From Mali to Peru, from China to Norway, this book captures all the colours of the world - not the rich hues of nature, but those created and carefully used by human beings to brighten our lives. Hundreds of photographs are organized here into colour-coded chapters that revel in colour's all-pervasive influence, accompanied by a text that explores colour's symbolism and the emotions it generates.

How do colours become imbued with meaning? Why do some colours attract us while others repel? How have such phrases as `green with envy' or `the blues' arisen? This international quest takes us to some of the planet's most exotic and far-flung places, from a workshop on the outskirts of Kyoto to a bustling market in a small town in Peru and on to a cochineal farm in the middle of the Mexican desert.

Colourful World is a vibrant celebration of human creativity that will be a source of inspiration and delight for designers and artists everywhere.