Where and why did the desire for cataloging and systematization appear in world culture? Is there a connection between medieval bestiaries, Bosch paintings and Andy Warhol's compositions? Find answers in the new book by Umberto Eco. In his book, Umberto Eco talks about the desire of Western culture to systematize, build ranks, and compile lists. It can be a host of saints, ranks of soldiers, catalogs of outlandish creatures or medicinal herbs, lists of treasures, or the defile of the twentieth century from the music hall to the catwalks of high fashion. Culture, convinced of its own strength and significance, prefers complete, stable forms, if it has to face the chaos of disparate phenomena and try to find a common criterion for them, it begins to compile lists of events, facts, symbols, ornaments and signs. It is the desire of world culture for order that is the subject of research by Umberto Eco, the brilliant writer and thinker of our time. As in the books “The Story of Beauty” and “The Story of Ugliness”, which instantly became world bestsellers, the story of Eco himself is complemented by a literary anthology and extensive illustrative material that confirm and develop the author’s thought.