Sex! Conflict! International standards bodies! The story of emoji is far more interesting than it has any right to be. Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji explores where the world’s newest language came from, how it works, and where it is going. It will not help you master emoji — only a tween could do that, and they will be too busy texting — but it will provide an indispensable guide to the most vibrant part of modern language.
Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji is available for pre-order, to be published in July 2025 by W. W. Norton.
- In paperback
- Pre-order the paperback in the USA from Norton, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson, Powell’s, or Walmart.
In the rest of the world, order from Amazon.co.uk, Bookshop.org or Waterstones.
- E-book
- Pre-order the e-book for your Nook at Barnes & Noble; for your Kobo at Kobo.com; for your iPhone or iPad at Apple Books; or for your Kindle at Amazon (USA) or Amazon (UK).
Praise for Face with Tears of Joy:
Houston chronicles the rise of the emoji in this fun romp through the evolution of digital language…equal parts informative and delightful.
An excellent read for those interested in history, technology, and the global scale of digital communication…Houston writes with humor and an easy-going tone, plus a pace that is smooth and seems effortless, keeping readers engaged.
A pleasurable and well-researched journey into pop iconography…Houston knows that any language whose mascot is a smiling poop pile can be treated only so seriously, so the text is charmingly filled with emoji as illustrations and within sentences, making it both a product of a new way of communicating as well as a study of it.