The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future Review The New Republic “Darnton’s volume is an informed and realistic guide to life in the first age of digital media. It argues convincingly that digitalization will create—is already creating—a new kind of enlightenment, if not a new Enlightenment…It seems entirely possible that Darnton will show scholars how we can make the digital world our servant, instead of accepting it as our master, and use it not to undermine but to complement the old powers of narrative and argument.”Bookpage “Darnton knows this territory as well as anyone and views the subject from a unique perspective…Darnton’s thoughtful and incisive essays on this important topic should be of interest to a wide range of book lovers.”The Scotsman “Darnton’s book ticks all the boxes. It looks nice. It smells nice. Its content is intelligent and forms a valuable primer to an increasingly important debate.”Times Higher Education Supplement “(an) important and highly readable book.”Bookpage “Darnton knows this territory as well as anyone and views the subject from a unique perspective…Darnton’s thoughtful and incisive essays on this important topic should be of interest to a wide range of book lovers.”Booklist “Historian and library director Darnton has written expansively and lucidly on the history of books and libraries. This collection of his influential essays from the past decade neatly encapsulates one significant part of his immense legacy and contribution to intellectual history. …Every one of Darnton’s essays reflects both his erudition and his good humor”BookPage “The stimulating and thought-provoking essays in The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future provide us with an excellent overview of where we have been and where we are likely to be headed.”Shelf Awareness “In this collection of well-informed essays, Robert Darnton, historian and director of the Harvard University Library, offers a decidedly open-minded perspective on some of the technological changes affecting the world of books and leads an insightful and learned discussion of topics that will appeal to more traditional bibliophiles.” About the Author  A former professor of European History at Princeton University, Robert Darnton is Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor and director of the Harvard University Library. The founder of the Gutenberg-e program, he is the author of many books. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.