A colorful and captivating visual exploration of book cover design, with never-before-seen sketches, mock-ups, and case studies, plus insider interviews with novelists and publishing executives that bring to light the inspiration, methods, and creative genius behind the book covers that grace our shelves.As readers, we're all familiar with the pleasures and pitfalls of judging a book by its cover. The cover is the outward face of the text--done right, a cover can become iconic. The Look of the Book examines the art of the book cover through memorable and notable covers, case studies, interviews with literary luminaries, galleries of jackets for bestselling books that never saw the light of day, and more. Authored by legendary designer and art director Peter Mendelsund and Harvard humanities professor David Alworth, this fascinating inside look at the intersection of culture and commerce challenges our notions of what book cover art can and should be. With a luxe jacket treatment and special production features such as gatefolds and episodic acetate interior pages that create a peekaboo effect, this is the perfect gift for book and design lovers. Why do some book covers become instant classics? This captivating visual exploration of the book cover sheds light on the creative genius sitting on our shelves.As readers, we're all guilty of judging a book by its cover. The cover is the outward face of the text--done right, a cover can become iconic, but done wrong, it can become an object of ridicule.The Look of the Book examines the art of the book cover through notable covers and the stories behind them, interviews with artists and literary luminaries, galleries of the many different jackets of bestselling books, and more. Authored by legendary designer and art director Peter Mendelsund--who has designed iconic covers for authors such as David Sedaris, Stieg Larsson, Yaa Gyasi, Jo Nesbø, and Kazuo Ishiguro--and Harvard humanities professor David Alworth, this fascinating inside look at the intersection of culture and commerce challenges our notions of what a book cover can and should be.