In this course, students will be introduced to the history of the book in East Asia (with a focus on China) and Western Europe. By pursuing an integrated approach to the comparative history of the book, participants will not only be introduced important moments in the history of printing, but we will also discuss the historical and intellectual baggage associated with terms like “print,” “paper,” and “information.” The course will culminate in discussions of how to integrate more capacious and inclusive methods in teaching and researching printed materials. By the end of the course, students will be able to globally contextualize Gutenberg’s “inventions” and appreciate Chinese contributions to the emergence of modern forms of the codex.