A joyful celebration of books—the perfect gift for bibliophiles, word lovers and anyone who's ever wondered, should you judge a book by its cover?We love the words in books—but what about the words on them? How do they work their magic? Penguin Books blurb wizard Louise Willder joyfully divulges what those 100-or-so words can tell us about literary history, the craft of writing, authors from George Orwell to Zadie Smith, genres from children's fiction to blockbusters, cover design, the dark arts of persuasion and even why we read. She also answers burning questions such as: Should all adjectives be murdered? Is blurbing sometimes maybe lying? Which classic novel was nearly called The High Bouncing Lover? And what are the worst blurbs of all time?"A small masterpiece. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page." Jenny Colgan, Spectator