[tommikaikkonen]

You can't not communicate with a typeface - they always have a certain feel, which is why there's a whole lot of them. Typefaces also have characteristics that make them more suitable for certain situations. For example, Georgia is designed for the screen with a tall x-height but Garamond looks better in print with its small x-height. Then there's condensed fonts, small caps.. It's certainly hard for a non-designer to catch all the visual differences but I believe they are sensed subconsciously by all.

[ghaff]

I agree with everything you say. That said, it's also true that there are an awful lot of fonts out there but a relatively small number are used for most day to day screen and print use. I know that when I have a project such as a book, I tend to end up spending a bunch of time fussing around--and, at the end of the day, I usually go back to some variant of the standby fonts I routinely use.