I was a little disappointed.

Basbanes has written several books in this series.

I had high expectations, especially since I thought the first one, A Gentle Madness, was truly the best.

It had a certain charm and depth that really captured my attention.

The way Basbanes explored the world of bibliophiles and bibliomanes in that book was fascinating.

However, as I delved into the subsequent volumes, I couldn't help but feel that they didn't quite measure up.

Maybe my standards were set too high by the excellence of the first installment.

Nonetheless, I still appreciate Basbanes' efforts in bringing the love for books to the forefront.

Each book in the series has its own merits, but for me, A Gentle Madness will always hold a special place.

Overall, this is an interesting book for booklovers.

Some passages were drier than others, but I was still able to finish it in an extended reading period without taking a break. This alone says something about its engaging nature.

Probably my favorite parts were the chapter on marginalia. It was fascinating to read about how readers, both famous and ordinary, write comments on their reading material.

The chapter about the devoted F. Scott Fitzgerald collector also caught my attention. It reminded me of my own passion for Tolkien's books. For example, I currently own 3 different copies of the Silmarillion. However, that's nothing compared to this collector's 30 copies of one Fitzgerald book.

This book contains lots of good thoughts on the powerful benefits of well-done reading. It serves as a good reminder that reading to learn and grow should not be restricted to our school days. We should continue to cultivate this habit throughout our lives.

I bought this book by mistake. I had it on my wishlist in an online bookstore and messed up when moving items to the basket. When I noticed the mistake, I had already checked out.

At first, I thought about asking for the purchase to be cancelled. However, I then decided not to. And I’m really glad I didn’t, because this was an overall nice read.

The book mainly focuses on the US and the UK, but it still contains very interesting information. For example, it tells about the way books were perceived throughout history.

In 1932, the British author Holbrook Jackson devoted an engaging study to the concept that books are considered dangerous by some people because they make you think. He used the word “bibliophobia” to describe the many ways people have expressed their fear of books over the centuries. In some instances, books were condemned to incineration. Most spectacularly, perhaps, in 213 BC, the Chinese prime minister and senior historiographer, Li Ssu, “set out to abolish the past and start history afresh” by ordering every book in the empire “except works of agriculture, medicine and divination” to be destroyed. Those who refused to give up their books for destruction were branded and condemned to slavery on the Great Wall for four years.

The book also explores the ways books were used by and influenced the lives and work of notable people like Thomas Edison and James Joyce.

When Joyce wrote Finnegans Wake, he said he spent seventeen years writing the novel and expected someone to spend an equivalent time reading it. He believed that the only reader who really reads a novel closely and looks at every sentence, how it’s constructed, what it means, and why it’s there, is the translator.

The book has put into words something I had noticed long ago but hadn’t given much thought to. One of the great mysteries of art is that the original somehow retains its freshness over decades and even centuries. We can return to it and read it with great pleasure and joy. Translations, on the other hand, age very quickly. If there isn’t a new translation every twenty years, the translation becomes dated in a way that the original text seems to avoid.

This book also renewed my resolution to finally read the Bible, in preparation to later on try Moby Dick and Joyce’s Ulisses. Wish me luck!

Most readers of the Bible fail to engage these texts as literature and history, which the historian of religion Donald Harman Akenson has found unfortunate. He wrote that the scriptures tell us how to read the scriptures, although these self-contained instructions are now out of fashion among biblical scholars. The Hebrew Bible is a book of puns, irony, and the occasional joke. These, while not the heart of the text, are like a set of stage directions: read the solemn part solemnly, but know also that almost every word can have a second or third meaning and that word-play is the analgesic we have been given to keep the heavy parts of the scriptures from becoming more of a load than we can bear.

This book had its moments of interest.

However, in my opinion, all the essays seemed to drag on a little too much.

They didn't really seem to reach a meaningful conclusion or go anywhere significant.

It felt as if the author was just rambling on without a clear direction.

The length of the essays made it a bit of a chore to get through them.

Despite some interesting points here and there, the overall lack of focus and direction made the book a bit of a disappointment for me.

I was hoping for more engaging and thought-provoking content that would have left a lasting impression.

But unfortunately, that wasn't the case with this book.

Maybe others might find it more to their liking, but for me, it just didn't quite hit the mark.

When you read this one, be prepared to add another 1000 tbr's.

This statement implies that the content you are about to encounter is so captivating and engaging that it will surely make you want to add a significant number of titles to your "to be read" list.

It suggests that the article or piece you are reading has the power to pique your interest and inspire you to explore more related works.

Whether it's due to the unique perspective, the thought-provoking ideas, or the excellent writing style, this particular piece is likely to have a profound impact on your reading preferences.

So, as you embark on this reading journey, keep an open mind and be ready to expand your literary horizons by adding those 1000 tbr's.

Who knows what wonderful discoveries and enriching experiences await you?

Happy reading!

The original article is a bit dry. It lacks vivid descriptions and engaging details.

To make it more interesting, we can expand on the content. For example, we could add specific examples or anecdotes to illustrate the points being made.

We could also use more descriptive language to paint a clearer picture in the reader's mind. Instead of simply stating facts, we could describe the emotions, actions, and reactions of the people involved.

Another way to enhance the article would be to add some personal touches. Sharing our own experiences or opinions related to the topic can make the article more relatable and engaging.

By taking these steps, we can transform the dry article into a more captivating and enjoyable read.

Well, if you have ever needed an excuse to keep reading, this book would provide plenty of them.

It is a book about books, writers, and readers, which is extremely appealing to a bibliophile.

The accounts of influential and important books, libraries, and the people who wrote and created them are abundant and enlightening.

In fact, it may stimulate your desire to read better literature. As a result, several new reading projects are emerging for me.

Specifically, I really want to read 'The Life of Johnson' by James Boswell. I have passed it up several times at used book fairs because of its intimidating thickness.

Harold Bloom, a former professor at Yale University who wrote numerous books and was widely regarded as one of the leading book critics in the late 20th century, considered Samuel Johnson one of the greatest readers of all time.

Bloom, who also has a significant presence in this book, is remarkable for his astonishing reading speed. According to the author, he could read over 1,000 pages per hour, more than 15 pages per minute!

Other books that I apparently must read include 'Don Quixote', the rest of Shakespeare's works, 'The Iliad', 'The Odyssey', and 'The Aeneid'.

This book also contains numerous interesting interviews with outstanding writers like David McCullough, translators like Robert Fagles, special library curators, and book critics such as Bloom and others.

So, keep reading!

I initially had a great deal of enjoyment while reading this book. However, as I progressed towards the end, my enthusiasm started to wane. This was particularly true in the last few chapters.

One of the most captivating anecdotes from the book was the account where Abigail Adams discovered that her son, John Quincy Adams, was beginning to have an inflated sense of himself. Without delay, she penned a letter to him, which included the following powerful words:

"If you are so acutely aware within yourself that you possess more knowledge on certain subjects compared to others of your standing, then reflect upon the fact that you have had far greater opportunities to observe the world and acquire knowledge about mankind than any of your contemporaries. You have never lacked for a book; it has always been provided to you. Your entire time has been spent in the company of men of literature and science. How unforgivable it would have been for you to have remained a dullard." (pg 136)

This anecdote not only provides an interesting insight into the relationship between Abigail Adams and her son but also offers valuable lessons about humility and the importance of recognizing the privileges and opportunities that one has been given.

3.5 stars

This rating of 3.5 stars indicates a relatively good but not perfect performance or quality. It suggests that there are aspects that are quite satisfactory, yet there are also some areas that could use improvement. Perhaps the product or service has some notable features and优点, but may lack that extra something to reach a higher rating. It might have a few minor flaws or不足之处 that prevent it from being truly outstanding. However, overall, it still manages to provide a decent experience or value. It's not quite excellent, but it's also far from being mediocre. With a bit of fine-tuning and addressing of the areas that need attention, it could potentially move closer to a higher star rating and offer an even better experience to its users or customers.

I would have to rate each chapter of this book with its own number of stars. Overall, I found it extremely fascinating.

The basic premise of the book is how much can be learned by looking at what people read and how they interact with it. Many parts stood out to me.

Another concept Coles learned from his parents centered on the power narrative has to shape character. "My mother preached that everyone needs stories they can live by.... She was making a connection between the reader and the moral implications of a story. Are you going to read from an abstract distance not connected to your life, or are you going to read in such a way that what you read informs the way you live?"....."My father once explained to me that what they were doing was drinking from the great reservoirs of wisdom. He told me they felt'rescued' by these books, and that they read them with enormous gratitude."

Through novels, he found kindred spirits, writers who could conjure up this world, help him to understand his own world, and also make him feel less lonely. Because when you read, you are in the company of another person. The other person's words and thoughts become part of yours, and connect with you. Reading is a kind of human connection. It's an embrace of another person's thoughts, ideas, suggestions, premises, worries, concerns - the whole list of nouns is what I think reading enables and prompts in a person.

And then there is this about Hitler which made me shudder..... he discovered what he called a Hitler he "had not anticipated," a man betraying what appeared to be a sustained interest in spirituality, with more than 130 books on religious subjects... As he traced the pencil notations, Ryback concluded that Hitler "was seeking a path to the divine that led to just one place..."Where did Jesus derive the power that has held his followers for all eternity?" Hitler drew a dense line beneath the answer: "Through his absolute identification with God." In another section, "Hitler not only underlined the entire passage but placed a thick vertical line in the margin, and added an exclamation point for good measure.

This shows how even the most evil of men can have a warped sense of spiritual exploration, and how important it is to understand the context and implications of what we read.

A seemingly fascinating topic, that of judging a person by the books he or she has in their "library", has unfortunately been made a bit tedious by Basbanes' tendency to write in a stream-of-consciousness style.

At first glance, the idea of delving into someone's literary collection to gain insights into their character and personality is indeed captivating. We often assume that the books we choose to read reflect our interests, values, and intellectual pursuits.

However, Basbanes' writing approach, which meanders and jumps from one thought to another without a clear structure or narrative flow, makes it difficult for the reader to fully engage with the topic. The lack of organization and coherence can be frustrating and may cause the reader to lose interest before truly grasping the essence of what the author is trying to convey.

While the topic itself holds great potential, Basbanes' writing style detracts from its overall appeal, leaving the reader with a sense of disappointment rather than enlightenment.

For all those who truly have a passion for books, not simply for the act of reading but also for collecting, holding, and deriving understanding from them. Those who seek to escape to the worlds of another era, and use books for whatever purposes they may have. You are certain to relish this book penned by an author who holds a high rank among bibliophiles. He has written numerous books on all aspects related to books, and this particular one is an absolute delight to read, allowing you to identify with the great readers of the countless books that seem to have no end.

As the pages turn, we are confronted with the reading experiences of many illustrious authors, politicians, rulers, poets, playwrights, professors, and the list goes on. Herein lie the reading habits of great men and women, their thoughts on different genres, the practice of writing in the margins, how they utilized reading to prepare themselves for achieving greatness, their extensive personal libraries, the worth they attach to books, and their collective histories. All of these aspects are extremely fascinating to me, along with simply learning about the great works that have captured the attention of great minds.

The common thread that weaves together this story is that, to quote Mrs. E. Roosevelt, great minds think about great ideas, and most of the time, they use the knowledge they have gained to present the world with a gift. Perhaps this book is only for avid readers.