Customer Reviews

The Joy of Reading: A Passionate Guide to 189 of the World's Best Authors and Their Works

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...to the world of classic literature. its quite useful if you are like me and enjoy reading but are not overly familiar with the classics. really does get you excited about reading books that normally you would not consider. dont expect to much depth from the analysis, this collection serves best as simply what the title promises...

I read The Joy of Reading when it was first published. I was pleased to find it has been updated and reissued. It's an excellent reference for avid readers and to expose students to the great writers of the world. I gave the book as gifts for grandchildren who love to read.

Dr. Van Doren has created a fantastic book that serves a much needed goal in our "on-line society." He has created a valuable list of the greatest classic books of human knowledge and literature. He explains why they are important, and his passion for each is clearly evident. He puts them into a meaningful context and connects them together to weave a tapestry of knowledge. I'd thought that I was well read until I picked up this book. But instead of being dismayed at how little I really know, I have taken comfort from his suggested ten year reading plan at the back of the book as a useful path for discovering them for myself. This book can reveal a world that should be an inspiration for the pursuit of greater knowledge for any person who is at all serious about improving their knowledge of the world around them.

This book is quite highly recommended.