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Summary: The Perfect Book to Gift to Your Special Bibliophile!
Review: A very special friend, who knew all too well my passion for books, gifted this book to me. It has been an inspiration in creating a home around my books instead of just finding a place to keep them stowed, as well as provide guidance in creating and designing the look and feel of my soon to be bookshop/café.
I find even now, almost a year after receiving this sweet gem that I still pick it up on a regular basis. With magnifying glass in hand, I comb through the pages of exquisitely ensembled libraries of sundry styles, always sure to discover a new idea to take to another room of the house or incorporate into the shop, be it a piece of unique furnishings, a library ladder, a mood, even a new read, this book never fails to enchant me.
From beginning to end there is a plethora of fascinating information, not only about the libraries themselves, but also of those that have created and live in them on a daily, along with fabulous full page colour photographs that will have you saying, "yeah, I could live in this room!"
Although this book is rich in history and design of personal libraries, it does fall short in the care and protection department. I wish they would have devoted a more expanded section regarding the environmental effects on books over time. For this information might I suggest supplementing "At Home with Books" with the works of Jane Greenfield.
For anyone whose books are as much a part of their lives as breathing, having this book in their possession is a priceless must! Thank You Murt!
Rating:
Summary: A Book Lover's Delight
Review: "At Home with Books" is a real pleasure for the book lover who browses its pages. It is a handsome large format book for and about readers who are very much at home with books. Featured are the personal libraries of 41 book lovers, from rock stars to designers to serious collectors. The libraries are arranged in sections according to type: "The Grand Passion" , "Beautiful Bookscapes", "Designer Stacks", "Wall-to-Wall Books", "Literary Lairs", and "Private Pleasures". Each library is showcased with excellent photographs and a short article in which the featured book lover describes his or her library and the significance of books in his life. Interspersed between the sections, there are articles on library lighting, bookplates, book conservation, book care, book collecting, and library ladders. There is a resource directory in the back of the book which directs you to sources for rare books, library furnishings, book restorers, book fairs, and library lighting, among other things, in the United States and England. Although it is certainly useful as a practical guide, "At Home with Books" is not comprehensive as such and is intended more for entertainment purposes. Readers get to ooh and ahh over the libraries of some notable book lovers, fuss over which ones they like best, get some ideas for their own book collections, and read interesting tidbits about the featured book lovers on a subject not normally addressed in interviews. The quality of the paper and binding are very good. The photographs are lovely, and many are full page. "At Home with Books" would make an excellent addition to any book lover's collection.
Rating:
Summary: A Book Lover's Delight
Review: "At Home with Books" is a real pleasure for the book lover who browses its pages. It is a handsome large format book for and about readers who are very much at home with books. Featured are the personal libraries of 41 book lovers, from rock stars to designers to serious collectors. The libraries are arranged in sections according to type: "The Grand Passion" , "Beautiful Bookscapes", "Designer Stacks", "Wall-to-Wall Books", "Literary Lairs", and "Private Pleasures". Each library is showcased with excellent photographs and a short article in which the featured book lover describes his or her library and the significance of books in his life. Interspersed between the sections, there are articles on library lighting, bookplates, book conservation, book care, book collecting, and library ladders. There is a resource directory in the back of the book which directs you to sources for rare books, library furnishings, book restorers, book fairs, and library lighting, among other things, in the United States and England. Although it is certainly useful as a practical guide, "At Home with Books" is not comprehensive as such and is intended more for entertainment purposes. Readers get to ooh and ahh over the libraries of some notable book lovers, fuss over which ones they like best, get some ideas for their own book collections, and read interesting tidbits about the featured book lovers on a subject not normally addressed in interviews. The quality of the paper and binding are very good. The photographs are lovely, and many are full page. "At Home with Books" would make an excellent addition to any book lover's collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a book for library design
Review: All the reviews I read spoke well of this book. I got it assuming I would learn something about library design. Yes, the Getty library is worth emulating (although not for the masses) but the bulk of the home libraries shown were, to my eye, a mess. Since I was expecting something else, this book was a disappointment
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Summary: At home with books
Review: As a booklover I've always maintained a keen interest in books on reading and books themselves. This wonderful tome offers glimpses into the collections of several (famous) dedicated booklovers. And certainly caters to my need in this. How their bookcollections came to be, their tastes and dislikes or what they plan to acquire yet. Care, devotion and perhaps a certain madness in collecting shine through the pages. The photographs are absolutely gorgeous and with the sympatheticinterviews make this book a sure success. The book tips given at the end pertaining to bookstores and book antiquarians come in very handy if you're living in the U.S.
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Summary: Ecstasy
Review: Finally the marriage of beautiful picture with sensible advice. "At Home with Books" has a little something for all book lovers and library owners.
At first it feels like voyeurism as you rummage through the exquisite pictures of personal libraries. They did not even bother to pick up the clutter. You can not help but relate to the difficulties of where to place books.
Later you are given suggestions on how to organize them and a clear warning that no mater how much space you allocated, it is not enough. You see famous and infamous libraries, domestic and exotic. Now you have to put the book down and look for your magnifying glass to see what they are reading.
Every aspect is covered from lighting to library design. And thy pull not punches when covering culling out the library.
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Summary: A book made in Heaven for book lovers. A MUST read !!
Review: Great books are rare. Well illustrated books sometimes even rarer. This book is both. This book is truly a goldmine of information for book lovers. It includes details on library lighting, accessories, great libraries of the world, library furnishings, book binders & restorers, book fairs in America & a comprehensive list of rare book dealers in both America & England. One of the chapters I loved the most was about Hay-On-Wye Booktown - a collection of 27 new & second hand book shops scattered up & down the narrow streets of a village along the border of England & Wales, with over 250,000 books. WOW !! Other chapters include an exclusive look inside the private libraries of some famous people, such as Paul Getty, Keith Richards, Robert Stern, the Duke of Devonshire - to name but a few. Finally, the price of the book is worth it, just for the look at some of the most glorious libraries around the world done in stunning full page colour photography. This book belongs in your library - Enjoy !
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Summary: Excellent content with amazing pictures
Review: I am building a home and have incorporated a library into the layout. This book helped me develop a strategy on how I wanted my bookcases to look and how I could get the appropriate atmosphere in the room. Beyond that, reading about so many folks' love of books and how the hobby can be appreciated in so many ways was a joy.
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Summary: The beauty of books
Review: I am going off to college and probably can't bring along all my books. I thought I might die. Then I saw this book. Its lavish pictures of glorious book collections sooth and comfort. If you can't quite afford to build a library full of first editions, get this book.
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Summary: My heroes!
Review: I start feeling a little proud of my own small collection of books sometimes, but when I grow up, I want to be like the people in this book. Booklovers of many stripes, the men and women (as well as an organization or two) profiled here have truly made their books an integral and intimate -- if not overwhelming -- part of their lives. The mere fact that they've allowed us to look at their homes, and see how they've chosen to arrange and display their books, would be enough to make this a rewarding browse. As my bride pointed out, these homes haven't been prettied up for the camera like the ones in interior design magazines. These are real, working homes, with books, papers, art, people, and dogs (often pugs, I notice) scattered about. From aristocrats like the Duke of Devonshire to academics like Barbara Kirschenblatt-Gimblett and her awe-inspiring 4,500 square foot "endless corridor of books," small-timers like me can both admire and emulate the decisions they've made. But there's more to this title too. Informative sections on bespoke bookplates, "the art of the bookshelf," lighting and other library furnishings, and a comprehensive resource directory all make this a useful reference as well as an attractive display book.
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