James Raven Books

In 14 original essays, this book reveals the history of books in all their various forms, from the ancient world to the digital present

James Raven, a leading historian of the book, offers a fresh and accessible guide to the global study of the production, dissemination and reception of written and printed texts across all societies and in all ages. Students, teachers, researchers and general readers will benefit from the book's investigation of the subject's origins, scope and future direction. Based on original research and a wide range of sources, What is the History of the Book? shows how book history crosses disciplinary boundaries and intersects with literary, historical, media, library, conservation and communications studies. Raven uses examples from around the world to explore different traditions in bibliography, palaeography and manuscript studies. He analyses book history's growing global ambition and demonstrates how the study of reading practices opens up new horizons in social history and the history of knowledge. He shows how book history is contributing to debates about intellectual and popular culture, colonialism and the communication of ideas. The first global, accessible introduction to the field of book history from ancient to modern times, What is the History of the Book? is essential reading for all those interested in one of society's most important cultural artefacts.

Set in 2055, the story unfolds on Planet Terra Iota, where a young engineer from the interstellar company MERIC discovers a powerful blue crystal following a mining explosion. As he investigates the incident, he uncovers a deadly conspiracy led by Jackson Jensen, the director's son, who seeks to exploit the crystal for his gain. With the director's suspicious death back on Earth, the engineer finds himself entangled in a dangerous plot, realizing that his own life is at stake as he navigates corporate treachery and deceit.