True Color

Kory Stamper examines the tangled relationship between color, language, and culture, tracing how humans have defined and named hues across time.

Drawing on her experience as a dictionary editor, she reveals the practical, scientific, and social forces that shape color terminology.

The book blends history, science, and anecdotes to show why color categories vary between people and cultures and how names influence perception.

Stamper highlights both functional uses of color and the marketing-driven naming conventions that affect consumer choices.

Overall, it illuminates why something as seemingly simple as a color can be surprisingly complex and consequential.