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Letters addressed to Elmer Adler and assembled by him are from librarians, professors, designers and printers, including D.B. Updike, David Silvé, Frederic W. Goudy and Bruce Rogers.

This is a comprehensive introduction to books and print culture which examines the move from the spoken word to written texts, the book as commodity, the power and profile of readers, and the future of the book in an electronic age.