Across the Page

A book, seemingly inanimate and lifeless, sits on the highest shelf, dust covered and worn. Of course, no such book would ever have any form of spirit if it were not for the scholar, the student, or the child that decides to mull over the tattered pages. Here lies the beauty of books, all can be influenced, intrigued, and invited by their stories. Its pages are not reserved for certain intellectuals or nobility, the only requirement is the ability to read and decipher the language of its text. Lessons can be learned, values expressed, history understood, and mysteries explored. A book to the naked eye is nothing more than a leather cover filled with text from days gone by. But, to the mind a book can be an incredible investigation into the world that exists around us – even beyond us.

Such books are not bound to adhere to a particular set of parameters on their presentation either. Soft covers, hard covers, flashy covers, even having no cover at all only makes the adventure more interesting. Although, this is the only the beginning, for the true form of a book doesn’t take place until its contents, whether text, photographs, or even pop-ups, are revealed. There is no standard, nor should there, for the diversity within books directly responds to the personalities of the world.

My favorite book as of late in terms of story is Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City [image right]. The author intertwines the story of the design/build of the Chicago World’s Fair (following the story of names like Burnham and Root) with a serial killer who used the fair to lure in his victims. A great history read!

In terms of presentation, I would have to say that I have always been impressed with the style and ingenuity of Delugan_Meissl's 2 [image right]. It is a two part book and they are actually linked together at opposing covers to form one unit (half the 2 is on the "cover", other half is on the "back"). The firms ideals and practices behind their projects is located (book_1) and their architectural projects (book_2) are linked together in this way.