---
product_id: 1355860
title: "Helvetica and the New York City Subway System: The True (Maybe) Story (Mit Press)"
brand: "paul shaw"
price: "KSh19164"
currency: KES
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.co.ke/products/1355860-helvetica-and-the-new-york-city-subway-system-the-true
store_origin: KE
region: Kenya
---

# Helvetica and the New York City Subway System: The True (Maybe) Story (Mit Press)

**Brand:** paul shaw
**Price:** KSh19164
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Helvetica and the New York City Subway System: The True (Maybe) Story (Mit Press) by paul shaw
- **How much does it cost?** KSh19164 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.ke](https://www.desertcart.co.ke/products/1355860-helvetica-and-the-new-york-city-subway-system-the-true)

## Best For

- paul shaw enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted paul shaw brand quality
- Free international shipping included
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- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Helvetica and the New York City Subway System: The True (Maybe) Story (Mit Press)

## Images

![Helvetica and the New York City Subway System: The True (Maybe) Story (Mit Press) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41jmMl-rY1L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Real-World Duels with the Client Bureaucracy
  

*by D***M on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 27, 2011*

Most often, books on design, present a lovely completed vision of the final product with all their flaws Photoshopped away like a centerfold image. Those of us who have tilted at windmills know the real story behind working with the quagmire of complex institutions.Paul Shaw has forsaken the "healing tool" in favor of a look at the design process, blemishes and all. He shows us battles lost as well as won. The New York Subway system did not begin life as a well orchestrated plan that was delivered as composed with a single downbeat. There were numerous conflagrations among the many involved factions from planners, designers, local governments, businesses, and unions. What we see today on a subway platform in NYC is a semi-pealed onion revealing layers of history.Paul makes a fine story of the toils and shows images from all facets of the century-long project still in progress. He jokingly adds "maybe" after True Story in the subtitle but we all know such a story could not be invented. The book is a combination lesson in history, sociology, commerce, and 100 year turf-wars, the stuff real design projects are made of.My only small quibble with the book is that the layout can be a bit confusing to follow sometimes.  This may be because there are so many intriguing illustrations and footnotes that you forget where you were reading. This is hardly a problem though, rereading is a pleasant task and you find things you never knew were there--kind of like repeated trips on the New York subway.By all means, take it for a ride or two.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A Sign of the Times?
  

*by K***E on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 2, 2012*

This book may easily fall into the category of "everything and more than you ever wanted to know" about the use of typeface or letter styles in the New York City Subway system.  On the one hand, it is easy to dismiss this as simply a study of the evolution of a specific font.  However, when considered in the overall context of the evolution of the subways of New York City into the current Metro system, it is clear that just like the MTA, what we see today in the signage is a fascinating history of designed plans, some political muscle and a good bit of coincidence.In a similar vein to those who study the rolling stock or expansion of the route of the NYC Subway over the years, a variety of people may find this book intriguing.  People with interests in architecture, graphic design, marketing, history and/or the subway system itself should enjoy this book.  It may get tedious partway through, since it tends to get bogged down in minute details.  So, trust your instincts about your level of interest.  As much as I love the NYC Subways, I would not buy an in-depth study of train engines and propulsion systems, since that's just not my thing.  However, if signage as artwork IS your thing, you ought to get this book!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Enjoyable for fans of the NYC Subway or fonts
  

*by J***B on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 16, 2019*

I saw the Helvetica documentary quite some time ago and I started to be enlightened how often this font is used out there in the world.  I would say ever since I started using Word on my computer in my early teenage years I started to love using fonts.  As I grew up and stopped using silly whimsical fonts and started to get serious with better fonts than Times New Roman, Helvetica really become one of my favourite fonts.And being a fan of the NYC Subway system, and seeing its usage with its history made for a very enjoyable book.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Helvetica and the New York City Subway System: The True (Maybe) Story (The MIT Press)
- SUBWAY: THE CURIOSITIES, SECRETS, AND UNOFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT SYSTEM
- TRANSIT MAPS OF THE WORLD

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*Product available on Desertcart Kenya*
*Store origin: KE*
*Last updated: 2026-03-19*