―via the Renaissance, Gutenberg, and Madison Avenue― A charming and indispensable tour of two thousand years of the written word,

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Quotes 10
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Stuff You Should Know

Podcast

Stuff You Should Know

It was mentioned as a source for the history of the at symbol, containing a two-part history about its origins and uses.

"

Ruzdovin and got his hands on a book from Keith Houston or Houston Shady characters colon the secret life of punctuation symbols and other typographical marks And in that is a two-part history of the...

— Episode: Short Stuff: The @ Symbol

Episode: Short Stuff: The @ Symbol

It was mentioned as a source for the history of the at symbol, containing a two-part history about its origins and uses.

"

Ruzdovin and got his hands on a book from Keith Houston or Houston Shady characters colon the secret life of punctuation symbols and other typographical marks And in that is a two-part history of the at symbol where mr. Houston or Houston

Episode: Short Stuff: The @ Symbol

It was mentioned as a source containing a two-part history of the at symbol, covering its origins and evolution.

"

Ruzdovin and got his hands on a book from Keith Houston or Houston Shady characters colon the secret life of punctuation symbols and other typographical marks And in that is a two-part history of the at symbol where mr. Houston or Houston

Episode: Short Stuff: The @ Symbol

It was mentioned as containing a two-part history of the at symbol, which helped to explain the origin and evolution of its usage.

"

Ruzdovin and got his hands on a book from Keith Houston or Houston Shady characters colon the secret life of punctuation symbols and other typographical marks And in that is a two-part history of the at symbol where mr. Houston or Houston

Episode: Short Stuff: The @ Symbol

It was mentioned as a source of information about the history of the at symbol, detailing its evolution through different cultures and uses in trading and commerce.

"

Ruzdovin and got his hands on a book from Keith Houston or Houston Shady characters colon the secret life of punctuation symbols and other typographical marks

99% Invisible

Podcast

99% Invisible

The book was highlighted as a must‑read for 99% Invisible listeners, with the host urging fans to explore it alongside the creator's other works. It was also introduced by its author during a discussion of punctuation history, underscoring its relevance to the episode's theme. Additionally, a specific chapter on the octothorpe was noted for its insight into the symbol's varied historical uses.

Highly Recommended

Episode: Empire of the Sum

The podcast host recommends this book as well, suggesting that any 99% Invisible fan would enjoy it.

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Also while you're at it go read his other books to shady characters and the book. They're all so good any 99p I fan will love them

Episode: Empire of the Sum

It was briefly mentioned alongside another book by the same author, suggesting it is also worth checking out.

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Also while you're at it go read his other books to shady characters and the book. They're all so good any 99p I fan will love them

Episode: Interrobang

It was mentioned by Keith Houston, the author, and discussed in relation to the topic of punctuation marks and their history.

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He's a returning 99 PI guest and author of the book Shady Characters.

He's the author of a book called Shady Characters, the secret life of punctuation symbols and other typographical marks.

Episode: Octothorpe

It was mentioned as containing a chapter about the octothorpe and its various uses throughout history, like in proofreading or on Swedish maps.

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It's got a whole chapter on this symbol. And it has a lot of other random uses as well.

Episode: The Em Dash

The book examined the history of punctuation marks, including the emdash, and explained how their rules evolved over centuries.

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This is Keith Houston, author of the book Shady Characters, The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks. He says that while punctuation crept into writing systems around the 3rd century BCE, the rules that governed them remained both complex and inconsistent well into the 11th and 12th centuries.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.