The book is a perfect union of form and function, and as such has proven to be endlessly adaptable to aesthetic and technological innovation. But now this companionable design marvel—this vessel for literature, entertainment, information, transformation, and transcendence—is facing an uncertain future as texts are digitized and the quest for affordable, reader-friendly e-book devices intensifies. So what better time to take a step back and ponder the thingness of books? Books as objects; books as sculptures. In another entry in the lively 500 series (500 Tiles, 2008), readers will view with no small measure of astonishment 500 variations on the theme of the book. A list of the materials used in these playful, elegant, improbable, and affecting creations includes plastic, wax, cloth, brass, wood, leather, hemp, vintage buttons, prairie grass and pine needles, glass beads and seed pods, ceramics, and found objects. Book artist Steve Miller made the selections and shares his delight in their “ingenuity and creativity.” Visually dynamic, these are also totemic works of art celebrating the power of words and story. — Donna Seaman

(Source: Booklist)