On Paper

A consideration of all things paper--the invention that revolutionized human civilization; its thousand-fold uses (and misuses); its sweeping influence on society; its makers, shapers, collectors, and pulpers--by the admired cultural historian, and author of the trilogy on all things book related: A Gentle Madness ("A jewel."--David McCullough); Patience and Fortitude ("How could any intelligent, literate person not just love this book"--Simon Winchester); A Splendor of Letters ("Elegant, wry, and humane . . . No other writer has traced the history of the book so thoroughly or engagingly."-- André Bernard, New York Observer).
From its invention in China eighteen hundred years ago to recording the thoughts of Islamic scholars and mathematicians; from Europe, North America, and the rest of the inhabited world, Basbanes writes about the ways in which paper has been used to record history, make laws, conduct business . . . He makes clear that without paper,...