A book’s form and material should matter when observing a book. There have been times when I look at a book – how long does it take to get all those words on that small piece of paper? The material should be on everyone’s mind. We need to consider the actual making of a book or why the book was created in the first place. Some readers use book design and copy it to their cover because it also screams ‘inspiration.’ As I look deeper into the making of the books, I understand that this circle of ideas moves around for a publisher to write commonly inspired statements. We often search for books different from what we have seen or read. But we must remember that literature speaks in many other forms of writing and reading—poems and music I consider another form of reading a book. Like many, we listen to what the singer is saying and often imagine what the singer is singing in our minds if we are visual thinkers. On the website History of Book- there is a specific book that interests me, The Charm of Magpies (2018). The illustration in the book has a lot of vital visual elements that we, as readers, can take in. The cover only for me doesn’t turn me off when trying to find an interest in the book but instead makes me interested in the thought process of the book design. The inside of the book and how it is written should be captivating moment for readers, but at times, we often overlook that the writer writes to tell a story or share an opinion and nothing more.
A book is like a time capsule. It waits to be recognized for its weather and then opens to be seen and reflected upon again. We tend never to pay respect or give thanks to such a beautiful and wonder time-log in human history. A book is more than just a trophy on display. A book is more than just printed technology. A book holds such a high significance in the world that we cannot change how we can evolve the technology. Authors enjoy seeing their books among other printed hardcover books. It’s like a Christmas tree of books
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Hi Kehinde,
You state a lot of interesting points .One that sticks out to me the most is “ the material should be everyone’s mind” When you stated this I instantly thought about the multiple copies of books I encountered and didn’t appreciate or take time to study the material and just went straight into reading the content , I didn’t pay attention to the feel of the pages the illustration of the cover the specific font use etc , and I believe that might be one of the reasons why the relationship of materiality and content go so unnoticed or isn’t discussed . All in all great read .
Hello Kehinde,
When you said, “But we must remember that literature speaks in many other forms of writing and reading—poems and music I consider another form of reading a book. Like many, we listen to what the singer is saying and often imagine what the singer is singing in our minds if we are visual thinkers.” It intrigued me because like books, there are many ways a song can deliver its meaning, interpretation, intentions, etc. outside of the content itself. For example, the melodies of the song, what instruments are used, the beats, the drums, the artwork for the album, even the title can reveal a lot more than the lyrics can, or even help convey the meaning of those words.
Hello Kehinde,
I agree with a lot of your statements here. Like how readers should pay attention the material of a book because that aspect is obviously considered heavily in the production phase, and the material should serve as a meaningful addition the content of the book.