Books Covered

Books Covered The idiom “don’t judge a book by its cover” was already being used in the 19th century when one of the characters in George Eliot’s “The Mill on the Floss” cited it in discussing the merits of the binding of Daniel Defoe’s “The History of the Devil”. Since then, it has been used as a warning not to prejudge a person or an object based on externalities. And yet, who are we kidding, when it comes to books, a cover can make or break a sale, regardless of content. The “packaging” of anything matters — design matters. I have had the good fortune, coming on 18 years, of taking on the challenge of designing dozens of book covers for Oxford-based George Ronald Publisher, which has been publishing iconic literature on Baha’i-related subjects since 1943. Contrary to what many contend, I don’t think digital media will kill the printed book — they will be around for a while and their covers will continue to present a challenge to designers worldwide.