Books: From Writer to Reader, revised and updated ed.
by Howard Greenfeld

Crown (New York): 1989. Trade paperback: 198 pages. ISBN-10: 0-517-56841-1 ISBN-13: 978-0517568415 Tags: Publishing; Reference Tactical strength: [6/10]

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Greenfeld provides a concise and up-to-date overview of the process of taking a book from the author's manuscript to a book on the shelves and all the processes in between. As a writer and editor, I found that the first few chapters on these subjects didn't have enough information to hold my attention, but the farther I moved away from my own area of expertise, the more useful I found the information.

Books makes a good overview for anyone looking for specific processes of bookmaking. At times, Greenfeld uses many technical terms without adequately defining what they mean. Thus, someone like me who is already in the field could read this easily, but a layperson not familiar with bookmaking might get confused.

Greenfeld includes many illustrations that demonstrate points made in the text, but he never discusses the meaning or relationship of the illustrations to the text. The illustrations would have been more useful if they were tied directly to the text and discussed there.

In the CIP data and in Crown Publishing's catalog, Books is listed as a Juvenile title. Although the description of the bookmaking processes were straightforward, the style and word usage does not place this book at a juvenile level. It is more suited to as advanced middle school or even high school student.