“The study of Mesoamerican pictorial documents has made considerable strides forward since the mid-1970s,” aptly notes Michel Oudijk (340) in this new volume. Indeed, the book examines a variety of innovative theories and methodologies regarding the graphic communication systems of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, all of which address a central question: How did the graphic communication systems of indigenous Americans work? Further, the volume rightly challenges readers to leave behind notions regarding the nature of writing as they delve into the essays.

Section 1 addresses the theoretical nature of semasiography. Wright-Carr tackles the controversy surrounding Mexican codices, arguing that they are essentially semasiographic (not iconographic) systems: that is, expressed ideas in the codices could be verbalized in a variety of indigenous languages (that is, plurilingual), as well as interpreted as linguistic signs in a specific language. Mikulska also examines this concept of semasiography in Central Mexican divinatory codices, arguing that they are translinguistic: that is, their signs, pictures, or icons are a form of storage and communication and are mnemonic and recording devices, instead of representing textual concepts such as words, sounds, or speech.

Section 2 examines metaphor and orality in indigenous communication systems. Dehouve proposes a way to decipher Aztec ceremonial images according to a metonymic series of oral, material, and theatrical elements. Baena Ramírez offers an interpretation of sacrificial acts in the Codex Borgia (a divinatory manuscript possibly from the Puebla-Tlaxcala region) according to bodily postures and elements expressed therein. Vauzelle analyzes the metaphorical concepts related to Aztec clothing, detailed in a variety of codices and sculptures, such as the often used glyph for water: ☉ (atl in Nahuatl). Offner addresses the underlying sociopolitical and cultural knowledge (political, legal, genealogical, calendrical, and so on) that is represented in the semasiographic content in Mesoamerican codices. Szoblik provides an in-depth analysis of the Codex Xolotl, searching for traces of Nahua orality and performativity, and arguing that indigenous codices were not meant for silent reading or contemplation, but for oral–possibly even dramatic—performances.

Section 3 contains essays related to pre-Hispanic indigenous cultures outside of the codices of the previous sections. Clados provides case studies of the iconographic data in the Andean-region tocapus, expressed on textiles, ceramics, and tools, documenting evidence of common framed motif units throughout, such as rows of camelids. Iwaniszewski examines communicative motifs of petroglyphs—an “embryonic” form of writing—found at two sites in Mexico, arguing that they show both economic (resource management) and cultural information (storytelling and clan names). Woloszyn examines the Moche iconography found on ceramic artifacts in northwestern Peru, arguing it represented status and social roles, including ritualistic narratives such as dancing and hunting.

Section 4 delves into linguistic analyses of Mesoamerican codices. Whittaker provides a detailed theoretical and practical analysis of the interplay between phonetic and logographic elements in the Florentine Codex. Similarly, Batalla and Ruz demonstrate the interplay between phonetic and logographic elements (logosyllabic writing) in the colonial-era tributary book known as the Codex Valeriano, providing a list of Mexican colonial-era names and how they were represented. Oudijk offers a critical analysis of previous scholars’ interpretations of Mesoamerican codices, arguing that newer and stricter models are needed for future analyses of indigenous graphic systems.

Overall, the volume does an excellent job in addressing its central question. Its level of scholarship, analyses, and collaboration is the book's obvious strength. However, the nature of this scholarship can prove rather challenging to non-specialists. In this vein, the book would have profited from a few additions: overviews of pre-Hispanic indigenous cultures and the graphic systems addressed in the volume, a glossary, and perhaps maps. Given the complexities of American indigenous cultures, such introductory and explanatory materials would have supplemented the high caliber of scholarship in this volume, making it more accessible to a general readership, and particularly to readership in Latin American Studies.