This volume collects a variety of writing by Charles Ammi Cutter. Cutter's more influential writings are of course excerpted here, but Francis L. Miksa has also chosen to include less known writings (some of which were originally published anonymously) which give an excellent sense of Cutter's character and ideas. The biographical information and essays on Cutter's influence on librarianship which compromise the first part of the book are also of great value. This is the authoritative work on one of the most influential librarians in the early days of American librarianship. ( )