"Will always hold an honorable place for bibliophiles." — The University of Chicago Press One of the earliest treatises on the value of preserving neglected manuscripts, building a library, and book collecting, Richard De Bury's The Philobiblon was written in 1345 and circulated widely in manuscript form for over a century. The first printed edition appeared in Cologne in 1473, and several others soon followed as the invention of the printing press spread throughout the late Medieval world. The chapter titles of this legendary work reflect its nature, combining the author's love for and commitment to the importance of books and the knowledge they contain with thoughts on collecting them, lending them, teaching with them, and simply enjoying them: "That the Treasure of Wisdom is chiefly contained in books," "What we are to think of the price in the buying of books," "Who ought to be special lovers of books," and "Of the manner of lending all our books to students." The Prologue ends with the following thought: "And this treatise (divided into twenty chapters) will clear the love we have had for books from the charge of excess, will expound the purpose of our intense devotion, and will narrate more clearly than light all the circumstances of our undertaking. And because it principally treats of the love of books, we have chose after the fashion of the ancient Romans fondly to name it by a Greek word, Philobiblon." This volume offers modern bibliophiles a splendid edition of one of the first books ever to study, define, and, above all, praise their passion: the all-encompassing love of books.

DIVIn postapocalyptic America, a solitary man crafts the world’s latest form of escapism: dreams/div DIVFor eighty-five years, Par Sondak has crafted dreams. Each night he retires, probes attached to his sleeping body, and builds magnificent worlds for the people of the City to enjoy. His dreams have been bestsellers for decades, and he has more than three hundred still in circulation. Sondak’s niche is escapist fun; his current project is a ten-hour swords-and-sandals epic. More than a month’s sleep has gone into the dream, and when he completes it, his public will clamor for more./divDIV /divDIVBut when he isn’t asleep, this rotund, 105-year-old man sits on his terrace and enjoys a view of the American wasteland. Beyond Sondak’s laser-guarded walls, herds of Nomads lurk, scavenging for food and making sacrifices to pagan gods. Lately these savage men have stirred Sondak’s curiosity. But attempting to understand them might just destroy the kingdom his dreams have built./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of William Hjortsberg including rare photos from the author’s personal collection./div

Presenting a new angle on angling: the captivating history of the daring, ingenious, and skillful women who have made a lasting impact on sportfishing -- from a trendsetting 15th-century nun to the champions of today's professional tournaments.Modern sportfishing began in 1496 with the definitive "Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle". Written by the English noblewoman and nun Juliana Berners, it marks the beginning of a long line of contributions that women have made to a sport often considered the province of males.Dozens of entertaining portraits present the distaff side of the rod and reel world. Lyla Foggia reveals innovations -- from fly-tying tricks to casting techniques -- developed by women, including Joan Wulff, whose teaching method Fly Rod & Reel declared, "(did) for casting what Stephen Hawking did for physics". Foggia visits the "big three" arenas of sportfishing -- fly-fishing, big-game angling, and bass tournaments -- to introduce such legendary figures as Mrs. Spalding, aless-than-100-pound wonder who landed a record-setting 426-pound swordfish.With insights into fishing as a reflective act, and featuring vint

So begins Sabine Baring-Gould's account of his journey on horseback around Iceland in 1862. Aged twenty-eight, the young writer and teacher was fascinated by the tradition of the Icelandic sagas, and this was the catalyst for his adventure and the book that emerged from it. His voyage took him from the then tiny settlement of Reykjavik through remote and hostile terrain, passing through the empty expanse of Iceland's countryside. He observed mountains and glaciers, volcanoes and geysers, wondering at the wild beauty of the landscape. He also recorded the rich flora and fauna that he saw-and, to his chagrin, that his companions shot.