The Book
The Book by Keith Houston, published by National Geographic Books on August 23, 2016, is an illustrated exploration of the history of books, spanning 400 pages. This edition delves into the materials and processes that have shaped the book as a medium, revealing the intricate stories behind paper, ink, thread, glue, and board. Houston examines the evolution of writing and printing, tracing the journey from ancient cuneiform tablets and papyrus scrolls to modern hardcovers and paperbacks.
Readers will discover a tactile history that intertwines human ingenuity with the development of illustrations and binding techniques. The Book presents a rich narrative that highlights the significance of this 2,000-year-old medium, making it a valuable resource for those interested in the history of literature and communication. With its lush, full-color illustrations, this work offers insights into how books have influenced civilizations and empires throughout time.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Everybody who has ever read a book will benefit from the way Keith Houston explores the most powerful object of our time. And everybody who has read it will agree that reports of the book’s death have been greatly exaggerated.”—Erik Spiekermann, typographer
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. Sure to delight book lovers of all stripes with its lush, full-color illustrations, The Book gives us the momentous and surprising history behind humanity’s most important—and universal—information technology.
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