One of the most important components in creating a material archaeology of the book is an analysis of the complex set of interactions that are compiled in its creation and usage. These relationships extend from within the book itself out to the reader, author, editor, publisher, and so on. We find that the individual book-thing is characterized by a complex interaction between content and physicality. The content often dictates the design and construction of the book, while the physicality has a distinct- albeit subtle- effect on the readers’ perception of the content and their personal interaction.
It is evident that the content of a book constitutes certain relationships. It is born of the mind of the author, is used as a guideline by the printing company, and establishes a complex two-way interaction with the reader. The book’s content can be said to have a certain amount of agency, derived both from the power of knowledge and the primacy of the imagination of the author. The power of the content is derived from the mind of the author and reflects the relationship between author and book.
The materiality of the book can also be said to have a certain amount of agency inasmuch as it dictates the manner in which the content is related to the reader and affects the spread of knowledge via the physical spread of the book.
For example the mass publication by the People’s Republic of China of Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong- otherwise known as the little red book- was facilitated by its miniature size. The book was designed to be carried around in the pockets of Chinese citizens, allowing for easy access. In addition one could further pursue the semiotics of the color red in Western cultural perception, or the significance of the Chairman’s face on the cover.
While the size of a book may alter its transportability, other aspects can have a distinct effect on the perceived legitimacy of the text. The cover style, design, and binding can all lend credibility to the content through the nature of their construction. For instance the Christian Bible is generally conceived as a dark-colored, hard-cover book with a plain yet solemnly impressive title. The perceived age of the book reflects its content: the wisdom of the ages. (It is interesting to contrast this physicality with the pocket-size New Testament publications that seem to serve a similar function as that of the Little Red Book.)
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