• 
  Image 1

  

  
  
  The Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger is aRestoration comedy from 1696 written byJohn Vanbrugh. The play is a sequel toColley Cibber'sLove's Last Shift, or, The Fool in Fashion.
  
  In Cibber'sLove's Last Shift, a free-livingRestorationrake is brought to repentance and reform by the ruses of his wife, while inThe Relapse, the rake succumbs again to temptation and has a new love affair. His virtuous wife is also subjected to a determined seduction attempt, and resists with difficulty. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 2

  Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a 1974nonfiction narrative book by American authorAnnie Dillard. Told from afirst-person point of view, the book details Dillard's explorations near her home, and various contemplations on nature and life. The title refers to Tinker Creek, which is outsideRoanoke inVirginia'sBlue Ridge Mountains. Dillard beganPilgrim in the spring of 1973, using her personal journals as inspiration. Separated into four sections that signify each of the seasons, the narrative takes place over the period of one year.
  
  The book records the narrator's thoughts on solitude, writing, and religion, as well as scientific observations on the flora and fauna she encounters. It touches on themes of faith, nature, and awareness, and is also noted for its study oftheodicy and the cruelty of the natural world. The author has described it as a "book of theology", and she rejects the label of nature writer. Dillard considers the story a "single sustained nonfiction narrative", although several chapters have been anthologized separately in magazines and other publications. The book is analogous in design and genre toHenry David Thoreau'sWalden (1854), the subject of Dillard's master's thesis atHollins College. Critics often compare Dillard to authors from theTranscendentalist movement;Edward Abbey in particular deemed her Thoreau's "true heir". (Full article...)
• 
  Image 3

  
  

  

  Title page from the first English edition of Part I

  
  The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology is a work by English and American political activistThomas Paine, arguing for the philosophical position ofdeism. It follows in the tradition of 18th-century British deism, and challenges institutionalized religion and the legitimacy of theBible. It was published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807.
  
  It was a best-seller in the United States, where it caused a deisticrevival. British audiences, fearing increasedpolitical radicalism as a result of theFrench Revolution, received it with more hostility.The Age of Reason presents common deistic arguments; for example, it highlights what Paine saw as corruption of theChristian Church and criticizes its efforts to acquire political power. Paine advocates reason in the place ofrevelation, leading him to rejectmiracles and to view the Bible as an ordinary piece of literature, rather than a divinely-inspired text. InThe Age of Reason, he promotesnatural religion and argues for the existence of a creator god. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 4

  
  

  

  Stone commemorative marker atLiterary Hall in Romney, West Virginia

  
  TheRomney Literary Society (also known as theLiterary Society of Romney) existed from January 30, 1819, to February 15, 1886, inRomney, West Virginia. Established as thePolemic Society of Romney, it became the first organization of its kind in the present-day state of West Virginia, and one of the first in the United States. The society was founded by nine prominent men of Romney with the objectives of advancing literature and science, purchasing and maintaining a library, and improving educational opportunities.
  
  The society debated an extensive range of scientific and social topics, often violating its own rules which banned religious and political subjects. Even though its membership was relatively small, its debates and activities were frequently discussed throughout thePotomac Highlands region, and the organization greatly influenced trends of thought in the Romney community and surrounding areas. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 5

  David Suzuki: The Autobiography is the 2006autobiography of Canadian science writer and broadcasterDavid Suzuki. The book focuses mostly on his life since the 1987 publication of his first autobiography,Metamorphosis: Stages in a Life. It begins with a chronological account of his childhood, academic years, and broadcasting career. In later chapters, Suzuki adopts amemoir style, writing about themes such as his relationship with Australia, his experiences inBrazil andPapua New Guinea, the founding of theDavid Suzuki Foundation, and his thoughts on climate change, celebrity status, technology, and death. Throughout, Suzuki highlights the continuing impact of events from his childhood.
  
  This is Suzuki's forty-third book and, he says, his last. Critics have called the book candid, sincere, and charming, with insightful commentary if occasionally flat stories. Suzuki's scientific background is reflected in the writing's rational and analytic style. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 6

  

  
  
  William Barley (1565?–1614) was an English bookseller and publisher. He completed an apprenticeship as adraper in 1587, but was soon working in the London book trade. As a freeman of theDrapers' Company, he was embroiled in a dispute between it and theStationers' Company over the rights of drapers to function as publishers and booksellers. He found himself in legal tangles throughout his life.
  
  Barley's role inElizabethan music publishing has proved to be a contentious issue among scholars. The assessments of him range from "a man of energy, determination, and ambition", to "somewhat remarkable", to "surely to some extent a rather nefarious figure". His contemporaries harshly criticised the quality of two of the first works of music that he published, but he was also influential in his field. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 7

  
  

  

  The hardcover version

  
  Mom & Me & Mom (2013) is the seventh and final book in authorMaya Angelou's series ofautobiographies. The book was published shortly beforeMother's Day and Angelou's 85th birthday. It focuses, for the first time in her books, on Angelou's relationship with her mother, Vivian Baxter. The book explains Baxter's behavior, especially Baxter's abandonment of Angelou and Angelou's older brother when they were young children, and fills in "what are possibly the final blanks in Angelou's eventful life". The book also chronicles Angelou's reunion and reconciliation with Baxter.
  
  Mom & Me & Mom is an overview of Angelou's life and revisits many of the same anecdotes she relates in her previous books. The first section, entitled "Mom & Me", centers on Angelou's early years, before the age of 17, and her transition from resentment and distrust of her mother to acceptance, support, and love towards her. After Baxter helps her through the birth of her son, Angelou goes from calling Baxter "Lady" to "Mom". In the book's second section, entitled "Me & Mom", Angelou chronicles the unconditional love, support, and assistance they gave to each other, as Baxter helps her through single motherhood, a failed marriage, and career ups and downs. As she had begun to do inI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and continued throughout her series, Angelou upheld the long traditions of African-American autobiography. At the same time she made a deliberate attempt to challenge the usual structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. She had become recognized and highly respected as a spokesperson for Blacks and women. Angelou was, as scholarJoanne Braxton has stated, "without a doubt, ... America's most visible black woman autobiographer". She had also become "a major autobiographical voice of the time". (Full article...)
• 
  Image 8

  The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South is a book written by AmericanhistorianJohn W. Blassingame. Published in 1972, it is one of the first historical studies ofslavery in the United States to be presented from the perspective of the enslaved.The Slave Community contradicted those historians who had interpreted history to suggest thatAfrican-American slaves were docile and submissive "Sambos" who enjoyed the benefits of apaternalistic master–slave relationship onsouthernplantations. Using psychology, Blassingame analyzesfugitive slave narratives published in the 19th century to conclude that an independent culture developed among the enslaved and that there were a variety of personality types exhibited by slaves.
  
  Although the importance ofThe Slave Community was recognized by scholars of American slavery, Blassingame's conclusions, methodology, and sources were heavily criticized. Historians criticized the use of slave narratives that were seen as unreliable and biased. They questioned Blassingame's decision to exclude the more than2,000 interviews with former slaves conducted by theWorks Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s. Historians argued that Blassingame's use of psychological theory proved unhelpful in his interpretation. Blassingame defended his conclusions at a 1976 meeting of theAssociation for the Study of Afro-American Life and History and in 1979 published a revised and enlarged edition ofThe Slave Community. Despite criticisms,The Slave Community is a foundational text in the study of the life and culture of slaves in theAntebellum South. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 9

  Expedition to the Barrier Peaks is a 1980adventure module for theAdvanced Dungeons & Dragonsrole-playing game written byGary Gygax. WhileDungeons & Dragons (D&D) is typically afantasy game, the adventure includes elements ofscience fiction, and thus belongs to thescience fantasy genre. It takes place on a downed spaceship; the ship's crew has died of an unspecified disease, but functioning robots and strange creatures still inhabit the ship. Theplayer characters fight monsters and robots, and gather the futuristic weapons and colored access cards that are necessary for advancing the story.
  
  Expedition to the Barrier Peaks was first played at theOrigins II convention in 1976, where it was used to introduceDungeons & Dragons players to the science fiction gameMetamorphosis Alpha. In 1980,TSR published the adventure, updated forfirst editionAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. The adventure was not updated for later rules systems, but a Wizards.com article did provide a conversion toFuture Tech. It included a separate booklet of illustrations, in both color and black and white. The adventure is an old-time favorite of manyDungeons & Dragons fans, includingStephen Colbert. It was ranked the fifth-bestDungeons & Dragons adventure of all time byDungeon magazine in 2004, and received positive reviews fromWhite Dwarf andThe Space Gamer magazines. The other adventures in theS series includeS1Tomb of Horrors,S2White Plume Mountain, andS4The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 10

  

  
  Original Stories from Real Life; with Conversations Calculated to Regulate the Affections, and Form the Mind to Truth and Goodness is the only complete work ofchildren's literature by the 18th-century Englishfeminist authorMary Wollstonecraft.Original Stories begins with aframe story that sketches out the education of two young girls by their maternal teacher Mrs. Mason, followed by a series ofdidactic tales. The book was first published byJoseph Johnson in1788; a second, illustrated edition, with engravings byWilliam Blake, was released in 1791 and remained in print for around a quarter of a century.
  
  InOriginal Stories, Wollstonecraft employed the then-burgeoning genre of children's literature to promote the education of women and an emergingmiddle-class ideology. She argued that women would be able to become rational adults if they were educated properly as children, which was not a widely held belief in the 18th century, and contended that the nascent middle-class ethos was superior to the court culture represented byfairy tales and to the values of chance and luck found inchapbook stories for the poor. Wollstonecraft, in developing her own pedagogy, also responded to the works of the two most important educational theorists of the 18th century:John Locke andJean-Jacques Rousseau. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 11

  The Log from the Sea of Cortez is an English-language book written by American authorJohn Steinbeck and published in 1951. It details a six-week (March 11 – April 20) marine specimen-collecting boat expedition he made in 1940 at various sites in theGulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez), with his friend, themarine biologistEd Ricketts. It is regarded as one of Steinbeck's most important works of non-fiction chiefly because of the involvement of Ricketts, who shaped Steinbeck's thinking and provided the prototype for many of the pivotal characters in his fiction, and the insights it gives into the philosophies of the two men.
  
  The Log from the Sea of Cortez is the narrative portion of an earlier work,Sea of Cortez: A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research, which was published by Steinbeck and Ricketts shortly after their return from the Gulf of California, and combined the journals of the collecting expedition, reworked by Steinbeck, with Ricketts' species catalogue. After Ricketts' death in 1948, Steinbeck dropped the species catalogue from the earlier work and republished it with a eulogy to his friend added as a foreword. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 12

  
  

  

  Cover of 1945 Princeton edition

  
  TheSmyth Report (officiallyAtomic Energy for Military Purposes) is the common name of an administrative history written by AmericanphysicistHenry DeWolf Smyth about theManhattan Project, theAllied effort to developatomic bombs duringWorld War II. The subtitle of the report isA General Account of the Development of Methods of Using Atomic Energy for Military Purposes. It was released to the media on August 11, 1945, and the public on August 12, 1945, just days after theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9.
  
  Smyth was commissioned to write the report byMajor GeneralLeslie R. Groves, Jr., the director of the Manhattan Project. The Smyth Report was the first official account of the development of the atomic bombs and the basic physical processes behind them. It also served as an indication as to what information wasdeclassified; anything in the Smyth Report could be discussed openly. For this reason, the Smyth Report focused heavily on information, such as basicnuclear physics, which was either already widely known in the scientific community or easily deducible by a competent scientist, and omitted details aboutchemistry,metallurgy, andordnance. According to historian Rebecca Press Schwartz, this would ultimately give a false impression that the Manhattan Project was all about physics. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 13

  

  
  
  Gods' Man is awordless novel by American artistLynd Ward (1905–1985) published in 1929. In 139 captionlesswoodblock prints, it tells theFaustian story of an artist who signs away his soul for a magic paintbrush.Gods' Man was the first American wordless novel, and is considered a precursor of thegraphic novel, whose development it influenced.
  
  Ward first encountered the wordless novel withFrans Masereel'sThe Sun (1919) while studying art in Germany in 1926. He returned to the United States in 1927 and established a career for himself as an illustrator. He foundOtto Nückel's wordless novelDestiny (1926) in New York City in 1929, and it inspired him to create such a work of his own.Gods' Man appeared a week before theWall Street Crash of 1929; it nevertheless enjoyed strong sales and remains the best-selling American wordless novel. Its success inspired other Americans to experiment with the medium, including cartoonistMilt Gross, who parodiedGods' Man inHe Done Her Wrong (1930). In the 1970s, Ward's example of wordless novels inspired cartoonistsArt Spiegelman andWill Eisner to create their first graphic novels. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 14

  

  
  
  TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection ofannals inOld English, chronicling the history of theAnglo-Saxons.
  
  The original manuscript of theChronicle was created late in the ninth century, probably inWessex, during the reign of KingAlfred the Great (r. 871–899). Its content, which incorporated sources now otherwise lost dating from as early as the seventh century, is known as the "Common Stock" of theChronicle. Multiple copies were made of that one original and then distributed to monasteries across England, where they were updated, partly independently. These manuscripts collectively are known as theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle. Almost all of the material in theChronicle is in the form of annals, by year. The earliest is dated at 60 BC, the annals' date forJulius Caesar's invasions of Britain. In one case, theChronicle was still being actively updated in 1154. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 15

  
  

  

  First edition cover

  
  The Bread-Winners: A Social Study is an 1883 novel byJohn Hay, formersecretary toAbraham Lincoln who in 1898 becameU.S. Secretary of State. The book takes an anti-organized labor stance, and when published anonymously sold well and provoked considerable public interest in determining who the author was.
  
  The plot of the book revolves around former army captain Arthur Farnham, a wealthy resident of Buffland (an analog ofCleveland). He organizes Civil War veterans to keep the peace when the Bread-winners, a group of lazy and malcontented workers, call a violentgeneral strike. He is sought in marriage by the ambitious Maud Matchin, daughter of a carpenter, but instead weds a woman of his own class. (Full article...)

Credit:Eadfrith of Lindisfarne

• Bibliophilia
• Book burning
• Book collecting
• Book review
• Pulitzer Prize winners

• 
  Image 1

  Rihanna (originally titled and alternatively known asRihanna: The Last Girl on Earth) is acoffee tablephoto-book by Barbadian singerRihanna and British artistSimon Henwood. Henwood envisioned the project as the depiction of a "journey", as it includes professional and candid photos by him, that show the singer's fourth studio album,Rated R's (2009) promotional campaign, alongside pictures from other live appearances. The publication features a preface written by French designer Alexandre Vauthier.
  
  It was first issued in the United States as ahardcover edition including aCD, on October 15, 2010; also being released inpaperback formats and a deluxe hardcover edition including a crystal monogrammed clamshell and a signed image print. To promote the book, Rihanna appeared at aBarnes & Noble store where she signed copies of it. Editors commented on the book positively, favoring Rihanna's looks and Henwood's photography. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 2

  Aroused is a 2013 feature-length documentary film directed by the photographerDeborah Anderson, in her directorial debut. It focuses on the lives and careers of 16pornographic actresses. The film's structure includes interviews with the women both during makeup and during a subsequent photo shoot for Anderson'scoffee table book of the same name as the documentary. Quotes are presented in title cards throughout the film on the topic from women includingErica Jong,Marlene Dietrich, andGloria Leonard. The actresses interviewed describe their early upbringing, entry into sexual activity, and motivations for entering the adult film industry. A female talent agent within the industry, Fran Amidor, provides a counterpoint to the interviews. Several of the actresses recount facing stigma and discrimination due to their career choice.Katsuni reflects on the impact of entering the industry, and criticizes society's "judgment of morality".
  
  Anderson was inspired to work onAroused, after previously photographing an adult industry actress for a magazine shoot. She wanted to draw attention to adouble standard in society regarding consumption of pornography while simultaneously stigmatizing the actresses that perform in the adult industry. She stated her attempt was to humanize and provide dignity to the actresses. Anderson cast the actresses in the film in order to showcase, "the most successful women in the adult film industry". Filming took place inHollywood Hills,California; the film was shot inblack and white, color, and muted color tones. The film premiered on May 1, 2013, atNuart Theatre of theLandmark Theatres chain inLos Angeles. The film was released oniTunes andAmazon, followed by a DVD in June 2013. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 3

  A Glimpse of Hell: The Explosion on the USSIowa and Its Cover-Up is a nonfiction book ofinvestigative journalism, written by Charles C. Thompson II and published in 1999. The book describes theUSSIowa turret explosion that took place on April 19, 1989, and the subsequent investigations that tried to determine the cause. The explosion aboard theUnited States NavybattleshipIowa killed 47 of the turret's crewmen.
  
  Soon after the explosion, Thompson was informed by anIowa crewman that the Navy was conducting a dishonest investigation into the cause of the tragedy. Thompson, a producer for the televisionnewsmagazine60 Minutes, later produced several television reports which disputed the Navy's conclusions as to what had caused the explosion. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 4

  Growing Up Absurd is a 1960 book byPaul Goodman on the relationship between Americanjuvenile delinquency and societal opportunities to fulfillnatural needs. Contrary to the then-popular view that juvenile delinquents should be led to respect societal norms, Goodman argued that young American men were justified in theirdisaffection because their society lacked the preconditions for growing up, such as consideration and self-respect, meaningful work, honorable community, sexual freedom, and spiritual sustenance.
  
  Goodman's book drew from his prior works,psychotherapy practice, and personal experiences and relations in New York City. The small New York press that originally commissioned the book asked Goodman to return hisadvance when the resulting book, written in late 1959, focused less on the commissioned subject of cityyouth gangs than on the American culture and value systems in which the youth were raised. Nineteen publishers rejectedGrowing Up Absurd beforeNorman Podhoretz used selections from the book to relaunch his magazine,Commentary. After Podhoretz encouragedRandom House publisherJason Epstein to reconsider the book, Goodman had a contract the next day. Random House publishedGrowing Up Absurd in 1960 and aVintage Books paperback edition followed two years later. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 5

  Children and Television: Lessons from Sesame Street (1974) is anon-fiction book written byGerald S. Lesser, in which he describes the production ofSesame Street, and the formation andpedagogical philosophy of theChildren's Television Workshop. Lesser was a professor at Harvard University, studying how social class and ethnicity interacted with school achievement and was one of the first academics in the US who researched how watching television affected children and their development. He was initially skeptical about the potential of using television as a teaching tool, but he was eventually named as the advisory board chairman of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), the organization created to oversee the production and research of Sesame Street, and was the show's first educational director. Lesser wrote the book early inSesame Street's history, to evaluate the show's effectiveness, to explain what its writers, researchers, and producers were attempting to do, and to respond to criticism ofSesame Street.
  
  Children and Television has four sections, "A Proposal", "Planning", "Broadcasting" and "Lessons from Sesame Street". The book also has a preface and an epilogue, written by Lesser, a foreword written by co-creatorJoan Ganz Cooney, and an introduction by co-creatorLloyd Morrisett. Scattered throughout the book are cartoons drawn by children's authorMaurice Sendak. Lesser describes the origin and development ofSesame Street and his part in it. He also describes the research involved in the show's creation and production. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 6

  Unearthed Arcana (abbreviatedUA) is the title shared by twohardback books published for differenteditions of theDungeons & Dragonsfantasyrole-playing game. Both were designed as supplements to the core rulebooks, containing material that expanded upon other rules.
  
  The originalUnearthed Arcana was written primarily byGary Gygax, and published by game publisherTSR in 1985 for use with theAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition rules. The book consisted mostly of material previously published in magazines, and included new races,classes, and other material to expand the rules in theDungeon Masters Guide andPlayers Handbook. The book was notorious for its considerable number of errors, and was received negatively by the gaming press whose criticisms targeted the over-powered races and classes, among other issues. Gygax intended to use the book's content for a planned second edition ofAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons; however, much of the book's content was not reused in the second edition, which went into development shortly after Gygax's departure from TSR. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 7

  King of Bollywood is a biography by the film critic and journalistAnupama Chopra, chronicling the life and career ofShah Rukh Khan. The book describes his personal life such as his birth in 1965 inNew Delhi and his marriage toGauri Chibber in 1991. The book also outlines his career as an actor, film producer, and television presenter. It was published byGrand Central Publishing on 9 August 2007 and became a commercial success. Its critical reception was positive, with Chopra's writing garnering appreciation.
  
  Chopra came up the idea of the book while writing forDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (2002), about the 1995 film of thesame name. In the summer of 2003, she told him about the project; although his initial reaction was reluctant, Chopra tried to persuade him for around six months and Khan eventually changed his mind. The book took three years to complete, with Chopra meeting Khan's close friends, school teachers, and collaborators in her writing process. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 8

  Prelude to a Million Years: A Book of Wood Engravings is a 1933wordless novel consisting of thirtywood engravings by American artistLynd Ward (1905–1985). It was the fourth of Ward's six wordless novels, a genre Ward discovered while studyingwood engraving in Europe, and delved into under the influence of the works ofFrans Masereel andOtto Nückel. The symbol-rich story tells of a sculptor who, in his quest for ideal beauty, neglects the reality of the struggles of his neighbors in the depths of theGreat Depression. The engravings are done in a softerArt Deco style in contrast to theGerman Expressionism-influenced artwork of Ward's earlier works. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 9

  Occupy is a short study of theOccupy movement written by the American academic and political activistNoam Chomsky. Initially published in the United States by the Zuccotti Park Press as the first title in theirOccupied Media Pamphlet Series in 2012, it was subsequently republished in the United Kingdom byPenguin Books later that year.
  
  An academic linguist at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Chomsky first achieved fame for his work as a political activist during the 1960s and 1970s. Alibertarian socialist, Chomsky is a prominent critic ofcapitalism, the role of western media and the foreign policy of the U.S. government, dealing with such issues in bestsellers likeManufacturing Consent (1988),Hegemony or Survival (2003) andFailed States (2006). With the birth of the Occupy Movement – devoted to socio-political change – in 2011, Chomsky became a vocal supporter for the protesters, writing articles and giving speeches on their behalf, several of which were collected together and published asOccupy. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 10

  
  

  

  Title page of the first edition, 1682

  
  Compendium ferculorum, albo Zebranie potraw (A Collection of Dishes) is a cookbook byStanisław Czerniecki. First put in print in 1682, it is the earliest known cookery book published originally in Polish. Czerniecki wrote it in his capacity ashead chef at the court of thehouse of Lubomirski and dedicated it to PrincessHelena Tekla Lubomirska. The book contains more than 300 recipes, divided into three chapters of about 100 recipes each.
  
  The chapters are devoted, respectively, to meat, fish and other dishes, and each concludes with a "master chef's secret". Czerniecki's cooking style, as is evident in his book, was typical for the luxuriantPolish Baroque cuisine, which still had a largely medieval outlook, but was gradually succumbing to novel culinary ideas coming from France. It was characterized by generous use of vinegar, sugar and exotic spices, as well as preference for spectacle over thrift. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 11

  

  
  The History of the Fairchild Family byMary Martha Sherwood was a series of bestsellingchildren's books in nineteenth-century Britain. The three volumes, published in 1818, 1842 and 1847, detail the lives of the Fairchild children. Part I, which was in print for over a century, focuses on Emily, Lucy and Henry's realization of their "human depravity" (original sin) and their consequent need for redemption; Parts II and III emphasize more worldly lessons such asetiquette and virtuousconsumerism.
  
  During the nineteenth century,The Fairchild Family was renowned for itsrealistic portrayal of childhood and its humour, but Sherwood's book fell from favour as Britain became increasingly secularized and new fashions in children's literature came to dominate the literary scene, represented by works such asLewis Carroll'sAlice's Adventures in Wonderland. In the twentieth century the books have most often been viewed as quintessential examples of thedidactic style of children's writing popular beforeAlice. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 12

  Who's Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where You Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life is a non-fiction book written byRichard Florida. The book advances Florida's previous work on the locational choices of people and businesses. He adds a dimension ofenvironmental psychology by assigning psychological profiles to urban regions according to the dominant personality traits of the people who live there. For example, theNew York metropolitan area and theChiPitts area have the highest concentration in the United States of people whose dominant personality trait isneuroticism. The book ends with a ten step guide to choosing a location best suited to the reader's personality and life situation.
  
  Since the 2002 publication ofThe Rise of the Creative Class, Florida has enjoyed academic and commercial success in his study and promotion of the concept of acreative class, or a cohort of highly innovative, highly creative individuals who are sought after by businesses.Who's Your City?, Florida's fourth book on the subject, combines scholarly research with a lighthearted self-help tone. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 13

  The Diamond Smugglers is a non-fiction book byIan Fleming that was first published in the United Kingdom byJonathan Cape on 29 November 1957. The book is based on two weeks of interviews Fleming undertook with John Collard, a member of the International Diamond Security Organisation (IDSO) and a former member ofMI5; the IDSO was headed bySir Percy Sillitoe, the ex-head of MI5 who worked for the diamond companyDe Beers.
  
  The IDSO was formed by Sillitoe to combat the smuggling of diamonds from Africa, where it was estimated that £10 million worth of gems were being smuggled every year out of South Africa alone. The book expands upon a series of articles Fleming wrote forThe Sunday Times in 1957. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 14

  Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women is a 2010non-fiction book written by the American journalistRebecca Traister and published byFree Press. The book focuses on women's contributions to and experiences of the2008 United States presidential election. Traister places particular focus on four main political figures—Hillary Clinton,Sarah Palin,Michelle Obama, andElizabeth Edwards—as well as women in the media, including the journalistsKatie Couric andRachel Maddow, and the comediansTina Fey andAmy Poehler, who portrayed Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton onSaturday Night Live, respectively. Traister also describes her personal experience of the electoral campaign and her shift from supportingJohn Edwards to Hillary Clinton.
  
  Traister began writing about the presidential election while working as a political columnist forSalon; her coverage forSalon provided much of the book's content. Traister aimed to write an account of the election through afeminist perspective, centred on the events that she felt were otherwise underreported in the media. The book was generally well received by critics. (Full article...)
• 
  Image 15

  Van Morrison: Too Late to Stop Now is a biography of musicianVan Morrison, written bySteve Turner. It was first published in 1993 in the United States byPenguin Group, and in Great Britain byBloomsbury Publishing. Turner first met Van Morrison in 1985; he interviewed approximately 40 people that knew the subject in his research for the biography. Van Morrison did not think positively of the biography, and multiple newspapers reported he attempted to purchase all of the book's 25,000 copies. He sent a letter to the author asserting the 40 individuals interviewed for the book were not his friends, and accused Turner of "peddling distortions and inaccuracies about me personally".
  
  The biography takes a pictorial format, and includes many photographs of Van Morrison and scenes relating to his life, includingclose-up shots andcontact prints. Turner discusses Van Morrison's youth inBelfast,Northern Ireland, and how early experiences shaped his perceptions. Flautist John Payne was interviewed for the book, and comments on his work with Van Morrison on the albumAstral Weeks. Turner discusses Van Morrison's reluctance to be interviewed or engage with the public, and includes quotes from the musician about this desire for privacy. The author discusses Van Morrison's efforts to seek out creativity, and his exploration ofspirituality. The book concludes with an assessment of Van Morrison's experiences with religion. (Full article...)

• 
  Image 1The scene inBotticelli'sMadonna of the Book (1480) reflects the presence of books in the houses of richer people in his time. (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 2Page 49 of theDresden Codex (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 3A 15th-centuryincunable. Notice the blind-tooled cover, corner bosses, and clasps. (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 4Early medievalbookcase containing about ten codices depicted in theCodex Amiatinus (c. 700) (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 5European output of printed books c. 1450–1800 (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 6Scheme of commonbook design

  1. Belly band
  2. Flap
  3. Endpaper
  4. Book cover
  5. Head
  6. Fore edge
  7. Tail
  8. Right page, recto
  9. Left page, verso
  10. Gutter

  (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 7Sammelband of three alchemical treatises, bound in Strasbourg by Samuel Emmelc. 1568, showing metal clasps and leather covering of boards (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 8European output of manuscripts 500–1500 (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 9Page spread withJ. A. van de Graaf's construction of classical text area (print space) and margin proportions (fromBook design)
• 
  Image 10Chinese Bookseller, illustration, c. 1824 (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 1112-metre-high (40 ft) sculpture of a stack of books at the BerlinWalk of Ideas, commemorating theinvention of modern book printing (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 12A Chinese bamboo book,The Art of War, commissioned by theQianlong Emperor in 18th-century China (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 13Rebacking saving original spine, showing one volume finished and one untouched (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 14Initial on the opening page of a book printed by theKelmscott Press (fromBook design)
• 
  Image 15Example of blind tooling a book binding with exquisite detail (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 16A twentieth-century copyright imprint from McLoughlin Bros that features three rams and the copyright year, 1903 (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 17The intricate frontispiece of theDiamond Sutra fromTang dynasty China, i.e. 868 CE, the oldest known dated printed book in the world (British Library) (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 18Hardbound book with half leather binding (spine and corners) and marbled boards (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 19Cloth book cover with attached paper panel, mimicking half leather binding (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 20Jikji,Selected Teachings of Buddhist Sages and Seon Masters, the earliest known book printed with movable metal type, 1377.Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris. (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 21European output of books 500–1800 (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 22Illustration from theCodex Manesse, a German book from the Middle Ages (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 23Page from a Jain manuscript depicting the birth ofMahavira, c. 1400 (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 24Three books with different titling orientations:
  ascending (left); descending (middle); upright (right) (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 25Thespine of the book is an important aspect in book design, especially in the cover design. When the books are stacked up or stored in a shelf, the details on the spine is the only visible surface that contains the information about the book. In a book store, it is often the details on the spine that attract the attention first. (fromBook design)
• 
  Image 26Design byHans Holbein the Younger for a metalwork book cover (ortreasure binding) (fromBook design)
• 
  Image 27A traditional bookbinder at work (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 28Woman holding wax tablets in the form of thecodex. Wall painting fromPompeii, before 79 CE. (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 29ASumerianclay tablet, currently housed in theOriental Institute at theUniversity of Chicago, inscribed with the text of the poemInanna and Ebih by the priestessEnheduanna, the first author whose name is known
• 
  Image 30Modern book spine designs (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 31Book conservators at the State Library of New South Wales, 1943 (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 329th-century Qur'an inReza Abbasi Museum (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 33Traditionally sewn book opened flat (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 34Photograph of a printing press in Egypt, c. 1922 (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 35Modernpaperback spines (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 36Three books with different titling orientations:
  ascending (left); descending (middle); upright (right) (fromBook design)
• 
  Image 37TheBook of the Dead ofHunefer, c. 1275 BCE, ink and pigments on papyrus, in theBritish Museum (London) (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 38An author portrait ofJean Miélot writing his compilation of theMiracles of Our Lady, one of his many popular works. (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 39Marbled book board from a book published in London in 1872 (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 40Folio from theShah Jahan Album, c. 1620, depicting the Mughal EmperorShah Jahan (fromHistory of books)
• 
  Image 41Bookbinder's type holder (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 42Decorative binding with figurehead of the 12th century manuscriptLiber Landavensis (fromBookbinding)
• 
  Image 43Hardbound book spine stitching (fromBookbinding)