An attractive coffee table book, but lacking a clear narrative. It includes some books that undoubtedly changed history - introducing new political, scientific, religious and cultural ideas - but many that were famous for other reasons. The Book of Kells is undoubtedly a spectacular illuminated manuscript - but since it was only seen by a handful of monks, what influence did it have on history? The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Domesday Book did a lot to change our understanding of history - but how much impact did they have at their time? The practice of listing books at the time of a particularly attractive publication can be jarring. While the Gutenberg Bible belongs in the 15th century rather than the 4th century with it author, Saint Jerome; why are the works of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 19th century, and the Grimm Brothers in the 20th?

This work provides some interesting snippets, but neither provides a history of the impact of ideas or of publishing. ( )

Quite a lovely production. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of this series seem to have been a bit superficial but not this one. Ok one could argue about the choice of books and one could argue the Einstein's "General Theory of Relativity" of 1915 was really a paper rather than a book....but overall....not a bad selection of books that changed history. I wondered about "The Double Helix" but, like the Einstein issue...the real advance was through a scientific paper not the book about how the structure of DNA was derived.
I thought that maybe some of the books from Asia might have been included ...such as the works of Confucius or the sagas of Gilgamesh...but in a book of this size some compromises are inevitable. They did cheat a little bit by consigning about 20 books in each section to a small abstract ...often with no illustration.
But where they have featured a book it is done with magnificent photos and frequent close-ups so that you have the feeling that you are getting a very privileged inspection of the real book itself.
I enjoyed it and happy to give it 5 stars. ( )

First of all, this book's cover!!! It is easily the most beautiful book I own. I mean, what could look better on a book than, well, more books, right?

Inside is also very attractive. The layout works, and many of the books chosen have their own visual - as well as historical - appeal.

Don't expect an in-depth look at the books it covers; this book is meant to be browsed through, a page or two at a time, offering up tidbits of information, while presenting picture upon picture of influential books.

This is one of two books I own which I have on display with their covers showing, because looking at it makes me happy. ( )