Overview

This volume is based on a special issue of Logos that grew out of a meeting of an international group of book trade hands. It is the first broad-scale account and assessment of the commercial aspects of the U.S. book trade from publisher to library by way of book dealers and wholesalers. Two major phenomena, concentration into larger units and concern about the electronic future, are recurring themes in this collection. Concentration characterizes bookselling as much as publishing, and the electronic future preoccupies librarians even more than publishers. Chapters and contributors to The Book in the United States Today include: A Religious Country Reflected in its Publishing Industry by Werner Mark Linz; Children's Books: 500 Million a Year by Charles E. Gates; U.S. School Publishing by Cameron S. Moseley; The Paperback Conquest of America by Betty Ballantine; Medical Publishing in the U.S. by Eric J. Newman; The U.S. College Textbook by Robert R. Worth; The American University Library by Hendrik Edelman; and Between Academe and the Marketplace: University Presses Face the 21st Century by Naomi B. Pascal. In the postscript, Gordon Graham discusses one of the defects of the U.S. book industry today, a shortage of collective memory. The common ground of the industry, he writes, is seen in securing legal rights and political advantage, not in any ideological attachment to the shared product, its history or its culture. The Book in the United States Today provides important information for publishers, librarians, authors, and book sellers.

Full Product Details

9781560009726

Table of Contents

Reviews

-I approached this book with interest. . . . I was not disappointed. . . . [T]his book is an informative collection of essays written by a group of well-known personalities in the book trade. . . . The essays point out the tremendous diversity within the U.S. book trade. It has grown so large that, as Gordon Graham states, 'its vital parts are ignorant of each other.' In many ways, the existence of this book will help to remedy that situation. It is certainly a must read for those interested in the book and its future--especially scholars and librarians.- --Barry B. Baker, Metropolitan Universities Book Reviews I approached this book with interest. . . . I was not disappointed. . . . [T]his book is an informative collection of essays written by a group of well-known personalities in the book trade. . . . The essays point out the tremendous diversity within the U.S. book trade. It has grown so large that, as Gordon Graham states, 'its vital parts are ignorant of each other.' In many ways, the existence of this book will help to remedy that situation. It is certainly a must read for those interested in the book and its future--especially scholars and librarians. --Barry B. Baker, Metropolitan Universities Book Reviews I approached this book with interest. . . . I was not disappointed. . . . [T]his book is an informative collection of essays written by a group of well-known personalities in the book trade. . . . The essays point out the tremendous diversity within the U.S. book trade. It has grown so large that, as Gordon Graham states, 'its vital parts are ignorant of each other.' In many ways, the existence of this book will help to remedy that situation. It is certainly a must read for those interested in the book and its future--especially scholars and librarians. --Barry B. Baker, Metropolitan Universities Book Reviews

I approached this book with interest. . . . I was not disappointed. . . . [T]his book is an informative collection of essays written by a group of well-known personalities in the book trade. . . . The essays point out the tremendous diversity within the U.S. book trade. It has grown so large that, as Gordon Graham states, 'its vital parts are ignorant of each other.' In many ways, the existence of this book will help to remedy that situation. It is certainly a must read for those interested in the book and its future<em>--</em>especially scholars and librarians. </p> <em>--</em>Barry B. Baker, <em>Metropolitan Universities Book Reviews</em></p>

I approached this book with interest. . . . I was not disappointed. . . . [T]his book is an informative collection of essays written by a group of well-known personalities in the book trade. . . . The essays point out the tremendous diversity within the U.S. book trade. It has grown so large that, as Gordon Graham states, 'its vital parts are ignorant of each other.' In many ways, the existence of this book will help to remedy that situation. It is certainly a must read for those interested in the book and its future--especially scholars and librarians. --Barry B. Baker, Metropolitan Universities Book Reviews

Author Information

Richard Abel (1925-2013) was secretary of the LOGOS Foundation and a long-standing member of its editorial board. He founded and started numerous publishing houses, including Timber Press, Amadeus Press, and what is now Blackwell North America. He has well over forty years of experience in the publishing industry.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available