A Gentle Madness

by Nicholas A. Basbanes

Henry Holt & Co., 1996. Trade sized paperback, 638 pages. The one thing I've got to say for this volume is that it's the nicest-looking paperback book I've ever seen. Gold gilt on green. The book is not just about the overwhelming urge that afflicts all bibliophiles, it's about the people who have amassed the greatest collections in the history of books. Both public and private libraries are features, along with the men and women who made those collections possible.