Chas. Johnson & Sons, a venerated rare bookstore in urban Chicago, has been a family operation for three generations―grandfather, father and son. But when it comes time for Gabe Johnson to take the reins of the business, the world of books has changed, and the combination of the Internet and inner city rents forces the store to close. But instead of folding his hand, Gabe decides to risk everything he has and reopen the shop―and, in a sense restart his life―in a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. Haunted his entire life by an obsession with a former lover, he finds her again only to be faced with yet another even more difficult challenge that threatens the well-being of the revival of the bookstore as well as the fate of his rekindled relationship. It is rare, indeed, to find fiction that is both passionate and erudite; and in his previous books, Robert Hellenga brought us tales of love, learning and of loss. But now, with Love, Death & Rare Books, he celebrates an industry that has brought us the written word and his novel is a paean to the independent bookseller.

Chas. Johnson & Sons has been a family operation for three generations--grandfather, father and son. But when it comes time for Gabe Johnson to take the reins of the business, the world of books has changed, and the combination of the internet and inner city rents forces the store to close. But instead of folding his hand, Gabe decides to risk everything he has and reopen the shop--and, in a sense restart his life--in a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. Haunted his entire life by an obsession with a former lover, he finds her again only to be faced with yet another even more difficult challenge that threatens the well-being of the revival of the bookstore as well as the fate of his rekindled relationship.

eTextbooks are now available through VitalSource.com! Called "a major innovator in his art form" by The New York Times, Baghdad-born poet Abdul Wahab Al-Bayati broke with over fifteen centuries of Arabic poetic tradition to write in free verse and became world famous in the process. Love, Death, and Exile: Poems Translated from Arabic is a rare, bilingual facing-page edition in both the original Arabic text and a highly praised English translation by Bassam K. Frangieh, containing selections from eight of Al-Bayati's books of poetry. Forced to spend much of his life in exile from his native Iraq, Al-Bayati created poetry that is not only revolutionary and political, but also steeped in mysticism and allusion, moving and full of longing. This collection is a superb introduction to Al-Bayati, Arabic language, and Arabic literature and culture as well. On Al-Bayati's death in 1999, The New York Times obituary quoted him as saying once that his many years of absence from his homeland had been a "tormenting experience" that had great impact on his poetry. "I always dream at night that I am in Iraq and hear its heart beating and smell its fragrance carried by the wind, especially after midnight when it's quiet."

Stanley Weithorn has lived one of the most remarkable personal and professional sagas of our time. Survivor of an abusive childhood, he became a political activist, legal pioneer, and a crusading philanthropist. Weithorn worked his way through law school, became a partner in a prestigious firm, and then almost single-handedly created a new field of practicecharitable tax law. He wrote the first book on the subject, a seven-volume treatise more than 5,000 pages long that he updated for twenty-five years. More important, he applied his expertise to social and political causes, waging legal battles on behalf of the poor, the environment, freedom of speech, womens rights, gay rights, and the anti-war movement. Weithorns efforts won him more than his share of adversaries. He was targeted by the IRS and right-wing interest groups; he was named on Richard M. Nixons notorious enemies list. But if not for the legal brilliance and the moral commitment of Stanley Weithorn, groups ranging from The Nature Conservancy and the National Resources Defense Council to People for the American Way and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force might have been crippled in their effortsif they existed at all. In Love, Death, and Taxes, Stanley Weithorn tells the story of his event-filled life, including his personal struggles against illness and family tragedy as well as the political and professional battles he fought on behalf of societys least-fortunate. Feisty, frank, candid, and opinionated, Love, Death, and Taxes is one of the most unusual memoirs you will ever read.

Reference tool for Rare Books Collection.