Książka nie tylko dla osób zaznajomionych z językiem, literaturą i kulturą jidysz. Autor naprawdę zadbał o to, żeby wszystko wytłumaczyć, a jednocześnie nie zatracić dynamiki. Dużo przygód, dużo humoru, dużo żydowskiego ducha. Ale mogłaby być spokojnie kilkadziesiąt stron krótsza i wtedy byłoby 5*

This thoughtful memoir from the founder of The Yiddish Book Center is well-paced and compelling from start to finish. Rich with colorful characters and philosophical musings, the story is a tapestry of world history, politics, literature and family life. Often moving, none can doubt Aaron Lansky's sincerity - nor fail to be inspired by his drive and tenacity.

Pretty amazing story of how one person with one simple and clear idea can make a difference. Aaron Lansky is in graduate school studying Yiddish and realizes the dearth of Yiddish books available. Further investigations indicate that most Yiddish books are being discarded as their readers die and so Lansky begins his quest to rescue not only these books but also an important epoch of culture, language, and literature. Some very funny and poignant stories as Lansky meets the elderly owners. My cousin Jane's favorite book.

This book was a nice mixture of tales of literature rescue and an introduction to Yiddish culture and history. I love how the book tells the story of a person who had a good and noble goal but no resources and no plan for accomplishing his work, eventually, through lots of hard work, perseverence, and creativity, performed a great work that benefitted a great many people.

This is the story of the creation of the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst Mass., but it is also the story of the passing of a whole generation of Yiddish speakers, writers and readers and the culture embodied in that language. The story is told in a series of meetings with people who donate their Yiddish books to the Center. In each tale the meaning of the books to the owners and their cultural importance are conveyed in a moving way that made the book hard to put down and I was sad when it ended.
As a librarian in a time when the future of all print books is in question, I found this story very timely. What will the next generation do with the large personal book collections of their parents and grandparents when all their information is online? Will they say "Google must have scanned these years ago" and recycle the paper they were printed on?

For many years I have been slowly inching my way forward toward my past. This book was a much bigger step than I usually get to make.

I enjoyed Lansky's style very much, and found his committment to his chosen cause inspiring. He made this a fun and informative read regardless of one's personal connection to the history. Unfortunately, a few things he said near the end bothered me, and that is coloring my view of the book as I try to write this. And that really is unfortunate, because most evenings as I read this, I would look up at my husband, still clutching the book in my reluctance to put it down, and I know my eyes were shining as I said - again - how glad I was that I'd gotten this book with some of the money my mouther gave me for my birthday.

Khaver Lansky, thank you.

I bought this book while in Germany - partly because I was missing the Jewish culture that should by rights be part of the very fabric of Berlin. More than once I had to stop reading while on trains and buses because I was afraid of tears rolling down my face.

The story of a bunch of scrappy uni students setting out to save one of the greatest literatures on earth is incredibly moving. Just the fact that when they started they believed only 70,000 Yiddish books existed - but managed to save over a million unique Yiddish works is astounding.

The people that Aaron Lansky meets while setting out to save an uncountable number of Yiddish books are really the highlight of this memoir. They hold the whole book together and make it an easy read. It's an important work on why forgotten books, authors and literature must be remembered and saved. Highly recommend!

I didn't think I'd like this book when a friend recommended/lent it to me, because I thought it would be too dry. It was anything but dry. Lansky's story is a vibrant illustration Yiddish literature, history, and the legacy of those who wrote, read, and lived it. He juxtaposes the minutiae of his endeavors with broad historical background.

Suggested reading by my Orthodox Jewish cousin, this was really very interesting, moving at times, and I think, a great read for anyone with a imigrant or two (or three or four) for grandparents -- where did that culture go? WHile this is a look at Yiddish literature, it really has some relevance to any culture being "melted" into American society in the 20th Century.

A wonderful read--poignant, inspiring, and full of wonderful, real-life characters! Lansky embarked on a noble quest, likely not realizing that saving Yiddish culture, book by book, would spread from his cramped, graduate-school bedroom to a historic, internationally-recognized center for cultural preservation.

Please read--you'll be glad you did!

**P.S.--huge thanks to Rebecca for the recommendation and the book loan!

I can't sing too many praises about this book. It made me laugh & cry simultaneously. It's a beautifully written book.

I'm thoroughly enjoying this read. What an amazing accomplishment for a college student who simply fell in love with Yiddish. Shows what's possible when you're committed to a cause.

Finished the book last weekend. It was totally entertaining and engrossing. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Highly recommended.