This collective volume tackles what is undeniably a blind spot in the history of books: the history of the technical book, which is studied much less than scientific books. The thirty-two contributions do not offer a synthesis but a set of insights into a long-term and global history (including the Chinese and Japanese perspectives as a counterpoint to Europe). If we already have studies on certain types of works, such as dance treatises, language manuals, and marine books, interestingly, this volume takes an inclusive approach, embracing a production heterogeneous in its forms, aims, and audiences. The absence of a rigid structure-thematic, chronological, or spatial-within the five broadly titled sections allows comparisons between the subjects, often from different historiographic fields, and reveals three compelling themes.
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