"Collecting: An Unruly Passion: Psychological Perspectives"
by Werner Muensterberger (1994), ISBN: 9780691633442
Reviewed by Larry Givens

Some decades ago now, when I was living in the north-west part of Los
Angelus (Tarzana), I'd hosted guests there come from the East to visit.
Much to my bemusement, the very first act of one was to face south,
bow-down low with arms outstretched, to my then-considerable-sized
accumulation of Welte-Mignon T-100 reproducing record-rolls. (Egads!
It had grown to about 650 at that time.)

Of course, on the surface I understood what this ritualism signified
but I was rather surprised at beholding it actually as done. If I am
not mistaken this was to be repeated, I believe, two (?) more times
futurely. I duly noted these impressive worshipful events for unknown
but possible future reference.

Segueing now center-forward: Only months ago while plumbing the
massive depths of AMICA Bulletins (as I am wont to do shamelessly
'He is not a member!' for research) I stumbled across a book review
written by no-less-than known author, Larry Givens himself! ("Rebuilding
The Player Piano" & "Re-Enacting The Artist," both nifty Vestal Press
publications.)

His review was for a title "Collecting: An Unruly Passion /
Psychological Perspectives", the opus having been published in year
1994, authored by one Werner Muensterberger, and published by Princeton
University Press.

Right at the beginning Larry Givens mentions to us a previous one of his
own: "Five Essays on Collecting," it having appeared in the Bulletin for
Sept./Oct. of 1996. As he describes the action, a reader of it had sent
to him the Muensterberger title and, that with it's reading, he was
amped-up to write a review of it.

Upon learning of all that foregoing, my introspectively self-interested
antennae, extended out to full-length! I read the review, and immediately
determined that I was to acquire a copy of the tome.

A quick perusal of eBay netted a pick from a good half-dozen and, at
quite favorably-low-cost too. Within about ten days I had mine, and am
still going through it most carefully, keeping in mind all-the-while
that visitor's amusing though now-telling action of near-mystical
obeisance, of so long ago.

For the convenience and pleasure of any of the MMD readership that might
have interest, I re-set the review so as to include the original's
italics, and variances generally, of type styles and sizes, indenting
and other expressive/clarifying devices not available currently for use
here, within The MMD pages. Links to going to them, will be found below.

And thus as a result they are appearing here as images posted in hi-res,
this so that no aspect of any word might be possibly mistaken, of Larry
Givens' excellent reviewing/authoring prowess. As with all of Larry
Givens' writings, I'd recommend copying, printing and three-holing these
for the permanent files of interested Readers.

Also this same regarding his earlier cited work, in which he lays it
all out extensively within about ten or a dozen pages, his opinion of
collecting, it's characters and eventual worth and worthiness of it all;
in-short 'what it's all about'... beneath the surface!

(Similarly and surprisingly, as well did Phil Hill, tho not in-print
in any large way as did Givens, but public-still, this concerning his
immensely successful racing career, and eventual astounding opinion of
it once out. But, that is another subject we might plumb the subject-of
later, elsewhere and, including maybe the exciting tale of our late-
night trip to Tushkinsky's in Encino, for a private examination/recital
of the now nearly semi-centennialized Tri-Plex Vorsetzer! Stay tuned!)

Jim Miller
Las Vegas, Nevada

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[   Givens Book Review Page 3
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[ Publisher's description at
[ https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691633442/collecting-an-unruly-passion 
[ -- Robbie