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Author : Nicholas A. Basbanes
Edition : 1st
Number of Pages : 272
Publisher : Holt Paperbacks
List Price : $15.00
Amazon Price : $45.00
Used Price : $13.55 |
Product Description
From the author of A Gentle Madness , the book that delighted bibliophiles everywhere, comes a twenty-first-century guide to book collecting that deals with both the traditional methods of acquisition and the electronic tools now available on the Internet.
Sharing the superb insight he has gathered from booksellers over the years, Nicholas A. Basbanes offers a refresher course on the fundamentals that endure, while questioning certain practices of doubtful validity. Topics include how to determine if a book is a first edition, how to spot book club editions, the significance of dust jackets, scouting the flea markets, how to work the book fairs, and the importance of handling the goods, as well as discussing less tangible issues like spotting trends and shaping a focus. Then he takes a careful look at Internet buying, pro and con, illuminating how you can use these electronic tools to your advantage, and making this the book no modern collector will want to be without.
Customer reviews
"A shelf of books bespeaks the soul whose hands have put it there." by .. J. Guild (Toronto,Canada)
A wonderful read about the world of books by one of the preeminent writers on the subject of book collecting.Using the word 'subject' to describe the passion of books is akin to using 'subject' to describe love or any other passion.Blame that on me,if you will,not Nicholas.
It seems I never get enough of these books about books and this is one of the best.Here we are given a look in on the wonderful life the author has in the world of the High End Collectors.Those like me,and that means all but a very miniscule number,who can only dream of attending and partaking in those auctions,where single rare books sell for tens of thousands,and lots or even complete personal libraries sell for sums equalling the national treasury of small countries.That doesn't mean reading about that sort of thing isn't very interesting;and the author has the ability to make one feel they are part of that activity.What one gets from this book is that anyone can have the same desires,same enjoyment,and all the rest of what comes along with having a passsion for reading,collecting,owning,sharing,arranging,their personal collection whether it is a small number of favorite volumes or some huge ammassment--it's their collecion and is what they have the ability,desire and resources to call their own.I suppose many who work with books like booksellers or library staff can even imagine the books around them are their own.I remember once reading somewhere, something to the effect that nobody ever really owns a book,but only has the privilege of being its caretaker for a while until it eventually passes on as its "owner" is sure to do--it's only a matter of time.This idea comes through very clearly as the author shows how collectors spend lifetimes searching for books that eventually end up in university,library and other collections.
The author describes the personalities he encounters and we can identify with all of them as we pursue our passion with books.
In a nutshell you'll get from this book that the only real difference between your collection and the world he writes about is a matter of scale
A great read and highly recommended to anyone who loves books and reading.
A most enjoyable book about books by .. Chris (Australia)
This is a great book for anyone interested in collecting books, or who likes books, or even anyone just interested in what makes a book collectable. Different people adopt very different approaches and strategies to book collecting and Basbanes documents a number of them. The eccentric madness of it all is what makes it entertaining and I found that this quickly became a hard book to put down. After reading this I suspect that I will never look at books the same way again. The fundamentals of book collection are not unlike other forms of collection, so people who are self confessed "collectors" (You know who you are!) are likely to find this an exciting read. In among all the entertaining yarns is a pretty good starters guide to book collection, and this book contains a number of practical pointers to web sites and book sellers to get the novice started. Overall it was really enjoyable to read and very much a page turner.
An Indispensable Resource for Any Serious Book Collector 
by .. Janefpl (West Orange, New Jersey United States)
In "Among the Gently Mad," Basbanes declares, "the more you read or read about reading, the more you will uncover about other books." And, the more, it seems, you will get to know an ever-expanding circle of people who collect and/or sell books. All their stories are here...what they collect, how they collect them, how much they spend and on and on until the value of this book is almost hidden under their weight.
However, if you are serious about book collecting, "Among the Gently Mad" is a tremendous resource. Reading between the lines of other book collectors' stories, you will find out which web sites, bookstores, dealers, book fairs, organizations and other sources can help you fill out your collection. By the way, this is not just a book for those who collect rare books. An antiquarian book is simply described as any book that is worth more now than when first published. Basbanes's first rule of collecting books is to focus on subjects that hold your interest and, in fact, your collection should contain books you actually want to read. If you are gently mad, that is "taking delight in the pleasant touching of books long coveted," this book is an indispensable tool to fulfilling your own madness.
Couldn't put it down by .. BuzS (ny, ny)
In rapturous, elegant prose, the author envelops the reader in his consuming passion for books and the people who love to collect them; as the hours flew by while I curled up with Basbanes, I assuaged my guilt at forsaking mundane tasks with the right-on lines that end the book's first chapter: "... a sentiment that I confess I savor on a daily basis: Books are not Life, But then what is?"
Wonderful reading, as always by .. Michael K. Smith (Gonzales, Louisiana)
Reading Basbanes is like engaging in a long, relaxed conversation over coffee in your living room with a very knowledgeable friend. In this third volume of his slightly rambling but always fascinating and well-informed discussions of books, book collectors, booksellers and dealers, and all the periperal subjects they engender, he combines advice on bibliophily in the age of the Internet with reminiscence on how collecting used to be done, and what the old and the new still have in common. As a small-time collector of limited resources myself, I enjoy reading abut the fabulous collections built up by those who not only have money to spend but also the intelligence and passion to add value to what they hunt down and acquire by adding to the accretion of knowledge. In fact, as Basbanes makes clear, becoming personally involved with books and other "stuff" is what separates collectors from mere accumulators. In fact, I find I have also become a collector of Nick Basbanes. . . .
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