Mister Yuk wrote in Anyone here collect books?:Do not meet one of your favorite bands on their 1st tour and tell them you discovered their music in the Library Stacks.
Mister Yuk wrote in Anyone here collect books?:How many kids just listened to the radio?
stratochamp wrote in Anyone here collect books?:The Waning of the Middle Ages by Huizinga? I have that around here somewhere. I haven't read that in 35 years...Perhaps I will give it a look.
red_bus wrote in Anyone here collect books?:Thanks everyone - this is really interesting! I was really thinking about some of the books that have meaning for me outside of gaming. So for example, I have done a lot of work in the environmental field and there are interesting books there that have had an impact upon society. e.g. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson came out in the early 1960s and really changed the way people thought about nature and the impact of humans upon the environment. 1st printings run at about £400-500 (or so, I really don’t know much about this field and don't know how to start valuing such things). Or Edward Abbey’s Monkey Wrench Gang (1975) inspired much of what we now think of as eco-activism (and is also a terrific novel) and it seems to go for £5-600+Or even just more fun books, like early copies of Joan Didion’s essays are quite pricey (especially if signed). You could easily see how you could spend (waste!) a huge amount of money if you had no idea what you were doing. For example, I know that here, in the UK, rare books shops still sell by catalogue – but is that generally overpriced? Are books fairs (once we get out and about again) worth attending? ... or am I just destined to spend even more time on ebay and abebooks
benjoshua wrote in Anyone here collect books?:The best book I've found on the Middle Ages is A Distant Mirror by Barbara W. Tuchman. It's not a thorough description of the Middle Ages, but it is an enjoyable and entertaining read.
Lordan wrote in Anyone here collect books?:I really enjoyed this... A World Lit Only by Fire - by William Manchester
benjoshua wrote in Anyone here collect books?:It has interesting reviews. Apparently it's really good reading, but not great accuracy. Those 1 and 2 star reviews probably came from history teachers who prefer their history so detailed, it's boring. I also did a Google search on great Middle Ages history books, and it made the list! But even the summary there referred to it's lack of accuracy.
red_bus wrote in Anyone here collect books?:Increasingly I have found my interest wandering to 1st Editions of some of the books which have been (or are) important to me. Anyone here collect books, and if so, any advice for a person starting out?