At a first level, "The Book of the Book Lover" constitutes a programmatic text, in which the philosophy and aesthetic identity of Lemerre Editions are presented, leaving their mark on the publishing map of France. At a second level, and this is the most important, Lemerre seems to be aware of the role and contribution of the publisher in the process of transforming society. From the Enlightenment era onwards, with the characteristic example of the Encyclopedia, it becomes apparent that the publisher is not simply a merchant who produces books, but an active shaper of the era. Through its products, it performs two functions: on the one hand, it reflects the ideological and aesthetic perceptions of the era, and on the other hand, it proposes new values and opens paths to the "new". In the few lines of each volume, the project of the French publisher becomes apparent, namely to highlight the connection between the publishing industry and the past, always with reference to the expectations it has for the future.