Eastern Europe, 1986-1993: A Bibliographic Guide to English Language Publications, 19861993 Book

John Ruskin helped form my view of book collecting. Per his advice, I built a sufficient library where each book has earned its rightful place, regardless of birth. For it was Ruskin who suggested to obtain...a serviceable and steadily increasing series of books through life; every volume having its assigned place, like a little statue in its niche.

Modern readers who happen upon this collection of Ruskin's lectures on Man, Woman, Books, Work, and Nature, seem to focus on their current feelings and political environment. Balderdash. Accept his ruminations as a product of his time, just as our mush will be thus reviewed in the next decades.

Let heartsickness pass beyond a certain bitter point, and the heart loses its life forever.

His sentences have been described as spears or daggers, as they hit the main point and then move on. These lectures, first delivered in the 1860s, hit upon social philosophy, which veers between the age-old thorn of employer/employee,

And besides; the problem of land, at its worst, is a bye one; distribute the earth as you will, the principal question remains inexorable, - Who is to dig it? Which of us, in brief word, is to do the hard and dirty work for the rest, and for what pay?

to Man's debt to Woman:

...no man has ever lived a right life who had not been chastened by a woman's love, strengthened by her courage, and guided by her discretion.

Like Hemingway's lions lolling on the shore, my Ruskin is king over his printed dominion, now happily retired to the highest shelf, reserved for the Printed Elders of 100+ years. Self-help never looked so good.

Now, therefore, see that no day passes in which you do not make yourself a somewhat better creature.

Book Season = Spring (vanity not excited)