So, I could knock off a star because the copy editing and proofing were sloppy (I believe this was also true of Houston's other book, Shady Characters). One of the three-star reviews, for instance, pointed out that Herodotus was referred to as a Roman historian. I had to look into this: the first two mentions correctly say he was Greek, the third that he was Roman. Sloppy. And ordinary typos pop up as well, the kind that are not caught by spellcheck: for instance, "that" when it should have been "than." Considering how poorly edited almost everything seems to be these days, these infractions were slight.
I didn't understand the few readers who found this book overwhelmingly detailed. The primary reason I'm giving it 5 stars is for readability. The story always takes precedence over the details. If anything, I found the text on the verge of becoming lightweight. To put a positive spin on it, he left room for further exploration. Though I've read other books on the history of books, paper, alphabets and typography, printing, book binding, pigments (a great companion to this would be Phillip Ball's history of pigments…Colored Earth, I think it's called), many of which go into greater detail than The Book, I found Houston's narrative to be one of the clearest and most informative of the bunch.
A curious aside: why does Houston never refer to quires as signatures? Throughout he explains both modern and archaic terms, often giving a history of them, all the current ones familiar. I really can't recall any work on bookbinding calling a collection of stitched pages a quire. It's always called a signature. In reference to older books he calls it a gathering, then calls them quires in modern books. Are signatures an American thing?
I would recommend The Book to anyone who sleeps better because they have overflowing shelves of books near their bed. A great read. Above all, he's telling a story. Fun, sometimes groaningly flippant, and informative.
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From the Publisher
Shady Characters
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The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time
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Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator
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Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji
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| Customer Reviews |
531
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| Price | $12.42 | $23.00 | $22.41 | $12.82 |
| Also by Keith Houston | A charming and indispensable tour of two thousand years of the written word, Shady Characters weaves a fascinating trail across the parallel histories of language and typography. | 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. | The hidden history of the pocket calculator. Empire of the Sum will appeal to math lovers, history buffs, and anyone seeking to understand our trajectory to the computer age. | NEW: A vibrant exploration of the world’s newest language—where it came from, how it works, and where it’s going. |
About the author
This is a book for book lovers!
I have a new favorite book. Not just because of the quality of the writing, which is amazing, but because of the extreme amount of love and care and skill that went into the book’s construction: from the little details in the typesetting, to the design and layout, to the choice and quality of the paper, to the physical crafting of the book. This is a love letter to books and the craft of bookmaking.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2020Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I have a new favorite book. Not just because of the quality of the writing, which is amazing, but because of the extreme amount of love and care and skill that went into the book’s construction: from the little details in the typesetting, to the design and layout, to the choice and quality of the paper, to the physical crafting of the book. This is a love letter to books and the craft of bookmaking.
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Top reviews from other countries
- JmhReviewed in Canada on June 20, 2018
Great read AND great book object
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase - J. GomesReviewed in Germany on February 26, 2017
The Book- A perfect explanation of the history of the Book
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase - Valerio PastoreReviewed in Italy on December 23, 2024
Messy editing, not updated
Format: KindleVerified Purchase -
vera machadoReviewed in Spain on December 4, 2017
Amazing historical work and really beautiful book.
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase - Silk RoadReviewed in India on January 1, 2025
The art of book design and printing
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
