When is a book not a book? When it’s a work of art. The Last Book will take you on a sumptuous philosophical journey deep into the history of mankind. This huge tome is something to behold. It’s a beautiful rumination on what makes us human.

Subtitled “The Diary of the Last Earthling (or maybe “The Anthem to Humankind” depending on where you look), The Last Book is presented as the thoughts and memories of the last human left alive – Noah Kaplan. Noah finds himself transported into space after an apocalypse on Earth. He is stranded on board a seemingly endlessly large spacecraft. There are no signs of anything or anyone else alive, yet something must have brought him here.

Noah begins to tell his story. Not only his story but the story of humanity, from our earliest civilizations right up to modern art, music, and culture. Noah is an artist, and he brings the story of humankind alive with beautiful illustrations. All this is beautifully captured in a large-format tome, on thick manuscript-style paper.

The Last Book is not an insignificant investment (it retails at $119US or £99), but it is a hefty object d’art that you can spend hours with. Whether you read it cover to cover or dip in and out, it’s a book worthy of your time and justifies its asking price. It’s as thought-provoking as it is beautiful.

I have not finished the book yet. I don’t think it is something, I could ever sit and read large amounts of at a time, but a couple of pages here and there is a comforting reminder of the power of creativity and the journey we have made together on our ever-rotating planet.

In a age where publishers are cutting back on human-made artwork, it’s great to hold an object in your hand through which you can feel the effort that went into making it. In a world of AI slop and quick dopamine hits, products that celebrate art and the artist, like The Last Book, stand tall.

You can find out a whole lot more about The Last Book at the Hungry Minds website.

If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here. 

I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.

Source: geekdad.com