Book covers generally set the tone for a book, so they each must be designed carefully as to attract the reader’s attention. The cover of the book Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner not only visually appeals to the reader but also comments on the book’s contents. The book cover displays an apple that has been sliced, however, the inside of the apple is an orange. The illustration comments on the idiom “apples and oranges” which in turn states that two objects or ideas cannot be genuinely compared to one another; two ideas that are considered incomparable.
This superimposition of two different things by way of image-on-image directly comments on the contents of the book as Levitt and Dubner strive to create connections between two different subjects that individuals would not normally compare to one another, such as cheating teachers and sumo wrestlers, or crime and abortion. The book cover also says “a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything,” which is ironic as Dubner and Levitt leave out certain aspects of their argument in order to persuade the reader with more ease.
The text can be described as a synecdoche as the small sentence stands for the entirety of the book, as ironic and that may be. Together, the picture and the text help to comment on subtance of the book while also keeping the reader’s absolute attention. The cover of Freakonomics successfully pulls in the reader and depicts the book’s subject matter with just a picture and simple phrase.
The Essay on Book Cover Analysis on the Pinocchio Effect
Upon going through the vast artwork, one particular piece grabbed my attention. It was of a line up composed of men in boxer shorts in different colors. The overall look of the work gave it almost a vintage feeling because of the way the figures were drawn. It gave a sort of “pin-up” feel. Although composed of men, you can not help but be transported through time just by the visual aspect. The ...
