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A review by amypeveto
The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by Matt Eversmann, James Patterson
3.0
“Libraries level the playing field. They’re free and open to the public. All are welcome. Our doors are open. Come in and learn to become your best self. Follow your dreams and reach your true potential. Let your reach exceed your grasp. Whatever book you want to read, it’s free on the honor system. It’s hard to imagine anywhere else in our society so devoted to the concept of everyone being completely equal.”
Working with books is about more than standing behind a cash register or sitting behind a desk. It means knowing your inventory and your customers so you can put the right book in the right person’s hands at just the right time. It requires being curious, judgment-free, and having a spine of steel. Secret Lives offers a glimpse of this world through the eyes of dozens of people who have made it their business to share and protect the written word.
Being a reader is like going on a lifelong adventure; a bookish guide who can point you toward the best things, things you know you’ll love, is worth their weight in gold. The people who contributed to this book have made it their life’s work to be that guide to as many readers as possible. Librarians in particular are on the front lines, going toe-to-toe with those who would ban books and open discussion of challenging topics. While I enjoyed this book overall, I had a hard time with the formatting: each item is a little nibble when what I want is a huge bite. I liked the themes more than the individual stories. The participants are readers, not writers, so their storytelling and structure feels disjointed. I wonder if listening to an audiobook where each writer read their own story would have made me feel more connected.
Give this a try if you’re interested in “behind the scenes” info about book selling and libraries and need something you can dip into and out of easily.
Working with books is about more than standing behind a cash register or sitting behind a desk. It means knowing your inventory and your customers so you can put the right book in the right person’s hands at just the right time. It requires being curious, judgment-free, and having a spine of steel. Secret Lives offers a glimpse of this world through the eyes of dozens of people who have made it their business to share and protect the written word.
Being a reader is like going on a lifelong adventure; a bookish guide who can point you toward the best things, things you know you’ll love, is worth their weight in gold. The people who contributed to this book have made it their life’s work to be that guide to as many readers as possible. Librarians in particular are on the front lines, going toe-to-toe with those who would ban books and open discussion of challenging topics. While I enjoyed this book overall, I had a hard time with the formatting: each item is a little nibble when what I want is a huge bite. I liked the themes more than the individual stories. The participants are readers, not writers, so their storytelling and structure feels disjointed. I wonder if listening to an audiobook where each writer read their own story would have made me feel more connected.
Give this a try if you’re interested in “behind the scenes” info about book selling and libraries and need something you can dip into and out of easily.