Reading Log: The Book on the Bookshelf (Henry Petroski)

January 22, 2008

Petroski’s The Book on the Bookshelf is a fascinating exploration of the evolution of the form of books and the way that we handle and store them. Much of the history of what eventually became the books we know (scrolls, codices, illuminated books, etc) was familiar to me, but Petroski has a knack for bringing to light interesting everyday details that early readers and bibliophiles encountered. While situating the book in historical context, Petroski uses a wide variety of historical resources to study the way books have been stored (as logical as it seems today, the common method of “filing” books next to each other and spine-out took an amazingly long time to evolve). While some of the engineering details of shelves was skimming-material, the amount of thought that goes into the architecture of libraries and other areas that house large quantities of books– particularly before the advent of ubiquitous artificial lighting– is stagging. Petroski’s eye for detail in examining period woodcuts and engravings, his acute deduction and synthesis from a wide variety of details, and a long list of interesting behind-the-scenes details from closed library stacks and private book collections all over the world make this a treat for book lovers and avid readers.

Tags: books, reading log