The Secret Life of Books

* A fascinating look at how books shape our lives in unexpected ways.; * Stunningly produced, this is the perfect gift for all bibliophiles.; * An ideal till-point item for bookshops.; * Appeals to fans of Alberto Manguel's History of Reading and Simon Garfield's Just My Type.; * Tom Mole is an award-winning historian of the book who now brings his expert knowledge to a popular audience in an engaging and accessible format.

A beautiful gift book that will change the way you see books for ever

‘Probably the most compulsive text ever penned about what it means to handle and possess a book’ - Christopher de Hamel, author of Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts

‘A real treasure trove for book lovers’ - Alexander McCall Smith

We love books. We take them to bed with us. They weigh down our suitcases when we go on holiday. We display them on our bookshelves or store them in our attics. We give them as gifts. We write our names in them. We take them for granted. And all the time, our books are leading a double life.

The Secret Life of Books is about everything that isn’t just the words. It’s about how books transform us as individuals. It’s about how books – and readers – have evolved over time. And it’s about why, even with the arrival of other media, books still have the power to change our lives.

In this illuminating account, Tom Mole looks at everything from binding innovations to binding errors, to books defaced by lovers, to those imprisoning professors in their offices, to books in art, to burned books, to the books that create nations, to those we’ll leave behind.

It will change how you think about books.