Every few months an article comes out that attempts to explain why sales of cookbooks are so strong. Though many people look for recipes exclusively on the internet, cookbooks continue to sell briskly, whether in ebook or printed form. The latest person to take a crack at explaining this phenomenon is Sara Bir, chef, culinary educator, and author. She talks about the enduring popularity of cookbooks through the lens of a new book about cookbooks.

Sara says that Debbie Berne, who wrote Cookbooking: A Fan's Guide after being diagnosed with brain cancer, had a deep understanding of the medium by virtue of a being a book designer who worked on many cookbooks over the years, including The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook. Berne had long wanted to write a book that would be "an affectionate, stylish tour of cookbooks of all kinds." After receiving her cancer diagnosis, she put all of her energy into writing Cookbooking. “She threw herself into it for the next year and a half, that’s pretty much what kept her alive,” says her husband, David Murray. “She would work her ass off until she just couldn’t do it anymore. She just needed something to drive her.”

Bir says Cookbooking shows how cookbooks are time capsules, showcasing what people consider important at the time the cookbook is written. They also tell a story about the person who owned the book. Some pages will be splattered with food while others remain pristine, showing which dishes were really savored by the cook. Notations in the margin can also be clues about the book's owner. Finding a used cookbook with notes is always thrilling because you discover how someone else used the book and what they thought was good or bad about it. As Bir says, "The physical permanence of cookbooks can create bonds between readers that span generations, even people who have never met."