The Bookshop

The Bookshop is author and history professor Evan Friss’ big-hearted ode to the local bookstore. These shops—the term, Friss explains, most indie booksellers prefer over “store,” believing it sounds less commercial—provide more than just books. They are hubs that spark civil conversation, community engagement, and connection at a time when those things can be hard to find. To fully understand the important role bookshops play in everydayAmerican life, Friss starts at the beginning, sharing the story behind the first bookshop, which was accidentally founded by Benjamin Franklin. From there, he speaks with bookstore owners, sellers, authors, and customers to understand the ebb and flow of a business that has been waning in the advent of online superstores that sell books for much less than their brick–and–mortar competitors. In 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau counted 5,591 remaining stores in which at least 50% of revenue was derived from books, compared to 13,499 stores less than a decade earlier. Friss writes that those alarming stats make bookshops an “endangered species.” With his book, he offers a compelling argument for why they are more than worth saving.

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