A finished book is the product of dozens (sometimes hundreds) of operations, performed in a specific order, with each new step relying on the accuracy of the one completed before. For the most part, there is no going back so attention to detail and precision is a must, but a hand-made book, if made well, can last hundreds of years.
I think of a book not only as a beautiful object, but also as a piece of theatre. A good book is one that performs for the reader in various ways; the choice of layout, the feel of the materials, revealing of hidden details and the movement of the pages are all designed to draw the reader in.
