Book Definition

A book is a printed, handwritten or painted work in a series of sheets of paper, parchment, vellum or any other material, joined from a side (bound) and protected with covers. A book can be about anything.

Unesco states that a book should have 49 pages or more (25 sheets or more), as from 5 to 48 pages (from 3 to 24 sheets) it would be a booklet, and from 1 to 4 pages its considered loosen sheets.

Looking for different binding methods I found a website called Designers Insights that clearly shows and explains different types of binding methods.

In this video Matt Thorne, pro photographer and design whiz, shares his secrets for great book design. He walks you through book design and layout essentials and touches upon tips and tricks to help you with every aspect of bookmaking, from workflow to typography to final layout.

The Book Design Blog is also a source of inspiration, where one can find multiple and different examples of book design.

Some examples about other publications with alternative use of elements: