International bestselling writer Haruki Murakami is best known for his magical realist novels that explore issues deeply rooted in the human experience. He has often been criticized by Japanese literary circles for being ‘un-Japanese’ because of the heavy influence of Western literature on his writing style. Opposing the Japanese ideal of the strong, independentContinue reading “Haruki Murakami: Hopeful Romantic.”
Category Archives: Rare book highlights
Celebrating the Life and Work of Patricia Highsmith.
Today, Tuesday, January 19, 2021, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of great American novelist Patricia Highsmith, best known for her classic psychological thrillers Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Born in Fort Worth, Texas on January 19, 1921, Highsmith had a troubled relationship with her mother and was sent toContinue reading “Celebrating the Life and Work of Patricia Highsmith.”
Collecting Rudyard Kipling.
By far one of the most popular writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, English novelist, journalist and poet Rudyard Kipling was a prolific, versatile and gifted writer and, in 1907, became both the first writer of the English language and the youngest author to date to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.Continue reading “Collecting Rudyard Kipling.”
Current Exhibition: Jurassic Park at 30 and the Dust Jacket Designs of Chip Kidd.
Published by Alfred A. Knopf on November 20, 1990, Michael Crichton’s best-selling science fiction novel Jurassic Park definitively established its author as “the most commercially successful science fiction writer of all time” (Robinson, 208). Designed by American artist and graphic designer Chip Kidd, the novel’s striking dust jacket design remains one of theContinue reading “Current Exhibition: Jurassic Park at 30 and the Dust Jacket Designs of Chip Kidd.”
Collecting Agatha Christie.
Listed by Guinness World Records as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, the “Queen of Crime” Agatha Christie published sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short story collections throughout the course of her lifetime which sold more than two billion copies. A master of suspense, plotting, and characterization, in her prime, Christie was rarely outContinue reading “Collecting Agatha Christie.”
The Work and Philosophy of Peter Drucker.
The most influential figure in the development of management theory and practice, Austrian-born American consultant and author Peter Drucker’s thirty-nine books have been translated into more than thirty-six languages. Drucker’s writings have predicted many of the major developments of the late twentieth century and he was a leader in the development of management education. RatherContinue reading “The Work and Philosophy of Peter Drucker.”
Collecting Graham Greene.
Regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century, Graham Greene published over 25 novels throughout the course of his writing career which spanned nearly 67 years. Although he objected to being described as a Catholic writer, Catholic religious themes are at the root of much of Greene’s writing,Continue reading “Collecting Graham Greene.”
The “Big Three” of 20th Century Science Fiction.
Three of the best-selling science fiction novelists of the 20th century, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and Arthur C. Clarke are commonly referred to as the “Big Three” of science fiction for their influential work in expanding the definition of the genre established by their predecessors Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Hugo Gernsback. Moving beyond theirContinue reading “The “Big Three” of 20th Century Science Fiction.”
Charles Darwin’s On The Origin of Species.
Widely considered the most significant book published in the history of modern science, Charles Darwin‘s magnum opus On the Origin of Species attracted widespread attention upon publication on Thursday, November 24, 1859. Priced at fifteen shillings and with a first print run of only 1,250 copies, the book sold out on the day of publication,Continue reading “Charles Darwin’s On The Origin of Species.”
The Works and Life of David Ricardo
David Ricardo’s name belongs on a list the most influential classical economists in history, including Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus, and James Mill. Born as one of seventeen children, Ricardo learned about competitive business interactions early on from his father, Abraham Ricardo, a successful stockbroker in London. Following in his father’s footsteps, he made a fortuneContinue reading “The Works and Life of David Ricardo”