Book by Book

If there is one thing I like about life it is the serendipitous nature of it, especially when it comes to visits to the bookstore, one of my favorite places to frequent. One such recent visit resulted in my discovery of a title called Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Life, which is authored by Michael Dirda, staff writer for The Washington Post Book World since 1978 and winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for criticism.

Dirda writes in the book’s preface: “For Book by Book, I’ve set down some of what I’ve learned about life from my reading. In its character the result is a…bouquet of insightful or provocative quotations from favorite authors, surrounded by some of my own observations, several lists, the occasional anecdote, and a series of mini-essays on aspects of life. Above all, I hope the result is, to echo the poet Horace’s old formula, dulce et utile—enjoyable and useful—a book to read slowly, to browse in, and return to.” I must say, it is that, and then some. Check it out by visiting http://www.amazon.com/.