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In this concise history, Henry Petroski examines how books evolved from fragile scrolls to durable volumes, and how their housings changed over time. He describes the pre‑Gutenberg practice of chaining books to lecterns, the transformative impact of the printing press, and the shift from spine‑in to spine‑out shelving after the modern bookcase emerged. Petroski also discusses the rise of book ownership, collecting, and the cultural attitudes towards books through centuries, with digressions that touch upon topics such as the collection of Samuel Pepys and the philosophical critiques of book collecting.
First publish date: 1999
Genre: History/Modern History
Authors: Henry Petroski
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