The following

outline Outline or outlining may refer to: * Outline (list), a document summary, in hierarchical list format * Code folding, a method of hiding or collapsing code or text to see content in outline form * Outline drawing, a sketch depicting the outer edge ...

is provided as an overview of and topical guide to books: Book – set of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of ink, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side.

What ''type'' of thing is a book?

A book is a medium for a collection of words and/or pictures to represent knowledge, often manifested in bound paper and ink, or in electronic format such as

e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...

s. Books can be described as all of the following: * Type of publication * Format of literature

Types of books

Physical types of books not to be confused with literary genres or types of literature. *

Advance copy An advance reading copy, advance review copy, advance reader's edition, advance copy, or a reader's edition (ARC or ARE) is a free copy of a new book given by a publisher to booksellers, librarians, journalists, celebrities, or others, or as a con ...

– a free promotional copy of a book given by a publisher to booksellers, librarians, journalists, or others, or as a contest or school prize, before the book is printed for mass distribution. * Alphabet book – a book primarily designed for young children representing letters of the

alphabet An alphabet is a standardized set of basic written graphemes (called letters) that represent the phonemes of certain spoken languages. Not all writing systems represent language in this way; in a syllabary, each character represents a syll ...

with corresponding words and/or images. * Alternative formats – another version of a standard printed book such as

audio Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound *Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound *Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum *Digital audio, representation of sound ...

braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are Blindness, blind, Deafblindness, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on Paper embossing, embossed paper ...

, electronic or

large print Large-print (also large-type or large-font) refers to the formatting of a book or other text document in which the typeface (or font) are considerably larger than usual to accommodate people who have low vision. Frequently the medium is also increa ...

versions * Audiobook – a recorded reading of a physical book *

Autograph book An autograph book is a book for collecting the autographs of others. Traditionally they were exchanged among friends, colleagues, and classmates to fill with poems, drawings, personal messages, small pieces of verse, and other mementos. Their ...

– a book for collecting the autographs of others **

Confession album The confession album, or confession book, was a kind of autograph book popular in late-nineteenth-century Britain. Instead of leaving free room for invented or remembered poetry, it provided a formulaic catechism. The genre died out towards the ...

– a type of autograph book with set of questions *

Banned book This is an index of lists of banned books, which contain books that have been banned or censored by religious authority or government. By country * Book censorship in Canada * Book censorship in China * List of books banned in India * Book cen ...

– a book or other printed works which are prohibited by law or to which free access is not permitted by other means * Bestseller – a book that is included on a list of top-selling or frequently-borrowed titles *

Blook A blook is a printed book that contains or is based on content from a blog. The first printed blook was User Interface Design for Programmers, by Joel Spolsky, published by Apress on June 26, 2001, based on his blog Joel on Software. An early bl ...

– a printed book that contains or is based on content from a blog * Board book – a type of book printed on thick

paperboard Paperboard is a thick paper-based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker (usually over 0.30 mm, 0.012 in, or 12 Inch#equivalences, points) than paper and has certain ...

generally for children * Book-and-record set – a set consisting of a picture storybook and an accompanying recording * Book series – sequence of books that are formally identified together as a group * Booklet – a small book or group of pages **

Chapbook A chapbook is a small publication of up to about 40 pages, sometimes bound with a saddle stitch. In early modern Europe a chapbook was a type of printed street literature. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered bookle ...

– an early type of cheap

popular literature Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term used in the book-trade for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre, in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre. A num ...

printed in

early modern Europe Early modern Europe, also referred to as the post-medieval period, is the period of European history between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, roughly the late 15th century to the late 18th century. Histori ...

in booklet format ** Tract – booklets used for religious and political purposes *

Boxed Set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

– a compilation of books packaged in a box, for sale as a single unit *

Braille book Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displa ...

– a book that is traditionally written with embossed paper for the blind or visually impaired * Chapter book – a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10 *

Codex The codex (plural codices ) was the historical ancestor of the modern book. Instead of being composed of sheets of paper, it used sheets of vellum, papyrus, or other materials. The term ''codex'' is often used for ancient manuscript books, with ...

– a bound book constructed of a number of sheets of paper,

vellum Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. Parchment is another term for this material, from which vellum is sometimes distinguished, when it is made from calfskin, as opposed to that made from other anima ...

papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a ...

, or similar materials * Coffee table book – an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table * Coloring book – a book containing line art to which a reader may add color using

crayon A crayon (or wax pastel) is a stick of pigmented wax used for writing or drawing. Wax crayons differ from pastels, in which the pigment is mixed with a dry binder such as gum arabic, and from oil pastels, where the binder is a mixture of wax an ...

s, colored pencils,

marker pen A marker pen, fine liner, marking pen, felt-tip pen, felt pen, flow marker, sign pen (in South Korea), vivid (in New Zealand), texta (in Australia), sketch pen (in South Asia) or koki (in South Africa), is a pen which has its own ink source a ...

paint Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...

or other artistic media * Comic book – a book or magazine that consists of comic art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes * Comedia suelta – an individual printing of a play *

Condolence book A condolence book or book of condolence is a book in which people may record their condolences after a death or great Tragedy (event), tragedy. After the death of a leading figure or great disaster, condolence books are placed in public places fo ...

– a book in which people may record their

condolence Condolences (from Latin ''con'' (with) + ''dolore'' (sorrow)) are an expression of sympathy to someone who is experiencing pain arising from death, deep mental anguish, or misfortune. When individuals condole, or offer their condolences to a part ...

s after a death or great

tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...

. *

Cookbook A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cour ...

– a collection of recipes * Cordel literature – printed booklets or pamphlets containing folk novels, poems and songs. * Diary and Journals – a private collection of thoughts or feelings, remembrances including comments on current events in book format ** Commonplace book – writing information into books to compile knowledge **

Dream diary A dream diary (or dream journal) is a diary in which dream experiences are recorded. A dream diary might include a record of nightly dreams, personal reflections and waking dream experiences. It is often used in the study of dreams and psychology. ...

– a diary for recording dreams ** Personal Diary – a record (originally in handwritten format) with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period ** Scrapbook – a method, an art for preserving, presenting, arranging personal and family history in the form of a book ** Travelogue or

Travel Journal The genre of travel literature encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. One early travel memoirist in Western literature was Pausanias, a Greek geographer of the 2nd century CE. In the early modern period ...

– is a record made by a traveller, sometimes in diary form, of the traveler's experiences, written during the course of the journey and later edited for publication *

E-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...

or Electronic Book – a book made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both readable on electronic devices * Edited volume or collection – a collection of scholarly or scientific chapters written by different authors in book form * Exhibition catalogue – a book which is either a printed list of exhibits at an

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

exhibition or a directory of exhibitors at a

trade fair A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and c ...

or business-to-business event *

Festival book __NOTOC__ Festival books ( nl, feestboeken, es, libros de festivos) are books, often illustrated books, illustrated, that commemorate a notable event such as a royal entry, coronation or wedding. Funerals were also commemorated in similar fashio ...

– a book that commemorate a notable event such as a royal entry, coronation or wedding *

First Edition The bibliographical definition of an edition includes all copies of a book printed from substantially the same setting of type, including all minor typographical variants. First edition According to the definition of ''edition'' above, a b ...

– a book from the first print run *

Festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

– a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime *

Flip book A flip book, flipbook, flicker book, or kineograph is a booklet with a series of images that very gradually change from one page to the next, so that when the pages are viewed in quick succession, the images appear to animate by simulating moti ...

– a book with a series of pictures that vary gradually from one page to the next, so that when the pages are turned rapidly, the pictures appear to animate by simulating motion or some other change * Hardcover – a book

bound Bound or bounds may refer to: Mathematics * Bound variable * Upper and lower bounds, observed limits of mathematical functions Physics * Bound state, a particle that has a tendency to remain localized in one or more regions of space Geography *B ...

with rigid protective covers (typically of

cardboard Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light b ...

covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occasionally

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

) with a sewn spine. *

Illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...

– a book in which the text is supplemented with such decoration as

initial In a written or published work, an initial capital, also referred to as a drop capital or simply an initial cap, initial, initcapital, initcap or init or a drop cap or drop, is a letter at the beginning of a word, a chapter, or a paragraph that ...

s, borders (

marginalia Marginalia (or apostils) are marks made in the margins of a book or other document. They may be scribbles, comments, glosses (annotations), critiques, doodles, drolleries, or illuminations. Biblical manuscripts Biblical manuscripts have ...

) and miniature illustrations *

Incunable In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pr ...

– an early printed book (before 1501) *

Instant book Instant book is a term used in publishing to describe a book that has been produced and published very quickly to meet market demand. Normally when a book is published, it represents months of preparation and production—the production process ta ...

– a book that has been produced and published very quickly to meet market demand * Interactive children's book – a subset of children's books that require participation and interaction by the reader * Large-print book – a book with large text for the visually impaired *

Limited edition book A limited-edition book is a book released in a limited-quantity print run, usually fewer than 1000 copies (much smaller than publishing-industry standards). The term connotes scarcity or exclusivity. The higher the quantity printed the less lik ...

– book that is released in a limited quantity print run * Liturgical book – a book published by the authority of a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

, that contains the text and directions for the

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

of its official religious services. * Magazine – a collection of written articles published on a schedule *

Mapback Mapback is a term used by paperback collectors to refer to the earliest paperback books published by Dell Books, beginning in 1943. The books are known as mapbacks because the back cover of the book contains a map that illustrates the location ...

– an early form of a paperback with a printed map on the back cover *

Midlist Midlist is a term in the publishing industry which refers to books which are not bestsellers but are strong enough to economically justify their publication (and likely, further purchases of future books from the same author). The vast majority ...

– a book that is not a bestseller, but has strong enough sales to justify its publication *

Miniature book A miniature book is a very small book. Standards for what may be termed a miniature rather than just a small book have changed through time. Today, most collectors consider a book to be miniature only if it is 3 inches or smaller in height, wid ...

– a very small book *

Miscellany A miscellany is a collection of various pieces of writing by different authors. Meaning a mixture, medley, or assortment, a miscellany can include pieces on many subjects and in a variety of different forms. In contrast to anthologies, whose aim ...

– a collection of various pieces of writing by different authors *

Monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monograph ...

– a book on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, usually by a single author *

Networked book A networked book is an open book designed to be written, edited, and read in a networked environment. It is also a platform for social exchange, and is potentially linked to other books and other discussions. Wikipedia can be considered a network ...

or Open book – a book that is written, edited, and read in a networked environment (such as Wikipedia) *

Novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...

– a book that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series,

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

or video game * Online book – a book that is only available to be read on the Internet *

Orihon ''Orihon'' (Japanese: 折本, Hepburn: Orihon, ) is a book style originating from the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-908) in China and was later developed in the Heian period (A.D. 794-1185) in Japan. Construction Orihon consist of a long strip of pap ...

– long rolls consisting of sheets of paper pasted together began to be folded alternately one way and the other to produce an effect like a concertina * Out-of-print book – a book no longer being actively published * Paperback – book characterized by a thick paper or

cover, and often held together with

glue Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation. The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...

rather than stitches or staples ** Mass-market paperback – small, usually non-illustrated, inexpensive

bookbinding Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book of codex format from an ordered stack of ''signatures'', sheets of paper folded together into sections that are bound, along one edge, with a thick needle and strong thread. Cheaper, b ...

format **

Trade paperback Trade paperback may refer to: * Trade paperback, a higher-quality softcover version of a book * Trade paperback (comics) In comics in the United States, a trade paperback (shortened: TPB or trade) is a collection of stories originally published ...

– a higher-quality paperback book *

Personalized book A personalized book is a book that is created specifically for someone, containing personalized text, customized illustrations, or variables, based on the characteristics of that person. Although most personalized book companies provide hard copy ...

– a book that has been customized for someone, containing personalized text, customized illustrations, or variables, based on the characteristics of that person *

Photobook A photo book or photobook is a book in which photographs make a significant contribution to the overall content. A photo book is related to and also often used as a coffee table book. Early Early photo books are characterized by their use of ...

– a book consisting mainly of photographs * Picture book – a book that combines visual and written text and often aimed at children *

Pop-up book The term pop-up book is often applied to any book with three-dimensional pages, although it is properly the umbrella term for movable book, pop-ups, tunnel books, transformations, volvelles, flaps, pull-tabs, pop-outs, pull-downs, and more, each ...

or Movable book – a three-dimensional book * Punch out book – a book printed on stiff card or

usually comprising several pages of perforated, colorfully printed figures or shapes *

Reference Book A reference work is a work, such as a paper, book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually ''referred'' to f ...

** Catalogue raisonné – annotated listing of all the known

artworks A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetics, aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from ...

by an artist either in a particular medium or all media ** Encyclopedia – a type of reference work or

compendium A compendium (plural: compendia or compendiums) is a comprehensive collection of information and analysis pertaining to a body of knowledge. A compendium may concisely summarize a larger work. In most cases, the body of knowledge will concern a s ...

holding a comprehensive summary of information from either all branches of

knowledge Knowledge can be defined as awareness of facts or as practical skills, and may also refer to familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is often defined as true belief that is distinc ...

or a particular branch of knowledge **

Herbal A herbal is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their medicinal, tonic, culinary, toxic, hallucinatory, aromatic, or magical powers, and the legends associated with them.Arber, p. 14. A herbal m ...

– a book containing the names and descriptions of plants *

Remaindered book Remaindered books or remainders are printed books that are no longer selling well, and whose remaining unsold copies are liquidated by the publisher at greatly reduced prices. While the publisher may take a net loss on the sales of these books, t ...

–a liquidated book *

Samut khoi Folding-book manuscripts are a type of writing material historically used in Mainland Southeast Asia, particularly in the areas of present-day Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. They are known as ''parabaik'' in Burmese,; . ''samut thai'' in Tha ...

– a folding-book manuscript *

Scroll A scroll (from the Old French ''escroe'' or ''escroue''), also known as a roll, is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing. Structure A scroll is usually partitioned into pages, which are sometimes separate sheets of papyrus ...

– a precursor to the book which is a roll of papyrus, parchment or paper containing writing *

Song book A song book is a book containing lyrics for songs. Song books may be simple composition books or spiral-bound notebooks. Music publishers also produced printed editions for group singing. Such volumes were used in the United States by piano manuf ...

Chansonnier A chansonnier ( ca, cançoner, oc, cançonièr, Galician and pt, cancioneiro, it, canzoniere or ''canzoniéro'', es, cancionero) is a manuscript or printed book which contains a collection of chansons, or polyphonic and monophonic settings o ...

– a book containing

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...

and notes for songs **

Choirbook A choirbook is a large format manuscript used by choirs in churches or cathedrals during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The book is large enough for the entire choir to read from one book. Choirbooks were generally put on a stand with the smaller ...

– a large format song book **

Table-book A table-book is a manuscript or printed book which is arranged so that all the parts of a piece of music can be read from it while seated around a table. They were made in the 16th and 17th century for both instrumental and vocal pieces. They are ...

– printed book which is arranged so that all the parts of a piece of music can be read from it while seated around a table *

Sticker album A sticker album is a book in which collectable stickers are stuck into designated sections. Sticker album themes can be sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, English Premier League or TV shows, Movies, Animals or Music. Panini were the fi ...

– a book in which a person sticks collectable

sticker A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, depending on the situation. ...

s in designated sections *

Tankōbon is the Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...

– Japanese term for a book that is a stand-alone story and not part of a series *

Textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textboo ...

– manual of instruction in any branch of study *

Tie-in A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original prope ...

– a book based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series,

board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a comp ...

web site A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Wikipe ...

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

or literary property that serve as cross-promotion * Used book – a previously owned book * Volume (bibliography) – a single book that is part of a larger collection *

Wallbook A Wallbook is a large printed book that is designed also to be mounted on a wall. For example, its design may be concertina folded so it can be read like a book or hung on a wall. Etymology The name was coined by Christopher Lloyd (world history a ...

– large printed book that is designed also to be mounted on a wall *

Yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...

– a book that is published annually

Physical properties of a book

Korean book-Jikji-Selected Teachings of Buddhist Sages and Seon Masters-1377

* Book size – the dimensions of a book *

Leaf A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...

– a single sheet, the left-hand page of which is the verso, and right-hand page is the recto ** Page – one side of a leaf of paper. ***

Title page The title page of a book, thesis or other written work is the page at or near the front which displays its title (publishing), title, subtitle, author, publisher, and edition, often artistically decorated. (A half title, by contrast, displays onl ...

, often with the imprint page on its verso. *** Half-title **

Ink Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thi ...

– a type of pigment used to write letters upon the pages of a book ** Paper – a material that easily absorbs ink, made from ground plant

cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell wall ...

. **

Parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins of ...

– a heavier alternative to paper, often made of reeds, cotton, or animal hide. * Book cover – protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book. ** Dust jacket – detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers.

Contents of a book

Copyright page of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1899

Subject matter

* Literature (outline) – prose, written oral, including fiction and non-fiction, drama and poetry. ** List of Literary or Writing Genres – writing genres are determined by

narrative technique A narrative technique (known for literary fictional narratives as a literary technique, literary device, or fictional device) is any of several specific methods the creator of a narrative uses to convey what they want —in other words, a stra ...

, tone,

content Content or contents may refer to: Media * Content (media), information or experience provided to audience or end-users by publishers or media producers ** Content industry, an umbrella term that encompasses companies owning and providing mas ...

, and sometimes length *** Fiction (

) – classification for any story or

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...

derived from

imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

—and not based strictly on history or fact **** Literary fiction (

) – type of fiction that focuses more on analyzing the human condition than on plot ****

Genre fiction Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term used in the book-trade for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre, in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre. A num ...

– plot-driven

fictional works Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditio ...

written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre *** non-fiction – type of content whose creator (in good faith) assumes responsibility for the truth or accuracy of events, people, or information presented **** Reference work – a book or periodical (or its electronic equivalent) to which one can refer for information.

Structure of book content

Book design – the common structural parts of a book include: *

Front cover ''Front Cover'' is a 2015 American drama romance film written and directed by Ray Yeung. The story follows Ryan Fu, a gay Chinese American fashion stylist (Jake Choi), who rejects his ethnic heritage, who is assigned to style Ning ( James Chen), a ...

hardbound A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as case-bound) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occa ...

softcover A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, lea ...

(paperback); the

spine Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Vertebral column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoolog ...

is the binding that joins the front and rear covers where the pages hinge. * Front endpaper – the endpapers of a book are pages that consist of a double-size sheet folded, the front endpaper and the flyleaf. * Flyleaf: The blank leaf or leaves following the front free endpaper. * Front matter – the first section of a book ** Frontispiece – a decorative illustration on the verso facing the title page **

– repeats the title and author as printed on the cover or spine. ** Copyright page: – typically verso of title page: shows copyright owner/date, credits, edition/printing, cataloguing details **

Table of contents A table of contents, usually headed simply Contents and abbreviated informally as TOC, is a list, usually found on a page before the start of a written work, of its chapter or section titles or brief descriptions with their commencing page number ...

– a list of the chapter headings and nested sub-headings with their respective page numbers *** List of figures – often included in technical books, a list of drawings or depictions in the book *** List of

table Table may refer to: * Table (furniture), a piece of furniture with a flat surface and one or more legs * Table (landform), a flat area of land * Table (information), a data arrangement with rows and columns * Table (database), how the table data ...

s – often included in technical books, a list of data in rows and columns, or possibly in more complex structure. **

Dedication Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church, or other sacred building. Feast of Dedication The Feast of Dedication, today Hanukkah, once also called "Feast of the Maccabees," is a Jewish festival observed for eight days fr ...

– an inscription which is the expression of friendly connection or thanks by the author towards another person. ** Acknowledgments – a place in the book where the author gives expression of gratitude for assistance in creating an original work. This may also be placed in

Back Matter Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, Word processor, format, design, and sequence of the various components and elements of a book into a coherent unit. In the words of renowned typographer Jan Tschichold (1902–1974), book ...

. **

Foreword A foreword is a (usually short) piece of writing, sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Typically written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the ...

– a short piece of writing sometimes placed at the beginning of a book and typically written by someone other than the primary author. **

Preface __NOTOC__ A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often closes ...

– a short introduction to a book written by the work's author. The preface usually describes how the book came into being and may contain thanks or acknowledgments. **

Introduction Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to: General use * Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music * Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...

– the beginning section that states the purpose and the goals of the book * Body – the main text or contents of the book, the pages often collected or folded into signatures; the pages are usually numbered sequentially, and often divided into

chapters Chapter or Chapters may refer to: Books * Chapter (books), a main division of a piece of writing or document * Chapter book, a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10 * Chapters (bookstore), Canadian big box bookstore ...

. Chapters may also have titles, and in a few cases an epigraph or prefatory quotation. *

Back matter Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, Word processor, format, design, and sequence of the various components and elements of a book into a coherent unit. In the words of renowned typographer Jan Tschichold (1902–1974), book ...

– also known as end matter is the final section of the book it can contain a number of items **

Epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the w ...

– a piece of writing at the end of the a book which brings closure to the work. ** Afterword – a piece of writing covering the story of how the book came into being **

Appendix Appendix, or its plural form appendices, may refer to: __NOTOC__ In documents * Addendum, an addition made to a document by its author after its initial printing or publication * Bibliography, a systematic list of books and other works * Index (pub ...

– supplemental addition to the given work that details information found in the body **

Glossary A glossary (from grc, γλῶσσα, ''glossa''; language, speech, wording) also known as a vocabulary or clavis, is an alphabetical list of Term (language), terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms. Tradi ...

– a set of definitions of words important to the work. **

Index Index (or its plural form indices) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Index (''A Certain Magical Index''), a character in the light novel series ''A Certain Magical Index'' * The Index, an item on a Halo megastru ...

– a list of terms and references used in the text often with page numbers to where the terms can be found in the work. ** Notes – a list of author comments or citations of a reference work, these may also be found within the main text at the bottom of a page. **

Bibliography Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...

– a list of the works consulted when writing the body ** Colophon – a brief description with production notes relevant to the edition and may include a printer's mark or logotype. * Flyleaf – The blank leaf or leaves (if any) preceding the back free endpaper. *

Rear endpaper The endpapers or end-papers of a book (also known as the endsheets) are the pages that consist of a double-size sheet folded, with one half pasted against an inside cover (the pastedown), and the other serving as the first free page (the free end ...

– the endpapers of a book are pages that consist of a double-size sheet folded, the rear end or backend paper the first of which is a flyleaf. * Back cover – the back cover of a book which usually contains biographical matter, a summary of the book as well as the ISBN and publisher's price for the book.

Study of books

– the academic study of books as physical and cultural objects. ** Enumerative bibliography – the organized listing of books ** Descriptive bibliography – description of books as physical objects ** Analytical bibliography – examination of the physical features of book as artifact **

List of bibliographies This is a list of book lists (bibliographies) on Wikipedia, organized by various criteria. General lists * List of 18th-century British children's literature titles * List of 19th-century British children's literature titles * List of Ameri ...

– list of bibliographies on Wikipedia * Literature – any single body of written works *

Media studies Media studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media Studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly ...

– the discipline and field of study dealing with content, history and effects of various media including print.

Book collections

* Library – any single body of written works **

Digital library A digital library, also called an online library, an internet library, a digital repository, or a digital collection is an online database of digital objects that can include text, still images, audio, video, digital documents, or other digital me ...

– library that houses digital resources **

Library science Library science (often termed library studies, bibliothecography, and library economy) is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and ...

– field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education and other areas to libraries. **

List of libraries This is an alphabetical list of notable libraries around the world. It includes both notable public lending libraries and research libraries. Alphabetical A * Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, Scotland * African Heritage Research Library and Cu ...

*** List of libraries in the ancient world ***

List of national and state libraries A national library is established by the government of a nation to serve as the pre-eminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public library, public libraries, they rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numer ...

** Private library – a library held by a private citizen ** Public lending libraries – a library that provides service to the general public ** Research library – a collection of materials on one more subjects **

Special library A special library is a library that provides specialized information resources on a particular subject, serves a specialized and limited clientele, and delivers specialized services to that clientele. Special libraries include corporate librari ...

– specialized library providing resources on a particular topic ***

Corporate library A corporate library is a special library serving the staff at a corporation. The information services provided by corporate libraries save employees time, and can aid in competitive intelligence work. An information strategist supports the work of ...

– specialized library serving staff at business or corporation *** Federal Library – specialized library of a government *** Law library – specialized library devoted to law *** Medical library– specialized library focused on medical and health knowledge *** Museum Library – specialized library within a museum *** Music library– specialized library designed for the needs of musicians *** News Library – specialized library of news articles and news-related items *** Performing Arts Library – specialized library focusing on performing arts including music, theatre, dance, film and recorded sound ***

Presidential library A presidential library, presidential center, or presidential museum is a facility either created in honor of a former president and containing their papers, or affiliated with a country's presidency. In the United States * The presidential libr ...

– research library with the collection of a president's papers *** Theological Library– specialized library devoted to the study of theology *** Transportation Library– specialized library devoted to transportation

Book identification and classification

Classification systems

* Bliss bibliographic classification (BC) – library classification system created by Henry E. Bliss and published in four volumes between 1940 and 1953. *

Chinese Library Classification The Chinese Library Classification (CLC; ), also known as Classification for Chinese Libraries (CCL), is effectively the national library classification scheme in China. It is used in almost all primary and secondary schools, universities, academic ...

(CLC) – national Chinese library classification system * Colon Classification – library classification system mainly used in India * Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) – library classification system first published by

Melvil Dewey Melville Louis Kossuth "Melvil" Dewey (December 10, 1851 – December 26, 1931) was an influential American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, a founder of the Lake Placid Club, and a chief lib ...

in 1876 * Harvard-Yenching Classification – library classification system used for Chinese language materials in the United States. *

Library of Congress Classification The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a system of library classification developed by the Library of Congress in the United States, which can be used for shelving books in a library. LCC is mainly used by large research and academic librar ...

(LCC) – library classification system developed by the Library of Congress and used by most research and academic libraries in the United States. * Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) – international library classification system

History of books

Códice Dresden en la edición de Lacambalam 2001

History of books The history of books became an acknowledged academic discipline in the 1980s. Contributors to the discipline include specialists from the fields of textual scholarship, codicology, bibliography, philology, palaeography, art history, social hi ...

History of writing The history of writing traces the development of expressing language by systems of markings and how these markings were used for various purposes in different societies, thereby transforming social organization. Writing systems are the foundati ...

– the development of expressing

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

by letters or other marks. * History of scrolls – the history of a roll of

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins of ...

or paper containing writing. * History of the codex – the history of a book with handwritten content **

List of codices This is a list of notable codices. For the purposes of this compilation, as in philology, a "codex" is a manuscript book published from the late Antiquity period through the Middle Ages. (The majority of the books in both the list of manuscripts ...

– list of codices published from late antiquity through the Middle Ages. ** Aztec codices – list of books written by

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...

and colonial-era

Aztecs The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...

. ** Maya codices – the history of folding books written by pre-Columbian Mayans. *

History of printing The history of printing starts as early as 3000 BCE, when the proto-Elamite and Sumerian civilizations used cylinder seals to certify documents written in clay tablets . Other early forms include block seals, hammered coinage, pottery imprints, a ...

– the history of the duplication of images **

Woodblock printing Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. Each page or image is create ...

(pre- 220 AD) – technique for printing text, images or patterns originating in China in antiquity. **

Movable type Movable type (US English; moveable type in British English) is the system and technology of printing and typography that uses movable components to reproduce the elements of a document (usually individual alphanumeric characters or punctuatio ...

(1040) – the system and technology of printing and typography using moveable components to reproduce elements of a document. **

Printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in wh ...

(1454) – a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting on a print medium such as paper or cloth, and thereby transferring ink. ** Etching (''ca.'' 1500) – a method of printmaking using acid or mordant to cut into a metal surface to create a design in the metal. ** Mezzotint (1642) – the system and technology of printing and typography using moveable components to reproduce elements of a document. ** Aquatint (1768) – a variant of etching. **

Lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

(1796) – method of printing using an image drawn with oil, fat or wax onto the surface of a

lithographic limestone Lithographic limestone is hard limestone that is sufficiently fine-grained, homogeneous and defect free to be used for lithography. Geologists use the term "lithographic texture" to refer to a grain size under 1/250 mm. The term "sublithog ...

plate. ** Chromolithography (1837) – a method for making multi-color prints. **

Rotary press A rotary printing press is a printing press in which the images to be printed are curved around a cylinder. Printing can be done on various substrates, including paper, cardboard, and plastic. Substrates can be sheet feed or unwound on a continuo ...

(1843) – a printing press in which images to be printed are curved around a cylinder. **

Offset printing Offset printing is a common printing technique in which the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. When used in combination with the lithographic process, which is based on t ...

(1875) – a printing technique in which inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. ** Hectograph (19th century) – a printing process that involves transfer of an original to a pan of gelatin or gelatin pad pulled over a metal frame. **

Hot metal typesetting In printing and typography, hot metal typesetting (also called mechanical typesetting, hot lead typesetting, hot metal, and hot type) is a technology for typesetting text in letterpress printing. This method injects molten type metal into a mol ...

(1886) –a typesetting method where molten-type metal is injected into a mold and the resulting slugs are used to press ink onto paper. **

Screen printing Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mes ...

(1907) – a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate. **

Digital press Digital printing is a method of printing from a digital-based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small-run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large-format ...

(1993) – method of printing from a digital-based image directly to a variety of media.

Book production

* Publishing – the dissemination of literature and making information available to the general public. * Writing – a medium of human communication representing language and emotion. **Author – the creator or originator of written work. * Editing – the process of selecting and preparing media used to convey information. * Graphic Design – process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography, and illustration. * Printing – process of reproducing text and images using a master form or template. *

Bookbinding Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book of codex format from an ordered stack of ''signatures'', sheets of paper folded together into sections that are bound, along one edge, with a thick needle and strong thread. Cheaper, b ...

– process of physically assembling a book of codex format from an ordered stack of paper sheets and bound together.

Book distribution

Bookselling Bookselling is the commercial trading of books which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookdealers, bookpeople, bookmen, or bookwomen. The founding of librari ...

– the commercial trading of books **

Book sales club A book sales club is a subscription-based method of selling and purchasing books. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book discussion club, which can cause confusion. How book sales clubs work Each me ...

– a subscription-based method of selling and purchasing books ** List of bookstore chains – larger bookselling businesses, usually with multiple locations in a large geographic location ** List of independent bookstores – small bookselling businesses, usually with one or a small number of locations in a limited geographic location **

Lists of publishing companies The following are lists of publishing companies. By language *List of English-language book publishing companies ** List of English-language literary presses **List of English-language small presses * List of Romanian-language publishers *List of ...

* Libraries – a collection of sources of information and similar resources **

Politics of books

Versunkene Bibliothek Bebelplatz Berlin(2)

* Book censorship – is when some authority, government or otherwise takes measures to prevent access to a book or to part of its contents. **

Book burning Book burning is the deliberate destruction by fire of books or other written materials, usually carried out in a public context. The burning of books represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural, religious, or politi ...

– ritual destruction by fire of books and other written materials, usually carried out in a public context. ** List of books banned by governments ** Book censorship by country *** Book censorship in Canada *** Book censorship in China *** Book censorship in Iran *** Book censorship in the Republic of Ireland ***

Book censorship in the United States Book censorship is the removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational material – of images, ideas, and information – on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable according to the stand ...

Book culture

Bibliophilia Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. A bibliophile or bookworm is an individual who loves and frequently reads and/or collects books. Profile The classic bibliophile is one who loves to read, admire and collect books, often ama ...

– the love of books and a bibliophile is an individual who loves and frequently reads books * Book discussion club – a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read *

Book collecting Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given collector. The love of books is ''bibliophilia'', and someo ...

– the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing and maintaining * Book review – a form of literary criticism in which a book is analyzed based on content, style, and merit

Countries and books

* History of the book in Brazil * Book publishers in Upper Canada (1791–1841) * Publishing industry in China (includes books) *

Books in France As of 2018, five firms in France rank among the world's biggest publishers of books in terms of revenue: , Groupe Albin Michel, Groupe Madrigall (including Éditions Gallimard), Hachette Livre (including Éditions Grasset), and Martinière Grou ...

Books in Germany As of 2018, ten firms in Germany rank among the world's biggest publishers of books in terms of revenue: C.H. Beck, Bertelsmann, , , Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, , Springer Nature, Thieme, , and Westermann Druck- und Verlagsgruppe. Overall, "G ...

Book publishing in India Book publishing in India refers to the process of book creation within India, a growing field in recent years, which makes the country the sixth-largest book publishing nation in the world. While there is optimism about the growth of Indian publishi ...

* Books in Italy * Books and publishing in Pakistan *

Books in Spain In 2018, two firms in Spain ranked among the world's biggest publishers of books in terms of revenue: Grupo Planeta and Grupo Santillana. In 2013, there were 524,213 titles in print in Spain, including 76,434 new titles. History "The first Sp ...

* Books in the United Kingdom *

Books in the United States As of 2018, several firms in the United States rank among the world's biggest publishers of books in terms of revenue: Cengage Learning, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill Education, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and Wiley. H ...

Specific books

Books by title

Lists of books This is a list of book lists (bibliographies) on Wikipedia, organized by various criteria. General lists * List of 18th-century British children's literature titles * List of 19th-century British children's literature titles * List of Ameri ...

– list of book lists (bibliographies) on Wikipedia * Lists of books by subject – book lists (bibliographies) by subject on Wikipedia * Lists of books by writer – book lists (bibliographies) by writer on Wikipedia *

List of banned books This is an index of lists of banned books, which contain books that have been banned or censored by religious authority or government. By country * Book censorship in Canada * Book censorship in China * List of books banned in India * Book ce ...

– book lists (bibliographies) of banned books Wikipedia *

List of book titles taken from literature Many authors will use quotations from literature as the title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qual ...

– list of books with a quotation from literature as the title for their works

Book-related organizations

* List of booksellers' associations – a list of both booksellers' and Antiquarian booksellers' associations from around the world.

Publications about books

New York Review of Books – an American magazine containing literary criticism, and discussions of the contents of various books.

Persons influential in relation to books

Johannes Gutenberg Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (; – 3 February 1468) was a German inventor and Artisan, craftsman who introduced letterpress printing to Europe with his movable type, movable-type printing press. Though not the first of its ki ...

– inventor of movable type. * Lord Stanhope – built a press out of cast iron, reducing force required by 90%, doubling the size of the printed area.Meggs, Philip B. A History of Graphic Design. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1998. (pp 130–133)

References

External links

Centre for the History of the Book

* '' ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070609103817/http://www.sil.si.edu/SILPublications/old-books.htm Old Books, How to find information on publication history and value' (1998) Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Project Gutenberg – Free e-Books
; History of books
Centre for the History of the BookHistory of the Book at the American Antiquarian SocietyRare Book School at the University of Virginia Dan Traister's PageConsortium of European Research Libraries12–17th century manuscripts, including Vulgates, Books of Hours, Wills, Legal Contracts and Medicinal Texts, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Libraries
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Books A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical ar ...