But when I simply must get my hands on a physical copy of a new book release or time-tested favorite, I prefer paperback. Sure, hardcover books are shiny and solid. They look great on a bookshelf.

Ballantine, which has sold 375,000 copies in soft covers, is getting ready to print at least 100,000 more, a big sale for a paperback. Houghton Mifflin has already sold 20,500 hardback copies (v.

The pair follow the production of 20,000 clothbound hardback copies of Pride and Prejudice from paper preparation to cover gluing. Historian Ruth Goodman discovers the story of Louis Braille.