A visually captivating volume on artists’ books from the Getty Research Institute (GRI) Special Collections, this monograph invites the reader to turn, tussle and delve into a variety of the featured artists’ books, successfully eliciting a tactile viewing and reading experience. Beyond the exquisite photographs of the included works, is a forward by the Director of the GRI, Thomas W. Gaehtgens, and two introductory essays by each of the listed authors, Marcia Reed and Glenn Phillips, both demonstrably knowledgeable on the topic. Featuring works by Albrecht Durer to Ray Johnson, Reed, the Chief Curator and Associate Director of the Getty Research Institute, outlines a chronological overview of the development of livre d'artistes and artists’ books from the medieval period through to the present day, with accompanying photographs, adding a compelling visual element to the recounting of the history of artists’ books. Given the inherit intention that is placed in the design of these objects, Reed emphasizes that as a reader, it is our responsibility to view just as much as it is to read the work, ‘…contemporary artists’ books give parallel significance to the materiality and the seamless interconnections of viewing and reading’. Phillips interweaves artists’ motivations in creating these works, the evolving publishing practices of disseminating artists’ books during the mid-twentieth century to present day and ends with a captivating description of Anselm Keifer's, Die berühmten Orden der Nacht; an artist book that uses scale to a marvelous effect.

Artists and their books / books and their artists, inspired an exhibition of the books featured in the volume.^{Reference Goldman1} This is notable, in that for a monographic volume to function as a catalyst for an exhibition, speaks to the breadth of the works selected, the quality of the reproductions, and a genuine interest within contemporary art for more examples and information on artists’ books.

Over one hundred works are featured in Artists and their books / books and their artists. The selection criteria for the works presented in this volume were chosen for their ability to provide a range of forms, construction techniques, varied concepts and relationships artists have had with the production of making artists books and their own practice. Not all works featured are necessarily the most seminal pieces in the history of artists’ books, as the authors note, but present the reader with a wide range of the creation of artists' books particularly over the twentieth and twenty-first century. The collection of artists’ books at the GRI began with the donation of the archives of Jean Brown, a librarian, archivist and avid collector from Springfield, Massachusetts. Reed's description of the evolution of the GRI artists’ book collection, emerging out of Brown's archive, provides insight into the collecting practices and foundation of the six thousand works in the GRI special collections, of which four thousand came from Brown. The over one hundred works selected for the publication have therefore been carefully selected.

Most of the volume is dedicated to the plates featuring the artists’ books and are organized alphabetically by the artist's last name. Each artist book featured includes multiple photographs of the work that often crosses over onto the next page, the artist's biographic information (nationality and birth year), bibliographic information about the work (publisher, contributing authors, etc.) and a brief description of the formal and conceptual elements of the work by Reeds, Phillips and additional authors from the GRI. Predominantly artists from the mid-twentieth to twenty first century are featured, including artists: John Cage, Tauba Auerbach, La Liber Aimcorum, Kiki Smith, James Lee Byars, Thamotharampillai Shanaathanan, Kara Walker and Ed Ruscha. Also included is a list of the plates within the publication, extending the bibliographic information for each work, with the listed edition number. As well, an index of artists and their works is provided.

One quality of this monograph that separates this volume from other surveys on artists’ books are the high-quality photographic reproductions taken of each work. The Senior Graphic Designer, Catherine Lorenz, layers multiple images, of the same work, on itself within the white space of the facing pages. Unapologetic in using the crossover eighty-eight times throughout the volume, images often span both pages - demanding to be seen from different angles. By choosing to use cross-over spreads, there is an opportunity for the readers’ imagination to understand what it would be like to grasp the edges of the work without a finger touching the page.

This volume would be a welcome addition in an academic library setting as a pedagogical tool when providing instructional sessions on artists’ books. Due to it not being as fragile as the actual artists’ books, it is a strong companion as a secondary source to be referenced and viewed, extending the preservation of the artists’ books themselves. Alternatively, if the artists’ books are not available to show, this book functions as a useful stand in, providing historical introductions on artists’ books within contemporary art and rich photographic reproductions. Any institution that has an artists’ book collection would benefit from having this resource due to the rich introductory essays by both authors, the polished photographs and included index. Although, in comparison this volume is not as theoretically in depth as Johanna Drucker's, The century of artists' books,^{Reference Drucker2} it is an admirable companion given the quality of imagery.

It is hard to compare the feeling of turning the page of an artist book and the delight that comes from the unexpected result; however, in its own way, even as a standard monograph Artists and their books / books and their artists, delivers a sense of suspension and anticipated wonder as the reader moves through the volume, viewing and reading, as Reed suggests, the greatest hits of each work in the multi-photographic spreads.