At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries

I am not alone! Many share my enthusiasm and love for books!This book will take you into the homes of many bibliophiles, and you'll most likely find many pieces of yourself in each of their homes. If you are a bibliophile, no one home or person in this book will seem alien to you.One bibliophile had a copy of Homer's work done in rubber so he could read it in his bathtub. I also love reading in my bathtub, and damaged many books in the process. It never occurred to me to actually have a book printed in rubber. This gave me the idea of downloading an e-book from the internet, and printing the chapters to read in the bathtub. Getting the papers wet would not matter in this case since they can be re-printed at any given time.This book is fully illustrated with some amazing libraries. Some libraries are well organized, while others are not, but all are unique. By organized I mean neatly arranged on the bookshelves. You'll find some homes in this book where the books seem to be haphazardly arranged, with some on floors, desks, chairs, tables etc... Not all bibliophiles in this book had a dedicated room for their books; some placed their books all over their homes, even on stairwells and corridors. Many had libraries in their bedrooms too. I used to have my library in my bedroom until I designed a dedicated room in my house for books only. I now only keep the books I have not read in my bedroom.One thing I noticed though is that not a single library in this book had its books arranged according to subject and author. This was quite surprising to me, for some of the homes had thousands of books, and I would imagine it would be very difficult to find specific books. I have my books arranged according to sections, such as philosophy, politics, fiction, religion, economics...and of course a section labeled bibliomania! I also have my books arranged alphabetically according to the author's name. My library is pretty much arranged like a bookstore. It is easy this way to find books, especially when I am discussing a book with a friend and need to quickly refer to it. I will include a video of my library in this review (if I figure out how to do it).There is something magical sitting in a room surrounded by books. Imagine being surrounded by knowledge spanning thousands of years! What a wonderful and unique feeling that is!Each book has a story to tell. I am not referring to the story within the pages of the book, but by the book itself. Is the book worn out? How did it get worn out? In whose home was it before? Who touched that book before? Could it have been somebody famous maybe? Are there notes on the margins of the book? If so, who wrote them and what do the notes say about the previous reader? How is the book binding? How was it designed? There are always two fascinating stories in every book you hold: the story read within the pages, and the story told by just holding the book.For those wanting to design their own libraries, this book will give you many ideas through its many pictures and advice. There are sections in this book about how to organize your library; how to start a collection; all about library lighting; the art of the bookshelf (how thick and of what material should the shelves be to carry the weight of the books); the enemies of books (fire, water, light, dust); and library ladders. You'll find all the inspiration you need in this book to start or renovate your own library.I also enjoyed learning about the psychology of the different bibliophiles. For example, some collect books just for their cover design, and not necessary to read them. The message is not `read this book' but `see this book.' Some bibliophiles derive pleasure from the thrill of finding old books, not necessary reading them. Some don't keep all their books, but often give them out to charities, libraries, and to prisons. I personally keep all my books for they all have a story to tell me. Again, not the story within the pages, but the story of how I acquired the book and what it meant to me when I first held it in my hands. Some books remind me of my youth for that is when I first held them. I have a very special attachment to my books, and parting with them is very difficult.There are also some very nice quotations from the bibliophiles in this book. Here are a few:"You can't want to be a collector, you're born that way. Driven.""I could spend a lifetime in this room and not be bored.""Books, like wine, need to be kept at a regular, unfluctuating temperature.""The book collector must take extraordinary steps to gain the pleasures so easily afforded the art collector.""A room filled with memories of the past.""The library as theatre""Books are like works of art. You enjoy them, you're their guardians for a while, you're aware that other people have owned and enjoyed them for a short time, and then they are passed on.""I would never have a room without books. They're a transforming element.""I like a project that never ends, and a library is that.""When people ask me, `Do you collect books?' I always say, `No. Books collect me.' ""Books make better wall decorations than paintings.""Your books are your personal history. You are what you read.""It is a terrible thing to have educated eyes but a depleted bank account."Interestingly, there is a town in the UK, Hay-on-Wye, dedicated only to books. On my next visit to the UK I will surely pass by this town. Its creator is now establishing similar towns across Europe.I have often been asked why I keep books when they are so easily available electronically through the internet. Electronic books, or eBooks, are also easily stored, requiring only the space of a hard drive, and not a fully dedicated room! My answer is simple. Remember movies on U-matic? If you have U-matic movies today, you'd probably be unable to play them, for their format is no longer supported by the new players and TVs. Similarly, Betamax and VHS have now been replaced by DVD. DVD is now being replaced by Blu-ray. And none of those players are backward compatible. For example, a Blu-ray player cannot play Betamax or VHS. So what will happen to your eBooks collection in a few years from now when no players would support their format? The beauty of a library is that bookshelves are backward compatible, and printed books are here to stay forever, regardless of how fast or what direction technology evolves.Books change people's lives. This book will give you a glimpse at libraries that will also change your life.Enjoy your journey. I certainly have!

This book is by genuine book lovers, featuring true book lovers, and a joy to own, for book lovers. While other books about home libraries seem to focus on the interior-design aspect, this book seems to approach the subject from the biblio-maniac’s perspective: The person who cannot resist the temptation and enchantment of a book, to the point of “hoarding” books, and breaking “rules” of design (such as neatness, order, congruity, method, consistency). As one of the book lovers featured in this book put it: “Piles of books in corners do not offend me“ (Robert Stern, on p.103). So to put it simply, This is an unrestrained, unabashed, euphoric, passionate, ferocious tour de force of books, bookscapes and book lovers, with an esthetic driven primarily by bibliomania rather than interior-design. This makes this book far more captivating than the many design books out there, inspired by the bookcase and the physical space containing it, rather than the book and the mental-space it brings with it.

If you are an avid collector, as I am, you should definitely wisely invest in this tome; it is a luxurious pleasure to read, just a bit every now, and then at random. If you are of the tribe, then do so. Collect one more book.M. T. Philipps, author of “ Keeping Calm “

This is a stunning coffee table book for book lovers, particularly people who keep their books. I gave it to myself as I began a huge project that includes rearranging, cleaning and inventorying my books, as well as painting the room and shelves. It was a needed punch in the arm, but be warned that as practical information goes, it is hit and miss. Good advice on deciding what to keep, what to move on; no information on how those people with all those books keep them clean (I don't count the person who had everything slip-jacketed). I would have liked more detailed advice on organizing systems. I wish, too, there had been more variety to the libraries shown, though it was a pleasant surprise to find Keith Richards and writer Roger Rosenblatt in here, the latter perhaps more of a touchstone to us of middle-class abodes than some of the palace-owners profiled. The rooms stacked to ceilings with unshelved books were not an inspiration. That's what I'm trying to run from.

I purchased this book years ago in the paperback edition, but decided to pull the trigger and purchase the hardcover version now. It’s a book about books. It doesn’t get much better than that!

The last time I moved, I had the movers weigh our books. We hadover 5 1/2 tons of books.When you live with a lot of books,they become, by default, a major theme in your decor. This lovely,wonderful book demonstrates ways to incorporate large quantities of books into your life in a way that is stylish and beautiful, but which also permits access to the book you just have to have in your hands, right this second.The photographs demonstrate just what it means to be a bibiophile, and they provide inspiration to anyone wondering just how to deal with having too many books.And in the end, feeling that I own too many books is a result of not having a reasonable way to store them all. This book provides ideas which made it possible for me to change my attitude -- no longer an owner of too many books, I am now a book lover at home with my books.(Plus, reading this book reminds me that there are other people with large, well-read and well-loved libraries. If you are one of them, you will love this book.) END

What a lovely wander through other people's libraries. I want to live in most of them,

カントリー調からモダンなスタイルまで、いろいろな方の本棚を見ることが出来ます。特に洋書ですから並べた感じもすごくいい。日本語だとこうは行かないなと思ったりします。ほとんどが読んだ本の棚なので、使い込んでいると言う感じが素敵です。個人的にはR/Sのキース・リチャーズの部屋も掲載されていたのですごく嬉しかったです。

It is what I expected

とても印象深い内容で、頁をくるごとに地味なわくわくを感じます。本棚は読書歴と興味歴の一覧標本という面がありますから、他人の書架は覗き見的なのですが、この本の写真は室内家具や家の雰囲気などがとても良くみてとれ、まさに著者の意図する、書架の主はどう生きてきたのかを推察したくなるような（たぶん妄想でしょうが）、面白味がありました。　一番興味を魅かれたのは、本棚に掛けられた絵です。かなりの号数のものまで額縁ごと引っ掛けてある。床には何枚もの絵が立て掛けてあるので、きっと気分やら何やらで掛けけ替えるんだろうなあ、いいなあ。で、どうやって額縁を引っ掛けるのか、その仕掛けを調べはじめたのですが、いっこうに知れない。額縁屋さんに尋ねても分からない。謎です。どなたかご存知ですか？わが書棚にも掛けたい、が重みで棚が壊れるかなあ…。