Books and how to make the most of them

This guide begins by celebrating books as concentrated stores of human thought that bridge distance and time. It gives practical instruction on how to read, study, and remember what one reads, including methods to cultivate memory and avoid common abuses of reading. It advises readers how to choose and classify works, and offers genre-specific commentary on poetry, biography, history, and fiction to show how different kinds of writing reward different approaches. It ends with practical information about libraries and the physical care of books to ensure continued access and usefulness.