The ground beneath the book publishing industry dramatically shifted in 2007, the year the Kindle and the iPhone debuted. Widespread consumer demand for these and other devices has brought the pace of digital change in book publishing from “it might happen sometime” to “it’s happening right now”—and it is happening faster than anyone predicted. Yet this is only a transitional phase. "Book: A Futurist’s Manifesto" is your guide to what comes next, when all books are truly digital, connected and ubiquitous. Through this collection of essays from thought leaders and practitioners, you’ll become familiar with a wide range of developments occurring in the wake of this digital book shakeup:

• Discover new tools that are rapidly transforming how content is created, managed and distributed
• Understand the increasingly critical role that metadata plays in making book content discoverable in an era of abundance
• Look inside some of the publishing projects that are at the bleeding edge of this digital revolution
• Learn how some digital books can evolve moment to moment, based on reader feedback

With "Book: A Futurist’s Manifesto," we at O’Reilly Media are actively practicing what we preach. Written and edited on PressBooks.com, a new web-based book-production system, this book also invites reader feedback throughout its development. Read the initial chapters and tell us where you’d like to go next. Are there topics you would like us to explore? Are there areas you want to go more in-depth? Let us know! The first release of this ebook is priced at $7.99; subsequent releases will be priced higher. Buy the initial release now and you’ll receive all updates at no additional cost. Naturally, it will be available in multiple formats, including a print edition when the book is complete.