I really enjoyed Portable Magic, named after a quote from Stephen King and summing up nicely the power of books.
As an avid reader, I obviously place great value in books, but it was interesting to learn where some of this value may come from.
There's lots of history in here, some of which I felt a bit lost amidst - with the book feeling more academic than mainstream reading. That said, there's a lot to be gained from an academic appraisal of the history of books (not the words or stories contained inside, but the tangible item itself). Whether we choose hardback, paperback or special edition, we build a personal history with that book.
One thing I would have liked to have seen however amidst all the history, would have been images of some of the books described. Yes, I could go Google them, but actually given this is a book about books - some images of the amazing tomes described would have been welcomed.
Finally, there is a handy index at the back should you prefer to dip in and out, rather than read all the way through.
As an avid reader, I obviously place great value in books, but it was interesting to learn where some of this value may come from.
There's lots of history in here, some of which I felt a bit lost amidst - with the book feeling more academic than mainstream reading. That said, there's a lot to be gained from an academic appraisal of the history of books (not the words or stories contained inside, but the tangible item itself). Whether we choose hardback, paperback or special edition, we build a personal history with that book.
One thing I would have liked to have seen however amidst all the history, would have been images of some of the books described. Yes, I could go Google them, but actually given this is a book about books - some images of the amazing tomes described would have been welcomed.
Finally, there is a handy index at the back should you prefer to dip in and out, rather than read all the way through.