Order History
Premium Membership & Rewards
Help Center / FAQ
Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji
Paperback
$19.99
Premium Members save an extra 10% and all Members collect stamps to save with Rewards. 10 stamps = $5.Learn More
Select a store to view item availability.
Notes From Your Bookseller
They're as clear as words — clearer even — but where did they come from, and how did they get here? Keith Houston's comprehensive exploration of the evolution of the emoji is a riveting read.
A vibrant exploration of the world’s newest language—where it came from, how it works, and where it’s going.
We are surrounded by emoji. They appear in politics, movies, drug deals, our sex lives, and more. But emoji’s impact has never been explored in full. In this rollicking tech and pop culture history, Keith Houston follows emoji from its birth in 1990s Japan, traces its Western explosion in the 2000s, and considers emoji’s ever-expanding lexicon. Named for the world’s most popular picto...
You May Also Like
From the B&N Reads Blog
The Best Paperbacks of July 2025
What’s more satisfying than a brand-new paperback ready to be cracked open? Our list of July paperback releases is impossible to resist. From twisty thrillers and lush romantasies to historical treasure troves and deeply moving journeys, find all the best reads all in one place. Stock up fun books to pack for your summer break, […]
Read More
A Changing of the Guard: A Guest Post by Keith Houston
They’re as clear as words — clearer even — but where did they come from, and how did they get here? Keith Houston’s comprehensive exploration of the evolution of the emoji is a riveting read. Read on for an exclusive essay from Keith Houston on writing Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of […]
Read More