This engaging introduction to Western book history will whet the appetites of aspiring bibliophiles. The authors do not treat their subject matter too seriously; swearing and some mild juvenile humor are included. Highlights include the chapters on Marino Massimo De Caro's convincing forgery of Galileo's Sidereus Nuncius, Benjamin Franklin's printing career, and the history of printing Shakespeare's plays. Coauthor J.P. Romney also serves as narrator. His dry delivery suits the "irreverent" text well. Unfortunately, because the audiobook version doesn't include digital surrogates or descriptive text of the many images in the physical book, it is a poor substitute and not a strong alternative for those with vision impairment.
VERDICT The purchase of the printed book is recommended over that of the audiobook. ["Written in an engaging, accessible style, these accounts will appeal to fans of Pawn Stars, as well as scholars of literature and printing history": LJ 2/1/17 review of the Harper hc.]
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