Danielle St-Laurent explores the evolution of spy novel covers, grounding the essay in an anecdote explaining the intrigue of first seeing an attractive man pick up a thriller with a pin-up girl on the cover. St-Laurent examinesthe critical shift in the roles of women on the covers of spy novels over the course of the 20th century.

She references Klimt and Muncha as marking "the beginnings of the use of women in advertising and, by extension, on the covers of spy novels" (277). Many early spy novels covers featured men as the primary subject, with women in various states of undress relegated to the background. Even as women came to the fore of the covers in the 1930s and 1940s, a clear subjugation of the female gender remained; hieratic ideals (with their roots in Egyptian iconography) such as larger and darker-skinned male figures continued to be employed.

Over time, the covers evolved further, with women depicted in minimal clothing, and, often, fully nude [N.B., St-Laurent examines covers in French Canada, where there is less prudity regarding nudity]. A number of other conventions come into play as well: almost all the women are young (under 30), white, depicted frontally to emphasize primary sex characteristics. Furthermore, the women, almost without exception, are depicted with a gun, and gaze beyond the scope of the cover, thus enlarging the pictorial space to envelop the viewer.

St-Laurent makes a compelling argument that "The cover pinup image here is actually a part of the way one reads the novel" (278). For example, a darker-skinned cover girl indicates an exotic locale. The adherence to visual conventions makes the departures all the more striking, thus serving as an effective marketing tool. The cover and the text are inextricably linked.

This comprehensive text is divided into three primary sections: The History and Structure of the Industry; The People Who Make Books; and Key Outsiders in the Book Trade.  In "The Manufacture of Appeal" (a subset of the People Who Make Books section), the authors explain the importance of book covers.  According to the authors, the importance of the book cover cannot be overstated, particularly in the paperback world.  Pages 219-221 provide an excellent explanation of the importance of book covers and their various incarnations. 

Schiffrin offers insight into the international publishing world with this narrative history. He recounts his experiences in the publishing world, describing pivotal moments (acquisitions of companies, market censorship, the emergence of blockbuster best-sellers) through his personal lens. This book provides an interesting and accessible introduction to the evolution of the publishing industry over the second half of the 20th century.

This 1967 text, though somewhat dated, is a comprehensive introduction to the various elements included in book design.  Author Adrian Wilson devotes chapters to a variety of topics, from typography to paper to binding.  Of particular interest is chapter eight, which is devoted to Jackets and Paperback Covers.  Wilson addresses the problem of scale with book covers; the design must do double-duty, being able to attract readers from a bit of a distance when displayed frontally, as well as enhancing a customer's interest when he or she has already been intrigued by the title and chooses to pull the book from the shelf for a closer look. 

The aim of this text, as outlined by the author, is to provide a broad introduction to the book industry and help position those seeking jobs in the industry to be in the most advantageous situation.  Clark outlines the roles of people at essentially every stage of the book-selling process, including the sect known as "packagers."  Packagers "tend to produce mainly highly illustrated and saleable, expensive to produce, informational colour hardbacks which are published and marketed under the imprints of other firms" (67).  The notion of the Cover Copy is also explained: "Printed covers or jackets are needed well in advance of the printed book for promotion and sales purposes.  Thus the cover copy (e.g., title, author, blurb and ISBN) is passed to the designer" (94) early in the process, and the proofs are checked later.  The designs for book covers are highly specialized, and "most kinds of books, other than the most utilitarian, requires specific design attention which may be executed by in-house cover designers, or by art directors, who may commission freelances.  The designers responsible for covers are usually quite distinct from the book designers" (101-2). 

Vanderbilt does a wonderful job making the business of publishing accessible and entertaining.  In the chapter entitled "Judging a Book by Its Cover" the author explains the overwhelming importance of an effective cover design for many stages of the selling process, from reaching distributors to targeting the readers themselves.  "With so much of the book's facte dependent on everything but what is between its covers," Vanderbilt explains, "publishers have learned to treat a book's skin with loving care" (91).  Alfred A. Knopf understood the critical importance of an alluring cover, something which helped propel him to his position as a top-tier publisher.  Following Knopf's success, other publishers, too, began to labor over every element of the book covers, from type-face to author photoraph. 

John Updike writes a great - that is to say helpful, not entirely complimentary - review of By Its Cover by Ned Drew and Paul Sternberger in the October 17, 2005 issue of The New Yorker.  Updike's article serves as a useful introduction to the concepts Drew and Sternberger explore in the book.  The hyper-politicization of the book strikes a nerve with Updike, who states the "authors' insistent politicization of design aesthetics has a musty and wordy Marxist tone" (171).  Updike also takes some issue with Drew and Sternberger's emphasis on the cover and (what he perceives as) the dismissal of the content; of course, this isn't surprising given that Updike makes his living at creating the content. 

The various levels of the publishing industry are explored by Bailey in this book.  The scope of the text is very broad, providing cursory information for multiple aspects of the process of publishing a book.  He touches on the importance of having an effective cover, designed and produced within the careful confines of the budget and to meet the satisfaction of the marketing department.  Bailey likens the jacket of a book to wrapping on a gift - it is intended to excite and entice the reader, and compliment the contents. 

Walker and Chaplin walk through the theory and history of Visual Studies. They begin with an exploration of the notion of culture, particularly as a foil to nature. The notion of culture, they argue, is inextricably linked to what the economy allows and, perhaps more importantly, deems necessary, allowing the members of a society to establish a hierarchical pattern. Now, however, "culture" is increasingly used to describe any aspect of daily life. Next, the concept of the "visual" is explored, both in how it is sensorally experienced, and what the repercussions of this perception are.

Chapter four's discussion of theory and its various manifestations is particularly interesting, as it explores not only self-conscious theory (e.g., philosophers and people who fancy themselves theorists) but also theory-as-byproduct; that is, theory that developed more organically. "In sum, there are not only theories of art, but also theories for art; theory-informed art, and even theories as art" (62). This is an especially helpful screen for considering why book covers are designed as they are.

The chapter entitled "Production, Distribution and Consumption" has a helpful explanation and description of consumer models, and examines the theories behind the design and distribution of products. In the following chapter, they examine the roles of institutions in creating various products designed to perpetuate their ideals. They explain: "in the case of large, complexly structured arts and media institutions employing or commissioning teams of specialists to produce films, televesion programmes, etc., the influence of the institutions on the content, form and ideological agenda of the final product is likely to be harder to judge because of the many functionarires and levels of mediation involved" (94).

The notion of looking and voyeurism is also explored. This is a critical concept when considering the "why" of book covers; people's selections of books mirrors their interests, and the visual to which they are drawn is an immediate indicator. Therefore, one can extrapolate from the text, that selecting a book by its cover is a sort of narcisistic voyeurism.