Title: Kompendium für Alphabeten Systematik der Schrift von Karl Gerstner
Hardcover: 180 pages
Publisher: Arthur Niggli (2000)
Language: German
Size: 160 x 155 mm / 6.3 x 6.1 x inches
"What the "compendium for Literates" is not is a history of the origin and development of writing. On this subject there is already a voluminous and authoritative literature. Again, it is not a collection of letters. Not a textbook. And not an investigation." That's the first statement that you would read when you open the book.
"The compendium is a system of writing, that means it is an organized inventory of its possibilities. It supplies parameter for the programming of an electronically controlled type, that of computers, for a not-too-distant future."
The pages of this book are not open from right to left but its from bottom to top. It feels as a continuous unit. I bought the German book. Since, I dont speak German this just only beautiful a book with nice prints and material. As the English version was out of print, It's difficult to find the book within my budget.
Finally, I got the English version from ebay. Most of the time, I like the older versions but I must admit that Niggli did really well to reproduce the book in 2000. I have never seen the first edition of the book but to compare with the English version the newest German version was produced better. The translation of the illustrator images make the English version less elegant. (see the comparison below)
If you are able to read in German, this book is still available with very good price, here. Too bad that the English version is much more expensive but its worth to read the book.
The grid image was taken from karl gerstner: Review of 5 x 10 years of Graphic design etc.