"The Age of Wonder"

One of my favorite projects of late was for Random House (Pantheon): Richard Holmes' The Age of Wonder. Jonathan Sainsbury originally assigned this project to me last year before his departure and I finished it up under the direction of Brian Barth. All books bring a certain level of satisfaction when you get the finished product in-hand. But, some more than others. This is one of them.

Last week I got a kind note from one of the art directors at Random House about the design of the Holmes book and told me that he would send me copies, which he did. I could not have been happier when I opened the package. The folks in Random House's production department did an outstanding job in overseeing the printing and finishing. The jacket has a nice texture to it. I will have to find out the process. The title type was spec'd with a matte gold foil which works so nicely.

But in keeping with my determination to become more literary this summer (I should have joined with my kids in the reading contest at our local library), I am reading The Age of Wonder. It is an absolutely riveting read about the fusion of Romanitism and science in the eighteenth century. Part history, part science, and part biography, Mr. Holmes has constructed a story that reads more like a novel than nonfiction.

Instead of ineptly trying to explain more about it,  I would recommend today's cover story in the NY Times book section and this interview with Mr. Holmes. Considering the number of pages and the rate at which I read this may last me until Christmas. But, it will be worth it.