Craig Saper edited a new edition of Bob Brown’s prophetic book The Readies(originally published in 1930 and published now with Saper’s annotations and Afterword with Rice University Press). More than fifty years before electronic forms of abbreviated writing became commonplace in text messages, Brown invented a new format for reading, called “readies” that would replace the book with something that resembled a proto-Kindle. Brown’s contraption consisted of a small reel with microscopic text that would pass under a powerful magnifying glass, and as technology advanced, readers would eventually be able to radio readies to this device. Saper provides a contemporary analysis of the book and its impact on technology today. The Readies is available through
Rice University Press.