I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but considering that I'm an English teacher and I really enjoy Shakespeare, I was happy to give this a try. Given the subject matter of the book and the expertise and experiences of the author, I think that there was plenty of opportunity to create a really excellent text, but frankly, it fell short. The book felt disorganized and almost careless. Rather than transitioning from story to story in a logical manner, the author jumps from the story of one copy of the Folio to another with no obvious plan. He often stops the telling of one story to tell a little bit about another instance...then he goes back to what he was originally talking about.

If you really enjoy Shakespeare and/or history, and if you like the idea of learning more about a handful of the 232 copies of the First Folio in existence, the book is a quick read, so it might be worth picking up. But don't expect the "thrilling narrative" that the book description promises.