From the development of papyrus—the preferred medium of Thucydides, Plato, and Cicero—to the emergence of the e-book, this abundantly illustrated history of the book explores one of the most efficient, versatile, and enduring technologies ever developed. Martyn Lyons traces the evolution of books from the rarefied world of the hand-copied medieval manuscript through the impact of Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, the dissemination of printing technology in such books as Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie, the rise of a publishing culture in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the subsequent impact of new technologies on book culture.

"Celebrates the history and magic of the book, from cuneiform tablets to Harry Potter, looking along the way at related trends in literacy rates, the growth of new genres and book-related industries over the centuries, and printing revolutions."—Book News

"Besides giving us a visual journey of the book as a beautiful, aesthetic object, Lyons also shows how influential the book has been in shaping human history for 2500 years."—Shelf Awareness