Questions related to books as physical objects, e.g. their size, colors, etc.
Questions tagged [physical-books]
34 questions
15
votes
2 answers
What are these pink papers with book text written on them?
I purchased this book online and upon reading it I discovered that one page contains two pink papers with the text of the book printed on top of them.
On the papers is also printed the text:
Ref:M100 202X
Might it be that this copy was…
Cory Klein
- 253
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- 6
13
votes
1 answer
Why do some paperbacks have shortened front covers?
Some paperback editions have a front cover which is a centimetre or two shorter than the actual book. I first noticed this on House of Leaves, where I thought that it's just part of the whole experimental deal (representing the house whose inside is…
Martin Ender
- 849
- 8
- 20
11
votes
2 answers
Meaning of "C.P." footnote
The book I'm currently reading has a "C.P. - (number)" footnote every 20 pages. What does C.P. mean, and what is the purpose of this marking?
corsel
- 263
- 1
- 8
9
votes
1 answer
Are these actually first editions?
I was sorting through some old books and noticed that both these “My little pony” picture books say first edition on them. If they really were first editions they probably wouldn’t be worth much. But, why do they both say first edition, yet only one…
user13907
8
votes
2 answers
At what temperature can I safely iron the fabric bookmarks in the volumes of the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade?
I recently acquired a volume from the famous Bibliothèque de la Pléiade from an antiquarian bookseller. These volumes always have two fabric bookmarks and as you can see from the image below, the bookmarks in this volume are creased.
I would like…
Tsundoku
- 44,570
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- 95
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5
votes
0 answers
Why are titles written top to bottom on the spine of English books, while they are written bottom to top on the spine of French books?
I have a bunch of books in French and a bunch of books in English. I mix them all in my bookshelf. But it's very annoying because I have to tilt my head to the right to read English titles, and to the left to read French titles.
I was wondering if…
d--b
- 151
- 1
5
votes
2 answers
Bother to report errors in books to authors?
Recently I read a couple of books with some of the following mistakes:
Spelling
Phrasing
Scientific errors in equations
Word duplications
Other typography errors: formatting, missing colors, etc.
Should I bother reporting this to the authors? I do…
stephanmg
- 161
- 4
4
votes
1 answer
Why is a hardcover book better than a paperback book?
A biographer I follow on a social media platform once wrote "we're a hardcover household". Where does the tradition of preferences between these two options come from?
Mo_delfren
- 190
- 4
3
votes
0 answers
How do I repair warping, creasing, and lamination separation on a paperback's covers?
I just purchased a new paperback, shipped from China. Unfortunately, it made the journey in only a layer of bubble wrap and a plastic-bag mailer, so it arrived damaged: the whole book has a wave warped into it, and there is heavy denting/creasing on…
HeatherAnn
- 31
- 1
3
votes
1 answer
What is the purpose of the redundant book titles printed in the bottom margin every few pages of many books?
I'm reading a book. Every few pages, in the bottom left margin, it repeats its own title, preceded by an increasing number:
24 The Fellowship of The Ring
What is the point of this? Surely they cannot think that anyone would forget which book they…
Darian
- 31
- 1
3
votes
1 answer
Difference between the two editions of "Great Books of the Western World"
I have the full original set of Great Books. I know there was an updated version published in the 70s(?). Is there a way to attain the rest without re-buying the whole set?
SchoNuff
- 85
- 4
0
votes
1 answer
Biggest braille book?
What is the biggest book written in braille on the open market today?
Abraham Ray
- 541
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- 14