Characteristics of the books

Size
The books should be small enough to be easy for people to carry them at the same time big enough to fit the information and a picture 10x15cm if anyone gets interested in attaching a photo.

Number of pages
Few pages. With the time I am giving for filling the book, it will be scary with the sensation of there are too many pages to fill in (although the book doesn't have to return totally filled in). Plus, if the book has too many pages it goes far away from the person I actually sent the book to, which means that the chances to get the book back might become fewer. But nevertheless it should have a relevant number of pages so I can have a good amount of data. It should also look a small book, not a folder.

I went to look for a notebook with 10 sheets (20 pages) but it was impossible to find. I got then the 20 sheets notebook. Actually when I got the book in my hands I realised that this option was much better for the reasons I mentioned above.

Quality
The paper of the pages should have good quality to not mark the other page when people are writing/glueing/painting on them.

Handwriting
Am I crazy to write in all the pages of the books and in all the 600 "thank you" small papers? No. But yes, I got crazy in the 3 nights when I wrote in all of them [click here to read my book-making-marathon]. But what made me go on writing and writing and writing was that I believe that if I want people to feel free and comfortable to experiment in the book I can't give them a beautiful printed, tidy blank page. Not when I am asking such a personal question. I wanted to create the nearest path between them and me. I am asking each one what they have left behind. Each page is my question to each one who takes part in this.

I ask people to write about their lives. I should give them my personal statement as well. In the first page of each book there is my statement of what I have left behind.

Graphic design
All handwriting for the reasons mentioned above. All the material is black ink in Kraft natural colour. I've put the title of the book behind the ribbon so it is discrete (more comfortable for people to write in it).

Why 32?
Well, my tutor and I decided that I should send 10 books. 10 seemed to be a good number to have enough data for me to work with. So, I arrived home and I thought, I will try to send 20 if I have enough people in different countries to send them. After all, we never know how many books will actually return to me, it is always better to have more than less. The next day I called the company that provides the book (the books come in packages with 2 each) and, you know what, "I would like 15 packages, please." "Sixteen?" "Hm, yes, yes, sixteen.". That is it. I know I might be crazy when all the books arrive with so much information. But, to be honest, I don't care how much work I will have, I'm really excited!