Download the book on bookshelf henry petroski pdf pdf. The book on the bookshelf is henry petroskis sly look at how books are stored, and have been stored for centuries. A professor both of civil engineering and history at duke university, he is also a prolific author. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. For book lovers who havent met petroski in print, bookthink highly recommends the book on the bookshelf as a starting point. Download an uncommon history of common things, volume 2 by henry petroski free book in pdf format. Books by henry petroski author of to engineer is human.
Most of us take for granted that our books are vertical on our shelves with the spines facing out, but henry petroski, inveterately. The book on the bookshelf is henry petroski s sly look at how books are stored, and have been stored for centuries. How everyday artifactsfrom forks and pins to paper clips and zipperscame to be as they are, and more on. Its sly, in part, because to tell you this he has to tell you the history of the book itself, and this of course leads him off in different directions.
Henry petroskis most popular book is seeing further. The role of failure in successful design 1985 and including a number of titles detailing the industrial design history of. Buy a cheap copy of the book on the bookshelf by henry petroski. As a result, readers are guided along the astonishing. Now henry petroski turns to the subject of books and bookshelves, and wonders whether it was inevitable that books would come to be arranged vertically as. Sep 14, 1999 if theres one thing im taking away from henry petroski s the book on the bookshelf, its the fact that no technology is so basic as to be selfevident. Jerome, then read mostly captions of the many fascinating illustrations and was surprised not to see john muirs book invention included. Buy the book on the bookshelf vintage by petroski, henry isbn. Petroski, however, uses this treatise on design to examine the very human motivations that lie behind it. I would still recommend the book, but be prepared for the dry bits, and there are quite a few of them. Henry petroski has 25 books on goodreads with 35474 ratings. Having come to petroski via the book on the bookshelf, which is much more light hearted, funny and easy to read, i was let down by his writing style here. Knopf, 1999 also discusses the shelving of books in some detail. Book storage might not seem like the sort of topic to get our hearts thumping, but if you had never read walden because you thought it was about beans, where would you be today.
Download an uncommon history of common things by henry. Bookcases are used in private homes, public and university libraries, offices and bookstores. The book on the bookshelf paperback september 12, 2000 by henry petroski author. A fascinating history of two related common objects, im. Sep 12, 2000 the book on the bookshelf by henry petroski, 9780375706394, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Petroski points out that, given the high value of early books, which were each handlettered and often bound between jewelencrusted covers, a very secure storage technique was needed. Petroski has written over a dozen books beginning with to engineer is human. Erudite and meticulously researched, the book on the bookshelf is also ungodly repetitive and so, often boring. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The book on the bookshelf by henry petroski, 9780375706394, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Placing books vertically on shelves, spines facing outward, is a fairly recent invention, it would seem. Bookcases range from small, low models the height of a table to high models reaching up to ceiling height.
Sep 12, 2000 from the author of the highly praised the pencil and the evolution of useful things comes another captivating history of the seemingly mundane. Ever the engineer petroski chairs the department of civil and environmental engineering at duke university, he traces the development of the bookshelf in response to real and perceived problems with existing. I read carefully through opening chapters, got captivated by st. The book on the bookshelf by henry petroski 2000, paperback. If theres one thing im taking away from henry petroskis the book on the bookshelf, its the fact that no technology is so basic as to be selfevident. The book on the bookshelf by henry petroski new york. The role of failure in successful design, and the evolution of useful things. It is primarily not as are his other books a framework for his theories of industrial design, which are barely mentioned. I always thought of the humble bookshelf as a foregone conclusion. Henry petroski, professor of engineering and professor of history at duke university, is a master at humanizing engineering by writing about the history and development of familiar objects such as paperclips and pencils. This is in essence a brief history of library design, fleshed out to book length by petroskis memories of the bookshelves in his life. Beans and bookcases an interview with henry petroski. As a result, readers are guided along the astonishing evolution. Though goodnight moon and finnegans wake differ considerably in content and intended audience, they do share some basic characteristics.
The book on the bookshelf chemical education xchange. This nonfiction book is a treat for bibliophiles but could prove a bit of a bore for the average reader. This is really a book about booksthe peculiar allure of the written word, the history of publishing, and the mania that affects those who strangely view books as metaphysically more valuable than the sum of all knowledge contained therein. From the author of the highly praised the pencil and the. Henry petroski is the author of the book on the book shelf. Seattle times if god is in the details, then those seeking god should read petroskis books. From the author of the highly praised the pencil and the evolution of useful things comes another captivating history of the seemingly mundane. A book on the bookshelf is something to be taken down and read. The book on the bookshelf also addresses the changing nature of the book, and petroski examines electronic books, eink, and various electronic book readers. As always, petroski unwraps a plethora of information about books, libraries and their users chiefly among them a gentleman named petroski sometimes it gets a little tiresome i needed three reading breaks and forced myself through some of the pages but one never.
Mitchell beazley, 1999 deals with accommodating books at home. Mar 24, 2020 download an uncommon history of common things, volume 2 by henry petroski free book in pdf format. This volume is devoted to the codevelopment of the book and the bookshelf. Henry petroski though ours is an age of high technology, the essence of what engineering is and what engineers do is not common knowledge. The one object is in service to the other, superior to the other or such is the conventional wisdom and the inferior object is. Petroski does for the bookcase what he did for the pencil 1990 and for bridges in engineer of dreams 1995. Civilization after reading this book, you will not look at a book or a bookshelf in the same way. In the book on the bookshelf, author henry petroski takes an in depth look at the development of books and the humble bookshelf over the centuries including.
The book on the bookshelf has 2 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Download download the book on bookshelf henry petroski pdf book pdf free download link or read online here in pdf. The book on the bookshelf 9780375706394 by henry petroski. What constitutes a bookshelf, petroski tells us, depends, like so many things, on definition, and that definition can change with time. He has been called the poet laureate of technology and a. Well written as it is, if the book on the bookshelf were only about booksasfurniture, it would have little appeal to the general reader. The book on the bookshelf king county library system. The book on the bookshelf book by henry petroski 2. For anyone interested in the craft of reading, petroskis most recent exploration is a compulsive necessity. See all books authored by henry petroski, including to engineer is human. The book on the bookshelf by henry petroski, paperback. Im pretty sure all of you structural engineers, or any other type of engineers for that matter, have already read this petroski title, but for everyone who is not yet acquainted with professor petroski especially all you writers this is a must read. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. The book on the bookshelf henry petroski, author alfred a.
Read online download the book on bookshelf henry petroski pdf book pdf free download link book now. It turns out he also authored a staggeringly long paean to the humble pencil. The book on the bookshelf henry petroski oak knoll books. The one object is in service to the other, superior to the other or such is the conventional wisdom and the inferior object is something we seldom think about or have reason to. For anyone interested in the craft of reading, petroski s most recent exploration is a compulsive necessity. The subject matter of henry petroskis the book on the bookshelf will therefore be close to their hearts, for this is a survey of, and commentary upon, the many ways that have been devised of storing, retrieving, and consulting books from the ancient world to the present. Henry petroski duke civil and environmental engineering. Of course, he also speculates about how such books and readers might be stored by libraries and bookstores and how they might be read and studied by readers.
He seems to relish the challenges involved in writing engagingly to nonengineers about some of the most mundane objects in everyday life things that we take for granted. But as henry petroski makes abundantly clear in book on the bookshelf, books as we know them have had a long and complex evolution. Henry petroski books list of books by author henry petroski. An uncommon history of common things, volume 2 is an amazing book that reveals the fascinating stories behind the objects in our world, what we wear, what we eat, what entertains us, and more. Publication date 1999 topics shelving for books history, shelving for books europe history, bookbinding. The complete title of this amazing book is to engineer is human, the role of failure in successful design. The book on the bookshelf by henry petroski goodreads. The book on the bookshelf by henry petroski librarything. Most of us take for granted that our books are vertical on our shelves with the spines facing. Well written as it is, if book on the bookshelf were only about booksasfurniture, it would have little appeal to the general reader. A bookcase, or bookshelf, is a piece of furniture with horizontal shelves, often in a cabinet, used to store books or other printed materials.
Henry petroski february 6, 1942 is an american engineer specializing in failure analysis. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Indeed, he takes us from the scroll to the codex to the handlettered illuminated texts that were so rare and valuable they were chained to lecterns to prevent theft. The book on the bookshelf by henry petroski 1999, hardcover. In the second chapter of his 1889 novel, sylvie and bruno, lewis carroll suggested that the. Henry petroski before coming to duke in 1980, he had taught at the university of illinois and the university of texas at austin and was a group leader at argonne national laboratory, where he was responsible for research and development efforts in fracture mechanics. The book on the bookshelf henry petroski from the author of the highly praised the pencil and the evolution of useful things comes another captivating history of the seemingly mundane. About the book on the bookshelf from the author of the highly praised the pencil and the evolution of useful things comes another captivating history of the seemingly mundane. Most of us take for granted that our books are vertical on our shelves with the spines facing out, but henry petroski, inveterately curious engineer, didnt. Petroskis book, a history of the development of book storage technology in the west, entertainingly disproves this assumption. Even the most elementary of principles upon which great bridges, jumbo jets, or super computers are built are alien concepts to many.
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