Few of us give thought to paper’s impact on our lives. From printouts to books to household goods, paper has become an omnipresent yet nearly invisible part of life. But in his new book The Paper ...

Two new books about the history of paper — both tell the same story, right? Well, not really, and, in their differences, the books reveal much about the writing and reading of history. Consider this ...

However, the concept behind the first paper towels appeared in 1907 in a paper factory. A routine production problem led to one of the most common daily household tasks. A batch of rejected paper ...

I read Kurlansky's Paper for two reasons. First, I’m a big fan of micro-histories. I’ve read books about: cod, the potato, salt, uranium, chess, coal, undersea cables, the number zero, coffee, the ...