books and reading

"A young writer explores what some of the greatest women in literature have meant to her--and how these timeless characters still serve as a guide for the way we lead our lives"--Provided by publisher.

Collects fifty of Michael Dirda's witty and wide-ranging reflections on literary journalism, book collecting, and the writers he loves. Reaching from the classics to the post-moderns, his allusions go from Samuel Johnson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and M.F.K. Fisher to Marilynne Robinson, Hunter S. Thompson and David Foster Wallace.

John Tytell chronicles his life-long love of reading, reflecting on the many books that had significant impact on his life.

Sara Nelson chronicles a year's worth of reading, exploring how the world of books and words impacted every aspect of her life, career, and family.

Nina Sankovitch reflects on the influence of reading on her life, sharing details of how her sister's death led her to find the therapeutic qualities of a book and discussing the authors who have made an impression on her as well as her family history.

A biography of Thomas Jefferson, focusing on his engagement with books as a reader and writer, identifying texts that influenced his spiritual and intellectual development, and discussing his lifelong quest for knowledge.

Describes how Abe Lincoln used books to change his life, and how he, in turn, changed the world.