From an author who has written about this topic before, though fictionally (The Printer's Apprentice, 1995), a brief history of book-making (subtitled ``Before and After the Invention of the Printing Press''), from illuminated manuscripts created by monks and Chinese attempts at movable type, through Gutenberg's press and the subsequent explosion of the printed word. A grand design contributes to the handsome look of this book: The spreads are given ornate borders, in the manner of illuminated manuscripts, and one or two framed colored wood engravings. Simple, readable text appears in large black typeface, while snippets of related, slightly more difficult information appear in small colored type in the margins. It's a gorgeous format that does complete justice to the subject. (chronology) (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)
