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porshea's review against another edition
Read interesting bits - too much European lens
michebookies's review against another edition
3.0
It has taken me a long long time to finish this book. Not it’s fault, it’s a proper history and not written for the everyday man. I learned a lot, but it wasn’t… fun.
cats_and_bookdragons's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I don't give 5 stars easily, but this book absolutely deserves each and every one. It's a really well-written history of the library, and Pettegree and Der Weduwen even make numbers interesting. Generally, I wouldn't like being given figures of the number of books libraries have, but in this book it's necessary, noteworthy and easily digestible. I did find that they spent a little too much time on the 16th century. I would have liked a more comprehensive view of libraries and their problems/merits in the 21st century. It's also quite a Euro-centric read, but I think that's to be expected.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable read, far from your usual dry non-fiction fare. I found myself wanting to dive back in whenever I put it down. The writing is lively and neatly packed into short sections so it's easy to break off at a convenient place and then pick up again where you left off. I just wish I could remember in detail everything in the book because it's packed with interesting facts.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable read, far from your usual dry non-fiction fare. I found myself wanting to dive back in whenever I put it down. The writing is lively and neatly packed into short sections so it's easy to break off at a convenient place and then pick up again where you left off. I just wish I could remember in detail everything in the book because it's packed with interesting facts.
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
I listened to the audiobook and I can tell you my eyes glazed over more than once. Very dry and the history is described in minute detail. It reads like a research paper. That being said, anything less than 4 stars is an insult because of its thoroughness.
If you want to get to more "recent" history (American colonies era), skip to chapter 13. It'll save you 8 hours of listening.
If you want to get to more "recent" history (American colonies era), skip to chapter 13. It'll save you 8 hours of listening.