{"product_id":"books-and-being-the-new-england-scholar-9798262130160","title":"Books and Being: A Phenomenology of the Reading Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhy do we feel intoxicated in bookstores? What makes us collect more books than we can ever read? How does reading reshape consciousness itself?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this meditation on bibliophilia, discover the hidden philosophy behind our obsession with books. From the neuroscience of \"reader's high\" to the metaphysics of personal libraries, from why intellectuals pursue rare first editions to what philosophers from Plato to Derrida have said about reading, this treatise explores the mysterious transaction between human consciousness and the printed page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on history, philosophy, and personal reflection, \"Books and Being\" reveals reading not as passive consumption but as a fundamental mode of existence, one that transforms who we are with every page we turn. For anyone who has ever felt drunk on the smell of old books, who owns more volumes than they have shelves, or who believes that we are what we read, this book offers both vindication and deeper understanding of the reading life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA essential text for bibliophiles, collectors, and anyone who has ever wondered why books seem more real than reality itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e The New England Scholar\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798262130160\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/24\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 72\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.24lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.15d","brand":"The New England Scholar","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48014249361663,"sku":"9798262130160","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_c9cac2a8-1c6b-4eeb-a81f-14beb763e723.jpg?v=1767747618","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/books-and-being-the-new-england-scholar-9798262130160","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}