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karnaconverse's review against another edition
5.0
My neighborhood bookseller convinced me I needed this book . . . and now I have to limit myself on how much time I spend exploring its pages. (And I'm not sure I'll ever be entirely done!)
Kent and Smalley have added a creative and human element to the book-about-books genre. Instead of reading how a particular book influenced its recommendation-maker, readers are asked to dial a phone number and its associated four-digit extension and then listen to the recommendation-maker's recorded message. This is fun(!) but it also pays tribute to the passion readers have about their favorite books. The recommendation-maker's genuine love of, and respect for, his book of choice is evident in the seconds of pauses between his thoughts and the rising and falling intonations of his voice—all which strengthen my trust in the words that are at the base of the recommendation.
Coupled with this heart-filled auditory experience is the visual experience of turning the book's pages. The Call Me Ishmael Phone Book is styled after a Yellow Pages phone book, where phone numbers are organized by business category and businesses purchase ads to draw attention to their services. Like the recorded messages, this creative design work is fun (!) but the diverse list of categories is what really draws me in and why I'll add it to my pile of coffee table conversation-starter books. The alphabetical list of Calls by Subject not only covers topics from A to W (adventures, adversity, advice, airplanes, ancestors, anger, anxiety, animals, art, audiobooks, authors, avid readers, walking, wanderlust, wisdom, and writers), it also includes opportunities to listen to messages from independent bookstores in each state and from writer- and writing-related homes and museums. I especially appreciate how these entries encourage literary tourism and citizenship.
Although the pages of the Calls by Subject section aren’t yellow like the actual Yellow Pages, they are printed on beige, and in stark contrast to the book's other two sections--Calls by Book Title and Calls by Author—which are printed on white and styled after a retro White Pages phone book.
The Call Me Ishmael Project continues to solicit book recommendations via voice message and I plan to answer one of their "ads" in 2021. You should too.
Kent and Smalley have added a creative and human element to the book-about-books genre. Instead of reading how a particular book influenced its recommendation-maker, readers are asked to dial a phone number and its associated four-digit extension and then listen to the recommendation-maker's recorded message. This is fun(!) but it also pays tribute to the passion readers have about their favorite books. The recommendation-maker's genuine love of, and respect for, his book of choice is evident in the seconds of pauses between his thoughts and the rising and falling intonations of his voice—all which strengthen my trust in the words that are at the base of the recommendation.
Coupled with this heart-filled auditory experience is the visual experience of turning the book's pages. The Call Me Ishmael Phone Book is styled after a Yellow Pages phone book, where phone numbers are organized by business category and businesses purchase ads to draw attention to their services. Like the recorded messages, this creative design work is fun (!) but the diverse list of categories is what really draws me in and why I'll add it to my pile of coffee table conversation-starter books. The alphabetical list of Calls by Subject not only covers topics from A to W (adventures, adversity, advice, airplanes, ancestors, anger, anxiety, animals, art, audiobooks, authors, avid readers, walking, wanderlust, wisdom, and writers), it also includes opportunities to listen to messages from independent bookstores in each state and from writer- and writing-related homes and museums. I especially appreciate how these entries encourage literary tourism and citizenship.
Although the pages of the Calls by Subject section aren’t yellow like the actual Yellow Pages, they are printed on beige, and in stark contrast to the book's other two sections--Calls by Book Title and Calls by Author—which are printed on white and styled after a retro White Pages phone book.
The Call Me Ishmael Project continues to solicit book recommendations via voice message and I plan to answer one of their "ads" in 2021. You should too.
kburns2004's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the idea of this book so much. The whole idea of calling in to hear reviews is a blast. I think I will buy the hard copy version to have on hand when it comes out.
tschmitty's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun interactive book for book lovers. Designed as a retro phone book, you call a phone number and extension and hear readers tell tales of how books have changed their lives. I didn't listen to every call, but enjoyed the stories I did listen to. Book stores by state as well as bookish museums are also highlighted.
bookwisp86's review against another edition
5.0
A fun book to flip through and try out. More fun with friends.
boygirlparty's review against another edition
this was an incredibly thoughtful gift from a friend who knows how much i love reading. it’s a phone book with extensions to call to hear people’s personal stories and recommendations for special books. a truly perfect book for people who love the *culture* of reading, plus a complete directory of independent bookstores in the US! i spent hours calling the ishmael phone line & know this is one i’ll keep as reference on my shelf!