The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession

We all know about thieves who steal rare books so they can resell them for money. But what about the ones who steal them just because they want them? That's what we have here, a rare look into the mind of a hoarder who can't afford - or feels like he shouldn't have to pay for - his collection of choice. It's also about the amateur bookseller detective who caught him. I still don't entirely understand the desire to amass books you don't read, but this gave me a little more of a glimpse into that world. Recommended.

This is the perfect true crime book for me - all the intrigue without any blood or gore or violence. It's about a man who stole rare books but rarely (sorry, no pun intended) sold them because he just wanted to own them, which made it rather difficult for book sellers and the police to track him down. Of course, it's a lot deeper than that and author/journalist Bartlett managed to delve into not only his method, but also into the psychology of the criminal mind of a book thief. And of a true *collector*. John Gilkey, the thief, was unrepentant and even while spending time in jail, was already plotting his next move. I also loved the historic references and insights Bartlett provided throughout to give texture and context to the story. And, let's be honest, the whole thing appealed to the book lover in me. I don't collect rare books (because of the obvious expense) but if you walked into my house, you would definitely know I collect books. Difference is, I don't steal them! ;-)

I really enjoyed the way The Man Who Loved Books Too Much was written. The author’s style was very conversational and she did a nice job of blending descriptions of her own experience with those of her two “main characters” the book dealer/detective and the thief. I really enjoyed her attempts to understand why so many people love and collect rare books, including dabbling in collecting herself. As she concludes, a lot of people build an identity out of the books they collect. For that reason, I very much enjoyed her descriptions of the collectors she met, the sort of books they collected and the the reasons for their collections.

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Hopefully, there is more than a thin line between being a bibliophile, a lover of books, and bibliomaniac, one who is obsessed with acquiring, at any cost, rare books. I am the former, someone who loves to read and am also a collector of signed contemporary first editions of the books that I have loved in my avocation. The subject of this book, John Gilkey, is a nondescript example of the latter. Armed with credit card receipts obtained from his employment he purchased greater than $100,000 of rare books before being caught and sent to jail. The man primarily attributed to catching him was bookseller Ken Sellers. Journalist Allison Bartlett details each of their stories as prey and pursuer in an enjoyable fashion while introducing the reader to the obsession behind rare book collecting.

What a fascinating book, not only that it was a nice peek into rare book collecting but that it mentioned so many bookstores and actual books (with value). Worth keeping as a reference.Primarily dealing with book "thief" extraordinaire, John Gilkey and the bookseller who was primary in putting him away (on several occasions, Ken Sanders. Spanning several years of interviews with the main "characters" and others in the biz, including FBI involved in the cases and family, it was an enjoyable read aside from informative. But PLEASE, ... do not try this at home!

I really enjoyed it...very interesting