5 comments about The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession.

1. The majority of people who are intrigued by this title probably love books, therefore, read it to satisfy your curiostiy. However, I found the writing to be adequate but uninspired, the personality of the author drab and prissy and the guy who loves books not all that interesting. The thing I most disliked was the plethora of banal connections made presented as cosmic ironies (for instance, between the title of a book and the thief's situation). Also, the author repeats herself A LOT. What I liked most was gaining insight into the world of book collecting.



2. Good, quick read exposing the underside of the rare book world. A few glaring errors made me wonder if they were intentionally included to increase the eventual value of a first edition...? (See p. 102, where the phrase, "most of them do not cross the line between coveting and stealing" appears twice in three sentences. See also pp. 253-254, where the word "Renaissance" inexplicably appears twice in a row.) If you read Ann Rule's book, "The Stranger Beside Me," and were bothered by the extent to which the author inserted herself into the gripping story of Ted Bundy, you will find the same irritation with this book. (Personally, I don't like to be aware of the author of a book, but prefer the illusion that the book contains a world belonging only to me, the reader.) That said, there is much to learn and much to enjoy here. It is definitely worth reading.



3. Allison Hoover Bartlett took the risk (as did her publisher) of spending significant time and effort writing about a man whom many would rather easily dismiss as a mere "klepto." Instead, John Gilkey, apparently, defined himself to himself and to others through the books he purloined from rare book shops. A mere shoplifter would not have used the Modern Library "Top 100" as his guide to stealing. Gilkey, however, appears to have let his love of books if not literature invent a world where the "have nots" are perfectly justified in taking from the "haves," in this case book dealers who had dedicated their lives to buying and selling valuable books and building important collections at very little profit.
   Bartlett's honesty in approaching her subject, both bibliomania in general and Gilkey in particular, is refreshing. She enters the foray not as an expert but as a student of book collecting and perhaps more importantly human nature. Ken Sanders, her pilot through the early part of her investigation, figures largely in the story as initially a one man crusade to corral and incarcerate book thieves. Using an unwished for promotion to head of security for the ABAA, Sanders launches a network of electronic communication that allowed members of the organization to alert each other to Gilkey's movements. By the end of the book, Sanders has relinquished his post and slowly disappears from the stage while Bartlett follows Gilkey from one prison term to another, questioning her own involvement and objectivity in the story.
   
   If you have ever felt an unreasonable or unhealthy appetite for books, you might enjoy this book as a participant, if not in the stealing perhaps in the fervor. Those who are not avid book collectors or bibliophiles but who have felt driven to collect something may still understand the almost psychotic drive to own and possess one thing, and then another, and another, without ever being able to say "I am satisfied, no more."
   
   In this age of drug wars and blood lust, a book about a book thief might sound anticlimactic. My best advice is, buy the book, enjoy the story, and thank Allison for seeing it through.



4. While the title seemed intriguing, I found the book to be uninspired.
   
   In my opinion, the thief, who is the inspiration for the book, lacked complexity and quirks that I would have expected in story about rare book theft. He was uninteresting to me nearly from the outset, and brought no drama to the story. He's just a guy who doesn't have that 'moral' gene.
   
   The detective (bibliodick) Ken Sanders was an interesting character, and I'd definitely have written the book with Ken as the centerpiece, just following his life in counterculture, his lifelong love of books and finally his career as a rare book dealer.
   
   I'm sorry to say it, but I wouldn't recommend this book.



5. This book is a sterling reminder of just how much I love books. Bartlett's writing was so evocative that I could picture in my mind's eye the bookshops and libraries she described, and it made me want to wander around them for hours. Her descriptions of rare books and their charms are so vivid that I can't see how any book lover could possibly fail to respond to them. As I read, I repeatedly found myself telling my husband just how amazing I thought this book was. He agreed with me. He read it first and told me how much he thought I'd like it.
   
   What is easy to understand about this story is how a book lover could respond to the lure of a beautiful, old book. When I was in college, I had the good fortunate to take a Renaissance literature class taught by a professor who took us to see the rare books at the university library during one of our first classes. I'll never forget wearing white gloves and paging carefully through those gorgeously painted illuminated pages. It was truly an awe-inspiring experience for a bibliophile like me, and I could easily understand the charm of owning such a volume myself. Bartlett coveys how books are more than just paper and ink, they're a viable, physical link to the past. They are objects of memory, symbols of the things that we love and of the people with whom we've enjoyed them. Given this, it's easy to see how a thief could be tempted.
   
   Equally interesting was the story of Gilkey. I agreed with Bartlett in that it was difficult to decide if the man was amoral or suffering from some sort of mental disorder. His obvious disconnection from reality is startling. Were I in Bartlett's shoes while interviewing him for this book, I think I would have been too shocked by him for any sort of coherent speech. It was unfathomable that he could view his crimes as being victimless, that he could fail to understand how his books thefts impacted those who, like him, have a high regard for books but, unlike him, obtain them in legal and ethical ways. Gilkey is an interesting criminal and also an alarming one. While his crimes may not be violent, I found it disturbing to think that a criminal with so little conscience could exist. He's the antihero who fancies himself the hero.
   
   It was also disturbing to me to realize just how little publicity book thefts get. Why is it that when art goes missing, it's a top story, but when invaluable books like this are lost, there's hardly a peep? That books have power is obvious, as made plain by Bartlett's comments about past and current attempts at banning and burning "subversive" literature. I was baffled by how law enforcement can treat the theft of a $5,000 book so casually, when the theft of a TV of the same value would clearly not be something treated with so little concern. What an odd contradiction.
   
   This is a book that I will be sure to recommend to my fellow book lovers. I was utterly fascinated by it from the first page until the very last.

2 comments about The Oxford Companion to the Book.

1. This volume is a departure from the usual OUP "companion" format. The first volume consists largely of substantial essays on book-related essays, the remaining pages being given over to the more conventional dictionary format. It is also physically larger: two substantial quarto volumes that are lovely to look at but comparatively unwieldy to handle.
   The contents resemble some other less-useful companions in being decidedly academic in character. The professional specialties get extensive treatment, the notion of "book" is extended to cover material from the beginning of writing systems to the latest (as of a couple of years ago) in digital texts, and the prefatory essays give the history of the book global scope. There is less color and humor than one might hope for in a more companionable companion.
   If the entries are small, they are useful starting-points for investigations that will inevitably lead users to the internet where space is not an issue. In that respect the OUP has done the right and indeed a very clever thing in making a kind of ur-book out of this companion: as a physical object it is the state of the art in reference-book production with lovely typography, heavy paper, and binding that shouts "I am a book!"
   Indeed it is, and a timely book that fills a large gap in the shelf. No one does reference books better than OUP and they went al-out on this signature production. The price is steep but warranted by the quality of the product.



2. Office desktop reference books can many times come across as spatially challenged ogres hogging slab space from more efficient Google accessible E-equipment. Not so with "The Oxford Companion to the Book," a compilation of the recorded word in all its forms and applications throughout history (1408 pages, Publisher: Oxford University Press).
   
   Ruminate on Hieroglyphics, Cuneiform Tablets, Papyrus, The Gutenberg Bible hot off the first press, and E-books infused directly in your computer or phone.
   
   This behemoth is a powerful and almost exhaustive work on the evolution and impact of the book. Over a million words contained in two volumes, this is a book of books and has numerous features that would blow away the swiftest fingers on the most commanding search engine.
   
   If you find words, books, manuscripts, tomes, hardbacks, paperbacks, literature, treatises, and the like irresistible, you will take great delight in this nearly comprehensive set.
   
   Topics incorporated within these two substantial hardbacks are:
   
   - The work of 400 scholars from over 25 countries
   - Information on fonts and print
   - Ancient and modern writing instruments
   - Etymology
   - Philology
   - Colophons
   - Odd and interesting finer points of literature and word assemblages.
   
   Vast, deep, this labor takes you where few men have been at one time in one place. Even with the wonderful new internet resources available and its large price tag--book lovers, scholars, literature buffs, and information freaks will not regret purchasing this magnificent book on books.
   The Necessary Existence of God: The Proof of Christianity Through Presuppositional Apologetics

5 comments about Unpacking My Library: Architects and Their Books.

1. Fun concept for a book but alas none of these architects really draw my attention, except Stephen Holl, and I already have a pretty good collection of his books. I guess what is probably the most interesting aspect of this small book is seeing who these architects turn to when they are not reading about architecture, as one peruses the spines. Eisenman singling out Light in August was an interesting choice, as I didn't imagine him having much interest in Southern literature, but then maybe he regarded Faulkner as post-modern. Anyway, you can see the project at Urban Center Books, or leaf through the book at Yale University Press website.



2. 
   As I've been a fan of cut-down trees all my life 'Unpacking my library' would seem the ideal addition to add to my shelves in the book jacket and design section. Architects are the obvious choice as the book's subject, by their nature they are tidy folk and the professional and personal titles they own are sure to be in a photogenic format. The only other creative people I can think of who could be the subject of a similar book are graphic designers, artists in their studios would probably have books scattered everywhere.
   
   The ten featured architects are all presented in the same format: a general shot of their library (oddly these are all in black and white) and a nice touch, I thought, were captions about the shelving dimensions, manufacturers, materials and the number of books. Bernard Tschumi has the most at six thousand. An interview follows, which I found mildly interesting then close-up color photos of some books on the shelves so spines can be read by turning the book sideways. These shots are number keyed into the black and white overview photo. Finally the ten nominate their Top Ten Books, presented on a spread as cover thumbnails and what is the only book that pops up five times: Venturi's Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, so no surprise there.
   
   Reading the spines reveals no great surprises either, a mixture of architectural titles (several have a copy of 'S,M,L,XL') and culture. (Are the real revealing titles in another room?) Liz Diller and Ric Scofidio share a copy of 'Jocks & nerds', books on cars and highways. Bernard Tschumi has a copy of Philip Nobile's 1974 'Intellectual skywriting' and quite few movie and photo related titles and obviously copies of his own books. Stan Allen has 'Facts about Finland' and 'Mart Stam's trousers'. Peter Eisenman has 'The Sun Records collection'. Should I be pleased that I found a handful titles that I have on my shelves, well, maybe.
   
   Overall a quirky and fun book about books. The landscape format works well as does the design which was by Pentagram. Could the next book be 'Unpacking my library: novelists and their books'?
   
   ***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.



3. This little book is deceptive. It's lovely to look at, and to feel as if you can snoop within the libraries of Michael Graves and Diller & Scofidio, but it's also a strong statement of personal taste, of professional position, and of someone's inner life. It makes you want to buy and read more books, and it celebrates the declining art of book collecting.



4. Architects are surely the most deliberately illiterate of the legacy professions, disdaining "book learning" at every turn in favor of holy-writ drawings (backs of envelopes once the most stupid of conceits, now topped by Gehry's iPhone scribblings) while producing vanity volumes by the ton to promote their excresences to a public unable to understand architecture if not explained to them in dumbest of texts or waved blared as signature-designer property investment.
   
   Wright, Le Corbusier, indeed all the giants of modernism, and those who learned from them, ground out simple-minded textual guides to their work with lavish illustrations. A few of today's self-proclaimed gargantua have issued inscrutable texts with their highly burnished images to pretend profundity, pitiful Eisenman knows not the depth of his ignorance.
   
   This obsequious volume should foster benign neglect of books on architecture, by architects and deep-thinkerers decoratively displayed for visitor impressionability.
   
   Pondering architects' libraries may be the most disinformative initiative ever of the bloated Urban Center which has swelled its shelves with dwelling porn and promotional bloviate.



5. If you are one of those people who stears clear from the small talk at dinner parties and instead heads straight for your hosts' library to nose your way up and down the shelves, then this book is for you. Jo Steffens had the opportunity to peek into ten famous, largely New York-based architects' libraries - ranging from 750 to over 6000 volumes - and filled a book with snapshots from some of their shelves, short conversations about the meaning of books in their practice, and a top ten list of each.
   
   The experience is predictably labyrinthine. No surprise that we often bump into the likes of Corbu, Mies, Loos and Kahn. A strong showing, also, of key (proto-)postmodernist thinkers (as opposed to builders): Benjamin, Foucault, Derrida, Bataille, Deleuze. Rem Koolhaas' S M L XL is probably one of the few books to show up in all libraries, although it never makes it to the top 10 (his Delirious New York does, once). Venturi's Complexity and Contradiction is another fixture of the postmodern architectural scene. There is not an awful lot that refers back to older, pre-modern architectural practices (Michael Graves' library is an exception). And surprisingly little in terms of monographs on contemporary European colleagues (I don't think I saw anything referring to work by Rodgers, Piano, Herzog & De Meuron, ...). There is, on the other hand, quite a bit of fiction on those shelves - a lot of which reminds us of the fractured, the layered, the tectonic: Finnegan's Wake, Gravity's Rainbow, Moby Dick, The Man Without Qualities all figure in top 10 lists. Then again very few poetry books. Only one - Celan's Last Poems - show up, in Steven Holl's final selection.
   
   The overlaps fascinate, but so do the differences. Stan Allen betrays himself as a systems thinker, Michael Sorkin as a political activist. Tschumi's kinetic, cinematographically oriented aestheticism contrasts with Holl's more quiet, contemplative disposition. Eisenman, as an arch-postmodernist, provides a counterweight to Michael Graves' penchant for solidity and monumentality. And then there is the way in which these architects arrange their books, the types of shelves they choose, the kinds of ordering they impose. I love Henry Cobb's classic, meticulously designed embedded bookcases. But I am also mesmerised by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien's home library, where books, in no particular order, are surrounded by mysterious objects.
   
   The conversations are very short and serious and point to graver questions about the nature of the architectural practice in a world that is dominated by the computer, the virtual. Graves: "I want to know where we've come from. And I see students now being excited by the way they can make an object turn in space, inside out and upside down, using the machine. That in itself has become the moment of discovery. But it doesn't engage human concerns, or the myths and rituals of the origins of architecture. I don't see the interest in books and literature, not necessarily books, but the literature of architecture, as I once did."
   
   Inevitably, one cannot escape the temptation to peruse this book as a kind of catalogue, disclosing significant tracts of unknown bibliographic repertoire. But this requires patience. There is no index of all the books shown, nor is there the ease of automated search as Amazonians are used to. The only accommodation is that his little book can be easily turned to 90 degrees so as to facilitate the navigation of this fascinating and comforting landscape.

5 comments about Book Finds, 3rd Edition: How to Find, Buy, and Sell Used and Rare Books.

1. I have been selling for a few years and this book opened my eye's to so much more. I have learned more in reading this book then i could have learned on my own i 5 years of selling.
   
   Todd



2. This book gives a nice overview of the used book/collectible book market. I am sure there is more to learn but if you want to know the basics this book does a nice job of doing that. Some reviewers have said that earlier versions did not talk about the internet well this on does. Although a big part of the used book market is dealing with people face to face and handling the books something you obviously can not do on the internet. Other reviewers have criticized the author for talking about money. The man is entitled to make a living he loves books anyone can see that from reading the book so leave him alone if he actually likes to make some money from it. Theres no way he would do this if money was all he cared about. I can't wait to begin trading my own books.



3. I purchased this book thinking it would help me become a better seller of new and used books. This book is more for average sellers or new sellers looking to get in the only used or rare book selling arena.



4. For long time bibliophiles and booksellers, I doubt if there's much you'd find new or clever in this book. But for most people considering at least a part of a life involved with good books, this is an excellent volume. There's a bit about everything in this book; but fortunately each bit is robust enough to get a good overview of the various topics whether they be the history of the book, the traditional means of book collecting, i.e., auctions, scouting, estate sales, etc., and a good overview of the on-line world of book selling. If you find a one or two star review here, it is probably written by an old-timer in the realm of book collecting and selling. I might give a one-star review to a book about surfing the internet because I know how. That doesn't mean someone new to the process wouldn't benefit from it. And it doesn't mean they're dumb or clueless. The only deficit I'd say this book has is the list of collectible books. Not only are many of them not worth much. I own about 10 of them and they are sold for just $1 to $10 on the internet, but there errors in the names of titles and authors. Come on. A book about books should spell Nabokov correctly, don't you think?



5. First, I really enjoyed this book. I sell books and the author has likely forgotten more about bookselling and collecting than I'll ever know. For both sellers and collectors getting into the field I would highly recommend BOOK FINDS. That said, I haven't been able to duplicate some of Ellis' techniques for buying, selling and trading. Much of this may be my own inability to wheel and deal, but I'd like to think I can now recognize a prize when I see one, and get my hands on it. The author's chapter on book trading--which seems to be the centerpiece of his strategy--has not worked for me in the least, although it sounds good in theory. Perhaps it is because the book buying venues in my town have become far too savvy about their stock to put a high dollar book on their shelf for a couple bucks. Likewise, his list of collectible authors has not--when I can get my hands on them--resulted in sales (good reading, but not money in the bank). Fiction, for me, does not sell, or sell readily. Even "collectible" fiction. Finally, although Ellis has a short chapter on the changing nature of the business, he clearly comes from a brick and mortar background, and while the book has a 2006 copyright, it does not delve deeply into the vast world of internet bookselling, which has changed all the rules regarding selling. Ellis, in fact, seems to not want to go there, although "there" is already here. I think his methods probably can and do work for many--just not me, in my community, using my model of selling and what I choose to sell. Nevertheless, I have read and reread this book, because it is still useful, and because it is charming. Read it, judge for yourself. And good luck selling and collecting!

5 comments about The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, a History.

1. when it comes to books and reading and bookstores and libraries. He put into words what I've always felt but could never articulate as eloquently as he did.



2. First of all, I love the size of the book -- it's a perfect small paperback. I also enjoyed the book history peppered throughout the story -- there was a lot I didn't know, so that was cool. So many times I found myself thinking "This is how I feel when I walk into a used bookstore I've never been to." It was a delight to read this for what it is: a love letter to books and bookshops.



3. Very engaging and very readable. The novel glamorizes the life of the bookseller. It is a must for any book lover.



4. From one book lover to another, thanks to Lewis Buzbee for sharing his experiences as reader and seller, as well as the evolution of bookstores. Even the book itself was beautiful to the hand and to the eye, a joy to touch and to read.



5. "The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop" by Lewis Buzbee is a perfect read for bibliophiles or anyone with interest in the bookselling business. This relatively tiny book is chock-full of interesting insights into books and bookstores, based on the author's own experiences as a bookstore clerk, bookseller, and a publisher's sales rep.
   
   Readers are taken on an interesting journey into the world of books, book-making, ancient historical repositories of books such as the Library of Alexandria and of course, about bookstores - from the evolution of bookstores in ancient Rome to contemporary bookstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble.
   
   As I read this, I felt rather sad at the decline in bookstores, especially the demise of many independent bookstores. As much as I love shopping online, there is no substitute for browsing in a physical bookstore where I can browse through clean, crisp pages, appreciate the scent of a book, and physically touch books of various genres and titles, admiring the covers up close. I can empathize with Buzbee's book lust for I am similarly 'afflicted', and I recommend this book to anyone who has a life-long love affair with books!

5 comments about Bushido : Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo.

1. I was disappointed with this book.
   I'm a big fan of Japanese tattoo, but this book only shows Yakuza style tattoos, whole body, men only (there's only one woman tattoed in the whole book).
   The pictures are mostly shots of the whole body, so you cannot see the details of the tattoos clearly.
   There are only old school tattos, nothing from the more modern, contemporary Japanese style.
   I expected to see at least a few cool dragons, koi fish, cherry blossoms, colors, but you get more of the rough drawings, demons, ugly faces, and so on.
   If you're looking for something very specific on this theme, this book might be interesting. But if you want a broader view of Japanese tattoo, forget it.



2. Insightful book on perhaps one the richest forms of tattooing. Descriptive text, great quality images, a must have for anybody willing to learn about the history of japanese tattooing, and what it really means, especially with so much horrible tattoos walking around us today. COP IT.



3. I recommend this book to anyone thinking of getting a Japanese tattoo, it has great pictures of true Japanese tattoos. Because if you get a Japanese tattoo from someone that does not know anything about the art, you are going to end up with a garbage tattoo. I also recommend this book to anyone that just wants to learn more about the art, even if you do not plan on getting a tattoo.



4. Great pictures, amazing details in each tattoo art... you will spend so much time just finding the magic behind every image.
   Like graphic designer and martial artist I really enjoy this book. Also, you will learn a lot about the japanese tattoo tradition and the samurai culture.



5. A very interesting and colorful book. I enjoyed reading it and looking at all of the pictures. Lots of good info here. Lots of writing about Horiyoshi III, including photographs of his studio and museum. A great book.

5 comments about Books: A Memoir.

1. I share Larry McMurtry's appetite for books, but haven't acted on it as he has. This is a wonderful book, full of book lore and fine descriptions of a number of eccentric personalities. It is also an excellent memoir.
   
   The ranch house of the author's childhood was built on Montgomery Ward plans. McMurtry's father was a cattleman, not a farmer. The family really didn't have books. Then his cousin Robert gave Larry a box of books before the cousin went into the service in 1942 as he was cutting the second semester of the first grade. Shortly after that the family moved to Archer City and became, he remarks facetiously, middle class. The family acquired THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA and MY BOOK HOUSE.
   
   The writer started his book hunting by looking into abandoned farmhouses. As an adolescent, McMurtry read what he could scrounge. In the mid sixties he started to collect vintage mass market paperbacks. During his first stay at Rice University for a year and a half, he spent most of the time in the library. He was squeezed out of Rice by freshman math.
   
   During the first twenty years of book hunting McMurtry read nearly all of the books he acquired. He graduated from North Texas State, received an MA from Rice, and was awarded a Wallace Stegner Fellowship at Stanford. His first novel was HORSEMAN PASS BY, (made into the movie HUD), and the second was LEAVING CHEYENNE. McMurtry scouted books in the Bay area, at one time San Francisco had so many antiquarian bookshops he couldn't cover them all, and spent two and a half years in Houston working for Grace David at the Bookman. McMurtry was sent on two buying trips to the East Coast and one to the West Coast.
   
   The author thought he did well when he sold a book for seven hundred fifty dollars at five hundred dollars profit. He found out later the book was sold subsequently for eight thousand dollars. The author's character, Cadillac Jack, was made an antiques scout rather than a book scout because McMurtry knew how hard it is to get the common reader interested in the intricacies of the book trade.
   
   The auction of Lowdermilk's stock in 1970 in the District of Columbia was an opportunity for McMurtry and Marcia Carter to get into book selling. Booked Up opened in Georgetown in 1971. Many secondhand bookshops were closing then, although Powell's, the Tattered Cover in Denver, and the Strand remained viable. In writing talents may exhaust their gifts, but book selling is progressive because it is based upon acquired knowledge.
   
   McMurtry wonders, (with Cyril Connolly), whether reading has become a mandarin pursuit. McMurtry never wanted to be without books. That was his motive in book selling. As Richard Booth brought books to Hay-on-Wye in Wales, Larry McMurtry brought books to Archer City after rents in Georgetown became exorbitant.



2. When I saw the word "memoir" in the subtitle of this volume, I expected the work would reveal how reading had affected McMurtry's development as an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. I should have paid closer attention. Instead, this offering consists largely of McMurtry's passion for locating, buying, and selling books. In fact, much of it is merely reporting on transactions, with one or two-page "chapters" detailing books that were found, bought, and then sold again. McMurtry's ardor for trading eclipses his love for reading, writing, and teaching.
   
   This book does create some interesting context for McMurtry's life, including how he went from growing up in a book-less home on a Texas ranch to starting his own bookstore in Georgetown in 1970 called Booked Up, which was moved in 1988 to Archer City, Texas and is one of the largest independent bookstores in the country.
   
   "Books" is a who's who of the often colorful and eccentric players in the antiquarian book trade when--prior to the internet--scouting for books was more of a hands-on experience.
   
   If the sourcing and trading of rare books quickens your pulse, you will enjoy the recollections in "Books." However, if you are looking for an exploration of how reading has influenced a writer's life, you will want to look for other memoirs and literary biographies.



3. I was hooked on this book by the first chapter. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is less charming and can only be of interest to a person who is seriously into book collecting.



4. Confession--I bought this book because of the cover. The book was not what I expected it to be--I thought it was about writing,and lists of books etc. but was pleasantly surprised to read about the whole new (to me) and exciting world of book scouting and trading. The author has some very candid comments about contemporary fiction writing, including his own, which are very interesting. He is a book lover through and through, writing, reading, scouting, selling and buying and all and a very very lucky man. I love books, particulalry used books, where you sometimes find interesting things--I once found an old German train ticket stub in a used "the Unberable Lightness of Being", just a piece of shared history with a stranger who might have liked the same book as a traveling companion. A little bit of sentimentality, maybe... In this time of Kindle, and blogs, (no offence) I worry about the future of these wonderful books with beautiful covers....



5. Sorry folks. As a passionate lover of books, I couldn't wait to read a story from a great writer who also collected and sold books for many years. Except for a few anecdotes about a couple more notable people, the rest was just a (boring) repetition of names and names and names of unknown souls. The only thing I got out of it (and I struggled to finish it and find something to like) was the sad fact that many, if not most, of the great privately-owned bookstores are now gone.

5 comments about At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries.

1. This is a beautiful book and provides a rich view of many lovely libraries. I liked some of the interviews and definitely envied a few of the libraries and homes featured. There is some useful information about forming and maintaining your own library. Unfortunately, that's about where my praise ends. If you are seriously into reading and actually interacting with your books then many of the passages will make you sad if not angry. Some of these people don't even seem to like their books and view them as design trinkets and when you realize that there were other libraries that could have been featured by people that, though not famous, actually care about their books, it makes your heart sink.
   
   The section on libraries designed by designers is infuriating. The writers try to pass off grouping books by color as some lovely and acceptable idea- anyone that actually uses their books regularly should be appalled.
   Thomas Britt seems to only have a single bookcase and was, I suppose, only featured because he has a lovely room. Laurie Mallet and the designer that held her home before her painted books shut and incorporated them into the wall for effect. That is not book-love. Jack Lenor Larsen openly admits to not even liking looking at his books and hides them behind sliding panels. While this creates a very zen-like atmosphere (which I do appreciate) it isn't book-love.
   
   Most of the people featured are artists or architects and so a large portion of the books talked about are art books. Everything is about being pretty and appealing to artistic sensibilities.
   
   Finally, I must admit that this is a very "white" book. 99% of the people featured are white and live in the US or England or live abroad but are from there. Granted, this may have something to do with the fact that it takes wealth to collect like this and white people make up a major portion of the wealthy but the writers didn't even try. A section about the great libraries of the world only speaks of European libraries (with lonely Martinique as the sole non-European library- but they are a French colony so I really wonder how much that counts as non-European). Hay-on-Wye the booktown is treated as something completely unique and special when a brief search will show that there are a number of booktowns. Because the wealthy are featured there is a leaning toward their lifestyles which could be overlooked if it weren't for such classist statements as, "Her home and atelier/showroom are oases in a neighborhood marked by Indian food stores and welfare hotels." (page 117 of the hardback edition). Sorry all of the poor are cramping your rich artistic style.
   
   In short, this is a really pretty book about people that like the look of their books and houses and that's about it.



2. I'm quite certain it was not the fault of the featured celebrities that even as we read of their love of books, one wishes to smack them. No. it is the tone of the writers of the book that makes one wish to scream; moreover, to resell the book as quickly as possible, even though there are habitats shown in the book that are positively entrancing.
   
   I prefer the wild intrigue and adventure in Nicholas Basbanes' A Gentle Madness, and letting my books sit where they may.



3. I am now approximately 3/4 of the way through the book and am finding it to be a great book on books. I have been developing my own library ( just 828 books so far ) and think this book is a valuable reference and library table book!



4. While the photos show many upscale and elegant home libraries, there are some wonderful ideas in each, that can translate to a more modest library. Additionally, this book profiles related companies, such as Putnam Rolling Ladders, and gives concise and useful information on proper book care, bookplates, lighting, library furniture, and of course, a myriad of shelving styles. We bought this as we are designing a simple home library for our extensive collection of art, architecture, photography and garden design tomes, as well as some rare specimens that need special care. This book is proving to be both inspirational and useful.



5. I was interested in finding a book that focused on design ideas for a home library since I am in the process of designing my next new home. The book fit the bill. What a marvelous book! The book is of the highest quality. The pages are glossy and filled with color photographs of home libraries from around the world. These private libraries range from small to large, from simple to complex, from expensive to cost effective, from old to new and from organized to messy. In addition to private libraries, this book covers topics such as How to Organize your Library, How to Start a Collection, Library Lighting, The Art of the Bookshelf, Bookplates, Bookbinders, Library Furniture and a valuable Resource Directory. While an interesting concept is to integrate shelves throughout the house and treat in effect the house as a library, my favorite focus of this book is the "Library as a Retreat". Even Keith Richards of the Stones has a small library in his mansion that acts as a "Retreat". The previous positive reviews were correct; this is another treasure to add to your personal library. I will certainly refer to it in the future.

5 comments about Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books.

1. As a young man, Aaron Lansky makes it his mission to collect what he believes to be about 70,000 out of print Yiddish books. One and a half million volumes later, he wrote a book about his amazing adventures culminating in the creation of the Yiddish Book Center.
   You will laugh and cry at Lanzky's zany adventures and vibrant, generous, committed zamlers -- people who helped him gather Yiddish books (my favorites were the Ostroffs) who peopled his stories.
   I loved it so much I just purchased five copies.



2. Mr. Lansky embarked on a wonderful adventure that became his life's work. Initially I anticipated dull accounts, one after the other, of visits with suppliers of old Yiddish books. However, his account was rife with humor, history and culture. We Americans have tended to stereotype Yiddish culture and language however, Lansky, I think, colorfully, and accurately shows how this language played its way throughout various political movements including that of the Bolshevik revolution and even the American political movements of the late 60s. Rather poignantly he describes how Stalin and Hitler almost destroyed the literature created by the Jewish people of that era and yet presented a hope of an impending revival.
   
   With humility he concedes that his knowledge of Yiddish will never come close to that of our forebears who lived through the eras of Yiddish literature yet his appreciation for the literature is truly to be admired. Mr. Lansky, I think, exposes creditable insight about "religion" as he compares the attitudes of his friends, the Ostroffs who are religious yet warm and not ostentatious, with the judgmental Chasidim who would prefer to throw away the Yiddish literature and not lift a finger to help shlepp the volumes.
   
   I would fault Mr. Lansky on one fundamental which shapes some of the demeanor of his book. Understandably, 'though he tries to avoid it, his political bias comes out. He faults Ronald Reagan for not providing the funds for a local neighborhood library (which, perhaps is something that people should be doing on a local level if they really valued education) but he does not credit Ronald Reagan (instead he gives all the credit to Mikhael Gorbachev) for the institution of Glasnost which put an end to official governmental persecution and murder of Jews and burning of Yiddish Literature in the Soviet Union. Not atypical... in my humble opinion, most liberal Jews don't really know who their real friends are.
   
   Nevertheless, this is a well-written book, an entertaining book and an educational book. A good read, and a worthy tribute to an invaluable life's work.



3. Don't either like it or hate it,never rec'd book from bookseller jersey xray,don't order from them,put in claim for refund,and its for a book discussion group not just that I want to read it.



4. Aaron Lansky's book about his long journey saving Yiddish literature and culture was recommended to me by someone who is not Jewish.
   I am, sort of, but more by heritage than culture - I am not an observant Jew but I am an inquisitive one. On that level this book is immensely satisfying.
   I Never realized how many Yiddish words I know. It's an interesting story and he's a fabulous storyteller. He's also a determined entrepreneur in the NFP world. The whole thing is so inspiring I feel I have to add my voice to the chorus.



5. If you're interested in Jewish life you'll be excited to read about this search and salvation mission of Yiddish writings and books.

2 comments about Antique Trader Collectible Paperback Price Guide.

1. Great guide for study or general reference. Contains a large variety of paperback books in different categories. Listed by subjects with prices related by condition of the book. Many color photos. Author also covers the importance of cover art and general grading guide.



2. For any one who is collecting vintage paperbacks, this guide is a must have, not only for the guidelines it gives for what a proper price is for the book you want to buy, but also for the nice introduction on collecting paperbacks as well.