Book Typeface Question

As the result of a suggestion in another thread, I got a copy of The Cheese Monkeys. I’m just into it and like it so far except for one thing. The typeface/font is quite small and the margins quite wide. The size of the font could be increased without having to add more pages. Why would they publish a book like this? FWIW, my copy also has the first several pages, reviews, title page etc., misprinted. At first I thought it to be a mistake but, combined with the printing on the page edges and weird layout, now I’m not so sure.

That particular book’s layout is just overall weird. At least one version of it has the author acknowledgments section printed in mirror image.

ETA: It also looks like the borders of each page are using some sort of hidden code, so that’s probably why the margins are so tight.

Is the author Chip Kidd? If so, there’s a kindle edition for $16.99 (wow!).

Yes, it Chip Kidd. My version has the mirror image thing. The “hidden code” results from the edge printing as far as I can tell but who knows? Not me. That’s why I ask.