Rare book theft. It was a world the author was unfamiliar with until an old book, clearly stolen, landed on her desk and piqued her curiosity. As she started to research the book on her desk and the world of rare book collecting, she was introduced to a detective of sorts for The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), Ken Sanders. Ken was on a quest to hunt down a man who was indiscriminately stealing rare books from all over the country. John Charles Gilkey uses the Modern Library's List of 100 Best Novels to guide what items he steals. He is elusive when not in jail, serving time for writing bad checks, stealing credit card numbers, etc. Bartlett is able to interview him for the first time as he is serving out the last days of his current sentence. She then goes on to meet with him for a couple of years after that, during which he is back in jail for some of that time. In between meetings with Gilkey, Bartlett has conversations with Sanders and other resources in the world of collecting. It's an interesting world, and how Gilkey fits into it is somewhat odd. As Bartlett discovers, not everyone who collects books - in this particular world of collecting - loves books or reading. Some of them collect for the thrill of the hunt, some collect as a future investment, some collect for nostalgia, some collect for some reason only known to them, and yes, some do collect because they love to read and love books. Gilkey's reason? He wanted a large and grand library that communicated a certain status to others. The problem? He didn't have that status and never would. Eventually, he realized this, and to obtain the status he desired and felt entitled to, he figured out how to acquire (he never used the word steal and was confused when accused of theft) the books he thought would create the library he desired. Gilkey is a deluded man. He suffers from a strange entitlement. He seems genuinely perplexed by the consequences of his actions. He has no problem with lying and twisting circumstances to fit his preferred events. He is, quite frankly, a gross human being. But I am coming close to digressing. Despite the gross human Gilkey is, I enjoyed this look into the world of rare book collecting and the motivations behind those who collect.