The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time by Keith Houston | 2016 | W.W. Norton & Co. | Hardcover $29.95
We may love books, but do we know what lies behind them? In The Book, Keith Houston reveals that the paper, ink, thread, glue, and board from which a book is made tell as rich a story as the words on its pages — of civilizations, empires, human ingenuity, and madness. In an invitingly tactile history of this 2,000-year-old medium, Houston follows the development of writing, printing, the art of illustrations, and binding to show how we have moved from cuneiform tablets and papyrus scrolls to the hardcovers and paperbacks of today.
Disclosure statement: I received a digital ARC of this title from the publisher.
I haven’t been reading a whole lot lately, but at least when I actually DID read, it happened to be a fantastic book-about-books!
The whole time I was reading it I kept thinking, “I need this book IN MY HANDS.” Now, don’t get me wrong, the e-book format is perfectly nice, but we’re talking about a book that covers everything from papermaking to binding to mass printing… so, if you’re at all a fan of the physical object we know as the book, you’ll probably enjoy reading this in its classic format.
The typography of this book in particular is quite lovely — and it includes many full color illustrations and photos, which is a huge plus in my book. (Ha.)
I’m convinced that this book would make the perfect gift for any bookish person on the planet. I know it’s on my wishlist, and I can think of at least one person who’ll probably be getting a copy from me as well.
Links:
- Keith Houston’s official website/blog
- Kirkus review
- Wall Street Journal review
- BBC Culture article by Houston
Publication information: Houston, Keith. he Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2016. EPUB.
Source: ARC provided by Publisher.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.