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alexandrapierce's review against another edition
4.0
I have loved everything I've read by Mark Kurlansky. So when I was in a small bookshop in a small town and saw a new book from him, I was pretty stoked. I half considered buying it as an e-version, partly because OH THE IRONY, but then my darling fawned her how pretty it is (and it really is very pretty, with rough-edged paper and all), so I bought the bard-back. Supporting small book shops for the win.
Tragically, I am disappointed.
I was trying to pin down exactly why the book didn't work, and halfway through I realised: each paragraph felt like an extended dot point. Like he had all of these great ideas and fascinating points, mostly connected to paper, but... couldn't quite nail the flow and structure. There are weird disjointed bits that entirely lack in connection, there are some fascinating bits about language and so on that aren't clearly tied to paper, and... well. Disappointed.
I appreciated his discussion of the technological fallacy: that tech happens and then society follows. Rather, he argues, society creates a demand and THEN technology follows, playing catch up: why else is so much money spent on market research? So I liked that bit. However, as someone has pointed out to me, Kurlansky is entirely too linear in his perspective on the relationship between change and society. Civilisation just isn't like that.
More serious than the lack of sequencing, though, were a few points where he was just... kinda wrong. For instance: he suggests that some people credit Ada Lovelace with inventing computers, and then reveals that actually she was inspired by Charles Babbage. And, uh, no. She invented the first computer language, and it's no secret she worked with Babbage! ... so this makes me a little concerned when he's discussing those bits of history that I don't actually have knowledge of. Because... can I trust him?
I gave it a four because the ideas and the history really are fascinating, but the book itself as a piece of text ought to get a three.
Tragically, I am disappointed.
I was trying to pin down exactly why the book didn't work, and halfway through I realised: each paragraph felt like an extended dot point. Like he had all of these great ideas and fascinating points, mostly connected to paper, but... couldn't quite nail the flow and structure. There are weird disjointed bits that entirely lack in connection, there are some fascinating bits about language and so on that aren't clearly tied to paper, and... well. Disappointed.
I appreciated his discussion of the technological fallacy: that tech happens and then society follows. Rather, he argues, society creates a demand and THEN technology follows, playing catch up: why else is so much money spent on market research? So I liked that bit. However, as someone has pointed out to me, Kurlansky is entirely too linear in his perspective on the relationship between change and society. Civilisation just isn't like that.
More serious than the lack of sequencing, though, were a few points where he was just... kinda wrong. For instance: he suggests that some people credit Ada Lovelace with inventing computers, and then reveals that actually she was inspired by Charles Babbage. And, uh, no. She invented the first computer language, and it's no secret she worked with Babbage! ... so this makes me a little concerned when he's discussing those bits of history that I don't actually have knowledge of. Because... can I trust him?
I gave it a four because the ideas and the history really are fascinating, but the book itself as a piece of text ought to get a three.
ehtrively's review
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Very informative on the history of written information and art worldwide, and technological advances as society needed them.
ralphz's review against another edition
5.0
Mark Kurlansky - what's not to love? Kurlansky, author of Salt, Cod, The Basque History of the World and Birdseye, does it again - this time on paper.
The history of paper and its impact on the world is given the Kurlansky treatment in "Paper: Paging Through History." That is, it is a history of paper, and a history of civilization through the object of paper.
The story is well-told, starting in China, slowly moving west, with innovations along the way, including more sophisticated papermaking, printing and finally the intrusion of computers. Kurlansky makes a good case that technology doesn't bring about change, but that change requires new technology. If the Chinese weren't such bureaucrats, they wouldn't have needed paper to keep records, etc.
This book proceeds chronologically, and ends by debunking the oft-held argument that computers will replace paper, but we know by now that is not the case. New technology rarely wipes out the old, it just offers a new path.
Kurlansky also manages to weave insights from his other legendary books (cited above) into his tale of paper - because everything is connected somehow, and he's found the connections again. With Kurlansky's next book, Havana, don't be surprised if paper somehow plays a key role in it.
For more of my reviews, go to Ralphsbooks.
The history of paper and its impact on the world is given the Kurlansky treatment in "Paper: Paging Through History." That is, it is a history of paper, and a history of civilization through the object of paper.
The story is well-told, starting in China, slowly moving west, with innovations along the way, including more sophisticated papermaking, printing and finally the intrusion of computers. Kurlansky makes a good case that technology doesn't bring about change, but that change requires new technology. If the Chinese weren't such bureaucrats, they wouldn't have needed paper to keep records, etc.
This book proceeds chronologically, and ends by debunking the oft-held argument that computers will replace paper, but we know by now that is not the case. New technology rarely wipes out the old, it just offers a new path.
Kurlansky also manages to weave insights from his other legendary books (cited above) into his tale of paper - because everything is connected somehow, and he's found the connections again. With Kurlansky's next book, Havana, don't be surprised if paper somehow plays a key role in it.
For more of my reviews, go to Ralphsbooks.
briandbremer's review
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Despite being primarily famous for writing about the history of various food, Kurlansky is so much better when he's writing about something else. Primarily because it kicks away his crutch of filling pages and pages of his books with recipes (which seem to be his actual passion) rather than just telling the history.
Paper is an example of this. In order to talk about a recipe, he'd have to shoe horn in that it was written on paper, which, thankfully, he does not do. So instead, you actually get the story of the development of paper. And it's actually really interesting! I never realized that wood is a fairly modern paper source, only coming to popularity in the 1840s/50s. Before that, papermakers primarily used old rags that they ground down into pulp.
My two big critiques of the book are 1) Kurlansky won't stop repeating his thesis about the "technology fallacy" and 2) is a little too intent on including his interview subjects in the story. Kurlansky repeats over and over and over again that technology does not spur human development but, rather, human development spurs technology. Regardless of the merits of the point, I don't think bringing it up at least once per chapter is beneficial to the book.
And for the second issue, the last couple chapters involve little snippets of interviews with papermakers, mostly in Japan and China, about their views on papermaking. The chapters themselves feel like padding the page count and the focus on interviewee comments leads to the chapters having a disjointed feel because there's no flow. Just little vignettes.
Paper is an example of this. In order to talk about a recipe, he'd have to shoe horn in that it was written on paper, which, thankfully, he does not do. So instead, you actually get the story of the development of paper. And it's actually really interesting! I never realized that wood is a fairly modern paper source, only coming to popularity in the 1840s/50s. Before that, papermakers primarily used old rags that they ground down into pulp.
My two big critiques of the book are 1) Kurlansky won't stop repeating his thesis about the "technology fallacy" and 2) is a little too intent on including his interview subjects in the story. Kurlansky repeats over and over and over again that technology does not spur human development but, rather, human development spurs technology. Regardless of the merits of the point, I don't think bringing it up at least once per chapter is beneficial to the book.
And for the second issue, the last couple chapters involve little snippets of interviews with papermakers, mostly in Japan and China, about their views on papermaking. The chapters themselves feel like padding the page count and the focus on interviewee comments leads to the chapters having a disjointed feel because there's no flow. Just little vignettes.
karathagan's review
5.0
What a lovely concept. World history as told through the development and influence of papermaking. The author is well-renowned for this approach (see Salt, Cod, etc.), and executes it flawlessly here. I had never considered how much we depend on paper and how complicated its production is. I learned much about what quality is in terms of paper and printmaking. Also how art and education is restlessly entwined with technological development. Kurlansky is eager to counter the technological fallacy - that technology causes changes in culture, society, and intelligence. He affirms that society changes and calls for new technologies, that technology responds to needs, rather than creating needs.
rocksrntpeople's review against another edition
I thought this book was about the history of paper, but only about the first 75 pages are solely about that. After 40 pages about the printing press relenting to...another chapter about printing, I gave up hope that I'd ever learn about paper's development, the different notebooks that have been devised for everything from English class to underwater note taking, or anything else focused on paper alone.
Skimming through the rest of the book, there are pockets of information about things like the supply chain, modern paper techniques, and a rather long section on paper art crafts, but I wanted the nitty-gritty, "boring" stuff.
What's the supply chain like? What happened to paper production between 1980 and 2010? How's the greeting card market play into paper production? Why is there college ruled and wide ruled paper? What happens when we recycle paper?
As far as I could tell, none of these topics are given as much attention as printing and art crafts. This is just not what I wanted to read.
Skimming through the rest of the book, there are pockets of information about things like the supply chain, modern paper techniques, and a rather long section on paper art crafts, but I wanted the nitty-gritty, "boring" stuff.
What's the supply chain like? What happened to paper production between 1980 and 2010? How's the greeting card market play into paper production? Why is there college ruled and wide ruled paper? What happens when we recycle paper?
As far as I could tell, none of these topics are given as much attention as printing and art crafts. This is just not what I wanted to read.
tsugiye's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very informative and dense book about paper, but more so the history that happens in relation to the time and evolution of paper. I didn't know what I was getting into with this book, but I definitely came away with much more than anticipated! Quite engaging throughout, but there were a few bits that dragged during the middle chapters.