Rating: 
Summary: Travel elsewhere
Review: As the subtitle of the book suggests, Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone give us `travels in the book world'. The story begins with the pursuit of a cheap copy of Tolstoy's War and Peace and moves gradually from local to interstate bookstores, small town auctions to big city auctions and book fairs, provincial booksellers to exclusive antiquarian dealers. Along the way, various creatures of the book world are met with and their idiosyncrasies, their virtues and their flaws, as far as these things can make themselves known to people like the Goldstones, are paraded for all to see. Some characterisations are not flattering, but the authors do not condemn outright, nor are their portraits overly unfair; some reviewers have thought otherwise, but one would not wish for sugary descriptions on every page - and the book world is the last place where one would look for normalcy. A few random explanations of book terminology are given, though the authors wisely and skillfully defer to more trusted authorities than themselves, and for that one is thankful.I am not really sure at whom this book is aimed. The neophyte book collector may derive some enthusiasm from the stories within, urged on by someone else's successes (and failures); the more experienced bibliophile might smile at some of the authors' blunders; the seasoned book collector would probably not bother to read it. And certainly the general reader will wonder what the fuss is all about. The stories are occasionally interesting, as long as one keeps one's focus on them and not on the Goldstones. The Goldstones are not a particularly happy presence in this book. One is not really convinced of their passion for books, for book collecting, or for reading. The authors seem to be another bored husband-and-wife team, sick of the usual amusements of middle America, who decide to follow up a novel past time, whilst making sure that all those `usual amusements' are not completely abandoned in the meantime and that their respectable credentials remained unblemished (leaving the daughter with a baby-sitter overnight was a `first'; no trips for books without the hotel room and the dinner table being a large part of the experience). One gets the distinct impression that the idea of writing this book came to the authors, if not before the search for War and Peace began, then some short time later. The narrative covers several years, and one suspects that many of the `stories' in this book were experienced precisely so as to form the content of the narrative. What the account should be, rather, is a reflection on what has been and gone before. One cannot escape the conclusion that the Goldstones' 'travels' have an eye to posterity. And yet one wonders `why?' The Goldstones reveal naivete, poor taste, and poor judgement on many pages - and not just in their collecting habits. The narrative is supposedly factual, but there is no contents page, no list of further reading, no index. More importantly there is no extended reflection, at any point in the book, about the nature of book collecting or of the book trade. That should have been an important part of the narrative, a point where the authors take a step back from their experiences and comment upon them. The other shortcoming is the unfortunate technique of trying to represent in writing the accent of one of the booksellers. It is a mistake, doubly so since it is the only such attempt in the book and sits awkwardly with the rest of the narrative. It does not add charm, and indeed may be considered quite insulting given the man's kindness to the authors. Lawrence Goldstone is (so the dust-jacket explains) a teacher of creative writing, and one might have expected more wisdom from him on this point. Often we marvel at such narrative techniques in works of fiction, but this book, alas, is no work of fiction. Early in the story, the reader is introduced to the figure of Clarence Wolf, the 90-year old grandfather of the Goldstones' daughter. Wolf is a book collector from way back, and one immediately gets the impression that he has a story to tell. By the end of this book, one has a tendency to wish that it had been his story that had been told in place of the Goldstones'.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh what fun!!
Review: I opened this book and that was the end of me untill I turned the last page. If you love books and your not wealthy but you have pie in the sky dreams about having your own library someday...READ THIS. You can live the folly and reality through this book. You will go on adventures through the halls of bookstores that you have to buz the door to get in and the books sell with the decimal point a bit far to the right for normal people. You will stumble with the authors through the little bookstores with wobbly wood floors and books stacked everywhere. You will dig through the piles of books to uncover some wonderful finds. If you have a bookshelf in your home and for some reason you get joy out just seeing your books, knowing they are there, just touching them and seeing your own identity in what your choose to buy - Get this book. You'll learn how complicated and intriguing book collecting can be. You'll get in on those autions that have buried treasures of books. And maybe, if your lucky, you'll take away a lesson of your own. I learned that like the authors I would like to own hard cover books of the classics and the books I love but in the end I will collect the books I love for what they contain. I can't afford to own all first editions but I can afford to own and experience the stories, the visions and the intriques the writers of books provide. I love my books just as much even if they are not all HC first editions and worth thousands of dollars.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful accident
Review: I ordered this book quite by accident and am delighted. If all accidents could be so delightful. A well-written, easy read that speaks volumes about books and the people who love them. If you have ever thought about purchasing that "special book", this is a must read. Thanks to this pleasant tome, I'm prepared to start my own personal collection. I only hope my adventures are as rewarding as those described by Nancy and Lawrence Goldstone.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful accident
Review: I ordered this book quite by accident and am delighted. If all accidents could be so delightful. A well-written, easy read that speaks volumes about books and the people who love them. If you have ever thought about purchasing that "special book", this is a must read. Thanks to this pleasant tome, I'm prepared to start my own personal collection. I only hope my adventures are as rewarding as those described by Nancy and Lawrence Goldstone.
Rating: 
Summary: A Book for Book Lovers
Review: Nancy and Lawrence Goldstone loved reading and they loved books, cheap paperbacks led to hard covers, which led to 1st editions. Before they knew it, the Goldstones, were not only book collectors they were beginning to seriously consider spending the "big bucks" real book collecting requires. Where once an ancient leather bound edition of Dickens had them running for the bookstore exit, by the middle of their story the Goldstones become captivated if not obsessed with such books.
In terms of learning the ins and outs of book collecting, there isn't a ton of information much here. The joy of this book is following a couple that love books. From basement stores in New England to first class offices in New York, the travel from book nook to book store looking for the best deals. Like any hobby, they flirt with obsession and the real drama comes not from the books, but from the people, the other "book freaks", they meet along the way.
"Used & Rare" is an eye-opening look into a world of musty paper, bookworms, and great literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Books are just another "hot" collectible, I guess
Review: This is a fun and charming narrative for those new to collecting books on the ways of the antiquarian trade -- from how books are found to how a book jacket or a quirk of printing can make an ordinary book quite rare and valuable. If you love the printed word, though, find a copy of Noel Perrin's "A Reader's Delight." It won't tell you how to collect books, but Perrin's enthusiasm for his cherished favorites might very well make a collector out of you. THEN read this book to find out where to start. Otherwise, you'll be disappointed; the Goldstones' story is not about books but about collecting as a pursuit that lends cachet to the collectors. Here, used and rare editions are merely the items being collected; the Goldstones in fact could have chosen any upscale item (I can just hear them going on and on about botanical illustrations, for instance, talking about Redoute, adding a few wry anecdotes about being fooled by reproductions, and throwing in a timeline of the cultivation of the rose). In this case, their self-deprecating wit masks not their newness to the used book trade but their actual ignorance of reading itself -- that compulsive consuming and cherishing of books. Consider the choice of books they want(the hoary usual suspects mingled with a few eccentricities to add flavor, and their many gaffes ("something called the Kelmscott Press" --a bit of self-deprecation more deprecating than they actually appreciated). Nonetheless, the book is delightfully written and a quite informative story of one couple's introduction to this fascinating world.
Rating:
Summary: Already a classic - A delight for lovers and booklovers
Review: This is a fun read by the Nick and Nora Charles of book collecting. This was their initial book on the subject, a labor of love, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Their books that follow are good, but not as good, because they are becoming pillars of the establishment rather than treasure hunters. There is less spark to their work now, less sense of discovery, more serious, less fun. Fortunately, for fun I can always come back and read this one again, and John Baxter's marvelously bookish A POUND OF PAPER, and of course, Dashiell Hammett's original Nick and Nora Charles.
Rating:
Summary: Travel along with the Goldstones
Review: This is the first of three books by the Goldstones about their experiences in the world of used books and book collecting. It is the most well-balanced of the series (the second and third are Slightly Chipped and Warmly Inscribed, respectively). The Goldstones take you along with them as they learn about collecting classics and modern first editions (modern firsts being books of the twentieth/twenty-first century). Along the way you meet an array of charming (and not so charming), eccentric used booksellers and antiquarian book dealers. Also thrown into the bargain are several very entertaining digressions into the pages and authors of many classic books of the twentieth century. It managed to fill in some gaps as well as show me some new authors that I knew little or nothing about. The writing style is effortless and informal, almost like you're listening in on one of their bookstore conversations. Anyone who loves books and enjoys trips to used bookstores will be in for a treat with this book.
Rating:
Summary: Don't worry, others share your madness
Review: Used and Rare is the story of a decent in to a wonderful form of madness - the madness of book collecting. After a birthday agreement over the cost of presents drives the wife of this partnership to buy a used book, the Goldstones are slowly drawn into the world of book collecting, learning about modern-firsts, foxing and binding.
This is not a book on how to. Rather, it is the story of people buying books for the love of owning books, rather than as investments or to make money. Many readers and collectors out there will identify with the Goldstones, and their disappointment with the world of bookdealing for money. I have only two points of issue with this book (and it shows what a great book it is when the two points i have are so minor)
1. The written speech of the New Zealand - once was funny, after that it gets annoying (anyone who has read the book will know what i am talking about). Actually, i found it a bit patronising, but that is just me.
2. Whole monologues are 'repeated' in the book, and i find it amazing that the Goldstones could remember large passages of what people said, supposedly verbatim, years later.
But really, these are only minor quibbles. This is a fantastic book. I have two copies - one for myself, and one the in-laws are getting for Xmas. They are *almost* serious book collectors, and i think they will identify with much in this book. Have a read and see if you do too.
Rating:
Summary: A fun quick read for book lovers.
Review: What a rich little book. It is such a fun read. It has revived my love of book shopping. My wife and I went out this past weekend to hunt for new finds. It is also a good reference. I will keep it handy in my book hunting. It is well worth the small price.
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