Angus Phillips (1979, PPE) publishes his latest book, questioning the very concept of ‘the book’ itself

Alumnus Angus Phillips (1979, PPE) has recently published his latest book, Is This a Book? with co-author Miha Kovač. Professor Angus Phillips is Director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing and works as a consultant to the publishing industry, often speaking at international conferences and events. His books have been translated into seven languages. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the premier publishing journal, Logos. In an established career centred around the creation and distribution of books, it is no wonder that his most recent publication questions the very medium of the book itself.

Put rather simply, Is This a Book? is a book about the book. But it is not a simple topic that Phillips and Kovač delve into in their recent publication. In the digital age, what place do books now have? What exactly is it that constitutes a book? Where do ebooks and audiobooks fit into all this?

Is This a Book? explores the very position and definition of the book over the deep expanse of reading history and questions what place it has in modern society. Covering the history of books, the social and cultural status of the book, and how technology has changed the format, production and perception of the book, Phillips and Kovač investigate what has happened to it as a medium in our rapidly changing times.

‘Is This a Book? is the best single volume on the book there is.’ Michael Bhaskar, Co-Founder of the publisher Canelo and author of The Content Machine.

You can find out more and order a copy of Is This a Book? here.