Well, I want to say that a book on paper is just as dull as it sounds. Yet, a book on paper is exactly the sort of nerdy thing that appeals to me. However, in this case---meh.

There were a few interesting parts but, like many of the "biographies of things" I come across, the author includes every bit of every random detail possible and takes lengthy jaunts in odd directions in order to fill pages. So, rather than being exciting and interesting, I found many parts to be dull and droning.

Still, some parts that I did like:

I was especially intrigued by the descriptions and histories of board games. I had no idea that paper board games were so old and that there were games like Monopoly that predate it. I'd love to get a hold of some of these neat Victorian board games!

I also loved his description of how he will go with shoddy clothes and bills owed in order to make sure he's got books. This is true Bibliomania---an ailment I suffer from without much suffering.

...and then there's the part where he used the word "phantasmagoric" by the third page. Anyone who can work that into a sentence deserves a good pat on the back! http://www.belleslibrary.com/2015/06/the-autobiography-of-mrs-tom-thumb-by.html ( )

This is a history of paper. Not just paper, including how its made (pretty much the same as it has been for hundreds of years, except now by machines instead of by hand), but it also looks at the histories of various items made with paper: books, games and puzzles, origami, art, and more.

The intro started off really interesting, also taking us through a day without paper. The rest of the book – though it had some interesting tidbits -- just wasn’t quite as good. There was a lot of references to literature and art, and that kind of lost my interest there. Overall, though, I’m rating it “ok”, but I feel like that might be a bit generous. ( )

An amazing miscellany of paper facts, from making of paper to building things with paper. Along the way it covers the many ways paper is used including origami. ( )

A delightful little book celebrating the material that is paper.

This is the type of book that the English do best, quirky, a single subject, and by someone with an obsession boarding on OCD!

It covers all sorts of subjects, from money to origami, it is a book that allows the author to describe his passion for this now ubiquitous material. There are lots of anecdotes and stories, and it is written in a pleasant style, with a moderate number of diagrams.

Great little book. If you liked Just My Type, you'll like this ( )

Bought this because I'm a big paper fan - letters, photos, and all that. I feel bad giving it 2 stars as it's an interesting romp, but it just felt more like a miscellanea, like a coffee table book but without all the nice photos. More of an intriguing collection of tales and facts, than a particular thread. ( )