Kory Stamper, True Color. Alfred A. Knopf. 2026. ISBN: 978-1-5247-3303-2. $32.00.
Color is hard to define, both in the general sense and when specifying individual colors. Spare a thought for the lexicographers, editors, and subject matter experts in charge of updating color definitions for Webster's Third New International Dictionary. This unabridged monster was finally published in 1961, two years late and a million dollars over budget when a million dollars was still a million dollars.
Kory Stamper, a lexicographer who worked for Merriam-Webster for many years, weaves a compelling narrative of how editors of the Third wanted to bring its color definitions and definitional framework into the scientific age. They recruited I.H. Goodlove, a respected expert, to build out the framework and define individual colors within that new scheme. Experts are in constant demand and some have a hard time saying no to requests for their time, so everyone who has ever had a manage a project (especially one that involves producing a book) knows how this story goes.
Beyond the obvious concerns, though, Goodlove's eccentricities pushed the editors to their limit. Insisting on a specific color framework used by industrial colorists but not formalized as a standard, delivering definitions late or not at all, and extended absences due to health concerns all factor into this fascinating tale.
As the author of more than 40 books, I can attest that on some projects it seems like the book will never make it to the finish line and it would be better to accept that you have wasted tons of effort and quit throwing good money, time, blood, sweat, and tears after bad. Despite those temptations, the Third came out, albeit significantly late, and the tale of the struggle to get those bookplates to the printer with the color section included makes for riveting reading. And what happened after with the color definitions for a subsequent American Heritage Dictionary release offers valuable context for both the Third and how color work was performed and perceived in industry and society.