Portal:Books
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The Books Portal
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images. Books are typically composed of many pages, bound together and protected by a cover. Modern bound books were preceded by many other written mediums, such as the codex and the scroll. The book publishing process is the series of steps involved in their creation and dissemination.
As a conceptual object, a book typically refers to a written work of substantial length, which may be distributed either physically or in digital forms like ebooks. These works are broadly classified into fiction (containing imaginary content) and non-fiction (containing content representing truths). Many smaller categories exist within these, such as children's literature meant to match the reading level and interests of children, or reference works that gather collections of nonfiction. Books are traded at both regular stores and specialized bookstores, and people can borrow them from libraries. The reception of books has led to a number of social consequences, including censorship.
A physical book does not need to contain written works: for example, it may contain only drawings, engravings, photographs, puzzles, or removable content like paper dolls. Physical books may be left empty to be used for writing or drawing, such as account books, appointment books, autograph books, notebooks, diaries and sketchbooks.
The contemporary book industry has seen several major changes due to new technologies. In some markets, the sale of printed books has decreased due to the increased use of ebooks. However, printed books still largely outsell ebooks, and many people have a preference for print. The 21st century has also seen a rapid rise in the popularity of audiobooks, which are recordings of books being read aloud. Additionally, awareness of the needs of people who can't access print media due to limitations like visual impairment has led to a rise in formats designed for greater accessibility, such as braille printing or formats supporting text-to-voice. Google Books estimated that as of 2010, approximately 130,000,000 unique books had been published. (Full article...)
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Thoughts on the education of daughters: with reflections on female conduct, in the more important duties of life is the first published work of the British feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. Published in 1787 by her friend Joseph Johnson, Thoughts is a conduct book that offers advice on female education to the emerging British middle class. Although dominated by considerations of morality and etiquette, the text also contains basic child-rearing instructions, such as how to care for an infant.
An early version of the modern self-help book, the 18th-century British conduct book drew on many literary traditions, such as advice manuals and religious narratives. There was an explosion in the number of conduct books published during the second half of the 18th century, and Wollstonecraft took advantage of this burgeoning market when she published Thoughts. However, the book was only moderately successful: it was favourably reviewed, but only by one journal and it was reprinted only once. Although it was excerpted in popular contemporary magazines, it was not republished until the rise of feminist literary criticism in the 1970s. (Full article...) -
Image 2Daniel Florencio O'Leary, as well as numerous other historical documents and consultations with academics. (Full article...)
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Image 3Image 4Image 5St. Petersburg Times classed it as among the "most interesting and unique cookbooks" published, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlighted it in the article "Favorite Cookbooks for 2002" and The Denver Post included it in a list of best cookbooks of 2002. A review in the Toronto Star criticized Perry's lack of creativity in her choice of recipes. Recipes from the work have been featured in related cookbooks. (Full article...)Image 6The Playboy is a graphic novel by the Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown, serialized in 1990 in Brown's comic book Yummy Fur and collected in different revised book editions in 1992 and 2013. It deals with Brown's guilt and anxiety over his obsessive masturbation to Playboy Playmate models.
The story begins with Brown's first purchase of an issue of Playboy as a teenager. His obsessive masturbation gives him great guilt and anxiety, and out of fear of being caught he repeatedly rids himself of copies of the magazine, only to retrieve them later. His conflicting emotions follow him into adulthood until he purges them by revealing himself through his comics. The free, organic arrangement of odd-shaped panels of simple, expressive artwork contrasts with Brown's more detailed grid-like pages in his 1980s work, such as Ed the Happy Clown. (Full article...)Image 7Image 8Image 9Southern Cross is the sole wordless novel by Canadian artist Laurence Hyde (1914–1987). Published in 1951, its 118 wood-engraved images narrate the impact of atomic testing on Pacific islanders. Hyde made the book to express his anger at the US military's nuclear tests in the Bikini Atoll.
The wordless novel genre had flourished primarily during the 1920s and 1930s, but by the 1940s even the most prolific practitioners had abandoned it. Hyde was familiar with some such works by Lynd Ward, Otto Nückel, and the form's pioneer Frans Masereel. The high-contrast artwork of Southern Cross features dynamic curving lines uncommon in wood engraving and combines abstract imagery with realistic detail. It has gained appreciation in comics circles as a precursor to the Canadian graphic novel, though it had no direct influence. (Full article...)Image 10Image 11Image 12Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution is a book written by Stephen Knight first published in 1976. It proposed a solution to five murders in Victorian London that were blamed on an unidentified serial killer known as "Jack the Ripper".
Knight presented an elaborate conspiracy theory involving the British royal family, freemasonry and the painter Walter Sickert. He concluded that the victims were murdered to cover up a secret marriage between the second-in-line to the throne, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, and Annie Elizabeth Crook, a working class girl. There are many facts that contradict Knight's theory, and his main source, Joseph Gorman (also known as Joseph Sickert), later retracted the story and admitted to the press that it was a hoax. (Full article...)Image 13
Gather Together in My Name is a 1974 memoir by American writer and poet Maya Angelou. It is the second book in Angelou's series of seven autobiographies. Written three years after the publication of and beginning immediately following the events described in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, it follows Angelou, called Rita, from the ages of 17 to 19. The title is taken from the Bible, but also conveys how one Black female lived in the white-dominated society of the U.S. following World War II.
Angelou expands upon many themes that she started discussing in her first autobiography, including motherhood and family, racism, identity, education and literacy. Rita becomes closer to her mother in this book, and goes through a variety of jobs and relationships as she tries to provide for her young son and find her place in the world. Angelou continues to discuss racism in Gather Together, but moves from speaking for all Black women to describing how one young woman dealt with it. The book exhibits the narcissism of young people, but describes how Rita discovers her identity. Like many of Angelou's autobiographies, Gather Together is concerned with Angelou's on-going self-education. (Full article...)Image 14Selected picture
Credit: Eadfrith of Lindisfarne
The in the late 7th century or early 8th century.More Did you know (auto generated)
- ... that according to one legal scholar, "no intelligent lawyer could well practice without" the books of Joseph Kinnicutt Angell?
- ... that Progressive Corporation, an insurer, published 5,000 copies of a book credited to Dr. Rick, its fictional advertising campaign character?
- ... that pacifist Theodora Wilson Wilson's science fiction book The Last Weapon was banned by the British Government in 1917?
- ... that Ludwig Ferdinand Huber wrote the text for a book with humorous illustrations by poet Friedrich Schiller?
- ... that William Winstanley Hull's search for the original manuscript of the 1662 prayer book led to its later discovery?
- ... that Canadian doctor James Maskalyk's book Six Months in Sudan was based on his blog?
Books topics
- For a topical guide of this subject, see Outline of books
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Production Consumption By country Other - Genres
- Grimoire
- Formats
- Coffee table book
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Image 1Who We Are and How We Got Here is a 2018 book on the contribution of genome-wide ancient DNA research to human population genetics by the geneticist David Reich. He describes discoveries made by his group and others, based on analysis and comparison of ancient and modern DNA from human populations around the world. Central to these is the finding that almost all human populations are mixtures resulting from multiple population migrations and gene flow.
Several reviewers have praised the book for clearly describing pioneering work in a cutting-edge field of study. It has been criticized by numerous scientists and scholars for its handling of race, though other commentators observe that nothing it says should give racists any comfort. (Full article...) -
Image 2B-side to his 1987 single "Got My Mind Set on You", the Songs by George Harrison EP remains the sole official release for this live version of "For You Blue" and for the studio tracks "Sat Singing" and "Flying Hour". (Full article...)
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Image 3Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939 is a non-fiction book by Adam Hochschild that was first published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on March 29, 2016. The book is an account of the American volunteers who participated in the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. The story centers around several American volunteer fighters and journalists, tracing their motivations for joining the war and their experiences during the war which left many disillusioned. The book explains the involvement of foreign leaders including Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin, and explains why the Republican faction ultimately lost.
Hochschild knew several American volunteers personally, and was partly inspired by them to write the book. Most of Hochschild's archival research on the subject was carried out at the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archives. (Full article...) -
Image 4Image 5newsmagazine 60 Minutes, later produced several television reports which disputed the Navy's conclusions as to what had caused the explosion. (Full article...)Image 6Hugh B. Urban describes as a "nonscholarly popular exposé of Scientology". Burroughs's texts argue that while some of Scientology's therapies are worthwhile, the dogmatic nature of the group and its secrecy are harmful. (Full article...)Image 7mythology, music, and poetry pressed into service to give the reader a picture of the events as she perceived them.)
The book has been praised by critics for its bravery, and for its ability to connect personal experience to a shareable understanding. (Full article...Image 8links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies. Nance concludes that Putin managed the cyberattack by hacker groups Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear. (Full article...)Image 9child psychiatry with research at Dalhousie University, and has taught physicians in a psychiatry residency program in the field of family therapy. Suess assisted Persinger in researching effects of geological phenomena on unidentified flying object sightings in Washington; the two conducted similar research in Toronto and Ottawa.)
TM and Cult Mania analyzes the efficacy or lack thereof of the TM meditation process, concluding that it is, "no more effective than many other meditation techniques". The authors write that, "Transcendental Meditation has achieved international recognition through commercial exploitation" and "poor scientific procedures". The book notes that physiological changes observed due to partaking in TM methodology are very small. Persinger, Carrey, and Suess conclude in TM and Cult Mania, "science has been used as a sham for propaganda by the TM movement." (Full article...Image 10The University of York library said that the "site maintained by David Boothroyd provides detailed results data for all UK Parliamentary Elections since 1983". (Full article...)Image 11Image 12youth gangs than on the American culture and value systems in which the youth were raised. Nineteen publishers rejected Growing Up Absurd before Norman Podhoretz used selections from the book to relaunch his magazine, Commentary. After Podhoretz encouraged Random House publisher Jason Epstein to reconsider the book, Goodman had a contract the next day. Random House published Growing Up Absurd in 1960 and a Vintage Books paperback edition followed two years later. (Full article...)Image 13"Doubleday Books.)
The story follows an exploratory ship sent by the League to investigate a newly discovered planet, named World 4470. The team includes Osden, an "empath" who is able to feel the emotions of those around him; however, he has an abrasive personality that leads to tensions within the team. The ship finds World 4470 to be a world covered in forests, and apparently devoid of animal life. However, the team eventually begins to feel a fear emanating from the planet. The team realizes that the entire vegetation on the planet is part of a singular consciousness, which is reacting in fear at the explorers after spending its whole life in isolation. (Full article...Image 14The Great Derangement, asserting he predicted the onslaught of fake news and the beginnings of the alt-right in society. He argues such societal factors helped set the tone for a climate in which Trump could ascend to the presidency. Taibbi writes that Trump's prior experiences in reality television gave him the tools to triumph in an era of post-truth politics. He criticizes the media for its coverage of Trump, describing how the candidate's inflammatory campaign rhetoric led to increased publicity. The book documents a chronology of the author's thoughts over time as he begins to realize Trump's increasing chances of success. Taibbi reflects back on the events after the election, concluding Trump won because he was able to harness the power of television. (Full article...)Image 15Chingleput (present-day Chengalpattu), her 54-year-long film career, and her 1974 marriage to the actor Kamaljeet, with whom she has two children. It was published on 19 February 2014 by Penguin Books. The book generated positive reviews from book critics; most of the praise was directed towards the book's question-and-answer format, and Kabir's and Rehman's style in questioning and answering, respectively.)
In 1988, Kabir met Rehman while researching on Guru Dutt's life. She met Rehman—his then frequent collaborator—to find more information about him for a documentary releasing the next year, In Search of Guru Dutt. During these interactions, Kabir conceived the idea to write a book on the actress which later became Conversations with Waheeda Rehman. Over the next decades, Kabir tried persuading Rehman to get involved in the book but was always rejected since Rehman believed her life was not interesting enough. While Kabir was nearly about to give up of the project, Rehman finally agreed to do so in 2012. Writing took place in Bandra from December 2012 to November 2013. (Full article...Selected quote
Did you know
- ...that in English language works the table of contents is at the beginning of a book, but in French and Spanish ones it is at the back, by the index?
- ...that print spacedetermines the effective area on the paper of a book, journal or other press work, and is limited by the surrounding borders?
- ...that the craft of bookbinding may have originated around the 1st century A.D.?
General images
The following are images from various book-related articles on Wikipedia.)-
Image 1Page spread with J. A. van de Graaf's construction of classical text area (print space) and margin proportions (from Book design)
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Image 2Hardbound book spine stitching (from Bookbinding)
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Image 3European output of books 500–1800 (from History of books)
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Image 4Hardbound book with half leather binding (spine and corners) and marbled boards (from Bookbinding)
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Image 5Book conservators at the State Library of New South Wales, 1943 (from Bookbinding)
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Image 6Sammelband of three alchemical treatises, bound in Strasbourg by Samuel Emmel c. 1568, showing metal clasps and leather covering of boards (from Bookbinding)
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Image 712-metre-high (40 ft) stack of books sculpture at the Berlin Walk of Ideas, commemorating the invention of modern book printing (from History of books)
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Image 8A 15th-century Incunable. Notice the blind-tooled cover, corner bosses, and clasps. (from History of books)
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Image 9Scheme of common(from Bookbinding
Image 11Traditionally sewn book opened flat (from Bookbinding)Image 12A Chinese bamboo book (from History of books)Image 13Rebacking saving original spine, showing one volume finished and one untouched (from Bookbinding)Image 14European output of manuscripts 500–1500 (from History of books)Image 15Photograph of a printing press in Egypt, c. 1922 (from History of books)Image 16Folio from the Shah Jahan Album, c. 1620, depicting the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (from History of books)Image 17A traditional bookbinder at work (from Bookbinding)Image 18Thespine of the book is an important aspect in book design, especially in the cover design. When the books are stacked up or stored in a shelf, the details on the spine is the only visible surface that contains the information about the book. In a book store, it is often the details on the spine that attract the attention first. (from Book design)Image 19Decorative binding with figurehead of the 12th century manuscriptLiber Landavensis (from Bookbinding)Image 20Jikji, Selected Teachings of Buddhist Sages and Seon Masters, the earliest known book printed with movable metal type, 1377.Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris. (from History of books)Image 21Early medieval bookcase containing about ten codices depicted in the Codex Amiatinus (c. 700) (from Bookbinding)Image 23Example of blind tooling a book binding with exquisite detail (from Bookbinding)Image 24Design by Hans Holbein the Younger for a metalwork book cover (or treasure binding) (from Book design)Image 26Bookbinder's type holder (from Bookbinding)Image 28Woman holding wax tablets in the form of the codex. Wall painting from Pompeii, before 79 CE. (from History of books)Image 29Page from the Blue Quran manuscript, ca. 9th or 10th century CE (from History of books)Image 30Modern book spine designs (from Bookbinding)Image 32The scene in Botticelli's Madonna of the Book (1480) reflects the presence of books in the houses of richer people in his time. (from History of books)Image 33AOriental Institute at the University of Chicago, inscribed with the text of the poem Inanna and Ebih by the priestess Enheduanna, the first author whose name is knownImage 34Cloth book cover with attached paper panel, mimicking half leather binding (from Bookbinding)Image 35Page from a Jain manuscript depicting the birth of Mahavira, c. 1400 (from History of books)Image 36The Book of the Dead of Hunefer, c. 1275 BCE, ink and pigments on papyrus, in the British Museum (London) (from History of books)Image 39European output of printed books c. 1450–1800 (from History of books)Image 40An author portrait of Jean Miélot writing his compilation of the Miracles of Our Lady, one of his many popular works. (from History of books)Image 41Three books with different titling orientations:
(left) ascending
(middle) descending
(right) upright (from Bookbinding)Books lists
- Lists of books
- Lists of novels
- Lists of controversial books
- List of banned books
- List of books by genre or type
- List of book titles taken from literature
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Web resources
- Bookbinding and the Conservation of books, A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, 1982 by Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington
- IOBA glossary of book terms
- Project Gutenberg - Free e-Books
- Words at Large: The best in books from CBC.ca
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