Customer Reviews

Shelf Life: How Books Have Changed the Destinies and Desires of Men and Nations

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

 

 

"I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library," wrote Jorge Luis Borges. This perfect quote for book lovers is a sampling of what's inside Shelf Life, a treatise about the impact books have on humanity. Throughout this small volume, the reader uncovers information about books as well as wonderful quotes concerning books, and book lists from a variety of sources. It is also a look at what kinds of reads appeal to a variety of thinkers. The quotes alone are enough to make an avid reader want to get his/her hands on these pages, the book lists are engrosing as well. I could ad some of my own favorites to this review, and so I shall: My Best Friends Live In Books ...from a poster promoting the children's writer, Rosemary Wells. You better be careful to make books like you!... ...taken from The Goops by Gelette Burgess. The only thing missing are some pretty pictures! Enjoy!

The culture of books and reading has had a great impact not only upon the lives of individuals, but on the course of nations. This celebration of books and reading gathers quotes and reflections by literary figures from all eras, considering these changes. Light but inviting reading.

Shelf Life is full of wonderful quotes about words and books, enlightening and inspirational stories for all booklovers, and encouragement to live your life as a reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this window into the minds of authors about the meaning and joy of reading.

I received this book as a birthday gift from a former coworker and long-time friend who like me has a vast love of reading books. The book could have benefited from a good editor that would hopefully cut out the all too frequent Christian rhetoric and caught problems such as the duplicate lenghty C.S. Lewis quote that appeared in two sections of the book.

The book was at it's best when the authors were quoting secular authors from throughout history, which thankfully was a large part of the book, but not enough large enough to salvage it.

The book was at it's worst when original writing and dogma by the authors appeared.