This ambitious volume calls upon a cadre of international specialists, ranging from scholars to practitioners, to inform the reader about the past and future status of book publishing. Recognizing the dearth of research and analysis devoted to book publishing as both a commercial and cultural endeavor, editors Philip G. Altbach and Edith S. Hoshino have constructed a balanced and timely state-of-the-art review that is useful in not only library reference collections but also the offices of acquisitions librarians, collection development managers, area studies specialists, editors, publishers, booksellers, and savvy suppliers.