Book Review: A Little Book of Color by Karen Haller
It has been a while since I’ve done a book review. Mostly because I haven’t had a chance to read much. Well in the last few months I’ve been working to change that and it’s been so good to get into something that I enjoy. Books that I share are ones that I really enjoyed and will keep around as a reference. For this book review I am going over A Little Book of Color by Karen Haller. And yes, it is a little book. Small enough that you can fit it in your purse or mama bag. I could easily read it with my boy running around and still be able to hold it in one hand, holding my spot, and help him with something. If you are someone who loves color or just would like to understand how it influences on the day to day, this is a must read!
First of all the experience of reading this book is pretty fun. Besides it being a manageable size, the illustrations are colorful and the diagrams easy to understand. The author, Karen Haller, is a lead authority in the field of Applied Color Psychology and has spent years studying how color affects us and influences our behavior.
She explains how colors fit into 4 different seasons and how each of us feels more at home with certain colors that fall frequently in one of those seasons. She provides a short quiz to figure out which season you fit best with as well as other worksheets to help you figure out how to make your workspace more productive, your wardrobe more efficient, and your home more calming (if that’s what you are going for).
My favorite part of the book is all of the history behind how we perceive color and how it culturally plays into our lives. One example she gave was of how this one tribe in Africa can see several shades of green very distinctly whereas the rest of us barely can tell the difference in the shades. I’ve really enjoyed reading it because it gave me better insight into what I really like. I want to be able to make smarter purchases for my wardrobe, home design, and also be more precise in my branding so I don’t feel the need to keep switching things around constantly. It helped to settle in my mind that yes color does place a very important role in affecting our behavior. It is very connected to how we express ourselves, come alive, and experience grief and joy, productivity and reflection. Here are a couple of points about different colors:
Red affects us physically. It is the hardest color to see but it still stands out and catches our focus.
Yellow boosts your self esteem and is also a stimulating color like red. It relates to your emotions and nervous system.
Blue affects us mentally and helps to give clarity of thought and aid in logic.
I am actually finishing up this book review a few months after reading this book and now I want to read it again! Definitely one to keep as a reference!
