INTRODUCTION: The subject of the author in writing this book has not been to produce a series of critical essays, nor to record the result of special studies pursued with the direct purpose of publication. Rather have the thoughts, reflections, facts and fancies contained herein, been the slow accumulation of years, and the book itself aims merely to sum up the experiences of a lifetime, mostly spent in the field of study and teaching. Contents include; Introduction, My Early Book Life, Intellectual Ideals, Reading for Entertainment and Pleasure, Poetry and Poets, The World Poets, and What Books have done for me......Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.