The Book: The Life Story of a Technology

by Nicole Howard

The printed book is one of life’s most frequently encountered technologies. Historian Nicole Howard provides a comprehensive survey of the evolution of this technology, tracing its development across many centuries and cultures.

No other technology in human history, declares Howard, has had the impact of this invention. By examining the book as a technology, Howard reveals how profoundly information and media have shaped history and how vital the technology of the book has been to cultural and intellectual change.

This engaging study extends from clay tablets and rolls of papyrus to bound folio sheets, from inks and scripts to lead type and printing presses, from the Linotype machine to the laptop. Cross-cultural in scope, it examines innovations in the production and manufacture of books from the Middle and Far East, Europe, and the Americas. Howard recounts printing techniques from Gutenberg’s first press to 21st-century electronic publishing.

Howard’s broad overview and accessible writing style make this book ideal for students and bibliophiles alike. The volume includes a glossary of terms, a timeline of important events, and a selected bibliography of useful resources for further information.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Books About Books, Read For School, Technology, Collections

187 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2005

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

In terms of school textbooks, pretty interesting! I wish it went more in depth into the Eastern history, the invention of paper, and an equal focus on block printing, as it's very Gutenberg heavy. But pretty interesting, reads a lot more like a novel than a textbook, and overall a good choice for a history class.

[meg (the.hidden.colophon) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for my Book History course in the Spring of '24.

More focused on the technologies surrounding the book rather than the book itself.

[Laura]

Read for my class "Books to Bytes".

[John Kinkade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Especially good on early books. Something interesting on almost every page

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure quite what I expected from this volume, but it was disappointing. I think I unfairly assume anything that labels itself as a history, is actually a cultural history. This was not a cultural history of books. It was a vastly sweeping technical history of their development from manuscripts copied by hand to e-ink displayed on a virtual page. The attention to the technologies that allowed this evolution to occur was distracting, to say the least. I'm not sure knowing the intricacies of different printing techniques, the controversies over who invented the printing press, or the ways fonts were invented and developed actually has much to do with books themselves. So while I admire Howard's willingness to categorize the book as a technology (especially in a series dedicated to objects whose "technological" status is, perhaps, more obvious), the book's focus on the technologies that surround an enable the book, rather than the book itself, was ultimately disappointing. Of course, it also seems like it's aimed a a undergrad audience. But, I wouldn't assign it to one. There are more compelling books that illuminate book history on a basic level.

[Audra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was excited by the title since books are one of the most under-appreciated technologies, and was looking for a good textbook for an upcoming class I'm teaching. Sadly, this book focuses quite heavily on the technology of printing instead of book construction, evolution, and manufacture.

Yes, very slim on background history explaining the why of certain revolutions, almost zero critical analysis of this technology's impact, and the last chapter on the future of reading has some laughable thoughts on e-books ("e-paper, assuming it has no negative environmental impacts, is an environmentally sound alternative." - that's a pretty big assumption for a product that inevitably will have parts coming from mines versus a product that can be grown and re-grown).

That said, while this book was originally published in 2005, and while I'm sure there are more updated and thorough histories out there, it's a nice slim intro or overview of the trinity of technologies, books, printing, and writing.

[Edwin Battistella · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[HeyT · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a brief overview of the book from the perspective of it as a technology. The different ages of the book were broken down and technological processes surrounding the book were discussed. The class I read this focused mainly on the later half of the book which dealt with mechanized printing and the future of it as a technology. Overall it was not as dry as I expected it to be but that may be due to its concise nature.

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty abysmal compared to the other Book History texts I've read - very little critical analysis (besides some railing against unions, which was strange) and lacking some of the important events that effected print culture since the printing press. Elizabeth Eisenstein is a more through and thoughtful writer, who gives the complex history of printing its due, unlike this book.

[John]

books,nonfiction,history

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for a History of Books and Libraries class. One of those rare occasions when a book that is assigned reading turns out to be fascinating.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was assigned to me for my History of the Book class. It was a fine overview of the genre. I skimmed to the end.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, concise history of the book. More of a gateway book than anything else, but a good gateway nonetheless.

[Abby Farr · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a lot easier to read than other books about books, although it was not as informative.

[Anca Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book.

[El · Rating 2 out of 5]

Informative but dry.

[S L Faisal S L Faisal]

The techno biography of a "Book"

[Zahid Hyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

It book really helpful to know about history of books and script writings of ancient world.