Jackets Required: A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity

By Fwis -- Publishers Weekly, 10/7/2008 12:00:00 PM

This is the latest installment in a weekly column by Fwis, a graphic design group that blogs on book jacket design. The Fwis designers judge a recent book by its cover each week on PublishersWeekly.com. 

Title: A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity
Designer: Rex Bonomelli
Author: Bill O’Reilly
Publisher: Broadway

Bill O’Reilly: bashful, bible-toting school boy? This self-proclaimed traditionalist is known for his ultra-conservative talk show (the inspiration for Steven Colbert’s conservative satire, The Colbert Report). But this memoir covers his lesser known journey from working-class kid to what he is today.

The cover features a photo of lil’ Billy at his first communion. With all the images O’Reilly’s name evokes, this is probably the most unexpected. It hints at a very private and personal account of someone who has lived a very public life.

This is one of those cases where the title carries as much weight as the design. “A Fresh Bold Piece of Humanity” contrasts beautifully with the reverent image, hinting that this is more than your standard biography. Unlike the quiet image, the title is set in bold type and bold colors. It invokes the rhetorical style of this political and social commentator: loud, colorful and in your face.

Whether you are an O’Reilly fan or not, all the pieces come together on this cover to intrigue even the most non-traditional reader.