J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Vol. 3 Book

This is a compelling look at how city spaces--New York in particular--came to be saturated with print in the latter half of the 19th century. Signs, posters, even paper money -- all things we don't even notice reading -- drastically changed the public life of the city when they first appeared. Most notably, Henkin argues, they made it easier for people to navigate the city anonymously. Additionally, they democratized discourse to the extent that many signs and posters were not "authorized."