Many 1,000's of books about books have been written, but, discounting individual author and topic bibliographies (which exist in seemingly endless numbers), perhaps less than a 100 are actually worth investing in for purposes of reference. These books will be listed on the BookThink BookShelf in several stages over the coming months.

All books listed here have been read, evaluated and, most importantly, used by us. We won't waste your time or money by recommending books that are obsolete, not authoritative, or otherwise flawed. Some of these books are in print; some not. All are available somewhere at some price. Start with what you can afford and build. A good reference library is ultimately priceless for booksellers and collectors alike. Recommendations are always welcome.

NOTE: All books listed here may be purchased by clicking the accompanying links. If you click a link at this site and make a purchase on the linked site, we're given a small compensation, which in turn helps us with site operating costs. If you leave the site to purchase the book, we're out of the loop. Either way, you'll pay the same amount, so please keep us in mind!

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AMERICAN FIRST EDITIONS	AMERICAN FIRST EDITIONS by Merle Johnson (revised and enlarged by Jacob Blanck). R.R. Bowker Co., 1942. 4th edition. 553 pp. SHORT REVIEW: The most useful and authoritative single-volume bibliography of American first editions ever produced, also, perhaps, the most frequently stolen from library shelves. Long out of print. Several hundred important American authors included. First edition designations and, where applicable, issue points for 1,000's of titles published between post-Revolutionary era and mid-twentieth century. Also includes lists of biographical and bibliographical titles for many authors. Note that 3rd and 4th (recommended) editions were revised and greatly enlarged by Jacob Blanck. Catch it if you can.
FIRST EDITIONS: A GUIDE TO IDENTIFICATION	FIRST EDITIONS: A GUIDE TO IDENTIFICATION edited by Edward N. Zempel and Linda A. Verkler. The Spoon River Press, 2001. 4th edition. 669 pp. ISBN#: 093035818X. In print at $60. SHORT REVIEW: The most extensive single-volume guide to identifying first editions in or out of print. First edition designations presented in the form of actual statements from publishers on methods used. Over 4,200 English-language (North American, British Commonwealth & Irish) publishers included. Also includes excellent monograph on identifying book club editions. If there's a must-have for first edition identification, this is it.
ANTIQUE TRADER'S BOOK COLLECTOR'S PRICE GUIDE	ANTIQUE TRADER'S BOOK COLLECTOR'S PRICE GUIDE by Richard Russell. 1st edition. 448 pp. ISBN#: 0873496078. In print at $24.99. Short Review Authoritative price guide to over 5,000 collectible books. Includes primer on first edition identification, glossary of book terminology, discussion of grading, extensive list of pseudonyms, 100 or so facsimile signatures of important writers, small collection of interesting bookseller's tips from various dealers, directory of recommended book stores - and best of all, 12 informative monographs on various categories of book collecting. Click here for a complete BookThink review.
PAPERBACK PRICE GUIDE FOR ROMANCE	PAPERBACK PRICE GUIDE FOR ROMANCE. Paperback Price Guide Publishing Co., 2001. 224 pp. ISBN#: 0971250308. SHORT REVIEW: Not many of these floating around. Grab one if you can. Includes 100's of authors and 1,000's of titles. Two years old, but who cares? Comparative pricing is what makes guides of this type useful because they aid so greatly in the identification of the plums of the genre. Spiral binding is especially user friendly.
PRICE GUIDE OF WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II BOOKS AND MANUALS	PRICE GUIDE OF WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II BOOKS AND MANUALS compiled by Mark A. George. Morris Publishing. 1997. 301 pp. ISBN#: 0965601102. SHORT REVIEW: A page or two of explanatory notes, six pages of dealers specializing in military books, and we're off. A rich, comprehensive compilation of important WWI & WWII books and manuals, including regiment histories, technical manuals and other specialized titles. Listings by author and title. Also includes list of pertinent military reference works. Values quoted are based on retail, but don't let this scare you - or the copyright date. Comparative pricing, which can be readily accomplished with this guide, is the tool that will enable you to buy and sell the best in 20th-century militaria. Spiral bound.
A DICTIONARY OF BOOK HISTORY	A DICTIONARY OF BOOK HISTORY by John Feather. Oxford University Press. 1986. 278 pp. ISBN#: 0195205200. SHORT REVIEW: First let's talk about what this book isn't; it isn't simply a dictionary of book terminology. The emphasis is on book history, and though this includes some bibliographic terminology, it also contains articles, over 650 in all, on bibliographers; bibliographies; history of printing, publishing and bookselling; physical history of the book (binding, typography, illustration and paper); and book collecting, book collectors and libraries. Terms are both defined and explained with impeccable scholarship, sometimes in delicious depth, and in almost all cases articles are referenced to others in the book. If you want to talk the talk - more importantly, if you want to deepen your understanding of books - buy.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE BOOK	ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE BOOK by Geoffrey Ashall Glaister. Oak Knoll Press & the British Library. 2001. 551 pp. ISBN#: 1884718140. In print at $34.97. SHORT REVIEW: Massive, comprehensive and authoritative. The book you'll want at your fingertips when you stumble across obscure bibliographic terms that heretofore defied explanation. Includes detailed definitions and articles of terms used in bookbinding, printing, papermaking and the book trade as well as biographical details of printers, authors, bookbinders and bibliophiles. Also included are articles on machinery and equipment, famous books, printing societies, book-related organizations, customs of the trade and, whew, more. The best single volume book encyclopedia we know of, and money expertly spent.
ABC FOR BOOK COLLECTORS	ABC FOR BOOK COLLECTORS, by John Carter. Oak Knoll Press. 2002. 224 pp. ISBN#: 1884718051. In print at $17.50. SHORT REVIEW: Our affection for this book cannot be overstated. Those familiar with Fowler's classic MODERN ENGLISH USAGE will surely appreciate Carter's masterful treatment of book collecting. This is a rare instance when a book can be appreciated not only for its content, which is so solid and insightful that it's stood strong for over 50 years, but also read simply for the joy of being in the presence of the author. Encyclopedic format allows one to open the book at any point, enjoy a few moments, and put it down for another day. Delightful features include the use of bracketed explanatory notes placed strategically to illustrate the parts of a book - e.g., "This is the FREE ENDPAPER," "Above is a BLURB," and the presumably tongue-in-cheek "PRINTER'S BLANK" printed at the bottom of a totally blank page. Buy it. Cherish it forever.
MODERN BOOK COLLECTING	MODERN BOOK COLLECTING by Robert A. Wilson. The Lyons Press. 1980. 276 pp. ISBN#: 1558211799. In print at $11.87. SHORT REVIEW: Wilson's eminently readable and comprehensive introduction to book collecting. A classic. If you're new to the game, this is the book to start with. Building a collection, grading, identifying first editions, book care, terminology - it's all here. Not written yesterday but lots of time-tested stuff. Of special interest - and worth the price of this book alone - are an extraordinarily useful chapter on bibliographies and his much quoted list of post-WWII America's 50 most important books.
a book of books	a book of books by Abelardo Morell. Bullfinch Press (Little, Brown and Co.), 2002. 108 pp. SHORT REVIEW: Noted photographer Abelardo Morell's visual feast of books. 52 eye-popping, mind-expanding black and white photographs of books as books. Nothing else like it. A keeper. Click here for a complete BookThink review.
FIRSTS: THE BOOK COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE	FIRSTS: THE BOOK COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE. Firsts Magazine, Inc. SHORT REVIEW: Currently one of only several major print publications dedicated exclusively to book collecting, but with this kind of quality - and Firsts has it in spades - who needs more? This is a magazine that's so rich in content you'll both read when it first arrives and consult it again and again, more or less indefinitely. For this reason, back issues have strong resale value. Issues are often thematic - that is, they focus on a single collectible author, a genre, or peripheral topics such as grading. Issue points for first editions are often cited and most articles are generously illustrated. Published 10 times annually.
HOW TO READ A BOOK	HOW TO READ A BOOK by Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren. Simon & Schuster. 1972. 426 pp. ISBN#: 0671212095. SHORT REVIEW: The books that change our lives usually do so through inspiring us to seek greater things or be better people. Simple how-to books, in this sense, rarely rise to this level of inspiration. This amazing book is an exception, perhaps the classic exception, and, if we had any say in the matter, would be required reading for, well, everyone. Written in 1940 and reprinted who-knows-how-many times since, this is still gold-standard stuff. Read it, and your eyes will be opened to a kind of reading you've never experienced before. Apply its principles, and you'll not only comprehend books at levels heretofore unknown, but also - and this is the real payoff - learn how to think.
USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO THE PACIFIC COAST STATES: CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, ALASKA, AND HAWAII	Used Book Lover's Guide to the Pacific Coast States: California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii by David S. Siegel and Susan Siegal. Hunter Books, 2000. 528 pages. ISBN#: 189137902X. SHORT REVIEW: Planning a road trip? Don’t leave home without one of these. “The Used Book Lover’s Guides” are published in seven regional editions, covering six areas of the United States and Canada. Each regional guide lists 100’s and 100’s of used bookstores and provides some or all of the following information on each: a brief description of the nature of the collection, size of inventory, specialties (if applicable), hours of operation, directions, types of payment accepted, owners’ names, year established, and general (sometimes pointed) comments pertaining to prices, condition and makeup of the collection, with occasional asides. Includes state, regional and city maps. Each guide is shipped with the most up-to-date supplemental information. As bookstore guides go, this is the only legitimate game in town – and quality stuff.
USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO THE CENTRAL STATES	Used Book Lover's Guide to the Central States by David S. Siegel and Susan Siegal. Hunter Books, 1997. 464 pages. ISBN#: 0963411268 SHORT REVIEW: Planning a road trip? Don’t leave home without one of these. “The Used Book Lover’s Guides” are published in seven regional editions, covering six areas of the United States and Canada. Each regional guide lists 100’s and 100’s of used bookstores and provides some or all of the following information on each: a brief description of the nature of the collection, size of inventory, specialties (if applicable), hours of operation, directions, types of payment accepted, owners’ names, year established, and general (sometimes pointed) comments pertaining to prices, condition and makeup of the collection, with occasional asides. Includes state, regional and city maps. Each guide is shipped with the most up-to-date supplemental information. As bookstore guides go, this is the only legitimate game in town – and quality stuff.
USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO THE SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES: MARYLAND, WASHINGTON, DC, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA AND FLORIDA	The Used Book Lover's Guide to the South Atlantic States: Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida by David S. Siegel and Susan Siegal. Revised Edition. Hunter Books, 1997. 374 pages. ISBN#: 0963411284. SHORT REVIEW: Planning a road trip? Don’t leave home without one of these. “The Used Book Lover’s Guides” are published in seven regional editions, covering six areas of the United States and Canada. Each regional guide lists 100’s and 100’s of used bookstores and provides some or all of the following information on each: a brief description of the nature of the collection, size of inventory, specialties (if applicable), hours of operation, directions, types of payment accepted, owners’ names, year established, and general (sometimes pointed) comments pertaining to prices, condition and makeup of the collection, with occasional asides. Includes state, regional and city maps. Each guide is shipped with the most up-to-date supplemental information. As bookstore guides go, this is the only legitimate game in town – and quality stuff.
USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO NEW ENGLAND	The Used Book Lover's Guide to New England by David S. Siegel and Susan Siegal. Second Revised Edition. Hunter Books, 2000. 384 pages. ISBN#: 1891379038. SHORT REVIEW: Planning a road trip? Don’t leave home without one of these. “The Used Book Lover’s Guides” are published in seven regional editions, covering six areas of the United States and Canada. Each regional guide lists 100’s and 100’s of used bookstores and provides some or all of the following information on each: a brief description of the nature of the collection, size of inventory, specialties (if applicable), hours of operation, directions, types of payment accepted, owners’ names, year established, and general (sometimes pointed) comments pertaining to prices, condition and makeup of the collection, with occasional asides. Includes state, regional and city maps. Each guide is shipped with the most up-to-date supplemental information. As bookstore guides go, this is the only legitimate game in town – and quality stuff.
USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO CANADA	The Used Book Lover's Guide to Canada by David S. Siegel and Susan Siegal. Hunter Books, 1999. ISBN#: 1891379003. SHORT REVIEW: Planning a road trip? Don’t leave home without one of these. “The Used Book Lover’s Guides” are published in seven regional editions, covering six areas of the United States and Canada. Each regional guide lists 100’s and 100’s of used bookstores and provides some or all of the following information on each: a brief description of the nature of the collection, size of inventory, specialties (if applicable), hours of operation, directions, types of payment accepted, owners’ names, year established, and general (sometimes pointed) comments pertaining to prices, condition and makeup of the collection, with occasional asides. Includes state, regional and city maps. Each guide is shipped with the most up-to-date supplemental information. As bookstore guides go, this is the only legitimate game in town – and quality stuff.
USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES: NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, AND DELAWARE	The Used Book Lover's Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware by David S. Siegel and Susan Siegal. Revised Edition. Hunter Books, 1997. 438 pages. ISBN#: 0963411276. SHORT REVIEW: Planning a road trip? Don’t leave home without one of these. “The Used Book Lover’s Guides” are published in seven regional editions, covering six areas of the United States and Canada. Each regional guide lists 100’s and 100’s of used bookstores and provides some or all of the following information on each: a brief description of the nature of the collection, size of inventory, specialties (if applicable), hours of operation, directions, types of payment accepted, owners’ names, year established, and general (sometimes pointed) comments pertaining to prices, condition and makeup of the collection, with occasional asides. Includes state, regional and city maps. Each guide is shipped with the most up-to-date supplemental information. As bookstore guides go, this is the only legitimate game in town – and quality stuff.
USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO THE MID-WEST: OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, KENTUCKY, AND WEST VIRGINIA	The Used Book Lover's Guide to the Mid-West: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesoata, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and West Virginia by David S. Siegel and Susan Siegal. Revised Edition. Hunter Books, 1998. 466 pages. ISBN#: 0963411292. SHORT REVIEW: Planning a road trip? Don’t leave home without one of these. “The Used Book Lover’s Guides” are published in seven regional editions, covering six areas of the United States and Canada. Each regional guide lists 100’s and 100’s of used bookstores and provides some or all of the following information on each: a brief description of the nature of the collection, size of inventory, specialties (if applicable), hours of operation, directions, types of payment accepted, owners’ names, year established, and general (sometimes pointed) comments pertaining to prices, condition and makeup of the collection, with occasional asides. Includes state, regional and city maps. Each guide is shipped with the most up-to-date supplemental information. As bookstore guides go, this is the only legitimate game in town – and quality stuff.
ANTIQUE TRADER VINTAGE MAGAZINES PRICE GUIDE	Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide SHORT REVIEW: Fellow booksellers, I don't say this often, but this is must have whether you sell magazines or not. You should not only buy this guide, you should read it from cover to cover. You should not only read it from cover to cover, you should study it. You should not only study it, you should memorize it. Do this, and you'll soon be furlongs ahead of over 99% of your fellow booksellers. No exaggeration, this is one of the best guides - the richest sources of flashpoints - I’ve come across in recent years. Buy it now. Click here for a complete BookThink review.
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction	The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction SHORT REVIEW: One of the best, most comprehensive Science Fiction resources available. A key addition to any SF collector's and seller's library. Over one million words. Author profiles, SF themes and more. Click here for a complete review by BookThink Science Fiction editor Timothy Doyle.
Science Fiction: The Illlustrated Encyclopedia	Science Fiction: The Illlustrated Encyclopedia SHORT REVIEW: A companion volume, essentially, to The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia is a visual feast of Science Fiction authors, books and more. Click here for a complete review by BookThink Science Fiction editor Timothy Doyle.
Children's Picturebook Price Guide	Children's Picturebooks Price Guide SHORT REVIEW: In my never-ending quest to locate the best and brightest reference books for booksellers, I've found one that will be of special interest to children's books collectors and booksellers - Linda and Stan Zielinski's Children's Picturebook Price Guide. Click here for a complete review by BookThink Editor-in-Chief Craig Stark.