* Thank you so much to Profile Books for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!
I love notebooks. I collect them and sometimes keep specific 'special' notebooks until they can be assigned the ‘right’ project! When I go to a museum exhibition and see a page of notes on display, it is often one of the most intimate objects. So, imagine my delight when Profile Books reached out and asked if I would be interested in reviewing The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen.
Allen explores all of the reasons why humans have put pen to
paper (or stylus to wax) and how it has transformed the world. Starting in the
ancient world, with the wax tablet – or diptych - right up to the present day.
This book proves just how versatile the notebook is, they
have given humans a companionable place: to journal, practice and improve
skills, plan, discover, create order, invent, work out equations, and write
meaningful song lyrics. Notebooks have also aided humans in doing incredible
things, such as Marie Curie’s radioactive lab notes. Some of the stories that
moved me the most were how nurses use diaries to ease the traumatic recovery of
coma patients, and how an Alzheimer patient uses his notebook to help him
structure his life.
I loved this fascinating book! The author explores the
subject in great detail, it is meticulously well-researched, thought-provoking
and includes photos throughout. The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper is
surely the most comprehensive history of the subject.
You can buy your copy here.
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