It was the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Seva Batichev, the cofounder of the creative collective Hungry Minds (along with Timur Kadyrov) felt a spark of inspiration. Batichev and his wife were exploring the vacant streets of Naoshima Island in Japan, a place famed for its art museums, and they began contemplating some big questions: ‘What if this really is the end? What would be left of humanity if we don’t make it through this?’ The result was The Book, an indie passion project that has garnered a worldwide following for its ingenuity and sumptuous presentation. Batichev spoke with BookLife about the origins of the project.
What was the process for creating The Book?
When the idea struck to create a book to guide future generations in rebuilding civilization, we began brainstorming. What would the book contain? How would we make it? We were fortunate to find an exceptionally talented artist, Lev Kaplan, to help us shape the visual style. At that point, we were just having fun with the process. We didn’t expect much financially; our optimistic goal was to raise $300,000. For us, it wasn’t about the money but the joy of creating something meaningful in a time of uncertainty.
By the end of the fundraiser campaign, we raised over $3 million between Kickstarter and Indiegogo. This success allowed us to dedicate ourselves to the project full-time, hiring experts from a variety of fields and expanding the team. Over the next year and a half, we held countless discussions, refining the book’s content and visuals. Every decision was carefully debated; every choice was made with intention.
Looking back, what makes The Book special is the love and dedication poured into it by a truly diverse and international team. Everyone brought their passion and unique perspective, and that’s what makes the book resonate with so many people.
Is The Book intended to literally live up to its subtitle—“The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization”—or is it more of a beautiful, artistic object to admire?
When discussing the book, we always saw it as an artifact, not just a practical guide or encyclopedia. There are already plenty of analytical books that explain how things work. What we wanted was an experience for the reader, a sense of interaction with the book. We wanted them to feel they were holding something unusual, perhaps even mystical.
Let’s talk about the stunning illustrations. What themes, styles, or references shaped the vision?
From the beginning, we wanted them to feel timeless and extraordinary. Great credit for the illustration style goes to our art director, Lev. He captured something remarkable, finding a delicate balance that is simultaneously practical, understandable, and visually unique. His style blends the intricate detail of medieval engravings with modern touches and contemporary techniques.
The process of creation was a journey. We chose themes—concepts and inventions we felt were essential to humanity’s story. We researched them thoroughly, consulting experts to ensure accuracy. Once we had the foundation, we gave the ideas to Lev and his team. They’d produce initial sketches, which we reviewed and refined together. This process took weeks, sometimes months.
We wanted every illustration to feel alive; there’s more to discover each time you look at it. The book contains many riddles and puzzles to solve. Even I, one of its creators, find new details in it to this day. Sometimes I notice a tiny element added by an illustrator that we never discussed, or a sentence or joke that only makes sense over time.
We add small updates with every new print run. We don’t always announce these changes, but we feel this makes the book come alive. It interacts with its audience; we listen and incorporate feedback from readers. These subtle touches are noticeable to those who engage with the book attentively.
Jotting down hundreds of ideas, we created a massive list of inventions and concepts we felt essential to preserve for future civilizations. Then, we began the difficult process of narrowing it down to 200 entries.
Each decision to remove something was agonizing. Every time we thought, “This can’t be excluded” or “This is too important to leave out,” it added to the challenge.
Ultimately, we had to make firm decisions about what to include and set aside the rest. Many of the ideas that didn’t make it into the first book will form the basis for our next project, The Last Book, which will focus more on humanity’s cultural aspects.
Who would you consider your target audience? How are you positioning the book in your marketing efforts?
The ideal audience is anyone who is deeply curious and loves to be amazed. As we grow older, many of us lose the ability to marvel at the world around us. Our goal is to reignite that sense of wonder.
