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The Notebook

A History of Thinking on Paper: A New Statesman and Spectator Book of the Year
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Brief Description
The Notebook was named a 'Best Book of the Year 2023' by the New Statesman, Spectator, and Waterstones. "From plans for flying machines to philosophy - the remarkable joy of jotting things down" - Guardian "Surprisingly revealing" - The Sunday Times We see notebooks everywhere we... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Diaries, sketchbooks, common-places, notebooks, ledgers and ships' logs: how the blank book changed the way we think, and helped us change the world.

Diaries, sketchbooks, common-places, notebooks, ledgers and ships' logs: how the blank book changed the way we think, and helped us change the world.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Notebook was named a 'Best Book of the Year 2023' by the New Statesman, Spectator, and Waterstones.

"From plans for flying machines to philosophy - the remarkable joy of jotting things down" - Guardian

"Surprisingly revealing" - The Sunday Times

We see notebooks everywhere we go. But where did this simple invention come from? How did they revolutionise our lives, and why are they such powerful tools for creativity? And how can using a notebook help you change the way you think?

In this wide-ranging story, Roland Allen reveals all the answers. Ranging from the bustling markets of medieval Florence to the quiet studies of our greatest thinkers, he follows a trail of dazzling ideas, revealing how the notebook became our most dependable and versatile tool for creative thinking.

He tells the notebook stories of artists like Leonardo and Frida Kahlo, scientists from Isaac Newton to Marie Curie, and writers from Chaucer to Henry James. We watch Darwin developing his theory of evolution in tiny pocketbooks, see Agatha Christie plotting a hundred murders in scrappy exercise books, and learn how Bruce Chatwin unwittingly inspired the creation of the Moleskine.

On the way, we meet a host of cooks, kings, sailors, fishermen, musicians, engineers, politicians, adventurers, and mathematicians, who all used their notebooks as a space for thinking and to shape the modern world.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788169332

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 September 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Profile Books Ltd

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 320g

Pages: 416

About the Author

Roland Allen is a publisher and author who lives in Hove. He studied at Manchester University and works in book (and notebook) publishing. He has written about subjects as diverse as bicycles and bread, kept a diary for decades, and enjoys stationery a little too much.

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