Objects of Desire: The Lives of Antiques and Those Who Pursue Them – Thatcher Freund
After I read False Impressions, scavenged around for a copy, and sent it to my mother for airplane reading, I got this book from her in the mail. Crossed paths, indeed. Freund follows three early American antiques from the time they are made to their latest sale at auction–and he delivers a tale not just of the pieces itself, but the history of American antiques, the stories of famous antique dealers and buyers, and a crash course in certain aspects of furniture making. Granted, he meandered all over the place, and didn’t often end up where he started (or even in the general vicintity). Even so, this was very fun, very interesting … and very addictive.