A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books - Softcover

Nicholas A. Basbanes

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0979949157 ISBN 13: 9780979949159

Publisher: Fine Books Press, 2012

Synopsis

When first published, A Gentle Madness astounded and delighted readers about the passion and expense a collector is willing to make in pursuit of the book. Written before the emergence of the Internet but newly updated for the 21st Century reader, A Gentle Madness captures that last moment in time when collectors pursued their passions in dusty bookshops and street stalls, high stakes auctions, and the subterfuge worthy of a true bibliomaniac. An adventure among the afflicted, A Gentle Madness is vividly anecdotal and thoroughly researched. Nicholas Basbanes brings an investigative reporter s heart to illuminate collectors past and present in their pursuit of bibliomania. Now a timeless classic of collecting, no lover of books can miss A Gentle Madness.

About this title

Review:

What a delightful book about books and people who love books! As a second generation bibliophile, a possible bibliomane who had several people move out of my house a year ago because they erroneously believed that my books were taking over the household, and a devout employee of "Earth's Biggest Bookstore," I can vouch that Basbanes accurately describes the glorious role of book collectors as archivists of human knowledge, and -- in continual counterpoint -- sometimes pathologically obsessed book junkies.

About the Author:

Nicholas A. Basbanes is the author of eight books, most recently On Paper, about various aspects of books and book culture. His first, A Gentle Madness, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He recently completed work on On Paper: The Everything Of Its Two-Thousand-Year History, the recipient in 2008 of a National Endowment for the Humanities research fellowship, and recently published by Alfred A. Knopf. Basbanes lectures widely on book-related subjects, reviews for The Los Angeles Times, and writes a featured column for Fine Books & Collections magazine. He and his wife Constance live in Massachusetts.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fine Books Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0979949157
• ISBN 13: 9780979949159
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 678