Among the Gently Mad: Strategies and Perspectives for the Book-Hunter in the 21st Century

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Summary: A book written by a bibliophile for bibliophiles
Review: Nicholas Basbanes, who lives in North Grafton, Mass., is the author of two previous works: A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes and the Eternal Passion for Books (1999), a finalist for the National Book Critics Award, and Patience & Fortitude: A Roving Chronicle of Book People, Book Places, and Book Cultures (2001).
Basbanes now adds a "Madness Redux" to his exploration of the world of books and to that species of human beings dubbed "the gently mad," the bibliophiles and bibliomaniacs who would sell their shirts to buy nicely bound volumes.
Among the Gently Mad is not for everyone. It is not for those who wonder why a person spends two weeks reading a book rather than watching a two-hour movie.
If, however, you delight in frequenting yard sales, flea markets, book fairs, library sales, book stores, trade shows, antique shops, and thrift stores in search of printed treasures, then you will love Basbane's work.
To be sure, serious book collecting can be frightfully expensive and often out of one's financial league, as, for example, the $6.16 million dollars that was paid for the 1623 edition of William Shakespeare's dramatic works, commonly known as the First Folio, one that bore the prior ownership signature of the poet John Dryden.
Somewhat less expensive was a first-issue copy of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that recently sold for $15,000.
However, one does not need to own a Gutenberg Bible (1454-55), the first work printed in Europe from movable type, or the Bay Psalm Book (1639), to be an avid book collector.
Bibliophiles sometimes meet a tragic end, as related by an anecdote from chap. 9: "Homer and Langley Collyer of New York City, two reclusive brothers, quite literally died under the collapsing weight of their various hoards in 1947, with one of them remaining buried for two and a half week before firefighters could locate his body beneath what was estimated to be 150 tons [300,000 pounds!] of newspapers, magazines, books, and assorted doodads."
In a letter to John Adams (June 10, 1815), Thomas Jefferson wrote: "I cannot live without books." Basbanes subscribes to this sentiment; his work testifies to an in-depth knowledge of and experience in the world of books. He speaks with authority as one who intimately and expertly navigates his chosen field.
While Basbanes believes there is no substitute for a tactile, "hands-on" (one might even say erotic) examination of books, he shows how the Internet can be used to aid and abet one's obsession. ...
Among the Gently Mad is a virtual "Who's Who" of booksellers and book collectors. Throughtout the work, the author scatters helpful hints of do's and don'ts. Numerous vignettes illustrate the truth of the principles inculcated. Whether one is a nascent bibliophile or an incorrigible bibliomanic, this guide will prove to be a invaluable resource.
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Summary: Wonderful reading, as always
Review: Reading Basbanes is like engaging in a long, relaxed conversation over coffee in your living room with a very knowledgeable friend. In this third volume of his slightly rambling but always fascinating and well-informed discussions of books, book collectors, booksellers and dealers, and all the periperal subjects they engender, he combines advice on bibliophily in the age of the Internet with reminiscence on how collecting used to be done, and what the old and the new still have in common. As a small-time collector of limited resources myself, I enjoy reading abut the fabulous collections built up by those who not only have money to spend but also the intelligence and passion to add value to what they hunt down and acquire by adding to the accretion of knowledge. In fact, as Basbanes makes clear, becoming personally involved with books and other "stuff" is what separates collectors from mere accumulators. In fact, I find I have also become a collector of Nick Basbanes. . . .

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Summary: A most enjoyable book about books
Review: This is a great book for anyone interested in collecting books, or who likes books, or even anyone just interested in what makes a book collectable. Different people adopt very different approaches and strategies to book collecting and Basbanes documents a number of them. The eccentric madness of it all is what makes it entertaining and I found that this quickly became a hard book to put down. After reading this I suspect that I will never look at books the same way again. The fundamentals of book collection are not unlike other forms of collection, so people who are self confessed "collectors" (You know who you are!) are likely to find this an exciting read. In among all the entertaining yarns is a pretty good starters guide to book collection, and this book contains a number of practical pointers to web sites and book sellers to get the novice started. Overall it was really enjoyable to read and very much a page turner.