Forty Centuries of Ink Or, A chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curiosa together with some evidence respecting the evanescent character of most inks of to-day and an epitome of chemico-legal ink.

"Forty Centuries of Ink" by David Nunes Carvalho is a journey through time that uncovers ink's pivotal role in preserving human history. It begins in ancient civilizations, examining the raw materials and early methods of ink production, and continues to explore the evolution of ink throughout the ages, noting the various formulations and their applications. Rather than just tracing the path of ink, the book shows the importance of ink in our lives, including the symbolism of colors and highlighting its role in legal settings, Carvalho also cautions against modern inks, pointing out their lack of permanence compared to their ancient counterparts. Essentially, the story explains how the history of ink is really the history of our world.