Why do some book covers become instant classics? This captivating visual exploration of the book cover sheds light on the creative genius sitting on our shelves.
Peter Mendelsund is the former art director at Alfred A. Knopf, the
creative director of The Atlantic, and the author of a design
monograph called Cover, as well as What We See When We Read, which
has been translated into fourteen languages, and the novel Same
Same. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, the Paris
Review, and other magazines.
David J. Alworth is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the
Humanities at Harvard University. He teaches and writes about
modern and contemporary literature, media, art, and design. He is
the author of Site Reading- Fiction, Art, Social Form and his
essays have appeared in Public Books and the Los Angeles Review of
Books, as well as in various scholarly journals.
Praise for The Look of the Book:
“A book about books that deserves a spot in every bibliophile’s
collection.”—Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Cover:
“In the past decade, Mr. Mendelsund has designed about 600 book
jackets, ranging from a sober, sophisticated cover for Tolstoy's
War and Peace to his whimsical Pop Art-like treatment of Kafka's
novella Metamorphosis, to the hypnotic fluorescent swirls on Stieg
Larsson's thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”—New York
Times
“Cover is foremost a visually enticing tour of some of the most
important books of recent times, made even more memorable by
Mendelsund's daring covers.”—Washington Post
Praise for What We See When We Read:
“A playful, illustrated treatise on how words give rise to mental
images.”—Alexandra Alter, New York Times
“Mendelsund, throughout this thought-provoking book, helps the lay
reader contemplate text in ways you hadn't thought about
previously.”—Los Angeles Times
“A welcome and fascinating new book.”—New York Review of Books
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