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13 Things 2008
Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology
Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World
Brown University
Box 1837 / 60 George Street
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: (401) 863-3188
Fax: (401) 863-9423
[email protected]
The physicality of the book has primacy over its interaction with the reader and the method with which one engages the book. In taking a phenomenological approach to the book we find that the sensory approach is vital to understanding this interaction, especially in terms of the visual. The outer design of the book dictates our initial perception. The cover art and design prime the expectations of the reader before the book is even opened. The inner design of the page and text allow the content to be related to the reader in an effective manner. This interaction is facilitated by certain navigational tools such as the title page, table of contents, and index.
The experience of reading is also enhanced by the subtle effects of the other senses- from the feel of the cover, to the smell of the pages, to the sound of the spine cracking. The appearance of these sensory precepts have a distinct temporal aspect that affects the physicality of the book over time.
As any bookstore or coffee-shop enthusiast might tell you, it is this compilation of sensory interaction that truly defines the nature of the book as a thing. There has been a recent push for the digitization of books, especially amongst academic circles, but for the time being the book is a cultural institution that is here to stay.
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