Book Review: Read Me: A Century of Classic American Book Advertisements by Dwight Garner

There is nothing lacking in this collection of 20th century Americana. Read Me: A Century of Classic American Book Advertisements provides a lasting tribute to the impossibly hard act of publishing and promoting books, especially back when newspapers were the primary way to reach readers.

Browse through over 300 vintage book ads, from back in the day when the publishing industry took a gamble on anything. Some ads provide a first look at people who became great American classic authors, and some were only one-time wonders. As author Dwight Garner, a New York Times book critic and former editor at the New York Times Book Review, says: “Great books, like every other kind of book, are new only once, and only for a short time.”

We’re grateful to have  Read Me on our bookshelf. It documents the skill, craft, wit, and art that went into book promotion over the last 100 years, not exactly a lost art, but a treasure to have captured.

Article Author: Helen Gallagher

Helen Gallagher reviews non-fiction books and shares insights when attending author and publishing events on Chicago's North Shore. She is a national speaker on technology, writing and publishing. She's a member of American Society of Journalists & …

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