On Sun, 17 Mar 2013 16:27:49 +0000, contempted
wrote:


I just bought a brand new book and within 50 pages of reading it the
part of the book by the spine where the pages connect to the cover has
separated from the spine. Now when the book is open you can shove a
pencil clear under the pages and the spine. IS this normal for a book,
have books always done this. Usually I buy used books and they
frequently do this, but I thought it was unusual that a new book started
off connected to the spine and quickly came unglued, if it is normal,
why do they glue it down in the first place?


This is normal, and quality books have been made this way for decades.
It's explained well on this page, see the images right at the top.

http://cool.conservation-us.org/byor.../an15-609.html