This book looks at the story behind the world's most famous symbols, from the peace sign to the smiley. It shows just how much importance has been attached to the smallest and simplest of ideas, and features more than 40 of the most significant symbols from religion, politics, and popular culture down the centuries. Did you know that 15% of all tweets on twitter contain the hash tag symbol? That's more than 41 million uses of # each day. Or that the "smiley face" originated in Massachusetts in the 1960s? This fascinating book highlights the roles symbols have played throughout history, and how they have shaped our understanding of the world.