In What is a book? David Kirby adresses the making and consuming of literature by redefining the four components of the act of reading: writer, reader, critic, and book. He draws on his wide and varied experiences as a teacher, scholar, and lifetime advocate for books to present a new perspective on the whole of literary culture. As he alternately instruets and entertains us, Kirby makes us think about the books we love and why we love them.