Searching for the perfect gift for a booklover, literature aficionado, word lover, student, teacher, or writer? Serendipitous Discoveries from the Bookshelf was written and designed by a bibliophile for bibliophiles. It is a beautifully designed and eloquent homage to books, reading, and lifelong learning. The book presents over 100 thoughtful and witty essays filled with fascinating insights, inspiring passages and parables, eloquent quotes about books and reading, valuable life lessons, fascinating rare English words, and arcane literary facts. Alexander Atkins, founder of the popular blog Atkins Bookshelf, takes the reader on a captivating and inspiring guided tour -- through the world of books, literature, words, phrases, wisdom, education, quotations, movies, music, and trivia -- to share fascinating serendipitous discoveries from years of book collecting, reading, and research. Learn the answers to the following questions: * What is the rarest book in American literature? * Which books should you read to be well read? * What does the most amazing personal library in the world look like? * What is the most wicked Freudian slip in a book? * What are the original titles of some of the most famous books in literature? * What are some rare words that booklovers treasure? * What makes a great teacher or a great mentor? * What is the most important life lesson? * How can college help you live a good life? * What is the story behind the painting on the cover of The Great Gatsby? * What is one of the most inspirational Shakespearean sonnets? * What are some well-known phrases that you have been misquoting for years? * Which Founding Father vandalized Shakespeare's writing chair? * Which famous singer inspired Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech? * Which hit song was inspired by John Fowles' literary masterpiece, The Magus? * What is considered the most moving death monologue in cinematic history?