The Comite du Librairie of the Academie Royale des Sciences in Paris & its influence on modern scientific refereeing are examined in this 2003 J. F. Lewis award-winning monograph. James McClellan investigates the development & growth of the Comite du Librairie in the late 18th century, & its influence in establishing international norms for processing, modifying, & authorizing books & papers for publication. Pointing out that “historians of the Academie Royale des Science have known about the Comite de Librairie & had logged the existence of its registers, but no one had studied them in detail,” he presents a comprehensive & authoritative history of the Comite.