Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji
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 pictogram, Face with Tears of Joy tells the whole story of emoji for the first time.

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Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji
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 pictogram, Face with Tears of Joy tells the whole story of emoji for the first time.

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Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji

Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji

by Keith Houston
Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji

Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji

by Keith Houston

Overview

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 pictogram, Face with Tears of Joy tells the whole story of emoji for the first time.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781324075141
Publisher: Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date: 07/01/2025
Pages: 288
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Keith Houston is the author of Face with Tears of Joy, Empire of the Sum, Shady Characters, and The Book. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and on Mental Floss, BBC Culture, and Literary Hub. He lives in Linlithgow, Scotland.
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