You can see from this picture that miniature books can be things of beauty. They were first made by those who prepared other illuminated manuscripts and were functional as well as elaborate: missals could be easily carried in a pocket or even worn at the waist or around the neck for convenience of prayer throughout the day. They also were used as practice pieces for apprentice binders-- a use they still have in art school, where students produce books that, if not strictly 'miniature,' are certainly small.
This was a really beautiful book to look at and read parts of. Every imaginable subject and style of miniature book is mentioned, from the aforementioned hand-written prayer books to those novelty items that come packages with a magnifying glass. Certain publishers are famous for their teeny yet readable versions of the classics, which collectors buy for shocking prices: http://www.lorsonbooksandprints.com/raheb.html. This book really focuses on these limited-edition collector's items, but many books, especially children's books, were originally designed to be small. Ant and Bee, Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library, and the Beatrix Potter books come to mind. Small books are maybe not as useful as they used to be-- with the advent of e-readers, any book becomes portable-- but making something smaller will always make it somehow both cuter and classier, and one advantage of collecting miniature books is that they don't take up much space!
After reading this book, I got a little inspired and ended up spending a few hours and a few dollars at eBay, where miniature books for the casual dollhouse furnisher, the curious collector, and the serious antiquarian are all available. One could start a collection fairly reasonably, for example with items from the Little Leather Library. Of course this house is full of books already, so I suppose I don't really need to take up this hobby, but it certainly is a charming one to read about!
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