Customer Reviews

The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New: A Simple Repair Manual for Book Lovers

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Margot Rosenberg and Bern Markowitz wrote "The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New" after repeatedly being queried by their customers on how to care for old books. The couple owned Dog Lovers Bookshop in Manhattan (now on the web), which specialized in the literature of dogs, including many old and esoteric volumes. Inspired by basic handbooks for new dog owners, they set out to write a common sense guide to book ownership that covered routine care and basic first aid. In that, they have largely succeeded. This book would be a useful and much appreciated addition to the collection of any reader who isn't an expert, but is interested in keeping his or her books in top shape through preventive measures and minor repairs. It's a fantastic help for anyone who frequently purchases secondhand books that would benefit from a little clean-up.

The book starts out with an explanation of the common household products, as well as some specialized products, that will be of use to you in maintaining and repairing books. Then the authors talk about conditions which pose a threat to books -mold, insects, water, dirt, etc.- and what you can do to remedy the damage. There is a chapter on cleaning books and a chapter on repairing them. Both chapters address all parts of the book, including dust jackets. Most of the advice is for hardback books, but some of it applies equally to paperbacks. The discussion of book repair includes a section on professional bookbinding in case your book's affliction is beyond the scope of an amateur. There is a lengthy and informative interview with John Landau, owner of Find Binding and expert bibliopegist. The authors go on to recommend the best ways to handle, store and protect books. And this guide to book ownership concludes with some fun ideas on how to promote the good care of books, followed by a glossary of terms, an amusing list of words pertaining to books whose root is "biblio", recommendations for further reading, a list of suppliers, organizations that offer classes in book arts, and, finally, a little travel guide for those who want to walk "a bibliomaniac's Manhattan mile".

I'm giving "The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New" five stars because it contains so much useful information, presented in a humorous tone at a jaunty pace. I have one reservation about the book, however: It would benefit tremendously from some illustrations. A diagram of a book's "anatomy" with parts labeled would make it so much easier to understand instructions, as would a few additional illustrations of the more complex repairs. The absence of any illustrations sometimes seems like a major oversight. But I'm sure that book lovers will find a lot to like and to use in this little guide. And it would make a thoughtful gift for any amateur bibliophile.

This is a wonderful reference book for all book lovers and collectors. It has great tips for maintaining, repairing and storing books. It included a lot of information I had to glean from dealers over the years, such as: creating a book press to flatten warped books, how to choose a public storage unit so as to best protect your books, how to repair books when the pages are coming out, dealing with humidity, removing odors from books, etc. I suspect that this book will be in print for decades. Its a very "real world" book and is written simply, not bogged down with antiquarian terms. It also has a great bibliography and list of online resources. The only negative things I can say about this book is that I got tired of hearing about the dogs (the authors run a bookstore devoted to all things canine) and that not enough information was given about the special considerations of vintage paperbacks. Overall, an indispensable book for the "everyman" book collector.

The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New is a lovely little volume that provides the novice book repairer with all the information they need to make minor repairs on damaged books. The authors do an excellent job of describing the tools needed and methods to be used, and are very clear about what sort of damage should be tackled only by an experienced book binder. The repair of loose pages and broken hinges are covered, as well as what to do about a stinky book.

I believe this is an excellent book for any bibliolater (defined by the authors to mean anyone with an extravagant devotion to books) to have on their book shelf. With the dust jacket in a protective cover, of course.

This book got my attention when I saw it in a bookstore.As I have done some minor book repairing,I bought it without looking at it too closely;thinking one can always learn something new.This book is extremely elementary and a relaxing read; if you don't let the "dog talk" annoy you too much.
Some of the few books I've seen on basic care and repair of books;are the books by Jane Greenfield,referenced on page 152.I feel they still are the books that cover the subject best.The rest of the material in this book is okay for someone who is just beginning to look into "books on books";but again it is extremely superficial.
I am also surprised that "A Passion For Books",by Rabinowitz and Kaplan was not mentioned;one of the best I've read.
Like I said,a very elementary book on books.It might serve the purpose for a collector just starting or for a Librocubicularist.*
*Reads in bed

As a Librarian who specializes in Preservation Management, I found this book somewhat appauling. I found it to be full of factual errors. Many of the cleaning and repair procedures described in this book would actually do more harm than good in the long run - while book tape, rubbing alcohol, homemade paste, and Elmer's glue might seem like harmless substances, these items will break down over time, yellowing, cracking, and damaging your treasured book. The bookbinder's motto is not as these misguided souls profess "Don't make it any worse", but rather "Don't do anything you can't undo". Readers of this book will come away with just enough knowledge to do some real damage! If you're unsure of your methods, you're better off leaving your books alone! If you're really interested in learning book repair, there are many manuals written by trained professionals who actually have some idea what they're talking about.

This breezily written guide to repairing books (and many other aspects of book buying and collecting) is a good introduction to its topic for the casual collector. The writing is extremely clear and simple, and the authors do not give advice on more advanced repairs in which you might do damage to the book. It is more of the "how do I get the price tag off the jacket?" or "what do I do about a dirty fingerprint on a page?" variety. And that IS helpful.

At some point, the reader becomes aware that the book is no longer talking about book repair but about various topics that become less and less related to the original topic: how to store books, how to handle books, libraries, book borrowing, and so on. I found this somewhat entertaining, though it does not fit into the book's putative topic, as given in the title and subtitle.

The authors write in a style that is very informal, with many references to their own lives and experiences. This makes the book easy to read, and it is generally not overdone so much as to become cutesy-wutesy. However, the authors' constant references to dog, including the most far-fetched analogies between book care and dog care, did become tiresome. No matter how much the authors love dogs, they should understand that most such references are not actually useful and that some readers may be cat people--or even just book people. However, the effect of this was not to impede understanding; it was simply annoying a few times.

Overall, a good, short introduction to this topic that is easy to read.

If you are serious about your book collection or if you buy antique or used books add this one to your collection. It is really quite charming. The authors are entertaining and give valuble information in a way that novices can understand and appreciate. You don't have to get out an archivist catalog and buy a $100 kit to take care of your books. Margot Rosenberg and Bern Marcowitz show how to use perfectly common household items to do the same thing. Buy this book right now. It will pay for itself within the week.

The backcover blurb reads "Here at last is a short, simple, inexpensive guide to book care and repair." Amen! While this book, as other reviews suggest, may not be ideal for rare or leather-bound books, it is great for the mundane volumes of any book collection, or for experimentation purposes, if you're a neophyte repairer. Their advice for removing old price stickers, e.g., is excellent and easy and less harmful than the use of a fingernail. In addition, the advice comes with a charming dialogue about dogs the authors have owned and loved, and the dogs' contribution, or lack thereof, to the book owning and cleaning process. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it as a first step toward book repair mastery. Just don't try it on your Gutenberg Bible!

I bought this to find out how to repair books in our church library but haven't found it really helpful. It's an interesting book but don't think its what I'm really looking for.

Boy, was I disappointed with this book. The Author certainly took advantage of a good title, because that is all you will be buying. I didn't count how many times "the jury was out on this one." The only thing I got from this was a list of home remedy supplies and I still don't know what I am suppose to do with half of them. Since then, I have typed in google "how to clean old books" and have come up with the exact same information and more. This was a complete waste of money, especially when you add in shipping charges. Good luck!