THE CRYPTIC ART

The Book Of Codes (Univ. of California, 29.95) is highly addictive, so be warned. If you have any interest in cryptology, history, maps, languages, paintings, architecture (I could go on) this is a book in which you will lose whole hours. Edited by Paul Lunde, this lavishly illustrated volume delves into the codes that make up our world. From animal tracks to military maneuvers, Cuneiform writing to the Enigma machine, text message slang to the 19th-century “Cipher Manuscripts,” this book is historical, informative, and fascinating. Adam Waterreus