The Anatomy of Bibliomania was published in
1950. Thirty-one years later it was
reprinted as The Book About Books, by
Hollbrook Jackson. Now, nearly 70 years
after its original publication, I took a look at the book and find it
interesting as to how the world of books was catalogued, judged, and
experienced.
Who
knew there was so much to consider when looking at books? But there are numerous paths one can go down
and explore the following:
·
The
pleasure of books and how it varies with time and place
·
The
value of reading for its own sake
·
The
role of poverty or wealth on one’s reading
·
The
size and shape of books
·
The
praise of books
·
The
bibliomania engendered by books
·
The
art of reading – speed, location, book selection
·
Whether
books can be our friends
·
Reading
with a purpose, pleasure, or passion
·
The
morality of books
·
Old
vs. new books
·
Books
as a substitute for life
·
Against
idle and desultory reading
·
Books
as furniture or decoration
·
Book
folk defined
·
Reading
multiple books simultaneously
It
also explores many facets of the book in our lives, including:
·
Books
in prison, battlefields, bed, bathroom, or vacationing
·
The
influence of books
·
The
might and liberation of books
·
Books
that instruct our lives
·
Where
books have failed
·
When
life imitates books
·
The
power of a book
·
In
praise of libraries
·
The
book borrower, customer, thief and sharer
·
The
artful quality of book bindings and packaging
·
Books
lost and found
·
Neglected
or misused books
·
Hunting
for books, book collecting, and book auctions
·
First
editions, rare books, autographed books
·
The
bookworm
·
Book
love and madness
·
Hoarding
books and parting with them
The
flap copy to the 1981 edition summed books up perfectly:
“It
has been said that when man needs company, a book is his best friend; when in
doubt, a book is his adviser; when in damp spirits, a book is his comforter;
and when a man is bored, a book is his best recreation. Books are the lifeblood of humankind.”
The Book About Books declares and
shows a monumental reverence for the written word. Millions of book readers
feel as the deceased author felt, that books are such significant pieces of our
lives. Once you discover the beauty,
utility, entertainment, and knowledge that books present to us, you can’t
look at life the same any longer. Books,
for many, become our food, medication, clothing, movies, sports, and love. It’s
only right that a tribute to books is made so publicly and profoundly as is
done in a book such as this.
But The Book About Books was written nearly
three score and a decade ago. A lot has
changed in the world since then. No
longer are books alone. We now have the
ever-expanding Internet along with an ever-shrinking traditional media troika of
newspaper/magazine-radio-television. Books
themselves have undergone great change.
No longer are books chosen for publication by a handful of editors at book publishers – now anyone can be published and there are more books in a week published now than may have been released in 1950.
Books are no longer sold only in bookstores and drugstores – they are sold online and at big box retailers that didn’t even exist back then. Indeed, the diversity of voices offered to the public today is completely overwhelming compared to who had the power back then. So, with all of these changes to books and society, is bibliomania alive and well?
No longer are books chosen for publication by a handful of editors at book publishers – now anyone can be published and there are more books in a week published now than may have been released in 1950.
Books are no longer sold only in bookstores and drugstores – they are sold online and at big box retailers that didn’t even exist back then. Indeed, the diversity of voices offered to the public today is completely overwhelming compared to who had the power back then. So, with all of these changes to books and society, is bibliomania alive and well?
Books
have survived a lot – bans, censoring, and competing sources of information and
entertainment. But they continue to play a significant role in both society and
the individual lives of their readers.
Look at what books do for us:
·
They
get turned into great movies, plays, and TV shows
·
They
inspire news media coverage of the subject matter covered
·
They
educate us and teach us how to live or do something
·
They
entertain us and bring joy to our angry, lonely, sad souls
·
They
make us think and force us to choose a way to see things
·
They
preserve history while also judging and analyzing it
·
They
transport us to places we will never visit
·
They
help us imagine non-existent or destroyed worlds
·
They
expose us to ideas, customs, and beliefs that we otherwise wouldn’t ponder
Okay,
that was a truncated list. As you can see, books are still very powerful in the
role they play in our evolution as a world, nation, or individual. If all I can
do is write books and read, I would feel fulfilled. I’m not alone in that thinking process. Bibliomania is still in the hearts and souls
of a world eager to discover and embrace truth, peace, love and democracy.
May
books lead the way to helping each of us find our purpose, pleasure and
passion. A world that reads more books,
better books, and the right books is a world that will grow, prosper and
evolve. Thank you, books and book-lovers.
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