As we find ourselves in the midst of a huge technological revolution and the computer screen takes over the printed page, the history of the book has become a subject of study throughout the world. This collection of 15 essays looks at at a wide variety of topics from the short but busy history of the printed word in New Zealand. Several writers discuss the meeting between Maori oral tradition and writing and printing; others explore the relationship between the new writers of the 1930s like Denis Glover and the world of printing and publishing. The writing and publishing experience of two successful novelists, Robin Hyde and G.B. Lancaster, is considered, along with two essays on learning to read, one about Janet and John.