In undergrad I double majored in History and English Literature, as such, The World in Books was an absolute pleasure to read and resulted in the addition of multiple books to my to-be-read list. By laying out the 'rules' governing his choices, the reader was able to better understand the reasoning behind which books were included and which were not. There are so many incredible and influential works in existence, yet it's obvious they could not all be included - though I greatly appreciated the addition of a 'What To Read Next' section at the conclusion of each entry, as well as the '52 More of the Great Short Books that Make Us Think' appendix at the end. To avoid spoiling the fun I won't go into any of the specific works chosen, but I will say that they cover a wide range of topics and extend from B.C.E. to modern day, therefore truly encompassing some of the most significant and thought-provoking nonfiction books throughout the world's history.  

In terms of formatting, Davis did a wonderful job of structuring the book so that you progress through the centuries alongside the works, starting in ancient times and bringing you right up into the 2020s. Each entry is also subdivided into five sections - Opening Words, Summary, About the Author, Why You Should Read It, and What You Should Read Next, which breaks up the text is a lovely way. By including these subsections, Davis is able to provide a significant amount of information about each work and it's author, without giving too much away about the actual book, thus largely leaving the experience of reading and interpreting the work to the reader themselves. 

For a book about books, this never felt dry or drawn out, and each entry was as long as it needed to be to convey the information it needed to convey. Well written and well paced, this is one of those books that reminds me why I love nonfiction, and I'm so very pleased for having been given the chance to read it.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.