Among the Gently Mad: Perspectives and Strategies for the Book Hunter in the Twenty-first Century

Nicholas Basbanes has been a source of enjoyment for bibliophiles since publication of what is arguably the most enjoyable treatise on the book collecting culture, _A Gentle Madness_. In that book the heady heights of high-end collecting and the depraved depths of obsessive biblio-theft are expertly profiled. Equally delightful, his recent _Patience and Fortitude_ has a place of honor on my 'books-on-books' shelf.

While I have enjoyed many hours reading these books, which allowed me to circulate vicariously in book circles currently beyond my reach, I always wondered when Mr. Basbanes would write a book focusing on the everyman collector.

With the publication of _Among the Gently Mad_ my question has been answered, and the validity of the show more adage. "...be careful what you wish for..." has been affirmed for me. In a departure from his previous two works, the author not only provides delightful anecdotes on book culture, he has also constructed the most practical and up to date guide on the nuts and bolts of collecting available today. In the process he has laid bare nearly every trick and technique of collecting that I have picked up over the past several years.

The internet has, in many ways, revolutionized book collecting. Mr. Basbanes describes in what ways, and provides helpful pointers on how to maximize the 'net's usefulness, including mentioning specific web sites of interest. This material is useful not only for the new collector, but the established collector as well. Additionally, traditional book collecting via catalogue, auction and scouting are not neglected - and testimonials of collecting technique from collectors and dealers abound.

In short, if I were to begin book collecting today this is the first book I would buy, hands down. As a collector, it is one I have found very useful - and it goes without saying - entertaining. The only down side of the publication of this book is that those informed by its pages will create stiffer competition for the good books out there! show less

It's difficult to do better than Nicholas Basbanes if you're looking for something to read that is all but steeped in a love for the book. His knowledge of the field of book collecting is surpassed only by his exceeding readable style.

The present contribution is intended more specifically to the novice book collector, both to inspire and to counsel. Myself, I'm more of what he refers to as a book accumulator than anything approaching a true collector, so I can't say much of it had a personal relevance. But I love looking in on those who have a different relationship with the printed artefact and I do, and finding it in such delightfully consumable form is a rare treat.

In this charming book, famed bibliophile and writer Nick Basbanes offers sage advice on how to collect books, interspersed with wonderful anecdotes about book collectors he has known, authors he has interviewed, book auctions, quirky book collections, and rare finds. While more detailed how-to manuals on book collecting are available, this contribution captivates the reader with the joys to be found in collecting and enjoying books. He illustrates how easy, cheap, and personalized the collecting experience can be. An appendix documents the rise in prices of certain books; however, as Basbanes stresses throughout, books are best collected for their personal value, not as investments, especially given the unpredictable nature of the show more market in popular works. I especially enjoyed the accounts of fortuitous discoveries of extraordinarily rare editions, such as Edgar Allen Poe's first printed work (10 copies were known until an 11th was discovered in New Hampshire in the 1980s). show less

Not as good as Basbanes's A Gentle Madness or Patience and Fortitude, but a bit more of a personal memoir on book collecting with some history thrown in. He does this in ten short chapters and an informative appendix. Published in 2002, there are some spots that are dated. The novelty of the internet and eBay, for instance. How many of the booksellers he speaks to shy away from the internet: they're probably all out of business, dead, or ON the internet now. Book prices on CDrom, putting your books in a searchable file on your PC word processor, etc. And, no images. All of Basbanes's books should be released in lush illustrated editions, like some of Bill Bryson's books. But, no images here and no index either. Still, a fun appetizer of show more a book, even for those of us lean on funds and whose "collections" tend more toward information, interests, and utility, instead of "rarity," expense, and investment. show less

Nicholas Basbanes' 2002 book Among the Gently Mad: Strategies and Perspectives for the Book Hunter in the Twenty-First Century offers a good short introduction into the Basbanes canon; as it repeats and in some cases expands upon topics treated in the magnificent A Gentle Madness and Patience & Fortitude, it would make a good springboard into those works. For those who've read Basbanes' earlier books, the repetition is more than offset by the new material here.

In this book, Basbanes offers his thoughts on how the world of book collecting has been changed in recent years by the omnipresence of the Internet. He also tells us a bit more about his own personal collecting interests, habits and strategies while offering a few takeaway points show more for those who find themselves happily afflicted with his 'gentle madness.'

As the world of bookselling and book-buying continues to change rapidly, some of the specifics offered in Among the Gently Mad may already be behind the times. But I think the first principles hold true, and will continue to do so: err on the side of caution (pg. 19), keep an open mind (pg. 94), and, most importanly, learn about whatever fields you choose as your own. "You can devour all the primers in the world for advice on such fundamental concepts as taste and technique, but unless you are willing to do your homework - to become conversant with the literature in your chosen field, to learn the rudiments of bibliography, to read, for goodness sake - you are doomed to mediocrity" (pg. 137).

Mr. Basbanes and his wife recently spent a day at MHS looking at materials for a forthcoming book; knowing he was coming in I took my copies of his books in with me in case he had a spare moment to sign them. Not only did he sign them, but he wrote wonderful personal inscriptions in each, and thanked me several times for bringing them. A simple action, but sufficient to make books I've enjoyed very much even more meaningful to me.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2007/08/book-review-among-gently-mad.html show less

A much quicker read than his seminal work, A Gentile Madness, Nicholas Basbanes creates a book that is both an enjoyable read and a handy reference on the does and don'ts of book collecting in the age of the internet. Even though it was published in 2002, it has held up remarkably well. In fact, most of the websites that he references are still going strong 13 years later. Among the Gently Mad is certainly not a comprehensive reference work. It is light on information and Basbanes loves to name-drop all the collectors he rubs elbows with. But this is part of what makes it an enjoyable read rather than a trudge. If Among the Gently Mad does nothing else, it will inspire you to add some better choices to your own collection.

This was my first Basbanes book, and I couldn't shake the feeling reading Among the Gently Mad that this was the wrong place to start, as he kept referring to prior books for longer versions of his stories. But stories he had (which skirted the boundaries of name-dropping), and most were interesting reading. I was fascinated by his suggestion that the Internet hadn't changed the the "pure" antiquarian book market that much (especially when he points out that some shops will still print their catalogs and withhold some of their best material from the web storefronts).