Books: A Living History

In this sumptuously illustrated history of the book, Lyons (Ordinary Writing, Personal Narratives) covers a millennia of changes, from ancient Mesopotamian carvings to Gutenberg%E2%80%99s innovations in printing, through the computer age and the advent of the Internet and e-readers. Rather than narrate a continuous story, he utilizes two to four page chronological sections with headings such as %E2%80%9CLuther%E2%80%99s Bible,%E2%80%9D %E2%80%9CBooks of the Scientific Revolution,%E2%80%9D and %E2%80%9CAtlases and Cartography.%E2%80%9D With such heterogeneous segments, it%E2%80%99s difficult to discern the principle of inclusion or exclusion. Meanwhile, the many illustrations serve as interesting (though non-essential) window-dressing for the text, as with the splendid images from the Book of Kells or the detailed drawings of mechanized printing presses. Larger than a typical hardback yet smaller than a coffee table book, the contents seem similarly torn between a textbook%E2%80%99s dry specificity and the generality of a popular history. However, this approachable and attractive volume summarizes key moments in the evolution of print culture, in a tone suitable for an unfamiliar or general interest reader. Scholars will find nothing new, and will likely be disappointed by the book%E2%80%99s aggressive superficiality. (Oct.)