In addition to opening my mind to a part of history of which I was completely unaware, this book was nostalgic for me. I thought, for the first time in many years, of my grandmother's beautiful cursive writing. She used to write with such an even scale. And yes, she wrote her 'Q's like large '2's. This is a wonderfully enjoyable book, written by Florey with appropriate lightheartedness for its subject, yet with her obvious passion for reading and writing. ( )

Like most people my age and younger, I have terrible handwriting -- decades of "word processing" have eroded my cursive skills. (I see my mother's graceful signature and despair.) This book delves into the history and decline of script with enough wit and verve to make the reader want to sit down and practice the Palmer Method. Shouldn't we all at least be able to sign our names with clarity and flair?