Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores

Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores

True Tales and Lost Moments from Book Buyers, Booksellers, and Book Lovers

About the Book

A New York Times Bestseller

From the beloved New Yorker cartoonist comes a collection of paintings and stories from some of the world’s most cherished bookstores. 

This collection of 75 evocative paintings and colorful anecdotes invites you into the heart and soul of every community: the local bookshop, each with its own quirks, charms, and legendary stories. 

The book features an incredible roster of great bookstores from across the globe and stories from writers, thinkers and artists of our time, including David Bowie, Tom Wolfe, Jonathan Lethem, Roz Chast, Deepak Chopra, Bob Odenkirk, Philip Glass, Jonathan Ames, Terry Gross, Mark Maron, Neil Gaiman, Ann Patchett, Chris Ware, Molly Crabapple, Amitav Ghosh, Alice Munro, Dave Eggers, and many more.  

Page by page, Eckstein perfectly captures our lifelong love affair with books, bookstores, and book-sellers that is at once heartfelt, bittersweet, and cheerfully confessional.
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Praise for Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores

"Enchanting paintings...colorful quotes and anecdotes, a testimony to the continuing vibrancy of print books." – USA Today

“Flat-out lovely. This might be a perfect book for holiday giving. But you might want to buy two copies, and keep one for yourself."  – Star Tribune

"Bibliophiles will rejoice at this beautiful collection celebrating the history and lure of independent bookshops worldwide.”  – Shelf Awareness

"Footnotes visually illustrates why these shops are so beloved. Eckstein, a cartoonist for The New Yorker, has beautifully painted 75 of the most storied purveyors from around the world.” – The Globe and Mail

New Yorker cartoonist Eckstein has created a love letter to independent bookstores around the world.” Kirkus Review 

"In a time when it seems that brick-and-mortar bookstores are closing at a rapid clip, this book celebrates those very places, giving us an inside look into the cherished community of local bookshops." -Smithsonian Magazine

“Absolutely wonderful. In time Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores will be a beautiful historical document, and it’s surely one for the shelves of any true bibliophile.”  – Reading Addicts

"This would look great stacked on top of other random books cascading out of your Strand tote bag for a picture that says, 'I just got back from spending a shit ton at the bookstore.’ “  – Above Average.com

"There's a good chance that if you're buying a book for someone, that they're a person who likes the feel and nostalgia of bookstores. In fact, Goldin says bookstores are rather popular subject matter. But among the plethora of books on the topic, Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores by Bob Eckstein still stands out.” – Daniel Goldin, Boswell Book Company 

“Celebrates these unique places while also highlighting concerns about the future...filled with emotional investment, inspiration, and endless stories from the people who run bookstores and those who love them.“ – BookWitty

“Charming.” ­– Miami Herald

"Wonderful homage."– Reader’s Digest

One of the Wall Street Journal’s "Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2016"

“A national treasure.” - David Plotz, Slate

"A truly stunning book with beautiful images of some amazing bookshops this is a lovely read and a great collectable to cherish forever." - Books Bird
 
"It's WONDERFUL!!! Beautiful, fun to read, interesting.” Roz Chast
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About the Author

Bob Eckstein
Bob Eckstein is an award-winning illustrator and writer for The New Yorker, New York Times, and others. He is the author of Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores, The Ultimate Cartoon Book of Cartoons, and more. He lives in New York. More by Bob Eckstein
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About the Author

Garrison Keillor
Garrison Keillor, author of nearly a dozen books, is the founder and host of the acclaimed radio show A Prairie Home Companion and the daily program The Writer's Almanac. He is also a regular contributor to Time magazine. More by Garrison Keillor
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