All TreeFeathers fine binding books have hardbound covers, made with traditional bookbinding techniques and sealed with a fine finish. The spines are shaped for a natural look, and they have blank gluebound page. Many have pages gilded with real 18k karat gold leaf, applied in layers and carefully burnished to create the beautiful golden glow and help prevent flaking. (The pages can be turned, however the gold leaf is quite delicate and so it is best to handle them as little as possible.) These books look amazingly realistic displayed on a desk or stacked on a shelf!