Newsweek just posted a small gallery of images from Written on the City, a new HOW book exploring message graffiti around the world. The colorful images capture street type at its most raw and inspiring.

It makes city governments cringe. But graffiti can be provocative, inspiring and poetic—sometimes even a tool for public discourse. That's what San Francisco designers Axel Albin and Josh Kamler say in their new book, "Written on the City." They've compiled their favorite "message graffiti" from cities around the globe—the musings, rants, political statements and cultural observations of artists who risk jail to have their voices heard.

See more graffiti here.

Posted by Megan