Introduction

Throughout human history, the world's knowledge and fruits of the creative imagination have been produced, circulated and received through the medium of the material text.

Scope of the Companion

This Companion provides a wide-ranging account of the history of the book and its ways of thinking about works from ancient inscription to contemporary e-books, discussing thematic, chronological and methodological aspects of this interdisciplinary field.

Part One: Book Cultures

The first part considers book cultures from local, national and global perspectives.

Part Two: Material Book and Mutable Text

Part two, organized around the dynamic relationship between the material book and the mutable text, develops a loosely chronological narrative from early writing, through manuscript and early printing, to the institution of a mechanized book trade, and on to the globalization of publishing and the introduction of the electronic book.

Part Three: Practical Methods and Approaches

A third part takes a practical turn, discussing methods, sources and approaches: bibliographical, archival and reading experience methodologies, as well as pedagogical strategies.