Living With Books

by Alan Powers

Some people never have more than a shelf or two of books. Others are more committed: they hoard books, rearrange them, and seldom get rid of any. Living with Books, aimed at the latter group, addresses the challenges and joys of a home masquerading as a library, from storage to display to the use of books as structural elements and furniture.

Each chapter covers a different room and the special way that books can exist in or enhance that space. Obvious areas such as dens and offices are covered, along with more daring places such as hallways, kitchens, and bathrooms. Special features include a closer look at the care and display of decorative books, decorative papers, and bookplates, and a final chapter on custom-building bookshelves to suit every home.

Genres: Books About Books, Nonfiction, Reference, Design, Photography, Art, Interior Design

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 1999

About the author

Alan Powers is a teacher, researcher and writer specialising in architecture and design.

Powers trained as an art historian at University of Cambridge, gaining an undergraduate degree and a PhD.

As a writer Powers has been prolific, writing reviews, magazine articles, obituaries of artists and architects as well as books. He has concentrated on 20th century British architecture and architectural conservation. He has also written books on the design of book jackets, shop fronts, book collectors, and the artist Eric Ravilious as well as monographs on Serge Chermayeff, and the British firms of Tayler and Green and of Aldington, Graig and Collinge.

Reviews

[Patrick Sherriff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, books can be stacked on shelves, and here's a coffee table book to explain this highly complex thought. Kills a few minutes in a pleasant enough way, I suppose. My proper review is here: http://patricksherriff.com/2019/09/27...

[Two Readers in Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books do furnish a room"... or if left to their own devices, totally take the room over..

Most design books show a few books placed artfully in the corner of a huge display case, mixed in with the tchotchkes. Some even go so far to show a wall of perfectly matched hardbacks, to provide that oh-so-intellectual backdrop to the huge main space. This is all absolutely useless for those of us with a serious book addiction.

This is a design book for real-world bibliophiles. The beautiful photographs illustrate several attractive ideas for storing and displaying books in every room in the house – including the bathroom. The styles range for antique to super-modern, and from formal (beautiful mahogany bookcases with leather bound tomes) to casual (impromptu stacks on the staircase.) There are several really innovative solutions: the “bookworm” bookcase that floats books in the air, bookshelves hung from the ceiling, etc. For those of you – and you know who you are – that have a book fetish, I suppose this book qualifies as library porn.

For those brave enough to tackle building their own solutions, the book has a brief set of projects at the end; this is sufficient for those who just want to solve the problem at hand, but probably not enough to satisfy a serious do-it-yourselfer.

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course I'd be drawn by a book about well, books, book shelves, etc. And the pictures for the different bookshelves in different settings was really good. Some make for an interesting project doesn't it? I especially like the bookstore ones. Really good read for any book lover.

[Sophy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A coffee table book of limited text and plentiful photographs.

This is basically bookshelf porn for us bibliophiles!

It's funny that although the book was published in 1999, it already has "dated" ideas in there, rotary telephones, the home office with fax machine and answering service, metal and glass storage units, old clunky PC's. All these things are now considered "vintage" or "retro". Funny really.

There is nothing profound or thought provoking here, just simple good quality photographs of bookshelves in their many guises in different rooms of the house (although books in the bathroom still baffles me, damp and paper?)

A 3 star presentation that I'll no doubt keep hold of until my own bookshelves become too full to accommodate.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coffee table book, this nevertheless had quite a few good ideas for my study project. I found an unusual, yet functional, cantilevered bookcase design that will look distinctive with the hardwood floors I'm planning. I just need a carpenter to tell me if it's stable enough to resist earthquakes.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on interior design concepts focusing on books and book cases.

[JOEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Powers' writing style. It suits a book about books. And I thought the photography was great.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back cover: "In a true booklover's home, there are no rooms that do not contain books." A book about storing and displaying books.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just glorious.

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I have a pro-book bias, but it’s nevertheless fascinating to discover the many creative, ingenious, and very original ways architects and ordinary booklovers have found to store them, display them, and enjoy being in their presence. Face it -- one never has enough bookshelves. And some of these homes are definitely masquerading as libraries! Here are bookshelves up under the eaves of an older house, or installed over the doorways in the hall, or built into closets and cupboards and under kitchen counters. Others are freestanding on metal shelves and poles and rigged like a ship’s masts. There are small libraries built into the landings of staircases and others that cover entire walls of bedrooms. Some are two tiers deep, with the front one moving sideways on rollers. Others share space with lamps, TV sets, telephones, clocks, computers, ancient artifacts, photographs, and knick-knacks. And the one thing all the arrangements depicted in this book have in common is, none of them -- even the most attractively arranged -- are just for show. One glance at the worn covers and frayed jackets tells you these books are the constant companions of their owners.

[Alyssa Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really grew on me and I think it would be a great addition to any coffee table or home library. I loved reading the bits on the history of books, libraries with famous owners, book-related quotes, and book maintenance. And I especially loved staring at all of the books. There is this two-page spread on books in the bathroom that features a clawfoot tub, rolling book cart, and substantial amount of taxidermy that I cannot stop thinking about. I know it's weird, I KNOW. But it's hardcore calling to my future self when I can just chalk it up to being old and senile. So, yeah. I liked this book. How can I find out whose bathroom that is?

[Jjudyfl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a GLORIOUS book! It is filled with large, colorful pages of how books are stored, displayed, stacked up and stashed-all-over-the-place.
Some pages make me laugh. Some pages make me fear earthquakes. But all pages make me smile.
Cabinets, tables, bedrooms, bathrooms, stairways! Hallways! and more!!
There are a few pages about caring for books, and also instructions on how to make simple book storage units.
I would say that this is a beautiful coffee table book, -- but who has room for a coffee table?
,

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos in this book were lots of fun - it was a bit like a lifestyle magazine with its design ideas and overall commentary but because the book is dated the overposh sparkle found today is absent. These were lived in places that were photographed and you can tell. It was humorous and quirky. I was 75% done with the book before I realized the author was British - then whole back half had lots of regional nuances that stood out a lot.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This contained pictures of how people store their books in their homes, with additional book information interspersed within.

It was full with bright, colorful, photos, but with more of a post-modern slant than I was hoping for. There were no bookcases with the rolling ladders that I dream of one day having in my home.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spotted this on a friend's "to read" list, and just had to check it out myself! Lots of ideas for a house full of books, and the line "In reality, most collections contain books that are old friends but do not need to be visited very often" particularly resonated with the book hoarder in me (although I am getting much better at saying goodbye to books I won't ever read again).

[Wendy Holliday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of like a print version of Bookshelf Porn.

Mostly either unattainable minimalistic arrangements, or rustic English cottage displays.

[Iman Narimani · Rating 3 out of 5]

روز اول کارم در کتابخانه بود که گفتند می توانی امروز برای خودت لا به لای کتاب ها بچرخی و با مجموعه آشنا شوی؛ و نتیجه پیدا کردن این کتاب لا به لای کتاب ها بود که حس شگفت انگیزی داشت.

عجیب بود که با اینکه مدت ها بود به دنبال چنین کتاب هایی بودم، تا حالا این کتاب را هیچ جا ندیده بودم با حتی اسمش را هم نشنیده بودم. جالب تر اینکه موضوع کتاب دقیقا همان چیزی بود که این روز ها ذهنم را درگیر کرده بود یعنی زندگی با کتاب و استفاده از کتاب ها در معماری داخلی خانه.

هرچه گشتم حتی عکس خوبی از جلد ترجمه کتاب را هم در اینترنت پیدا نکردم. عنوان اصلی کتاب زندگی با کتاب است که با چگونه خانه‌هایمان را با کتاب تزئین کنیم موضوع اصلی آن مشخص می شود.

کتاب تقریبا مختصر است و حدود 120 صفحه می شود که بیشتر آن هم به تصاویر اختصاص دارد. نویسنده در کتاب توضیح می دهد که چگونه می توانیم در مکان های مختلف خانه مثل اتاق کتابخانه، اتاق کار، راهرو ها، اتاق خواب و آشپزخانه و حتی حمام از کتاب ها برای زیبایی و البته بیشتر جلوی چشم بودن و خواندن استفاده کنیم.

نکات مطرح شده در کتاب کمک می کند تا اگر در حال ساخت خانه یا طراحی دکوراسیون آن هستیم ایده های خوبی برای قفسه کتاب ها داشته باشیم. علاوه بر اینها، نویسنده به بسیاری از باور ها و پیشینه های طراحی خانه با کتاب هم اشاره هایی داشته است.

البته کتاب اینگونه نیست که توصیه ای به خواندن آن داشته باشم یا بگویم حتما تهیه کنید (نمی دانم اصلا می شود از کجا و چگونه تهیه کرد) با این حال اگر شما هم مثل من به معماری داخلی و کتاب علاقه دارید حتما این کتاب برایتان جالب خواهد بود.

[Jeana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ha ha. I didn't realize it until halfway through this book that I had read it before and thought it was just so-so. An unremarkable book really.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little more out of date than Decorating with Books, and the libraries this book displays are not as pretty and more cluttery.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Very dated, felt like it was written in the '70s even though it was published in 1999.

[Luchitoplus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent description of ideas, in how to place your book collection at home.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book porn

[Zamri Misman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read!!!

[Tiffani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A celebration of books and books in the home.

[CuriousBob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the treatment of books with great photos, but this one is more of an interior design book.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to read and look through books that show how other have dealt with their bookish tendencies. This book was better than others I have seen as the writing that described the different settings was interesting and the pictures were diverse enough to have some designs I enjoyed and others that were more artistic or modern. I also enjoyed the projects in the back of how to build a few different types of bookcases.

Favorite quotes form the book.
"[Books] deserve a proper setting and can give more pleasure when housed thoughtfully and appropriately. There needs to be a balance between the character of the house, the character of the owner, and the type of books that live there." (p. 8)

"When visiting a house, or even looking at pictures of one in a magazine, it is hard not to read the titles on the spines of books to make a quick assessment of the character of the occupant." (p. 78)

I totally do this.

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. From the presentations of the different personal libraries (including bathroom and kitchen libraries) to the bookstores and collections, this is a very visually appealing book to me.

In addition the text was great. In the back there are plans so you can build different style bookshelves too.

[Stephen Blakeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book lover’s book. Enjoy the short essays on the various wonderful ways and places we enjoy displaying and reading these treasures. Revel in the spaces we make to live among them. Illustrated with many images of these spaces and the unique ways we design our spaces to retain an intimate connection to our texts.

[SophieJaneK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creative, thoughtful yet practical book, packed full of photos and advice on storing and displaying books in aesthetic and imaginative ways when you are a book lover with an abundance and superfluity of books in your house!!

[Nina CHS · Rating 2 out of 5]

It makes sense that this was written in 1999. The trends have undoubtedly changed quite a lot since then. A few parts were somehow inspirational, but most of the concepts felt either basic or cluttered.