Written by: Stanley Poh

Before the early nineteenth century, books were hand-bound using heavy materials such as wood, leather, gold, silver and jewels. Over the centuries, book binding had always serve as a protection to expensively printed or hand-made pages, and as embellishments tribute to the cultural authorities.

Other than the two most common covers; hardcovers and paperbacks, there are many other alternatives and additions, such as dust jackets, ring-binding and out-dated forms such as the nineteenth-century "paper-boards" and the even more antiquated hand-binding.

It is often said; don’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, the opposite appears to be more true. It is not often that we would see book covers made of wood or imprinted with real life objects appearing to be part of the book itself, but many have decided to showcase their talent through these beautiful artworks we have below today.

Clarendon Books 2. Two Clarendon type specimen books; one with cocobolo cover & the other with bloodwood covers. (by andymangold)

Adidas Def Jam Collaboration Book. A prelook book done in collaboration with adidas and Roundhouse Media. (by Dan Kinto)

Rodrigo Munoz Avia. A book cover design of a newly bought button-up shirt printed as its cover. (by Tomato Kosir)

Capas Prateadas. A simple envelope-like design. (by Zoopress studio)

What To Read Now, July 13, 2009. The first image is subscribers’ edition cover. The second is the original composition. The third is the newsstand edition. (by Newsweek)

Magic 105.4. The packaging and book design combined Magic FM branding with the look and feel of a luxury travel guide. (by Jason McReynolds)

i am. I am is an image and text combination and compilation of self-descriptions from the profile pages of people online. (by palindromenoise)

MDF. A 25 cm x 17.5 cm cardboard cover design. (by Zoopress studio)

Mini album. (by Zoopress studio)

Model Book. A book on the photography of the fashion french photographer, Gerard Uferas. (by artdude85)

Quantum of Solace. An enveloped style design against a grey background – evoking a top secret feel to it. (by Jason Kottke)

Solex Typeface Specimen Book. A type specimen book on Emigre Foundry’s "Solex" typeface family designed with the professional looking concept of espionage. (by aphoticdesigner)

The Oil. An interesting yet simple design. (by Alexey Maslov)

Últimas encomendas antes da licença maternidade. (by Zoopress Studio)

Wooden Celtic Book. A hard cover 1/8 letter size book, wood-burned with celtic designs. (by yagarasu)