- Also on the future of the book, NPR ran a long story on the topic this week that is highly recommended (and is as good a synopsis of the field as any I've read in a while).
- At the Atlantic Wire, Heather Horn talks to Andrew Pettegree about The Book in the Renaissance, the trends he's discovered in the early days of printed books, and how those historical trends may be relevant for contemporary readers. I think his answer to the last question is particularly noteworthy (and spot-on).
- Don't miss J.L. Bell's "The Archives Just Aren't the Same," in which he discusses some recent great leaps in technology at the NARA branch in Waltham, MA (and mentions the new microfilm scanners at MHS, which are absolutely amazing). Having spent much of my yesterday quite literally "hunched over in the dark" reading microfilm on a machine of the old style, my back is definitely ready for those days to pass.
- Anis Shivani highlights "The 17 Most Innovative University Presses."
- The President made some biblio-news this week when he received an ARC of Jonathan Franzen's new novel Freedom from the staff at a Martha's Vineyard bookstore.
- Forbes released its annual list of the top-paid authors for the year ending 1 June.
- And speaking of technological leaps, Sam Allis writes in Saturday's Globe on Boston-area archives and their digitization efforts (with a cameo appearance by @JQAdams_MHS).
Reviews
- Steven Moore's The Novel; review by Alberto Manguel in the WaPo.
- Simon Schama's Scribble, Scribble, Scribble; review by James Grant in the Independent.
- Philip Baruth's The Brothers Boswell; review by Mary Crockett in the Scotsman.
- Lucy Worsley's The Courtiers; review by Jonathan Yardley in the WaPo.
- Craig Childs' Finders Keepers; review by Susan Salter Reynolds in the LATimes.
- Anthony Arthur's General Jo Selby's March; review by Stuart Ferguson in the WSJ.
- Nicholas Philipson's Adam Smith; review by Diana Coyle in the New Statesman.
- Lewis Hyde's Common as Air; review by Robert Darnton in the NYTimes. If you read just one review this week, let it be this one.
