Books have always been a place where culture and technology meet, a dynamic that is fully explored in this profusely illustrated history. Here are such key events as the spread of Aesop's Fables throughout the Greco-Roman world; the Book of Kells surviving Viking raids; and the writing of the first novel, The Tale of Genji. Also discussed here are the development of papyrus, the Gutenberg press, and digital media, plus a look at the earliest known books devoted to astronomy, cooking, anatomy, and jokes.

"The book and accompanying crisp color photos are absorbing enough by themselves, but the information on each item and the world it came from make this exciting browse an interdisciplinary treasure as well."—Library Journal