TASCHEN has a history of publishing fine, highly visual books for the design industry. Its latest, Logobook, which landed in DT’s office the other day, is no exception. In fact the TASCHEN application lends itself incredibly well to a book that promises to be the ‘ultimate logo reference guide’.

The story of Logobook began back in 2009, when the author Ludovic Houplain  – founder of H5, a multidisciplinary design studio in Paris –  co-directed the Academy Award-winning short Logorama. The animated film looks into the use of logos and brands, and examines how they came to be a point of reference for corporate culture. It tells the story of our times through the products and services that surround us on a daily basis. Logobook aims to make a similar documentation.

During his research, Houplain collected some 40,000 symbols and trademarks, forming the foundation for Logobook. Here he gathers around 7000 logo designs arranged alphabetically making this not just a fascinating read but a practical reference book.

This is a meaty book of 776 pages, each page showcasing 8-10 logos as well as information on the designers, when it first came to public view and what country it originated from. Also included is a critical essay on brand culture by French philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky. It all adds up to a very useful book for anyone interested in contemporary culture.