Who Would Like This Book:
If you love learning about the everyday stuff we take for granted - and how it shapes our history - this is right up your alley! Kurlansky takes the humble sheet of paper and spins a fascinating story connecting technology, art, culture, and even bureaucracy throughout human civilization. If you're a fan of big-picture history, quirky facts, or just enjoy books that make you see the world differently, you'll find plenty to enjoy here. Museum docents, educators, and curious minds will especially appreciate the trove of anecdotes and little-known details.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the book a bit scattered and heavy on tangents. If you're after a tightly focused narrative on papermaking itself, the many digressions into general history or the author's sociological theories might frustrate you. Technical purists might be irked by occasional factual slip-ups, and the somewhat non-linear, anecdotal style may not be everyone's cup of tea. Plus, if you're looking for robust illustrations or a straightforward how-to, this book won’t deliver on that front.
About:
'Paper: Paging Through History' by Mark Kurlansky is an exploration of the history and significance of paper as a technology that has shaped human civilization. The book delves into the origins of paper-making, its impact on communication and knowledge dissemination, and its role in societal and technological developments throughout history. Kurlansky weaves together anecdotes, historical events, and technological advancements to provide a comprehensive look at how paper has influenced human progress and culture.
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From The Publisher:
From the New York Times best-selling author of Cod and Salt, a definitive history of paper and the astonishing ways it has shaped today's world.
Paper is one of the simplest and most essential pieces of human technology. For the past two millennia, the ability to produce it in ever more efficient ways has supported the proliferation of literacy, media, religion, education, commerce, and art; it has formed the foundation of civilizations, promoting revolutions and restoring stability. By tracing paper's evolution from antiquity to the present, with an emphasis on the contributions made in Asia and the Middle East, Mark Kurlansky challenges common assumptions about technology's influence, affirming that paper is here to stay. Paper will be the commodity history that guides us forward in the twenty-first century and illuminates our times.
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Paper: Paging Through History?
About the Author:
Mark Kurlansky is the New York Times best-selling author of twenty-nine books and a former foreign correspondent for The International Herald Tribune, The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He lives in New York City.
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