{"product_id":"the-new-york-public-librarys-books-of-the-century-9780195117905","title":"The New York Public Library's Books of the Century","description":"What are the books that helped shape and define the last hundred years? This was the question put to the librarians of The New York Public Library as part of the Library's 100th anniversary celebration. Which books had influenced the course of events for good or ill? Which interpreted new worlds? Or delighted millions of readers? Their answers to these questions formed \"Books of the Century,\" a highly popular exhibit during the Library's centennial celebration (1895 to 1995), highlighting an exhilarating collection of important works by some of the greatest writers of our times.\u003cbr\u003e Now, the companion volume, \u003cem\u003eThe New York Public Library's Books of the Century\u003c\/em\u003e takes readers on a thought-provoking tour of the last hundred years, through the medium of the printed word. Here readers will find over 150 pivotal works organized into topical categories, reflecting themes that have informed the century, among them \"Mind \u0026amp; Spirit,\" \"Protest \u0026amp; Progress,\" \"Women Rise,\" or \"Nature's Realm.\" Each is introduced with a brief commentary illuminating the themes and issues the books in that section address, followed by an annotation for each title offering a brief description and a key to its significance. The range of books is remarkable, embracing Chekhov's \u003cem\u003eThree Sisters\u003c\/em\u003e and Bram Stoker's \u003cem\u003eDracula\u003c\/em\u003e, as well as Galbraith's \u003cem\u003eThe Affluent Society\u003c\/em\u003e and Durkheim's \u003cem\u003eSuicide\u003c\/em\u003e, or Timothy Leary's \u003cem\u003eThe Politics of Ecstasy\u003c\/em\u003e and W.E.B. Du Bois's \u003cem\u003eThe Souls of Black Folk\u003c\/em\u003e. Readers will find many illuminating juxtapositions. In \"Utopias \u0026amp; Dystopias,\" for instance, \u003cem\u003eThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePeter Pan\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eLost Horizon\u003c\/em\u003e are in the unexpected company of \u003cem\u003eNineteen Eighty-four\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eA Clockwork Orange\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBrave New World\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Time Machine\u003c\/em\u003e. The century's darkest moments are mirrored in \"War, Holocaust, Totalitarianism,\" where we find Koestler's \u003cem\u003eDarkness at Noon\u003c\/em\u003e, Hersey's \u003cem\u003eHiroshima\u003c\/em\u003e, Anne Frank's \u003cem\u003eDiary\u003c\/em\u003e, and Dee Brown's \u003cem\u003eBury My Heart at Wounded Knee\u003c\/em\u003e. But the volume ends on a happier note, with \"Optimism, Joy, Gentility,\" and such wonderful works as Helen Keller's \u003cem\u003eThe Story of My Life\u003c\/em\u003e, Shaw's \u003cem\u003ePygmalion\u003c\/em\u003e, Margaret Wise Brown's \u003cem\u003eGoodnight Moon\u003c\/em\u003e, and Harper Lee's \u003cem\u003eTo Kill a Mockingbird\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e Illustrated throughout with imaginative paper cut-out murals by artist Diana Bryan, \u003cem\u003eThe New York Public Library's Books of the Century\u003c\/em\u003e is a reflection of our times, featuring both the books we love--whether \u003cem\u003eThe Cat in the Hat\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eUlysses\u003c\/em\u003e--and books like \u003cem\u003eThe Surgeon General's Report\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eMein Kampf\u003c\/em\u003e that, for better or worse, have been an inescapable part of our century.\u003cbr\u003e \"For 100 years, the librarians of The New York Public Library have shared our passion for books with a diverse and literate public,\" said curator and editor Elizabeth Diefendorf. \"That experience has given us a unique perspective in making our choices for the books of the century. We hoped that visitors to the exhibition, and now the readers of this book, will be drawn into our choices and reflect on what their own selections would be.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElizabeth Diefendorf\u003c\/strong\u003e, the curator for the Library's exhibition, \"The Books of the Century,\" is the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Chief Librarian of the General Research Division, Center for the Humanities.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50844078833938,"sku":"9780195117905","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_ad1ea8ee-8b2b-4ddf-b7e4-7d32e7dd8c60.jpg?v=1737310115","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-new-york-public-librarys-books-of-the-century-9780195117905","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}