Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian
Language: English
Published by Random House USA Inc, 2010
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.World of Books Inc
AbeBooks seller since March 23, 2026
Condition: Used - Good
£ 5.01
Quantity: 3 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Avi Steinberg is stumped. After defecting from yeshiva to attend Harvard, he has nothing but a senior thesis on Bugs Bunny to show for himself. While his friends and classmates advance in the world, Steinberg remains stuck at a crossroads, his romantic existence as a freelance obituary writer no longer cutting it. Seeking direction (and dental insurance) Steinberg takes a job running the library counter at a Boston prison. He is quickly drawn into the community of outcasts that forms among his bookshelves an assortment of quirky regulars, including con men, pimps, minor prophets, even ghosts all searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. Steinberg recounts their daily dramas with heartbreak and humor in this one-of-a-kind memoir a piercing exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man s earnest attempt to find his place in the world.
Seller Inventory # CIN0385529090G
- Title
- Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian
- Author
- Avi Steinberg
- Publisher
- Random House USA Inc
- Publication year
- 2010
- Condition
- Good
- Binding
- Hardback
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0385529090
- ISBN 13
- 9780385529099
Avi Steinberg is stumped. After defecting from yeshiva to Harvard, he has only a senior thesis essay on Bugs Bunny to show for his effort. While his friends and classmates advance in the world, he remains stuck at a crossroads, unable to meet the lofty expectations of his Orthodox Jewish upbringing. And his romantic existence as a freelance obituary writer just isnt cutting it. Seeking directionand dental insuranceSteinberg takes a job as a librarian in a tough Boston prison.
The prison library counter, his new post, attracts con men, minor prophets, ghosts, and an assortment of quirky regulars searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. Theres an anxious pimp who solicits Steinbergs help in writing a memoir. A passionate gangster who dreams of hosting a cooking show titled Thug Sizzle. A disgruntled officer who instigates a major feud over a Post-it note. A doomed ex-stripper who asks Steinberg to orchestrate a reunion with her estranged son, himself an inmate. Over time, Steinberg is drawn into the accidental community of outcasts that has formed among his bookshelves a drama he recounts with heartbreak and humor. But when the struggles of the prison library between life and death, love and loyalty become personal, Steinberg is forced to take sides.
Running the Books is a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young mans earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Avi Steinberg was born in Jerusalem and raised in Cleveland and Boston. His work has appeared in the Boston Globe, the New York Review of Books, Salon, and other publications.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
World of Books Inc
Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since March 23, 2026
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 4 to 12 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 0.00 | £ 8.27 |
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Founded in 2002, World of Books is a leading online destination for buying and selling both preloved and new books, committed to making sustainable reading accessible to all. With a mission to help people read more and waste less, World of Books offers a huge range of affordable, high-quality books — giving both new and preloved titles a second life. The company also operates World of Books – Sell Your Books, an easy-to-use platform that allows customers to trade in unwanted books for cash, helping to keep books in circulation while promoting sustainability. As a Certified B Corp, World of Books is driven by a vision to become the world’s largest and most sustainable dedicated online bookstore. The company measures its success through the positive environmental impact it creates, the value it provides to customers, and its ability to operate profitably while supporting its sustainable mission …
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SBYB, Inc.
900 Knell Road
Montgomery, IL U.S.A. 60538
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