© Columbia University Press
The Late Age of Print: Everyday Book Culture from Consumerism to Control
Paper, 272 pages, 13 illus.
ISBN: 978-0-231-14815-3
$18.50
/ £13.00
April, 2009
Cloth, 272 pages, 13 illus.
ISBN: 978-0-231-14814-6
$27.50
/ £19.00
"This collection of historical and commercial analysis should fascinate those seriously involved with book culture and/or the industry." — Publishers Weekly
"Forget the premature obituaries for books and reading. Striphas insists that books remain a vital presence in the twenty-first century." — Booklist
"The Late Age of Print is an important history of the book and their impact on (mostly) American culture." — Sacramento Book Review
"It is rare to say of a university press hardcover that it is a "must-read," but for those interested in the confluence of culture and economics as it relates to books, that is what The Late Age of Print is." — Richard Nash, Critical Flame
"This book is a gold mine of information and thought about book culture in the 20th and 21st centuries." — Gwen M. Gregory, Information Today
"A solid work of scholarship that fills in several significant gaps . . . Highly Recommended." — Choice
"A magnificent achievement that makes a compelling series of arguments about the continuing importance of books and book publishing." — Publishing Research Quarterly
"Striphas does an excellent job." — Alan Jacobs, Books and Culture
"What is it that you purchase when you buy a book? In describing the answer, [Striphas]
is admirably clear about the choices publishers or booksellers made, and why." — Technology and Culture
"The Late Age of Print is exciting, clear, topical, interesting, and important. Ted Striphas has a voracious curiosity and is a great finder of material. How many of us have reflected on the history of bookshelves or have bothered to understand the mechanics of ISBN numbers or their political-economic-intellectual significance? Who knew the full story behind Oprah's Book Club, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble? This book provides a fine overview of the best English-language scholarship on books and print culture. Tackling the broad meaning of books over the past century, it says something broader about life in our era. Striphas gives the best integrated overview of the book in our moment and participates in public debates about education, literature, culture, and capitalism." — John Durham Peters, University of Iowa, and author of Courting the Abyss: Free Speech and the Liberal Tradition
"Neither overly alarmist nor excessively nostalgic about the fate of books in a digital age, The Late Age of Print provides a lucid, balanced view of how books are changing in response to a fast-evolving media environment. Ted Striphas proves to be a highly reliable guide to the question of what might happen to books and book reading in the years to come. He will interest anyone who has ever wondered how writing and reading will be conducted in the future." — Janice Radway, Northwestern University, and author of A Feeling for Books: The Book-of-the-Month Club, Literary Taste, and Middle-Class Desire
"I thought I understood American publishing. After reading this work, I am struck by how little I actually knew." — Siva Vaidhyanathan, University of Virginia, and author of The Anarchist in the Library: How the Clash Between Freedom and Control is Hacking the Real World and Crashing the System