First sentence:"Over the past fifty years I've spent a lot of time -- some might say an inordinate amount of time -- in the company of books."
Description:
"Once out of school, most people read for pleasure. But for some of us, there is an equally important reason that we read: to learn how to live. Drawing on sources as diverse as Dr. Seuss and Simone Weil, P.G. Wodehouse and Isaiah Berlin, Pulitzer Price-winning critic Michael Dirda shows how the wit, wisdom, and enchantment of the written word informs and enriches every aspect of life, from education and work to love and death. From essential works for children to the handful of masterpieces that every reader should have at his command, Dirda offers us an opinionated, personal, and idiosyncratic account of what -- and how -- to draw meaning from what we read.
Organized by significant life events and brimming with quotations from great writers and thinkers, Book by Book showcases Dirda's capacious love for and understanding of books. Through his suggested readings and brief essays he draws us deeper into the classics, as well as lesser-known works of literature, history, and philosophy, with an eye to how we might better understand our lives." -- from the inside flap
My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book as it introduced me to some new authors and raised some interesting points regarding work, life, love, and the arts.
Date read: 1/29/2009
Book #: 9
Challenges: Support Your Local Library Challenge, Dewey Decimal Challenge
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Nonfiction
ISBN-10: 0805078770
ISBN-13: 9780805078770
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Year: 2005
# of Pages: 167
Binding: Hardcover
LibraryThing Page
1 comment:
I've never heard of this book, but it sounds very intriguing. I'm going to have to add this to my request log at the local library. (As soon as I read some other books, as for some reason they have a limit on how many books you may request at one time. :) )
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