Abstract: In a book made up of a plurality of sheet members respectively constituting a pair of covers and a number of leaves therebetween and being fastened together with a spine of the book in a manner to permit relative angular displacements of the sheet members about the spine for opening and closing the book, at least the sheet members constituting the covers, and preferably all of the sheet members, are substantially stiff and have elongated openings extending therethrough along corresponding edge portions of the respective sheet members, and all of such openings are aligned when the book is closed and are accessible from opposite sides of the respective sheet members so that a hand can be extended through the openings for carrying the closed book.