The Case for Books

Past, Present, and Future

By: Robert Darnton

Narrated by: David Henry

The invention of writing was one of the most important technological, cultural, and sociological breakthroughs in human history. With the printed book, information and ideas could disseminate more widely and effectively than ever before - and in some cases, affect and redirect the sway of history.

Today, nearly one million books are published each year. But is the era of the book as we know it - a codex of bound pages - coming to an end? And if it is, should we celebrate its demise and the creation of a democratic digital future, or mourn an irreplaceable loss?

The digital age is revolutionizing the information landscape. Already, more books have been scanned and digitized than were housed in the great library in Alexandria, making available millions of texts for a curious reader at the click of a button, and electronic book sales are growing exponentially. Will this revolution in the delivery of information and entertainment make for more transparent and far-reaching dissemination - or create a monopolistic stranglehold?

In The Case for Books, Robert Darnton, an intellectual pioneer in the field of the history of the book and director of Harvard University's Library, offers an in-depth examination of the book from its earliest beginnings to its shifting role today in popular culture, commerce, and the academy. As an author, editorial advisor, and publishing entrepreneur, Darnton is a unique authority on the life and role of the book in society. This book is a wise work of scholarship - one that requires listeners to carefully consider how the digital revolution will broadly affect the marketplace of ideas.

©2009 Robert Darnton (P)2009 PublicAffairs

chapter 8 missing!

I like Darnton's writing quite a bit, and the material here is all pretty fascinating to me. (I used to work in a library though, so take that with a grain of salt.)

However, 2 reservations. 1) The narrator would pronounce certain letters peculiarly, almost a bit like a lisp. I found that distracting. 2) It skips from chapter 7 to 9. I read the physical copy for that portion. Basically he responds to and reviews a book.

The book he reviews is a polemic against libraries who deconstructed books and newspapers in order to scan them into microfilm in order to save space (thereby destroying them in the name of preservation). Darnton, takes an evenhanded approach to this argument. He criticized the assumptions if the argument and its methodology, but ultimately agrees with the value judgements and solutions given by the book. Having worked in a library, he thankfully also pointed out that lack of space is a real issue for libraries and that the author shouldn't have downplayed it.

The book is wonderful, but it is abridged.

What made the experience of listening to The Case for Books the most enjoyable?

I'll go back to cover the book itself to find out if anything else is gone, but the chapter talking about Baker's

VERY GOOD BOOK

The narration is clear and upbeat.