Robert Sheard's Reviews > The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore

Friss’ book is a carefully researched, clear-eyed look at the evolution of the bookshop in American life. It's not a sentimental tribute, but something more useful: a layered cultural history that traces how these spaces have adapted—and often struggled—in response to shifting economic, technological, and social forces.

As someone who opened a small independent bookstore during the heyday of Amazon and big-box discounts, this was a particularly resonant read. I poured heart, soul, and many sleepless nights into my shop. But even passion and community support couldn't beat the hard math. After three years of mounting losses, I sold it. The new owners held on for three more years before closing the doors for good. Reading Friss' account reminded me that my story, while personal, was part of a much larger one. Bookshops have always existed in tension—with commerce, with culture, with the very idea of what it means to sell something as unruly and intimate as a book.

This isn’t a nostalgic ode. It’s more honest than that. And for me, more meaningful.