100 Symbols That Changed the World

100 Symbols That Changed The World looks at the genesis and adoption of the world¿s most recognizable symbols.Universal symbols have been used as a form of communication from the Bronze Age, when the dynasties of ancient Egypt began the evolution of the thousand characters used in Egyptian hieroglyphics. In pre-Columbian America the Mayan civilization set out on a similar course, using pictures as a narrative text.With the adoption of written languages, symbols have come to represent an illustrated shorthand. The dollar sign in America evolved from colonists¿ trade with the Spanish, and the widespread acceptance of Spanish currency in deals. Merchants¿ clerks would shorten the repeated entry of ¿pesos¿ in their accounts ledgers, which needed to be written with a ¿p¿ and an ¿s¿. A single letter ¿s¿ with the vertical stroke of the ¿p¿ was much quicker. Historically correct dollar signs have a single stroke through the ¿S¿.Symbols are also used to impart quick, recognizable safety advice.