» advanced search
subscribe & win

Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win FREE books.

your e-mail address Send!

The Book on the Bookshelf

Cover may not depict edition offered for sale

available COPIES

 

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

About this title: The invention of the printing press not only led to the widespread availability of books, but also required the invention of a new piece of furniture: the bookshelf. This historical survey examines the various ways bookshelves have been designed and the way their designs reveal cultural attitudes toward the value, purpose, and use of books.

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.

Page 1 of 6   change currency
sort by
The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

price: $1.99

Ships from NJ, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Vintage Date Published: 2000 ISBN-13: 9780375706394 ISBN: 0375706399

Description: Very Good. Slight cover wear with minor scuffing to edges. GoodwillnyBooks is committed to providing each customer with the highest standard of customer service. You may return new items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: GoodwillnyBooks, NJ, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

price: $1.99

Ships from WA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Knopf ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Fair. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more

condition:

Book: Fair

 

seller information:

Name: Green Earth Books, WA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

price: $1.99

Ships from WA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Knopf ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Green Earth Books, WA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

price: $1.99

Ships from PA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Knopf Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Good. MAY HAVE COVER WEAR, SPINE CREASES, HIGHLIGHTING, UNDERLINING & PAGES YELLOWED FROM AGE. FASTER SERVICE FROM US! ! ! read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: BOOKS_AT_HALF, PA, USA

Reliability: Best

used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $2.99

Ships from NC, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback

Description: Fine. Looks brand new other than a name on first blank page. No remainder marks. read more

condition:

Book: Fine/Like New

 

seller information:

Name: ZpcBooks, NC, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $3.00

Ships from IL, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Edition: Illustrated. Binding: Trade paperback Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 304 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Zenith Booksellers, IL, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $3.25

Ships from TX, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Edition: 1st Printing Binding: Trade Paperback Publisher: Alfred a Knopf Inc, Westminister, Maryland, U.S.A. Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Good. No Dust Jacket as Issued. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. Book shows moderate wear/ spine tight, pages clean/ covers creased; moderate edge wear/ corners and spine creased/ readers slant/ several pages and page tips creased. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Harvest Moon Farm Book Cellar, TX, USA

Reliability: Best

used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

price: $3.95

Ships from MI, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Knopf Date Published: 1999

Description: Very Good. Very good paperback. Pages are clean and unmarked. Covers show light edge wear.; 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! Free Delivery Confirmation! Ships same or next business day! read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Redux Books, MI, USA

Reliability: Best

used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

price: $3.95

Ships from MI, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Knopf Date Published: 1999

Description: Very Good. Very good paperback. Pages are clean and unmarked. Covers show light edge wear.; 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! Free Delivery Confirmation! Ships same or next business day! read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Redux Books, MI, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Book Shelf used book

The Book on the Book Shelf

by Henri Petroski

price: $3.95

Ships from PA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Edition: First Edition Binding: Softcover Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Very Good+ No Jacket Issued. This is a First Edition of this book on The History of Books. This is a soft cover Trade Paperback book. The condition is Very Good+, no jacket issued. The condition of the cover is very good and very clean. The binding is good, and the spine is straight. This spine is smooth, no reading lines. The pages are clean & white. They are unmarked. There are many photo, and ingraved illustrations. Very Nice Book! 290 pages including index. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: glenn david books, PA, USA

Reliability: Best

used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $4.00

Ships from CA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Edition: First Edition Binding: Trade Paperback Publisher: Knopf Date Published: 1999

Description: Very Good. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Ahab Books, CA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $4.00

Ships from FL, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Edition: First edition. Illustrated. Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. 290 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. softcover, lightly bumped back corner, small stain on fr cover page and inside fr cov, text in excellent cond, clean and unmarked. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Barbara Smith & Janie Woodburn, FL, USA

Reliability: Best

used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $4.50

Ships from SD, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade Paperback. Publisher: Knopf Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780096504552 ISBN: 0096504552

Description: Vg- read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: Brookings Book Company, SD, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf new book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $4.87

Ships from TN, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Softcover Publisher: Vintage Books, New York, New York, U.S.A. Date Published: 2000 ISBN-13: 9780375706394 ISBN: 0375706399

Description: New. Softcover with pages that are clean, crisp and unmarked. Cover shows minor shelfwear from storage with crease on front. The history of the book on the bookshelf. read more

condition:

Book: New

 

seller information:

Name: Book Lover's Warehouse, TN, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf new book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $4.99

Ships from DC, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: PAPERBACK Publisher: Vintage ISBN-13: 9780375706394 ISBN: 0375706399

Description: New. 0375706399. read more

condition:

Book: New

 

seller information:

Name: BaliforniaBooks, DC, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $5.00

Ships from MO, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Softcover Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Date Published: 1999

Description: Very Good. Tight, clean copy; light rubbing to edges. Trade paperback. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilogram. ISBN: 0965004552 Inventory No: 036911. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Easy Chair Books, MO, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $5.00

Ships from RI, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Edition: 1st American printing Binding: Softcover Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated, New York, NY, U.S.A. Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Very Good +. in Very Good in mylar wraps. jacket. Ex-Library Very clean and tight. little-used ex-library. read more

condition:

Book: Good

 

seller information:

Name: F.R. Joslin, Bookseller, RI, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $5.50

Ships from IN, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Edition: Illustrated. Binding: Trade paperback Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Excellent shape, no visible creasing to spine, very light edge wear, small spot on outer edge of book. Doens't appear to have been read. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 304 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Miss Ivy's Book Nook, IN, USA

Reliability: Best

used book

Book on the Bookshelf, the

by Petroski, Henry

price: $5.59

Ships from WV, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade Paperback Publisher: Knopf, New York Date Published: 1999

Description: Book: Very Good. 8vo. 290 pp. 5 1/2 x 9 1/8. Wraps. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Harpers Ferry Books, WV, USA

Reliability: Best

used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

price: $5.97

Ships from MI, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Paperback Publisher: Knopf Date Published: 1999

Description: Very Good. This is a very nice paperback copy in excellent condition. Binding is tight and square. Text is clean and bright. Remainder mark. We recommend PRIORITY MAIL for even faster delivery! Careful packaging and fast shipping. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Icapsa Used Books, MI, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $6.00

Ships from FL, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Softcover Publisher: New York, NY, U.S.A. : Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated, 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Trade Paper. Very Good/No Jacket. Some scuffing on cover and corners curling a little. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Margie Limbach, Bookseller, FL, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $6.55

Ships from FL, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Trade Paperback Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated, New York, NY, U.S.A. Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: VG+ 0-375-40649-2 Softcover, 5.5 x 9, 290 pages, index, bibliography. 226 illustrations. Bright crisp copy. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: John H. Maier, FL, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Book Shelf used book

The Book on the Book Shelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $6.99

Ships from IN, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Edition: First Edition Binding: Trade Paperback Publisher: Alfred A Knopf Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: Very Good. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 1999 Trade PB. Alfred A. Knopf-Publisher. Stated 1st Edition. 290 pg. No reader marks, clean pgs, binding solid. Cover very good with only light touch of shelf/edge wear. From the Table of Contents: Books on Bookshelves. From Scrolls to Codices, Chests, Cloisters, and Carrels, Chained to the Desk, The press of Books, Studying Studies, Up Against the Wall, Books and Bookshops, Bookstack Engineering, Shelves that Move, The Care of Books, Appendix, Bibliography, ... read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Whitehorse Book Shop, IN, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf used book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Henry Petroski

price: $7.00

Ships from WA, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: # Hardcover: 304 pages Has a slight partial smudge, about one inch and mostly invisible, on front cover, otherwise near fine condition. No dust jacket. Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (September 14, 1999) Language: English ISBN-10: 0375406492 ISBN-13: 978-0375406492. read more

condition:

Book: Very Good

 

seller information:

Name: Robert Pearson, Bookseller., WA, USA

Reliability: Best

The Book on the Bookshelf new book

The Book on the Bookshelf

by Petroski, Henry

price: $7.13

Ships from FL, USA Order this item today and it should be delivered to any address by Thursday, December 24.

Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Date Published: 1999 ISBN-13: 9780375406492 ISBN: 0375406492

Description: New in new dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 304 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more

condition:

Book: New

 

seller information:

Name: Cloud 9 Books, FL, USA

Reliability: Best


Page 1 of 6: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next>

*What is a Wishlist?

Reviews of {0} by {1}
goodreads rating 4 out of 5 4 out of 5
Oct 13, 2009
By Ginnie, Middlebury, VT

"If you appreciate incredibly detailed accounts of how items, such as modern books and bookshelves came to be, Henry Petroski's your author!

This fascinating (although at times painfully slow) book explains the changes of reading material into bound books as we know them as well as how the shelves they are stored on in libraries evolved over time and use. After reading this book, I haven't looked at a library in the same old (for granted) way.

In the last section of the book he discusses the various ways books may be arranged on bookshelves. I found the way his mind works fascinating because when I thought I had exhausted the methods of arrangement, he came up with more!

I read this book because it was shorter than THE PENCIL, which I was having a difficult time getting into. Once I read about 60 pages or so, I became used to his writing style and am comfortable reading it. I no longer find it painful (for the most part)."

Share this review Facebook Digg DelIcioUs
goodreads rating 3 out of 5 3 out of 5
Sep 12, 2009
By Jack, The United States

"This was very enjoyable, though it took me a long time to read. This book provides an in depth history of the evolution of the bookshelf. Though usually interesting it can be a bit dry at times, and the topic is explored very in depth."

Share this review Facebook Digg DelIcioUs
goodreads rating 5 out of 5 5 out of 5
Jul 30, 2009
By Heather, Fremont, CA

"If you love books, this is a great one for you. It's what I call a "total history" where although the topic is bookshelves, you are led through a much larger history and context... Also, the appendix is definitely the best part -- a list of all the ways one could possible organize their books on a bookshelf!"

Share this review Facebook Digg DelIcioUs
goodreads rating 5 out of 5 5 out of 5
Mar 12, 2009
By Michele, The United States

"Realized my inner-book-nerd while reading this. This is not so much about what's in the book, more about how the book is constructed, shelved and shared. Despite savoring every page (and rereading the occasional chapter), still feel the need to reread. Totally not what I expected."

Share this review Facebook Digg DelIcioUs
  1-4 of 17    Next page  
See all reviews of The Book on the Bookshelf by Henry Petroski

 

 
Overall customer rating:
3.7 out of 5 3.7 out of 5
14 of 17 (82%) customers said they would recommend this book to a friend.

Our Money-Back Guarantee

We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.