638 pp, 9 1/4" H. Pictorial endpapers, b&w illustrations. "The passion to possess books has never been more widespread than it is today; indeed, obsessive book collecting remains the only hobby to have a disease named after it. (This book) is an adventure among the afflicted. Richly anecdotal and fully documented, it combines the perspective of historical research with the immediacy of investigative journalism. Above all, it is a celebration of books and the people who have revered, gathered, and preserved them over the centuries. (The story) begins 2,200 years ago in Alexandria, when a commitment was made to gather all the world's knowledge beneath one roof. In a sries of lively chapters, the continuum then passes through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the twentieth century, with a special emphasis on book lore and book culture in Great Britain and North America. In the second half, Basbanes offers a gallery of revealing profiles of living collectors and presents exclusive examinations of the great contemporary stories - the rare-books thefts of Stephen Blumberg; 'institutional bibliomania' at the University of Texas; the mystery man who used $17 million of another person's money to gain recognition as the greatest book collector alive. These are just a few of the stories detailed for the first time. The book also includes the most comprehensive bibliography on book collecting compiled in more than a quarter century." Soft 3" crease at fore-edge of last four pages, minor wrinkling at bottom of spine, small bump at bottom edge of front board. Dust jacket has very minor wear and wrinkling at top edge.