The Books are a band founded by and consisting of American Nick Zammuto and Dutchman Paul de Jong in New York City in 2000. Their music is a mix of aleatoric, electronica, folk, and acoustic music (de Jong is a cellist and Zammuto plays acoustic guitar and electric bass), incorporating samples of sounds, speech and music. They have released three albums, all on the German (Cologne) label Tomlab. They are currently recording and residing in North Adams, Massachusetts.
Their 2006 live shows consisted primarily of live acoustic performance (cello, guitar and vocals), played with prerecorded electronics and synchronized video. Read there interview with Hate Something Beautiful.