The Last Bookseller

A Life in the Rare Book Trade

De: Gary Goodman

Narrado por: Tristan Morris

When Gary Goodman wandered into a run-down, used-book shop that was going out of business in East St. Paul in 1982, he had no idea the visit would change his life. He walked in as a psychiatric counselor and walked out as the store's new owner. In The Last Bookseller, Goodman describes his sometimes desperate, sometimes hilarious career as a used and rare book dealer in Minnesota.

Here we meet the infamous St. Paul Book Bandit, Stephen Blumberg, who stole 24,000 rare books worth more than 50 million dollars; John Jenkins, the Texas rare book dealer who (probably) was murdered while standing in the middle of the Colorado River; and the eccentric Melvin McCosh, who filled his dilapidated mansion with half a million books. In 1990, with a couple of partners, Goodman opened St. Croix Antiquarian Books in Stillwater, one of the Twin Cities region's most venerable bookshops until it closed in 2017.

The internet changed the book business forever, and Goodman details how, after 2000, the internet made stores like his obsolete. In the 1990s, the Twin Cities had nearly 50 secondhand bookshops; today, there are fewer than 10. As both a memoir and a history of booksellers and book scouts, criminals and collectors, The Last Bookseller offers an ultimately poignant account of the used and rare book business during its final Golden Age.

©2021 Gary Goodman (P)2022 Tantor

For the love of books

Absolutely loved this book even though losing booksellers saddens me. So much information on books and book sellers. Thank you Gary, I actually bought an autographed copy of "My Kingdom of Books" first edition. Needless to say it was bought online. Very interesting journey through books.

Love the Story of the Booksellers Life

I sell also. Have since 2000. So found your story pre-internet interesting. Post internet is the only book selling world I know. I did find one error......those of us who own weiner dogs......they are our 'kids'. :-)