Paper: Paging Through History

by Mark Kurlansky

From the New York Times best-selling author of Cod and Salt, a definitive history of paper and the astonishing ways it has shaped today’s world.

Paper is one of the simplest and most essential pieces of human technology. For the past two millennia, the ability to produce it in ever more efficient ways has supported the proliferation of literacy, media, religion, education, commerce, and art; it has formed the foundation of civilizations, promoting revolutions and restoring stability. By tracing paper’s evolution from antiquity to the present, with an emphasis on the contributions made in Asia and the Middle East, Mark Kurlansky challenges common assumptions about technology’s influence, affirming that paper is here to stay. Paper will be the commodity history that guides us forward in the twenty-first century and illuminates our times.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Microhistory, Audiobook, Science, Books About Books, Technology

520 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 2016

About the author

Mark Kurlansky is an American journalist and author who has written a number of books of fiction and nonfiction. His 1997 book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (1997), was an international bestseller and was translated into more than fifteen languages. His book Nonviolence: Twenty-five Lessons From the History of a Dangerous Idea (2006) was the nonfiction winner of the 2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review I learned a great deal about paper, it's original use as just for wrapping (China) and it's development concurrent with a society's needs for writing things down. Societies that didn't need to write things down, didn't develop writing and had no need for paper, except perhaps for wrapping.

The great development in paper-making was being able to make paper from bark. Paper-making from rags, old clothes, is a long and tedious process, so it is with bark as well, but not so long and it is cheaper too. But nonetheless the best paper is still linen paper made not from linen but rags.

I had thought that paper might be on the decrease what with electronic books and computers etc but not a bit of it, we use more paper now than ever before. But we have gone back to its original use! Now we don't use it so much for writing things down but for wrapping. Every item you order from Amazon or elsewhere comes wrapped in paper or cardboard or both. This is a very good thing.

Industrial forests for trees that are grown for paper do not allow any other development within them. They might allow hunting on some days of the year, rarely overnight camping and never cabins. This gives the wildlife a place of safety, a place by and large undisturbed. Logging here and there it is true, but replanting too. If our reliance on paper ever diminished so much that these vast forests weren't needed, the owners would turn them into something else money-making. Maybe housing, maybe theme parks, maybe factories, but none of them cleaning the air and giving animals lonely places to live and thrive in.

It was a good book, well-researched and easy to read. That's a 5* star.
__________

Reading notes Spicy bit first. The Aldine Press's first book in 1494 was a book of Latin grammar. In 1499 he printed "Hypnerotomachia which was an erotic romance, "not at all shocking at the time, pornography was a popular genre in the emerging printing trade. The book was illustrated with 168 woodcuts, many of them erotic." It was, as you can imagine, a lot more popular than the Latin grammar. So basically, the first bestsellers were Bibles and porn! Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Update about religion and books (quite funny) "Printing was born out of the needs of the Buddhist religion. A devout Jew reads his religious books over and over again. When antique Jewish books are found, they are usually nearly worn out. Christian books have been preserved in excellent condition because only a few people read them. A devout Muslim memorizes the entire Qu'ran. But the devout Buddhist earns a blessing by copying down a prayer." Reproducing whole texts was also a devout act, so the need for paper and then printing.
__________

Do you know what parchment is? I always thought it was a refined version of paper, but no, it's made from baby lambs etc. which if you aren't a vegetarian is perhaps a good use for the skin. But worse, even if you aren't a vegetarian is to learn how the very finest parchment was made,

The people of Pergamum learned how to soak animal hide in lime for ten days, scrape it, and dry it. The hides of young animals - kid, lamb, and young gazelle were used, though the est material was that made from the skin of fetal animals.

Reading that made me feel sick. Literally tearing the unborn baby from it's mother's womb, probably killing the mother in the process, just to make something to write on. Very fine parchment made from calfskin is known as vellum.

The author talks of Phoenician, the first language (of record) in the Middle East, and the mother language of Hebrew, Arabic, Greek and Latin. Hebrew, with its alephbet (the first two letters are aleph and bet, A and B) was very easy to write, simple characters and, as with Arabic is not written with vowels (it can be).

Almost any language could be transcribed into Hebrew - the first alphabet with that degree of versatility. Jews wrote local languages in Hebrew wherever they went.

In Spain it is called Ladino, in North Africa, their Arabic was called Judeo-Arabic, then there is Yiddish and Judeo-Persian. The alphabet was so versatile that all sounds could be correctly reproduced with the written letters.

I have tried a few Kurlansky books, Salt: A World History which I really didn't like, and a few others that never made it to the 50 page dnf limit, but this is wonderful, I'm really enjoying it and learning a lot. He condenses world history to its basics and why there was a need for paper, what the precursors were and how it was made (complex).

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book on the history of paper. I especially enjoyed the discussion on technology, and how it’s a common myth that “technology changes society.” Instead, Kurlansky argues that society is what changes, and technology is developed to meet the new needs of the people.

Besides the interesting look at the various ways that different cultures throughout history have created unique ways of creating paper and recording documents, this book also includes details on the history of writing and printing, which I really enjoyed.

This was my first Kurlansky book, but I liked this one so much that I plan on reading more of his works. Highly recommended.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those who have been following my reviews of late will know that I have been drawn to Mark Kurlansky’s work on the history of certain edible items. In these pieces, the author depicts the evolution and exponential uses for the products throughout the centuries. Here, with the history of paper before me, some may feel that things will take a significant turn towards the mundane. Just how interesting can paper be and how can someone extol its virtues for hundreds of pages? I, too, was somewhat a skeptic, but also highly curious to see if it could be done in an entertaining and educational manner. Kurlansky posits early in the book that it it not paper, per se, that is examined here, but the evolution of human’s communication utilising paper as its conduit. Still not sold? Well, Kurlansky explores some of the early forms of written communication—from the development of ancient Chinese through intricate and interconnected symbols through the development of the Roman alphabet—and how such thoughts were placed on objects for long-term reference. Moses and those Ten Commandments were only a primitive means by which of moving from oral tradition to the document form that allowed many to view and potentially understand what had been said. Stone, clay, bark, and even animal skin seemed to be the early forms of documentation material, but paper was also being used to adequately hold words or symbols for longer periods of time. Kurlansky explores varieties of paper and their acidic levels, which also played a key role in durability, both in the short term and throughout history, as well as the varied types of plant life that could be used to create paper. From there, it was the evolution of documentation that fills the biography’s pages. Handwritten accounts served for a time, but when Gutenberg and others were able to create or hone printing presses, mass communication became possible. Interestingly enough, Kurlansky argues that history takes not the inventor of a concept but he/she who is able to find the best way to apply it to society and deifies them. That intellect has helped label concepts throughout history, pushing false praise on a number of people. As paper was less costly and easier to mass produce, it was also highly effective in the art world. No longer did an artist need to worry about waste, as they could sketch out an idea or a concept before putting it to canvass. Paper also ushered in the era of drawing and rough drafts, which proved highly useful for the likes of Michelangelo. Kurlanaky also explores some of the details around paper’s use as a political weapn, helping to fuel many a revolution through political tracts and pamphlets. There is extensive discussion of the American and French Revolutions, spread to the masses by the printed material made available. During the latter portion of the book, Kurlansky explores the economic ramification of paper making around the world, particularly paper mills and the environmental impact. The reader can see the financial side of paper and how something as simple as a sheet used for writing can be such a lucrative industry, particularly for some Asian countries, who have taken on the recycling process and redistribution of paper back into the market. For a topic that may seem rather drab, Kurlansky creates quite an interest biography that weaves the history of paper through the ages, permitting the reader to learn a little more about the building blocks of their favourtite book. Unless we’re talking about e-books, but that’s for another discussion. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in biographies, particularly of a unique nature.

As with many of his past biographies, Kurlansky is able to pull the reader in from the beginning, laying the groundwork for what is to be an interesting piece of writing. At no time do things go ‘flat’ or lose their lustre, for Kurlansky has been able to distill all the information gathered and present it in a masterful manner, with just enough intrigue to keep the reader wanting to know more. Some may say that paper cannot be exciting, no matter how delightful the narrative, but I would disagree. Kurlansky takes hold of this topic and provides the reader with much to ponder. His ongoing theme that paper is not only so versatile but has come into its own through a variety of cultural and historical evolutions rings true. The reader is able to explore paper (and its predecessors) around the world and see how each region of the world added its own spin. Technology proved to be highly influenced by paper, something that Kurlansky also argues effectively. As the reader will notice, it was paper that brought about much of the advancements in printing and communication technology. Revolutions depended not only on overthrowing governments and monarchies, but on having the paper to rile up the masses. I had never thought of things from this perspective, but Kurlansky has a tendency of opening my mind and leaving me in awe. With jam-packed chapters that offer historical and cultural perspectives, the reader is able to see paper advancements from around the world, and the eventual connection of all these cultures into modern paper making and forms of technology that rely on this somewhat simple and forgotten cog in the larger wheel. Kurlansky breathes life into a topic that might not otherwise be of much interest, but does so in such a way that the reader cannot help but care. With easy to understand descriptions and a flowing narrative, Kurlansky shows yet again that he has a handle on the nuances of unique biographical tomes.

Kudos, Mr, Kurlansky, for another winner in my eyes. I have marvelled at all you have to say about these topics and this one was another winner for me. Keep up the excellent writing and I hope to find more of your biographies soon.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of Kurlansky's "microhistories" focusing on a specific topic. We do get a lot of information on the development of paper since ancient times. However, the focus struck me as adapting as communication changed, based on available technology; author does mention oral tradition as well.

Yes, the story did stray into the weeds a bit at times. I skimmed in places when I felt I had heard enough of that situation, wanting to move on, not because I felt the tone was particularly dry: early printing in the Renaissance era a case in point.

Recommended, with a note that this is not a "breezy" read! Small pieces, no hurry. Also, for ebook readers roughly the final 25% are notes, etc. so it's not that one has as daunting a task ahead as might appear.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had very high hopes for Paper, but Kurlansky's book never fulfilled them. The book could never make up its mind whether it was about the manufacturing of paper or what paper is used for. Kurlansky fashions himself an expert on the history of technology, but seems to sell Asia short.

This is the second book I've read on the history of paper. I read Ian Sansom's book on it in 2013. That wasn't all that interesting either. I think I'm officially retired from the history of paper reading department.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very into microhistories – books focused on a specific topic or single event – and Kurlansky is one of the best known authors of them, with his book Salt probably the best-known microhistory of them all. In this book, he takes on paper, which he defines very narrowly: "a very thin layer of randomly woven fibers", which excludes papyrus, parchment, vellum, and other materials that I'd thought were basically the same thing. Now I know better! And then of course there are all the paper-adjacent developments to cover: written language itself, numbers, printing, books, art (from watercolors to woodblocks to lithographs to photography), ink, newspapers, and even the American Revolution (after all, The Stamp Act was pretty important!). Kurlansky covers paper from prehistory through the Industrial Revolution right up to the modern day, where a trend for hand-made paper is pushing back against the last few centuries of machine-made.

Unfortunately I didn't think this book was quite as fun as the previous books by Kurlansky I've read. Still, it was interesting, and I particularly liked Kurlansky's repeated arguments against technological determinism – the idea that new technologies change society. Instead, as Kurlansky clearly shows, society changes first, and new technologies develop in response. At a time when people can't stop decrying the terrifying oncoming consequences of texting or email or facebook, it's nice to be reminded that people have been prophesying the exact same doom since the dawn of history.

I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurlansky often chooses a subject of worldwide significance and traces it though time to present a unique view of world history, whether it is milk, salt, cod, or in this case, paper. The history of papermaking is traced from its earliest origins in China through the Middle East and its appearance in Europe. The author gently castigates Luddites of the time who believed that paper was the end of everything good in the world and later paper makers who claimed that machine made paper was the end of everything good and civilized. He describes the materials used in handmade paper, the locations of mills, and alternatives to papermaking materials over time.

I am afraid I do not do the book justice in my description. It is a lot more fun to read than I have made out. If you like world history, this book gives you a great perspective through an innovative and common product.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Kurlansky’s Paper: Paging Through History is an ambitious and comprehensive book that identifies itself as a history of paper, but in fact, it also ranges widely into other topics like art, education, religion, literacy, and more, insofar as they are related to paper.

For Kurlansky, the broad scope of his topic is natural, because paper (along with its precursors) is central to human history and civilization. “[T]here is one uniquely human trait: people record. They record their deeds, their emotions, their thoughts, and their ideas ... they have an impulse to record almost everything that enters their minds and to save it for future generations. And it is that urge that led to the invention of paper.”

Kurlansky notes that there is a common fallacy that technology changes society. In fact, he says, society invents technology when it is needed. This has been true, he says, from the earliest times. For example, the invention of writing in ancient China was spurred by the proliferation of bureaucracy, not the other way around, and as writing advanced, better writing materials were needed. Kurlansky emphasizes this point repeatedly in his discussion of numerous other advances in paper-making and related technologies through the years.

I learned a lot from this book and, overall, I enjoyed it. But in some respects, I thought that its comprehensive scope was a weakness as well as a strength. In the end, I found that I had acquired many facts and bits of information, but that I might have lost a little bit of the forest in the multitude of trees. (I guess that’s a paper-related joke. Sorry.)

This is the second book by Mark Kurlansky that I’ve read. I loved 1968: The Year That Rocked the World, and although I didn’t enjoy Paper as much, I’m pretty sure that I will read more of Kurlansky’s work. When I look at his list of books, I’m impressed by his choice of subjects. Who would think to write a book about that, or that? But so many of those subjects intrigue me as things I’d like to learn more about, and as time permits, I will.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley.

Some may consider it ironic that one would read a book about paper on an eBook reader. And it would probably be better not to, as studies tend to indicate that reading from a paper book results in more retention of information. But nevertheless I shall endeavor to review this book: Paper: Paging Through History by Mark Kurlansky.

Kurlansky is probably best known for his books Salt and Cod, other sweeping histories of commodities, as well as books on such topics as the Basque people and the year 1968. He is a very skilled writer, and makes his topics interesting and amusing. Paper is no exception.

This is a book I would describe as a "grand history" of paper. Kurlansky examines paper as a technology, as a commodity, as a phenomenon, as an instrument for social forces to use, as a window into the lives of those involved with its development and production. But, with a wider view, he uses paper as a model to argue in opposition to technological determinism.

In the modern western world, technology has taken on a fetishistic quality. We view it not only as a means to an end, but also as the end itself. We assume that technology guides society: for instance, the rise of micro computing and the beginning of the digital age is often said to have changed society. What Kurlansky argues is that technology does not change society, but it merely is created to fill a want or a need within an already changing society; i.e.: cell phones and social networking didn't make us want to be connected to everyone 24/7, they merely filled the pre-existing want or need. Paper, Kurlansky argues, did not change societies which used it but rather was a tool for the already changing society to develop and use.

Chapter 1 of Paper begins the journey through time with a discussion of the origins of language, spoken and later written. Early writing materials were stone, clay, papyrus, wax tablets, parchment and vellum, fabrics...not paper. Paper, like many other things, originates in China. At some point in the late centuries before the Common Era, the Chinese developed paper. How it came to be is a mystery. Kurlansky then charts the movement of paper from China across the old world, through the Middle East, to Europe.

But paper didn't catch on in Europe, Kurlansky tells us, until an increased demand for books made it a desirable commodity. This is similar to the development of movable type printing, which Kurlansky also discusses. From the printing press, Kurlansky briefly transitions to the new world, where the Aztecs already possess a highly literate society with their own paper. After the conquest of the new world, we are treated to the Protestant Reformation, which furthered the importance of paper as a tool for mass media.

Through all this time, paper was made of rags: in many cases linen. It is back in the new world that wood paper really takes off in the 1860s. And that brings us to the modern day, where we've moved wood paper to a level of craftsmanship that rag paper had reached two hundred years ago. (Cellulose is cellulose, but wood pulp treatments were once highly acidic; which has doomed 150 years of books and records to inevitable self-destruction without chemical intervention.) And to the most modern use of paper as a medium for propaganda...and for prophesying doom over the emergence of digital communications. It might still be ironic to read this book on a digital device.

Paper is an outstanding book: Kurlansky is an engaging writer. There are issues I can point to: he might overestimate levels of literacy in medieval Europe, he has listed objects that this reviewer had never heard of...and which Google hasn't either, and he proclaims "rules" of technology which may or may not be valid. Given any errors or faulty pronouncements, the book is a good read and I would not hesitate to recommend it.

[Ram · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting history of the paper industry and many issues related to it like writing, painting, education, technology, printing and many others.

While I did enjoy the descriptions of the paper making , the hardships related to it, the shortages related to the raw materials that were used in the history, the effect of paper shortages on printing, and many other aspects of our life, I did have some issue with the technological claims that were presented in the book.

The main technological claim that is stated and repeated in the book is that

Technology arises from changes in society rather than being the cause of societal change.

This is practically presented as an axiom in the book strengthened by some sporadic anecdotal examples. I am not an expert in this subject at all, but I am knowledgeable enough to know that this type of claim needs to be proven. A brief search online shows that there are many counter opinions to this claim and my intuitive unlearned opinion is that the correct statement is that

Technology, in some cases arises from changes in society and in some cases is the cause of societal changes (and in most cases both arises from changes in society and changes the society)

Some interesting facts I learned from the book:

Until paper was made from wood, the main source of raw materials for paper was rags. This cause a demand and shortage of rags. One example was that after the Battle of Gettysburg, the dead soldiers were stripped of their clothes by rag collectors that sent them by cartloads to a paper mill in the vicinity.

Making new paper is so efficient that many companies make more energy than they need and sell the energy to utility companies

Recycling does help provide material for things like cardboard and packaging material, but it's not good for making more paper


This is the second book I have read of this author (the first is Salt: A World History ).
The concept of describing the history of the world using a specific commodity is nice, I enjoyed it more in the book about salt.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a real eye-opener. I didn't know that something as simple as paper could have such a long and fascinating history. The author traces the production of paper from ancient times to modern times. I was captivated by this book and a little disappointed it went so fast. Good books are like that, though. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books and just reading in general. A fantastic and quick read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read Mark Kurlansky's book on oysters (The Big Oyster) and learned more than I had ever realized about oysters and enjoyed it even though I never eat oysters. When I saw this book on paper I knew I would enjoy reading it as well because I do love paper -- love to use it, love to buy it and often talk myself out of acquiring even more of it! This book did not disappoint me although all of his books require you to make an investment of time because they are quite detailed. Kurlansky's premise is that the invention and use of paper was technology and as with all technology, people are often torn between embracing what is new and bemoaning the way things used to be (which meant oral traditions and the use of human memory over the aid of reading and writing). What he emphasizes throughout the book however is that technology does not drive change but human behavior drives the need for technologies to be invented. When people needed help in business dealings the invention of numbers and writing and means to record that writing drove the invention of the alphabet and numbers (both Roman and the more useful India/Arabic numerals). The author also emphasizes that new technologies do not obliterate older technologies. They often continue to exist side by side even if the newer one often seems to become more popular. As a librarian who is often asked if there will still be books now that e-books are becoming used more and more, I often say that hardback books were still around after paperbacks started being printed. It just offers a choice and that is a theme that is documented throughout this book. Although papyrus is not used any more parchment is still used for certain - usually important - documents and books. When machine paper making finally took off in the 19th century it did not mean that all hand made paper vanished. It just bumped up handmade paper to a different use, like parchment, for a customer with certain needs such as calligraphers and artists (and yes, the product becomes more expensive).
When Mark Kurlansky writes on a topic, he uses that topic to range far and wide over human history. In this book you get a history of literacy throughout the world as well as detailed descriptions of what being literate meant, how it was achieved and how paper was involved with it all. It makes you appreciate something we all take for granted.

[Holly Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great read, subtly conveying the ways paper is interwoven with history, both material and intellectual. In one particularly interesting section, Kurlansky traces the ways the American Revolution was bound up with the history of printing in the colonies.

I loved the author’s book, Salt, and this new work rivals its brilliance.

[Marks54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a genre of books that some have called commodity histories. These are focused histories of specific products (Cotton) or products (the screwdriver). I generally find these books fascinating and the trivia one gets from them is more than enough to show off to colleagues or stop conversations at parties in their tracks. It is sort of a guilty pleasure. II have a book on the history of the elevator waiting in my queue.

Mark Kurlansky is a free ranging journalist who is a master of the commodity biography. I first read his book on salt (the rock you can eat) and followed up with Cod, which I use as a justification to sampling fish and chips entrees whenever we go to England. His current book is a history of paper, and it does not disappoint. I would be very surprised if most readers failed to learn something from this book, which covers thousands of years of paper history all over the world. My favorite takeaway was learning about the role of rages in paper manufacture and why ragpickers were so commented upon in the 19th century. Kurlansky appears to have done his homework by showing the general processes by which paper has been made, the history of manufacture, and the modern consolidation and automation in the global paper business, coupled with the role of environmental concerns as a spur to industry consolidation, since big firms can meet environmental regulations while smaller individuals and shops cannot afford to comply.

The general criticism of a book like this is that there is not enough on the product itself to justify a book so it is necessary to link the product to broader historical developments and then fill out the book talking about those developments. There is certainly some of that here, for example in the discussion of paper and printing in the rise of the Reformation in Europe. I used to be sympathetic to such a complaint, but I am less so now, especially after reading Kurlansky. He makes the argument that the key story is on of technological change and that such a story inherently involves the product, the ways by which it is made, and the ways in which it is used (and eventually substituted for or replaced). While paper has developed for some purposes, its availability has provided more choices as people seek to solve their problems. This is not a matter of who invented paper or what events did paper produce. Rather, paper is part of the flow of inventions, problems, and solutions that happen over time in history. The innovation process is inherently endogenous. While that perspective does not lead to easy pat answers, it has here produced a satisfying book about paper.

Kurlansky also does a good job at describing how the industry has evolved since the industrial revolution. Given the long history of paper mills, one would expect that scale would be of huge importance in the industry - and it is. Given the widespread knowledge of manufacturing processes and the worldwide demand, it is also likely that scale alone will not necessarily guarantee success, unless the industry becomes fully consolidated. Moreover, it is clear that finding high margin niche paper products is also critical for success. Finally, the role of the government in responding to environmental concerns and working with producers has played a role in consolidating the industry and enabling the large firms to prosper while not engaging in open war on the environment.

This is an interesting and well done book, comparable with the other Kurlansky books I have read.

[Óscar Moreno (OscarBooker) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simplemente me encantó.

Cargada de una enorme cantidad de información que me sorprendió. Quiero descartar que uno de los grandes aciertos de este libro es que cubre una gran cantidad de civilizaciones que tuvieron un rol importante entorno al papel.

Súper recomendado.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a bibliophile. I love books and the ideas I find within their covers. I also love pretty stationary, fancy expensive paper, decorated notebooks, and calligraphy pens. I got a bit over-excited at Bled Castle in Slovenia when I got to help operate the renaissance era printing press (ok, it was probably a reproduction, but who cares). So of course I was all over this book by the author of Salt which I have also been affectionately ridiculed for reading and loving.

Paper: Paging Through History doesn't have the highest Goodreads rating, so I guess other people didn't find it as fascinating as I did. I'll agree there were a lot of details about paper-making methods (which I liked) and Asian paper art (which I was less interested in). Obviously a great deal of very focused research went into Kurlansky's micro-history.

The biggest ah-hah moment for me with this book came in the prologue. Kurlansky asserts that societal need drives technology, rather than the often argued viewpoint that new technologies change the world. Again and again his book showed this to be the case, at least in terms of paper-making and printing. I was also struck when he wrote about opponents to the proliferation of recorded language:

"For every new technology, there are detractors, those who see the new invention as destroying all that is good in the old. This happened when the written word started to replace the oral word, when paper began replacing parchment, when printing started to take work away from scribes -- and it is still happening today, with electronics threatening paper. In all these cases, the arguments against the new technology were similar: the functioning of the human brain was imperiled, we would lose the power of our memories, human contract would be diminished, and the warmth of human engagement would be lost."

Sound familiar? This book about a very old topic made me look at arguments against texting, against ebooks, and computer technology in general in a different way. As my mom always said, "Everything is a trade-off." Perhaps we do give up aspects of the old civilization when we embrace new ways. But the society in which we live will be based on those new ways, and the modes of the past will become less crucial than the new. Interesting stuff.

Thanks, Kurlansky! 4 stars.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

All of Kurlansky's books are informative and well written. This book, rightly so, spends most of the chapters oriented in the Far East discussing the origins of paper.

It is an odd topic for me to be interested in while we are in the midst of an AI revolution for which there is no need for paper.

If I have one small criticism of the book, I wish it had detailed the modern end to end engineering process for making paper complete with diagrams. I feel a little too much time was spent on paper art.

Anyway, you can't go wrong with Kurlansky as a writer whether he's providing a history on cod, salt or paper!

[Doubledf99.99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about the history and the influence that paper had on societies. From the early stages of paper making to the mills to make it readily available.

[֍ elle ֍ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What are you reading now?" my friend asked me as we were leaving the bar, both of us readers and both vaguely interested in the other's tastes. I knew I couldn't tell him "A history of paper," so I tried to sell it a bit. I tried banking on the author's previous successes: "It's called 'Paper' and it's by the same guy that wrote 'Cod' and 'Salt'." No sell, he wasn't impressed. He returned only a blank expression devoid of any recognition. I'd have to go in: "It's a history of paper and of general world history through paper as a focusing lens." My friend nodded as we approached our cars, hands in his pockets, as he then said "If there was a way to un-ask that question, I would."

I don't blame my friend - a history of paper is a hard sell. To use marketing jargon I generally dislike, it's "unsexy". How could anything as mundane as paper be interesting? How much is there even to say about paper?

As it turns out, a lot. The mundanity of paper is actually what leads to the book's versatility. It allows the author a chance to talk about art, language and linguistics, philosophy, history, economics, war, poetry, imperialism, and a whole host of other topics. The very fact that paper is so integrated into our lives has given the author tremendous scope and he takes full advantage of it. There's something here for everybody. Myself, I was particularly fond of the sections about the developments of different writing systems and then, later, the discussion surrounding such notable artists as Picasso and Matisse. Of course, the sections on the French and American Revolutions were also fascinating to me (despite pitting me against that most dreaded of subjects, economics).

But unfortunately, just because there is something here for everybody, doesn't mean that I think this is a book for everybody. The style was a little dry (though very direct and accessible), which means that it may drag for people that aren't as receptive to the material or as curious as I naturally am. (Also, a small organizational complaint: the author obviously dedicated himself entirely to this project. As a result, he also obviously came away with too much information from his research than he could organically incorporate into the book. There are parts with strange tangents and add-ons, asides that detract and distract from the passages into which they were fit. It's never bad enough to diminish the book, but it is noticeable).

Another complaint, typical of world histories, is that it moved much too fast. In a mere eighteen pages in the fourteenth chapter, the author crams in the French Revolution, the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, the invention of photography, the invention of the lithograph, the invention of the daguerreotype, the invention of the internal combustion engine, and the invention of the steam engine. Within the first five chapters, he's covered thousands and thousands of years. Of course, this isn't his fault, no world history can expect to not be fast if it hopes to cram everything into just over three hundred and thirty pages, but, again, it is noticeable.

As are the frequent, unsubtle callbacks to the book's main theme, what Kurlansky calls the "technological fallacy." I don't want to dwell too much on this, except that my own feelings are that it's a bit like reading someone who has taken a strong position on the chicken and the egg paradox. Ultimately, it feels a little unnecessary and irrelevant. It did nothing more than to remind me of when I make up a thesis for a paper that isn't really what I want to talk about, but does allow me to get at what it is that I actually want to talk about.

For all these nitpicks, I did greatly enjoy the book and was surprised by how many things I came away learning. I wouldn't call myself Kurlansky's most fervent fan on the basis of just this work, but I would not hesitate to say that I look forward to seeing what he does next if he continues in the vein of these microhistories and that I am pretty motivated to check out his previous works.

[bup · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like other reviewers have noted, this Paper book covers a lot of writing as well as paper itself, but more important, it just doesn't seem careful with its research, unlike Salt.

After reading that Islam in the Middle Ages conquered land as far east (sic) as the Iberian peninsula and as far west (sic) as modern day Pakistan, and reading that a Japanese plot in World War II to have paper balloons deliver bombs over the west coast in retaliation for the Doolittle raid, but that it had been researched for more than a decade and wasn't tried until two years after the Doolittle raid, and that alcohol isn't mentioned in the Q'uran because alcohol probably wasn't known in the early days of Islam, I thought this book wasn't edited well, and I couldn't trust much I did (maybe?) learn. I mean, east/west is a simple mistake, and maybe there's a way of parsing the whole paper balloons/bombs narrative that would allow for military research to have been done since the early 30's and it took two years after the Doolittle raid to get the effort into action, and the Doolittle raid was the thing that pushed this odd project from just military research to 'we're going to do this even if it takes two more years,' and maybe he meant heavily distilled, or nearly pure, alcohol wasn't known ca. 600 CE, because wine is all over the bible, so known to the old world, but would you trust all that?

And that, of course, is just the stuff I noticed without looking into it. When he talks about Civil War photography and the hope that it would remove the romance of war, replacing it with the real as-it-happened carnage, I remembered that this book covers the fact that a lot of dead soldiers were moved and posed to make the photos more dramatic (or, say, romantic); moreover, some 'corpses' weren't even dead. Enough to make Kurlansky's point null and void? Dunno. But I don't trust it by any means because of the other stuff.

I guess I learned a bunch, but I don't know what it is, because I don't know which things are right and which aren't.

Finally, he seems bent on an overarching premise that technology doesn't change society - he says it's the other way around. For instance, paper didn't change the world, the changing world required and therefore created paper. I don't know why he was so invested in it - and not just with paper, but with all technology, and made it such a black-and-white proposition, but it was irksome. There have been desires to fly since time immemorial. It didn't happen until it did, and then powered flight changed society. Instant communication through the ether had been conceived centuries before radio, but radio changed society, not the other way 'round.

[Porter Broyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book. I completed about 80% of it before I decided that there were other books I'd rather tackle. I picked this book up because I needed something to counter a very good, but challenging book on racism. I wanted a history that was light and entertaining... such as

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Kurlanky is a fun book on an off the wall subject. The coverage isn't too deep, but you keep thinking to yourself "OMG, this is a book about a fish and it's good!" Cod captivates you because it is on a subject that you would never have thought was possible to write a book about. It contains elements that you didn't expect.

Don't get me wrong, this book is well written and informative, but....

Paper just doesn't have the same appeal. The book is about paper and the role it played throughout history. Gee, paper is used to write books---let's talk about the important books that have been published. Plays, we've got that too. Music, yup. Art? It's in there.

The book was a high level introduction to humanities. Yeah, there are places where the book ventures off into the unexpected (the counting system and use in pre-Columbus western hemisphere or the use for guns), but those are the exceptions.

I really like Kurlansky's style, but this book didn't do it for me. It's not bad... but...

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one started out strong, but I started to lose interest when he got to the Renaissance, and spent a good deal of space relating individual papermills and workers setting up around Europe.

OK, I skimmed that stuff. The art stuff is pretty cool, but the book was overdue. I may go back to finish it. Or not. So many books, so little time....

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Do you even know how paper is made? It's not like steel. You don't put it into a furnace. If you put paper into a furnace, do you know what would happen? You'd ruin it!" -Michael Scott - (S5E20; "New Boss)

Guys: Join a book club. Start a book club. It's worth it. There's no chance I would have picked up this book on my own, and I really enjoyed it.

My favorite part was early on - more the history of writing, than about paper, per se - but it related, obviously. How writing developed. Differences in places it developed. How paper influenced that development.

The differences in paper... and paper that's not paper - like parchment. Papyrus. Etc... (I mean, I get it. I really do. But for all intents and purposes, it's paper - right? You're not going to sell me on that one.) (Okay maybe not ALL intents and purposes - because a lot of paper has different purposes... Like, we're using far less paper today - or are we? We seem to be shipping a lot more in cardboard (Amazon, etc...) (cardboard - i.e. "paper") boxes..., no?)(I have just decided to go for my parenthetical aside record. Start the clock.)

A key thesis in the book: The Technology Fallacy. ...I mean, that's the title of the prologue - and then comes up in some form or another like... a dozen more times... The technology fallacy claims that society develops technologies to meet its needs - to meet the needs of society. Often times we think that it is technology changing society - but it's society that develops technology to meet the needs of said society.

In general, I bought the argument. Society was clamoring for more written material - so (as they say) invention is born out of necessity. China invented paper, but used it for wrapping rather than writing.

On the other hand, I think there is something of a cyclical nature to this that Kurlansky ignores. The more technology grants access, the more the technology can spread. Salesmen CREATE and DEVELOP markets. When society realizes the technology, the demand arrives. He brushes against this with his discussion of inventors and businessmen, but I thought he could have conceded more.

I loved the nuggets in the book. The paper bombs from Japan. The paper made from linen, and the push to collect garments.

Paper mills creating their own electricity and feeding it back to the grid.

Recycling, and whether it's all it's cracked up to be.

It was good, and kept me interested.

And people brought paper to the club. Cool paper. We have an artist in the group, who, in his studies had to do half the stuff they described in the book. Lithographs, and block prints, different types of paper, water colors, sketches, etc... We had a guy bring old blue prints and a hundred+ year old book.

Join a book club. And sometimes read those books on paper* instead of an e-reader or audio. ...But also, you know... join a book club.


*I actually did this as mix of audio and hardcover...

[Karen]

getting real tired of white men writing about book history and sounding condescendingly incredulous that chinese people were making paper before they had a name for cellulose. idk maybe I'll pick it up another time.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another one of those "biography of things" books that I adore, written by the guy who can be argued started this whole genre.

In addition to paper, this book is just as much about the evolution of writing, the early book industry (or incunabula, one of my favorite words from library school) and printing in general. I liked the earlier parts of the book that dealt with the topic from a historic view. The later chapters felt a bit unnecessary and seemed somehow separate. Kurlansky seems to have just visited some modern paper mills and people who make paper by hand around the world -- notably Japan and the Basque region in Europe. It's full of statistics and details about industrial age printing equipment. There are plenty of illustrations throughout the book of paper artifacts, but I would have appreciated some illustrations of the paper-making process and associated tools, considering so much of the book was devoted to this topic.

I will note, however that the paper on which this book was printed seemed above average in quality, which was quite pleasing.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was received as part of the Goodreads Firstreads giveaway.

I have long been intrigued by Mark Kurlansky's approach to history - tracing a single item's impact on the history of the world. Paper was my first chance to read one of his works and I was very impressed. Kurlansky starts with cave painting and traces paper's and the world's history all the way through to the present day. Throughout the book he shows how the creation of paper and corresponding developments such as paper mills, books and printing presses were the result of the needs of the people not preceded by these technological innovations. The book provides not only a fascinating look at paper but the history and historical events surrounding it. I especially enjoyed the last part where Kurlansky looks at the revival of hand made paper and crafts along with alternatives to wood based paper.

[Becky Laswell · Rating 1 out of 5]

unlikely to finish. first chapter has errors, wild opinions, and generalizations

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books like this. Mark Kurlansky basically covers the history of the world, but all the details involve paper. The writing is conversational and entertaining. This is the professor you would love to have in college. He ties a lot of historical threads together. It is easy to forget how central paper is to our current and past times. I learned a lot.

One point Kurlansky keeps coming back to is the notion that society develops the technology it needs, as opposed to the popular notion that it is technology that changes society. I don't know that Kurlansky's premise is 100% true, but it is interesting, and I can see that it might usually be true. He offers several examples of technology that was developed (the pencil, for one, by the Romans) that had no effect on society until society needed (or wanted) the ability that the technology offered (in the case of the pencil, the ability to jot things down).

The last couple of chapters dragged a little bit after he worked his way through the historical narrative. I don't know that I needed to know about so many niche paper producers in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the couple of pages on origami were interesting. Kurlansky is clearly an expert on paper. I'm not convinced he is an expert on climate change, and the book did not benefit from a few stray comments on that subject. He's also not too keen on the Fahrenheit temperature scale. The rest of the book is so good, I can forgive these few indulgences.

On a side note, this is my first Kindle book, somewhat ironic considering the subject matter. I will say each format (e-book and physical) has its pluses and minuses. I miss not easily being able to flip forward to see how many pages I have to go until the end of the current chapter or to the end of the book (considering that the last 20-plus percent is devoted to an extensive bibliography, an index, etc.). I do like the smaller form factor and the ability to size the font to a comfortable size.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second Mark Kurlansky book this year. I thought this one was much more cohesive and well put together. When I read "Salt", it was very choppy and lacked any time/geography meter that would keep you involved. It kind of read like a William Faulkner book.

"Paper", on the other hand, does follow a reasonable chronological format. Also, given that the establishment of paper was so extensive (which I assumed to a degree, but not as extensively as he reported) and in so many geographic locations across civilizations, the beginning held together nicely.

His outline is basically: Drawing/writing, alphabets, pre-paper mediums: papyrus, parchment, etc. Then he gets to the the development of the materials to make paper, which I didn't know wood was used extensively so late in history, to the uses beyond writing mixed into each "section".

Much more periphial history is sprinkled in than "Salt" and nice time contexts throughout. I won't ruin it with a full breakdown of the entire book. It is one to give a try; I guess I'm a tough judge so no 5-star. If a 4 1/2 star existed, I would have given it that.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. It's a nice marriage of big thematic stuff (in this case, looking at the relationship of society and technology) with lots of lovely intriguing detail (about paper-making, about related processes, about the things people do and why and how). The style was easy and intelligent without being opaque. Somewhat Eurocentric in structure, but doing its best to de-Euro-fy the relevant history.