--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At different times and in different…" description: "\"At different times and in different places I have come to expect certain books to look a certain way, and, as in all fashions, these changing features ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/alberto-manguel-2467_book_at-different-times-and-in-different-plac_45237.jpg" --- # At different times and in different places I have come to… ![“At different times and in different places I have come to expect certain books to look a certain way, and, as in all fashions, these changing features fix a precise quality onto a book's definition. I judge a book by its cover; I judge a book by its shape.” quote by Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/alberto-manguel-2467_book_at-different-times-and-in-different-plac_45237.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/alberto-manguel-2467_book_at-different-times-and-in-different-plac_45237.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/alberto-manguel-2467_book_at-different-times-and-in-different-plac_45237.jpg) > “At different times and in different places I have come to expect certain books to look a certain way, and, as in all fashions, these changing features fix a precise quality onto a book's definition. I judge a book by its cover; I judge a book by its shape.” [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that a book’s physical design—its cover, shape, and format—conveys meaning and influences perception, shaping how we evaluate its content. **In simple terms:** Design informs perception. Key Takeaway Form shapes interpretation. Themes aesthetic perception material culture semiotics branding cognitive bias Mood curiosity nostalgia Type observation reflection When to use this quote - choosing a novel in a bookstore - evaluating a textbook for coursework - selecting a coffee-table book for décor Key Concepts visual identity tactile experience symbolic meaning Practical Applications - product design for publishing - marketing strategies for books Questions to Reflect On - How does a book’s physical appearance affect its perceived value? - Can content be judged independently of form? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Cover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-cover/) [Book Shape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-shape-664970/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-look-359635/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-books-664971/) [Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitions/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-place/) [Different places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-places/) [Different times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-times/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Features](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/features/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Judging a book by its cover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging-a-book-by-its-cover/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Precise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precise/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Shape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shape/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Many times I have learned that, you never judge a book by its cover. Like people, it is the inside that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/many-times-i-have-learned-that-you-never-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [I've always been a big fan of beauty. Sure, you can't judge a book by its cover but who wants to have sex with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-ve-always-been-a-big-fan-of-beauty-sure-you-can-t-judge-a-book-by/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I have a saying. 'Never judge a book by its cover'. I say that because I don't even know who Ozzy is. I wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/i-have-a-saying-never-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-i-say-that-because-i-2/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [My whole outlook on life is, never judge a book by its cover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-mayweather-jr/my-whole-outlook-on-life-is-never-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/) [Floyd Mayweather, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-mayweather-jr/) > [You can't judge a book by its cover, can you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cao-cao/you-can-t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-can-you/) [Cao Cao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cao-cao/) > [“If you cannot judge a book by its cover, surely we should not judge an author by one book alone?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-cannot-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-surely-we-should-not-judge-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't judge a book by its cover 'til you've read the book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/don-t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-til-you-ve-read-the-book/) [Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/) > [We take it for granted we know the whole story - We judge a book by its cover and read what we want between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axl-rose/we-take-it-for-granted-we-know-the-whole-story-we-judge-a-book-by-its/) [Axl Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axl-rose/) > [You're not a historian, but most historians will tell you that they make very discrete judgment as to what facts to omit in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/you-re-not-a-historian-but-most-historians-will-tell-you-that-they/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I've never read a book on shape. I've read books on gesture; I've read tons of books on color, surface, field, ground, representation, abstraction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sillman/i-ve-never-read-a-book-on-shape-i-ve-read-books-on-gesture-i-ve-read/) [Amy Sillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sillman/) > [“I have no luddite prejudice against new technology; it's just that books look as if they contain knowledge, while e-readers look as if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/i-have-no-luddite-prejudice-against-new-technology-it-s-just-that/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“And I see you have not resisted their lure either.” He motioned toward her books. “Might I look at your selections?” She hesitated and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-michaels/and-i-see-you-have-not-resisted-their-lure-either-he-motioned-toward/) [Jess Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-michaels/) > [There is no author whose books I look forward to more than Vaclav Smil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/there-is-no-author-whose-books-i-look-forward-to-more-than-vaclav-smil/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [..books look as if they contain knowledge, while e-readers look as if they contain information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/books-look-as-if-they-contain-knowledge-while-e-readers-look-as-if/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [Books look handsome and it's a real singular experience getting to go to a bookstore. I don't want to not do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-goldsmith/books-look-handsome-and-it-s-a-real-singular-experience-getting-to-go/) [Taylor Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-goldsmith/) ## More by Alberto Manguel > [Most readers, then and now, have at some time experienced the humiliation of being told that their occupation is reprehensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/most-readers-then-and-now-have-at-some-time-experienced-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Libraries, whether my own or shared with a greater reading public, have always seemed to me pleasantly mad places, and for as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/libraries-whether-my-own-or-shared-with-a-greater-reading-public-have/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [I have no feelings of guilt regarding the books I have not read and perhaps will never read; I know that my books have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-have-no-feelings-of-guilt-regarding-the-books-i-have-not-read-and/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“Then one day, from the window of a car (the destination of that journey is now forgotten), I saw a billboard by the side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/then-one-day-from-the-window-of-a-car-the-destination-of-that-journey/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [The shelves of books we haven't written, like those of books we haven't read, stretches out into the darkness of the universal library's farthest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/the-shelves-of-books-we-haven-t-written-like-those-of-books-we-haven/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“I have no feeling of guilt regarding the books I have not read and perhaps will never read; I know that my books have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-have-no-feeling-of-guilt-regarding-the-books-i-have-not-read-and/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Old books that we have known but not possessed cross our path and invite themselves over. New books try to seduce us daily with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/old-books-that-we-have-known-but-not-possessed-cross-our-path-and/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Ordered by subject, by importance, ordered according to whether the book was penned by God or by one of God's creatures, ordered alphabetically or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/ordered-by-subject-by-importance-ordered-according-to-whether-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [The starting point is a question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/the-starting-point-is-a-question/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“Ljubav je imbecilna izvesnost pomoću koje naša fantazija stvara verodostojnu utvaru.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/ljubav-je-imbecilna-izvesnost-pomo-u-koje-na-a-fantazija-stvara/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [I know that something dies when i give up my books, and that my memory keeps going back to them with mournful nostalgia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-know-that-something-dies-when-i-give-up-my-books-and-that-my-memory/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Something about the possession of a book - an object that can contain infinite fables, words of wisdom, chronicles of times gone by, humorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/something-about-the-possession-of-a-book-an-object-that-can-contain/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Maybe this is why we read, and why in moments of darkness we return to books: to find words for what we already know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/maybe-this-is-why-we-read-and-why-in-moments-of-darkness-we-return-to/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [As centuries of dictators have known, an illiterate crowd is the easiest to rule; since the craft of reading cannot be untaught once it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/as-centuries-of-dictators-have-known-an-illiterate-crowd-is-the/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [A book brings its own history to the reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/a-book-brings-its-own-history-to-the-reader/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) [Explore all 159 Alberto Manguel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At different times and in different places I have come to expect certain books to look a certain way, and, as in all fashions, these changing features fix a precise quality onto a book's definition. 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