The authors rrecount how they became interested in collecting books and describe the interesting people they have met in the course of their collecting.

Reviews

What begins as a search for a hardcover copy of War and Peace becomes for the authors a journey into the world of used and rare books. Well ensconced as ex-Manhattanites living in the Berkshires, the Goldstones discover that they possess the requisite acquisitive nature for successful book collecting‘and collect they do. From book-laden barns in Massachusetts to exclusive, climate-controlled shops in New York, they travel the circuit, educating themselves along the way as they meet dealers and store owners. Once they realize that "books had stories associated with them that had nothing to do with the stories inside them," the Goldstones are hooked, and their interest and spending shifts from the $10 price tags of used books to the investment quality purchases of rare volumes and documents. A useful and lively primer for the novice reader interested in building a library, this is also a quirky guide to used and rare bookstores in the Berkshires, Boston and Manhattan. Book lovers and book professionals will be mildly amused by the cameo appearances of familiar dealers and shop owners, but otherwise will be well beyond the wide-eyed, "gee whiz" quality of the authors' impressions and literary comments. This is a book in which Dickens's popularity is likened to The Beatles and Edith Wharton is acknowledged to have been "a terrific writer." It is, nevertheless, an entertaining introduction to the world of book collecting, a world in which a book is judged by its cover (or lack thereof). (May)

The Goldstones are expatriate urbanites who fled jobs on Wall Street to live and write in the Berkshires. With a sense of adventure and fresh beginnings, they relate how they revived their life together and discovered the wonders of old books. Soon they were visiting used and rare book shops and auctions in the remote towns in the region, as well as in Boston, New York, and even as far away as Chicago. Along the way, the reader learns about the lore and minutiae of old books. As the authors flirt with collecting modern first editions, readers are treated to some of the fascinating stories of modern literature and get the insider's view of the arcane ways experts identify a first edition and decide what makes a book valuable. Readers also meet intriguing book sellers and collectors and others who inhabit the world of books. All in all, a delightful education in the book arts; recommended for public libraries.‘Paul A. D'Alessandro, Portland P.L., Me.

"Charming."--"The New York Times"

"Their enthusiasm is everywhere infectious...delightful...the pages are radiant with a pervasive love of literature."--"The Washington Times"

"The authors' descriptions are evocative, their storytelling compassionate-- and frequently hilarious. A sort of "Year in Provence" for book lovers."--"Kirkus Reviews"

"Most books about books are as stuffy and musty as a 400-year-old binding, but the Goldstones' prose is as sprightly and readable as the 'modern firsts' they began to add to their collections. I read it in one sitting."--"Rocky Mountain News"

"An entertaining introduction to the world of book collecting."--"Publishers Weekly"