Customer comments on this selection.
 disappointment
I bought this book sight unseen, after becoming hooked on the Bibliodessey site. I was very disappointed in the rather dull, uninteresting pieces that were chosen. Very few were of the 'wow' nature that the site often displays. A few were interesting, and I am always interested in illustrative art from any age, so I'm glad to have seen the ones chosen. But I'm very sorry I spent my money, and plan to just stick with daily perusing the site instead.
 A wonderful on-the-shelf "cabinet of curiosities"
I've been a faithful fan of PK's intriguing website BibliOdyssey for a number of years so I was delighted to learn a selection of his wonderful treasures would be published in book form. The book now has a special place in my art library - that is, when I can keep it on the shelf. I've lent it to friends and family a half dozen times and being reluctant to pull it away from someone who is enjoying it, I've replaced my original copy a few times now.
BibliOdyssey carries on in the fine tradition of a "cabinet of curiosities" or a "Kunstkammer" - a wondrous collection of arts and curiosities. It includes images of obscure drawings, diagrams, prints, maps, broadsides, and illustrations carefully culled from dusty corners of the world's libraries, museums, and archives. Turning each page is like pulling open a new cabinet drawer, each filled with a display to entice curiosity, amusement, wonder, or awe.
The collection gives us a glimpse of the science, medicine, learning, and industry of yesterday, as well as window into the imagination, amusements and pop-culture of the past - from the sublime and the fantastic to the quirky and ribald. There are anthropomorphic vegetables, maps, and serpents; bestiaries of fantastic or fearful creatures; ingenious medical and scientific devices; amusing cartoons and caricatures; and much, much more. Each entry is accompanied by PK's thoughtful and well-written explanatory text, which feeds you just enough but leaves you wanting more. And for those who want more, each entry offers a website to the source to whet your need for further explorations.
The book is also a sensory delight - it's a finely crafted book that feels good in the hand. The matte cover is de-embossed with sample imagery; the pages within are of quality paper and the coloration of the ancient texts handled artfully. Kudos to author and publisher alike for a job well done - and to the original artists, philosophers, inventors, and dreamers as well, who would no doubt be delighted to know that their work lives on. I hope there will be a follow-on collection at some later date!
Wonderful images -- books to Web to book
The images are amazing, whether you see them in their original setting, on BibliOdyssey, or in this great book.
I've loved to explore the stacks of great libraries ever since I was assigned a carrell at the UW many years ago. It wasn't just the books that enchanted me. It was the ads in bound periodicals, the maps in atlases, and the photographs and drawings in books. Good relations with librarians have given me similar access in a number of libraries around the world, most notably in London, New York and Washington -- and even here in Franklin Lakes.
Several years ago the New York Public Library started the NYPL Digital Gallery which "provides access to over 600,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more." I've explored those images, and many more collections of images from other libraries, with great pleasure.
I've also enjoyed websites of those who download images that strike their fancy and post them on their websites. Some of my favorites include "Luminous Lint" (photography), "strange maps" (maps), "Futility Closet" (Miscellany), and " BibliOdyssey ".
PK, the webmaster writes: "You can expect everything from astronomy to zoology and from Art Nouveau to the Renaissance...I like to think that the trajectory of the book aims somewhere roughly between our internet users' penchant for a concentrated package of beguiling ephemera and as an introductory overview of the cultural wealth accessible from web archives for Luddites."
Fair enough. And fair enough that it's odd to think of images being converted from paper to electronics and then back again to paper. The printing and paper are high quality, and the reproductions seem true to the online images. Their larger size in the book makes them even more impressive.
One point is clear, though, PK has generally chosen images with a dark quality -- the falling man in the three piece suit on the cover speaks for the collection. I might have chosen an entirely different set from the stacks. Nonetheless, this book is a suggestive and informing journey through the treasures contained in the world's great libraries.
 good not great
this book is fun...could use a little more description of each link or site to make it more useful
Amazing Book
This book is such a beautiful visual journey. I received it for Christmas and have not had enough time to sit down and read it cover to cover yet. Though the time I have spent perusing the book is all the encouragement I need to make the time. PK's commentary is both informative and accessible throughout. The author's love and passion for this work shines through, and makes it a captivating book.
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