Synopses & Reviews
"Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?"—Henry Ward Beecher
The Book Shopper is a spirited and witty guide to the world of disheveled used bookstores and dusty basements where shelves sag under the burden of so many books. In the limitless sea of books, here's one that will make you laugh as it helps you find your way to titles and authors you'll really want to read.
"This predilection [for browsing used bookstores] has grown into a real (albeit quirky) passion for thinking about the many ways books affect our liveshow and where we shop for them, the people we know who read them, the small passages that stick in our heads for years only to reappear at the oddest moments. The minds of book people are mosaics of ideas, thoughts, and phrases that have originated in books…I'm fascinated by how we hold and shape these fragments, how they coalesce into what I call my book shopper state of mind."—from Chapter 1 of The Book Shopper
In chapters such as "Book Lovers Are Not Necessarily People Lovers," "Prerequisites: What Every Good Bookstore Should Have," "Books as Gifts," and "The Classic Book Group," Murray Browne offers a lifeline to readers who love to browse for books and are always looking for that next great read—and a good deal—but who may be swamped by the vast offerings.
Murray Browne has published numerous essays, book reviews, newspaper articles, feature stories, and technical articles. He holds a BA in English and Radio-Television and an MS in Information (Library) Sciences from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Though he grew up in the Midwest, Browne now lives in Atlanta, where he works as a media content analyst.
Synopsis
In the almost limitless sea of books, here’s one that will make you laugh as it helps you find your way to books that you’ll want to read.
With witty poignancy, The Book Shopper: A Life in Reviewdescribes the inner world of the writer’s imagination and the outer world of disheveled used book stores and dusty basements whose shelves sag under the burden of too many books.
In The Book ShopperMurray Browne discusses practical matters:
- How to deal with cantankerous used book store owners.
- Which contemporary writers he likes and thinks have staying power.
- How to assess a used book store to determine if it measures up.
- How to decide when to unburden oneself of a portion of one’s inventory.
He also considers more personal matters:
- What reading means to him.
- The rewards of the life of the imagination.
- How he set about writing about his life.
Murray Brownehas published numerous essays, book reviews, newspaper articles, feature stories, and technical articles. His essays and reviews have appeared in The Elysian Fields Quarterly, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, and The Grand Rapids Press. He has also co-authored Understanding Search Engines: Mathematical Modeling and Text Retrieval. Browne grew up in East Central Illinois, and received a BA in English and radio-television from Indiana University and a master’s degree in information (library) sciences from the University of Tennessee. A proud father of two grown daughters, Browne currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and works as a media content analyst for Turner Broadcasting.
Synopsis
In search of a good book? Browne provides rich leads and much wit. Go, shop, read!
Synopsis
In the almost limitless sea of books, heres one that will make you laugh as it helps you find your way to books that youll want to read.
With witty poignancy, The Book Shopper: A Life in Review describes the inner world of the writers imagination and the outer world of disheveled used book stores and dusty basements whose shelves sag under the burden of too many books.
About the Author
Murray Browne has published numerous essays, book reviews, newspaper articles, feature stories, and technical articles. His essays and reviews have appeared in
The Elysian Fields Quarterly,
The Knoxville News-Sentinel, and
The Grand Rapids Press. Browne grew up in East Central Illinois, and received a BA in English and radio-television from Indiana University and a master's degree in information (library) sciences from the University of Tennessee. A proud father of two grown daughters, Browne currently lives in Decatur, Georgia, and works as a media content analyst for Turner Broadcasting.