When first published, A Gentle Madness astounded and delighted readers about the passion and expense a collector is willing to make in pursuit of the book. Written before the emergence of the Internet but newly updated for the 21st Century reader, A Gentle Madness captures that last moment in time when collectors pursued their passions in dusty bookshops and street stalls, high stakes auctions, and the subterfuge worthy of a true bibliomaniac. An adventure among the afflicted, A Gentle Madness is vividly anecdotal and thoroughly researched. Nicholas Basbanes brings an investigative reporter s heart to illuminate collectors past and present in their pursuit of bibliomania. Now a timeless classic of collecting, no lover of books can miss A Gentle Madness . Bibliophile Basbanes has written an exceptionally entertaining and comprehensive history of bibliomania, which turns out to be a not so gentle an obsession after all. A tireless researcher, Basbanes relates the remarkable stories behind some of the world's most famous collections, from the legendary Alexandrian library to the libraries of Thomas Jefferson, the Folgers, and the Schomburg Collection. Basbanes also profiles an intriguing group of amateur collectors, including Carter Burden, a pioneer in the collecting of modern American writers, and Aaron Lansky, who almost single-handedly rescued Yiddish literature from landfills. The most enigmatic collector Basbanes portrays is Stephen Blumberg, whose notorious Blumberg Collection consisted of 23,600 rare books, all of them stolen from libraries. A surprising number of these stories involve nefarious dealings and vicious rivalries, proving that even in our digitized age, books arouse intense emotions, from worship to greed. --Donna Seaman, Booklist A Gentle Madness is chock-a-block with such strange and appealing characters, each more wonderful than the last. On nearly every page Basbanes neatly profiles similar dreams, dedication, and sometimes sheer biblio-lust. Nicholas A. Basbanes has compiled a wonderful gallery of eccentrics, isolatos, charmers and visionaries an ingratiating and altogether enjoyable book. --Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World A Gentle Madness is an impressive achievement in its compilation of vast information, as well as being instructive and interesting. It is compulsory for anyone seriously interested in books or curious about the manic nature of collecting. --Philip Kopper, The New York Times Book Review --Philip Kopper, The New York Times Book Review A Gentle Madness is chock-a-block with such strange and appealing characters, each more wonderful than the last. On nearly every page Basbanes neatly profiles similar dreams, dedication, and sometimes sheer biblio-lust. Nicholas A. Basbanes has compiled a wonderful gallery of eccentrics, isolatos, charmers and visionaries an ingratiating and altogether enjoyable book. --Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World A Gentle Madness is an impressive achievement in its compilation of vast information, as well as being instructive and interesting. It is compulsory for anyone seriously interested in books or curious about the manic nature of collecting. --Philip Kopper, The New York Times Book Review A Gentle Madness is chock-a-block with such strange and appealing characters, each more wonderful than the last. On nearly every page Basbanes neatly profiles similar dreams, dedication, and sometimes sheer biblio-lust. Nicholas A. Basbanes has compiled a wonderful gallery of eccentrics, isolatos, charmers and visionaries an ingratiating and altogether enjoyable book. --Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World A Gentle Madness is an impressive achievement in its compilation of vast information, as well as being instructive and interesting. It is compulsory for anyone seriously interested in books or curious about the manic nature of collecting. --Philip Kopper, The New York Times Book Review A Gentle Madness is chock-a-block with such strange and appealing characters, each more wonderful than the last. On nearly every page Basbanes neatly profiles similar dreams, dedication, and sometimes sheer biblio-lust. Nicholas A. Basbanes has compiled a wonderful gallery of eccentrics, isolatos, charmers and visionaries an ingratiating and altogether enjoyable book. --Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World A Gentle Madness is an impressive achievement in its compilation of vast information, as well as being instructive and interesting. It is compulsory for anyone seriously interested in books or curious about the manic nature of collecting. --Philip Kopper, The New York Times Book Review Nicholas A. Basbanes is the author of eight books, most recently On Paper , about various aspects of books and book culture. His first, A Gentle Madness , was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He recently completed work on