In the first book in the Semaphores and Signs series, Floyd Merrell opens up the meanings behind signs, blending the fields of biology, anthropology, psychology, and psychiatry. Merrell begins by placing Charles S. Peirce's concept of the sign within the context of contemporary philosophy and scientific thought. He then delves into various disciplines to examine the means and methods by which we sense our physical world and how the resulting perceptions intersect with and correspond to our world of signs.

Drawing upon a variety of cultural phenomena and recent events that have preoccupied the media, Merrell shows how we become aware of and process signs through the entire range of our sensory channels. He also puts forth a broad cultural "logic" that gives direction to recent theories, empirical work, and "cultural studies."