From the acclaimed author of The Old Ways & Landmarks -- an essay on the joy of reading for anyone who has ever loved a book Every book is a kind of gift to its reader & the act of giving books is charged with a special emotional resonance It is a meeting of three minds (the giver the author the recipient) an exchange of intellectual & psychological currency that leaves each participant enriched Here Robert Macfarlane recounts the story of a book he was given as a young man & how he managed eventually to return the favour though never repay the debt From one of the most lyrical writers of our time comes a perfectly formed gem a lyrical celebration of the transcendent power & humanity of the given book