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Spine
The backbone of a book. Refers either to the interior area of the backbone, where the signatures are gathered and sewn together or the pages are glued, or the exterior strip of material (sometimes referred to as a backstrip) that covers this area - or both.
Most spine defects develop from one of three causes:
1. Stacking books on top of one another. Over time, because of uneven weight distribution, this may cause a condition called a cocked spine. When viewed from the top or bottom edge of the book, one board or cover extends beyond the other.
2. Allowing books to stand at angles on shelves. Again, over time, this may cause a condition called spine lean or spine slant. When the spine of the book is viewed head on in a vertical position, one board or cover extends higher than the other. A combination of defects may also occur - that is, a book may develop slant and become cocked simultaneously. Books in this condition appear to have twisted spines, sometimes described as spine twist.
3. Improper handling of a book during reading. Folding back pages when reading a paperback, magazine, or comic book may produce a condition called a rolled spine. When the book is viewed flat on a surface, the edge of the spine appears to have rolled toward the front or back cover. In the case of paperbacks, the spine may also develop cupping.
Note that there is widespread confusion and/or misuse of all of the above terms throughout the book industry. Some sellers use one term only to describe any one of the above defects. Others use "cocked" to describe "slant" or "lean" and vice-versa. In cases where a book is being purchased sight unseen or photographs don't clarify the condition of the spine, it's important to ask the seller to define his terms precisely.
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