Words and Their Meanings
“Words are magical in the way they affect the minds of those who use them.”
Original 1940 hand-signed copy of Huxley’s book
In May of 1940, Aldous Huxley published a short essay about the power of words. At the time, the world was on the verge of war—in Huxley’s opinion, a uniquely human trait made possible through words. He writes, “For evil, then, as well as for good, words make us the human beings we actually are.”
In December of 2008, I was browsing the shelves of a used bookstore in Woodstock Vermont. Words and Their Meanings caught my attention. Having been in the business of crafting and delivering my clients’ words for over two decades, I found the text refreshing. We spend a great deal of time searching for clever ways to deliver our client’s message. Are we spending enough time on the message itself? Have we been taking our words for granted?
Selecting specific paper stocks to faithfully replicate the original book materials
The text brought clarity to thoughts I held but hadn’t been able to express. This, I thought, was an essay that needed to be shared. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that Words and Their Meanings was out of publication since its original printing. Only 100 hand-signed copies were ever produced—until now.
I’m pleased to announce that More Vang and the RIT Press have secured permission from the Aldous Huxley estate to reprint this work. Using the exact fonts, handmade papers and the original designs of Alvin Lustig, we have faithfully reproduced the 80-year-old volume. More importantly, we are reintroducing a message I believe to be timeless.
Finished smyth sewn and casebound books, featuring original cover artwork
Text sheets coming off More Vang’s Heidelberg Speedmaster press
To order your copy, please visit the RIT Press website.