The Book

“A lovingly designed and illustrated deep history of the book.” – John Williams - The New York Times “Mr. Houston savors evocative detail… As befits its subject, The Book is pleasingly designed—with an offbeat self-consciousness about its sturdy appearance—and Mr. Houston’s unapologetic nerdiness is matched by a jaunty style… Mr. Houston is an eager, affable guide, and his detailed history is a welcome reminder that this ‘unrepentantly analog contraption’ is one of the truly great pieces of technology.” – Henry Hitchings - The Wall Street Journal “Keith Houston’s deft history of the object wraps civilizations into the telling, propelling us through the evolution of writing, printing, binding and illustrations with gusto.” – Nature “This witty and mischievous tome traces the evolution from papyrus to paperback in 448 pages. It’s an optimistic ode to one of mankind’s greatest inventions, which continues to thrive even against the onslaught of e-readers.” – The Monocle Minute

Keith Houston is the author of Face with Tears of Joy, Empire of the Sum, Shady Characters, and The Book. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Mental Floss, and on BBC Culture and Literary Hub. He lives in Linlithgow, Scotland.