The Book: The Life Story of a Technology

I came across THE BOOK while looking for a new text for my History of Publishing course, and after reading it adopted it and revamped the course. Nicole Howard has done an excellent done of telling the story of the book—its origins, economics, labor history and technological development. We learn about papyrus and parchment and paper; the invention of movable type, including the lawsuits between Gutenberg and his business partners (he lost) and the role of the alphabet in printing; the development of books sizes, topics, and print runs; paratext and illustration; book banning and copyright; industrialization and computerization; and the reaction of the labor force to change. As a reader, I wish the book had been longer, but as a teacher it’s just right. Well organized, clearly explained and replete with illustrations, yet with plenty of room for students to find topics for further research.

The book wove together information I had from other sources such as the role of the Irish scribes. I am an avid reader and enjoyed the explaination of the printing process and the rise of the paperback novel. I have recommended this book to archivists and antiquarian scholars.

A good introduction to the subject; one reviewer called it "serviceable" and I would agree. It tells you all you need to know in clear prose -- great for an undergraduate, perhaps too linear for graduate students.

Good historical record of book development. Was relatively dry, and I could have used more illustrations especially about fonts.

Great information but very dry.

I purchsed this book for a class I was taking. I found the book to be delightfully informative without being boring or overly flowery. If you are interested in the history of the book, pick this up. You will not be disappointed.

Could not get into it

The book is very boring although it provides much publishing history. This was a required book for a publishing class but I did not get passed the first chapter.