The Notebook

A History of Thinking on Paper

By: Roland Allen

Narrated by: Mark Elstob

A Kirkus Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2024

We see notebooks everywhere we go. But where did these indispensable implements come from? How did they revolutionize our lives? And how can using a notebook help change the way you think? In this wide-ranging history, Roland Allen reveals how the notebook became our most dependable and versatile tool for creative thinking. He tells the notebook stories of Leonardo and Frida Kahlo, Isaac Newton and Marie Curie, and writers from Chaucer to Henry James; shows how Darwin developed his theory of evolution in tiny pocket books and Agatha Christie plotted a hundred murders in scrappy exercise books; and introduces a host of cooks, kings, sailors, fishermen, musicians, engineers, politicians, adventurers, and mathematicians, all of whom used their notebooks as a space to think—and in doing so, shaped the modern world.

In an age of AI and digital overload, the humble notebook is more relevant than ever. Allen shows how bullet points can combat ADHD, journals can ease PTSD, and patient diaries soften the trauma of reawakening from coma. The everyday act of moving a pen across paper, he finds, can have profound consequences, changing the way we think and feel: making us more creative, more productive—and maybe even happier.

©2023 Roland Allen (P)2024 Profile Books, Limited

An Interesting Look at History

The performance was excellent. I learned a lot and it was interesting to see the effect paper availability had on art, finances, mathematics, and even ICU recovery.
Only two somewhat negative thoughts: 1. I was hoping that the author might talk about notebooks or similar in the Eastern world, especially after mentioning wood pulp paper originated in Asia. 2. There were some chapters that seemed more repetitive and only serving to relate the topic to famous figures without novel aspects of the notebook.

Much more than simple paper

While this book may start a bit dry, by the end you will be swimming in the beauty of complex thought and extended memory. This is a must read for anyone who wonders what they can do to take the next step in their life.

Absolutely fascinating

This was very well done, smart, thorough without being overly detailed. The balance of history and story was well done. Read well, and great pacing. Thanks!

Enlightening new angle on history!

Excellent writing, with a wide range of different viewpoints on medieval, modern and current history… fascinating. A very original lens for exploring art, science, business, literature, and other fields from the viewpoint of notebook usage over the last 600 years. Really enlightening. The narration was professional and consistently clear, though sometimes overly dramatic and a bit grating on the ears. But still enjoyed the whole book immensely.

Suddenly feeling guilty for not keeping up my Diary

I’m not sure how to describe this - it’s a history of notebooks- which is sort of a history of writing- and commerce- and - well - I Really enjoyed it and will most certainly listen to it again