Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone (1997)

A young professional couple enters into the world of book collecting and first editions.

Book Review:  There are two kinds of readers: those who want pretty books that look pretty on their shelves, and those who only want the books' content, unconcerned with appearances (books randomly shelved filled by drunken illiterates). Of course, there's also everybody in between, which is most of us. And then there's those who have the "collecting" gene, who want first printings, fancy publications, and deluxe editions. Or maybe just to read every book issued in a series (me). Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World by Nancy and Lawrence Goldstone deals with these issues as the former Wall Street couple transform from typical book buyers into compulsively spending hundreds of dollars for a book, searching out rare book dealers in New York, Chicago and Boston, and tracking down elusive first editions (moving from "used" to "rare"). There's a lot of good talk about Steinbeck, Dos Passos, Henry James, Dickens, H.P. Lovecraft, and the other big names (Margaret Atwood comes in for a big dis). Watching the Goldstones as they traipse through bookstores, seeing the treasures they find, meeting quirky book dealers, is all good, vicarious fun. At 215 pages Used and Rare reads quickly and there are some humorous and snarky moments to enjoy, as well as some educational bits. All well enough, but beneath the surface gloss the Goldstones seemed more into buying than reading, succumbing to the superficial, more into investments than stories. At times they made funny, snarky comments, but they seemed unnaturally vengeful for minor slights suffered at the hands of the eccentrics of the book community. I hope they didn't get some underpaid bookshop flunky fired. So, Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World is an enjoyable read and a quick and easy intro to the book trade, but the enjoyment will be tempered by how you feel about the authors. Are they the happy, wealthy free spirits that they see in the mirror, or the spoiled, mean-spirited, big-name-male-author worshiping, acquisitive collectors that lurk beneath? If you're less cynical and judgmental than I am, you'll enjoy it immensely. On the last page they have a hopeful minor epiphany, but it's unclear whether it will last. [3 Stars]