Brian Meyer's Reviews > The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore

Books about books often win a high ranking in my book, and Friss’ anecdote-driven tome about bookstores is no exception. It offers something for every bibliophile regardless of reading preference or geographical locale.

From overviews of Ben Franklin’s involvement in the business and thumbnail sketches of several “little, mighty, and resilient independent” shops, to the origins of behemoths such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Friss’ work provides a fascinating glimpse into the industry. True, this isn’t a definitive or linear look at the history of the American book industry. It’s more of an eclectic collection of vignettes about a diverse number of bookstores that touches on their marketing tactics, their challenges and some of the colorful characters behind these enterprises.

Like any smorgasbord, not every literary morsel will delight every reader. A few chapters were a tad tedious. The nice thing about this book’s structure is that a chapter or two can be skimmed or even skipped without hurting the overall reading experience.

The book is laced with some “fun facts,” including profiles of sidewalk booksellers and allusions to "bookstore tourism." Also, who knew there was a law on the books for a short period that prevented booksellers from discounting new titles?

The clear takeaway is that bookstores possess magical powers that can help shape our communities.