When The Book is Dead was first published in 2007, smartphones, ebooks and social media were yet to take over, and Borders bookstores still dominated the retail landscape. This reissue features an updated preface from Sherman Young who brings us up to speed, arguing enthusiastically for the revival of a vibrant reading culture, driven by conversations around ideas.

Sherman Young is Macquarie University's Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching and a professor in the Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies where he teaches and researches in the area of new media theory and production. He is co-author of Media Convergence (Palgrave, 2012) and Beyond 2.0 - the Future of Music (Equinox, 2014), which analyze the impact of new media technologies. Sherman has a BSc in Design (UNSW), an MA in Media, Technology and Law (Macquarie) and a PhD in Media and Cultural Studies (UQ). Prior to becoming an academic, Sherman ran a multimedia production company building interactive media for a range of corporate and publishing clients.