Abstract
The three-dimensional printed book remains fixed in our culture despite the overwhelming presence of technology. Physical experience associated with the book is so deeply ingrained in our collective mind that its significance has not diminished, only shifted. As with any other enduring art, it has adapted to the current digital age, fluidly transforming to become a new hybrid of traditional and modern. The emergence of the electronic book means there is no longer as urgent a reason to purchase a printed title. As a result, the physical book has become more accessory than necessity and must go further to capture the eye of the consumer. Book designers and publishers—especially in countries outside the United States—have become more creative in their formal decisions, choosing unconventional materials, colors, scale, and production practices to generate distinctive book forms. This work highlights the use of atypical materials and processes within the book structure to not only underscore its adaptability and shifting role in our culture but also demonstrate ways in which these formal decisions are successfully applied.