I don't know what I could say about this book that this book hasn't already said for itself, except that The Art of Libromancy has completely changed my perspective as a reader, consumer, and aspiring bookseller. Cook writes with such clarity and passion, it is obvious he loves what he does and is adamant about the things that need to change in the bookselling industry. He writes about American politics in a way that is accessible and easy to grasp but still profoundly meaningful. I think I highlighted over half the book. Between this and my previous read - The Bookshop: A History of American Bookstores - I will go off into the world with a new, honestly radicalized perspective as a reader. He really gives his readers the tools they need to be advocates for change. I will carry the contents of this book with me for a lifetime. 

This is an important book to read if you love books! How those books get to you matters. 

i am not one to complain about a book or podcast being “too political.” (in fact, i never have complained about it). but this one was too much. i loved the insight into book selling, talking about how independent books work, how they choose books to uplift in efforts to right the male, white skew in publishing today. i appreciated the essays on hand selling, genre, and destiny. but the straight hatred of the right was too much for me. and i don’t even fall into the right camp. i don’t mind when an author writes what they believe politically and why. i do mind when they call the other side names without much to back it up. it felt like he was assuming that every reader of this books agreed with him completely. that he was right completely. it was strange: the unequivocal hate he demonstrated while also writing beautiful phrases about understanding people’s preferences.