I recently read Nicholas Basbanes’ On Paper, a book chock-a-block with everything you ever wanted to know about paper and its history and uses. Each chapter covers a different aspect of paper: from the origins in China and how it made its way west, to the making of money, kotex and toilet paper, to origami folding, to how paper advanced architecture and the American Revolution. Endlessly fascinating! My only complaint was that every couple of pages I had to stop and look up something on the web, to see a picture or find out more (there are a few b&w pictures scattered throughout the book, but only a few). I have a long list of things still to look up and spend more time with. But I’ll leave this post off with a wonderful quote, near the beginning of the book, by a Japanese paper maker about his craft: “Never be in a hurry—and never skip regular steps.”