“Seven essays present new scholarship on a wide range of topics including collection, miniaturization, illustrated devotional books, the history of the printing press in Islamic lands, and the presence and function of erotic paintings. This beautifully produced volume includes 111 color illustrations and provides a valuable new resource for students and scholars of Islamic art.”

“Includes so much new and unpublished material . . . [and] it puts the collection of Islamic manuscripts at Indiana University on the map.”
 — Stefano Carboni, Department of Islamic Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

“[T]his is a useful source material on the development of Islamic book art from the 9th to the 20th centuries in different parts of the world, and will be an essential information tool for all those interested in the Islamic artistic and aesthetic traditions, specifically in the art of the book which is a highly prized item of Islamic material culture. ”
 — Journal of Oriental and African Studies

“[This book] is full of illustrations, pictures, and images that help the reader to better understand the text. The book is highly recommended for academic libraries, art libraries, and larger public libraries.”
 — MELA Notes

“[In this title] we may admire the richness of the holdings of Indiana University, especially as represented in the Lilly Library of Rare Books and Manuscripts, and the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction.Feb. 2012”
 — Bulletin of the S.O.A.S.

“The book constitutes a welcome addition to the scholarship on the Islamic manuscript tradition . . . . [I]t offers an exemplary introductory text on the Islamic book arts, the book’s main interest and usefulness are to be found in the many critical issues raised by the choice of 'intriguing materials' studied.24.2 August 2012”
 — Al-Masaq

“Overall this volume brings unpublished material into discussion and serves as a valuable educational tool.”
 — Speculum

“This handsome, large-format volume presents eight essays written in conjunction with an exhibition of the rich collection of Islamic books at Indiana University. . . . This book is a pleasure to hold and to read. . . . Highly recommended.July 2010”
 — Choice

“This handsome, large-format volume presents eight essays written in conjunction with an exhibition of the rich collection of Islamic books at Indiana University. . . . This book is a pleasure to hold and to read. . . . Highly recommended.”
 — Choice

“It is Gruber's scholarship that makes this book a desirable addition to a reference or circulating collection. . . . Her introductory essay could serve as course reading for classes on art history or Islamic culture and civilization; it stands alone as a readable, attractive, and extensively footnoted summary of the distinctive artistic character of Islamic book arts thorugh the centuries. 9:3, 2010”
 — Journal of Religious & Theological Intormation

“Collected studies often are uneven and inconsistent affairs, reflecting the distinctive perspectives and expository idiosyncrasies of their various contributors. Not so here, however, where tight editorial control was clearly exercised, and epistolary style uniformly regulated. . . . Besides simultaneously enriching the corpus of Islamic books and the study of Islamic book arts, this handsome volume does Indiana University proud. ”
 — Journal of the American Oriental Society