Probably one of the best books about Jewish and Yiddish culture I have ever read, although the book probably has limited appeal for those not familiar with the nuances of this culture(s). Jewish and Yiddish culture are not exactly the same thing, and the book goes into some interesting stories about how the larger Jewish culture has historically viewed the more specific Eastern European Jewish culture. Yiddish is a language of secularism, the language of every day dialogue, and not a holy language such as Hebrew. It is a language that to many Jews represents an immigrant past, and the state of Israel was very determined to make Hebrew its official tongue. Nonetheless, throughout history, many classic texts were translated into Yiddish (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, for example), and there were many important Yiddish writers, whose impact on literary culture has been substantial.
The bulk of the narrative is Lansky going to people's homes to collect unwanted books. The folks who have the books are a wonderfully colorful bunch of, for the most part, elderly Jews with a lot of food to offer Lansky and his colleagues. I wished I could have spent time with the people he encountered. Lansky went on to found the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA.

"A marvelous yarn, loaded with near-calamitous adventures and characters as memorable as Singer creations."
—New York Post (New York Post )

"What began as a quixotic journey was also a picaresque romp, a detective story, a profound history lesson, and a poignant evocation of a bygone world."
—The Boston Globe (Boston Globe )

A highly enjoyable book! It's got everything that a good personal story requires - shmaltz, shmaltz, and more shmaltz! But through that shmaltz and TV-image yiddishkayt you get the somewhat sad story of a whole era passing.

The Holocaust, creation of Israel (and use of Hebrew), the Soviet persecution, and assimilation (both in US and USSR), all contributed to Yiddish passing away as the main Jewish vernacular. The younger generations don't know it. The books are being thrown out as their owners pass away.

But the good news is that the author and some people inspired by his ideas, plans, and efforts decide that the thousand-year-old civilization should be saved, while there is still time; the books need to be collected and fast! (I'm sorry that this sounds like some scifi description.)

I'm sure, you'll enjoy reading the stories of author giving speeches to persuade, the people collecting books, the internecine squabbles of the Yiddish and the larger Jewish world (or, maybe, not so much that part), and the success that the author and his creation the National Yiddish Book Center have achieved.

Maybe, you'll even be inspired to get involved yourself in Yiddish and its culture or, if you hail from a community that is losing its language, to attempt something like that in your community. But even if not, the book will surely make you smile and want to keep reading it :)

A hilarious telling of a serious story of one man's passion for Yiddish literature and culture. Truly the tale of a man in the right place at the right time with the right idea. Inspirational to anyone who loves books and thought-provoking for those in the non-profit realm. Also, the National Yiddish Book Center is well worth the visit if you happen to be near Amherst, Massachusetts.