For centuries, humanity has had a love affair with books. But these volumes are far more than just receptacles for stories. They have been tools to spread religion and empire, and have contained dangerous politics and talismanic protections. Emma Smith tells Rhiannon Davies about our complex relationship with the printed word. (Ad) Emma Smith is the author of Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers (Allen Lane, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones:https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fportable-magic%2Femma-smith%2F9780241427262 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.