In The Untold Story of Books Michael Castleman explores the history of publishing and the book industry.

The author of this book loves books. On page 18, Castleman states that, "To me, books are the bricks that form the foundations of culture." Since you're reading this, you probably love books too, as I do. This story of books is a fascinating look at how books have been printed and distributed--it's a history of book publishing from Gutenberg' manual printing press, through the era of mechanized industrial printing, to the present digital age. The author tells us that the purpose of the book is "...to provide authors and book lovers with informed perspective on an industry often shrouded in mystery and mythology. This book is my attempt to lift the veil, to demonstrate how the book business actually developed and continues to evolve today." (p 19) He succeeds admirably at this task. I found the book to be very informative, highly entertaining, and highly readable. I learned a lot. I am not an author, but if I was I would have found the book very useful as well. I found the ways in which the book industry has changed over the centuries and how power shifted within it as these changes came about to be extremely interesting. Castleman includes examples from his own publication history to illustrate the realities of today's book business. If you're someone who is aiming to publish or to work in the industry in some other capacity, or if you just love books, I highly recommend this book.

A book about the history of publishing, the business and craft of books and writing can be as engaging as this one, not more.
A book to be appreciated plenty by book lovers, and the writer generously offers his expertise, anecdotes and opinions.
The statistical data were interesting, and to learn that the first author known by name was…
The book is full of interesting facts and insights. Much appreciated. Well-written.

As a self-published author, I desired to read this book to learn more about the industry. Castleman includes a rich collection of facts about the history and current conditions for the publishing world. I found it super helpful and informative. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This would be a magnificent gift for an aspiring writer.