Missing Books: A Wander Through One Man's Library

Earlier this year, retired lawyer, former editor, and first-rate bibliophile Brian Harris published a paean to his library. Prompted by a home relocation, Harris writes, "...I found myself faced with the almost unbearable problem of forcing a quart of books into a pint of shelf space." We've all been there.  

Compelled to cull his shelves, Harris wrote Missing Books: A Wander Through One Man's Library to honor his life as a reader. Broken up into brief sections and chapters, the volume offers a thoughtful ramble through the books that have been meaningful in the author's life, from Shakespeare to David Cornwall and everything in between. Traveling these literary bylaws with Harris is an exceedingly pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Recommendations for worthwhile reading abound; Harris will have you reaching for John Stuart Mill, or perhaps the 1932 novel, Cold Comfort Farm, if that's more to your taste.     

Harris blogs about public affairs and literature from his base in the English midlands. In addition to the books he has published related to the practice of law, he has written two books about Rudyard Kipling, who he describes in Missing Books as "one of our finest short story writers."

                                                                                                                                                             Image Courtesy of Brian Harris.