Review: Little Book of Book Making by Charlotte Rivers

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

Making books by hand has never been cooler, with this inspiring guide to 30 top bookmakers working today, plus 21 tutorials for essential techniques to make your own books.

Crafters, artists, writers, and book lovers can't resist a beautifully hand-bound book. Packed with wonderfully eclectic examples, this book explores the intriguing creative possibilities of bookmaking as a modern art form, including a wide range of bindings, materials, and embellishments. Featured techniques include everything from Coptic to concertina binding, as well as experimental page treatments such as sumi-e ink marbling and wheat paste. In addition to page after page of inspiration from leading contemporary binderies, Little Book of Book Making includes a practical section of 21 easy-to-follow illustrated tutorials.

My Review

I love the art of book making and book binding. It was my favorite college class in my fine arts major. The majority of this book showcases a  handmade book from an individual artist or small press. The designs are creative and innovative and are accompanied by a few paragraphs from the artist describing the method used or thought behind the process. The photographs are small since the size of the book is about 7 inches square. The tutorials at the end of the book are brief and sometimes vague, with mediocre diagrams. This is a good book to pick up for those seeking inspiration for unique ideas, but not for instructional purposes on actual techniques.

(Thank you to Potter Craft and Blogging for Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)