Description
Book SynopsisFrom cave paintings to computers, this overview of the history of books and communication is written for the layperson and student. It provides clear information on how books shaped and reflected major social, political, and literary developments. As a general guide, it moves from the earliest writing in the Middle East and Egypt to Greece, Rome, and early Christian contributions to book production and literacy. Major sections discuss publishing during the Middle Ages and how the invention of printing drastically changed and improved the distribution of knowledge. Later chapters take the reader from the age of encyclopedias in the seventeenth century to the great technological advances of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For those who wish to pursue specific areas in the history of the book in greater detail, there are three parts devoted to additional reading with descriptive, critical annotations: general histories and bibliographies, scribes and printers, and printing to the
Trade Review...Katz's work offers the neophyte a handy guide to the terrain. * Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarian *
The book is packed with dates, names and facts and provides information on how books shaped and reflected major social, political and literary developments. * Koob Stra *
Bill Katz...has rewritten Dahl's work with fluid rhetoric...Katz has integrated the voices of current authorities on the subject of the history of the book in order to bring this third edition up to date...very perusable...has a large potential audience for those with even the mildest fascination for the history of the book. * Épilogue *
Throughout the volume the evolution of book and archival material repositories is illustrated with examples of significant libraries from different historical periods and geographical regions. * L&C *
...overview of the history of books and communications...written for the layperson and student. * Jal Guide To Professional Literature *
