Avid Reader: A Life

Turning his passion for reading and books into a distinguished career as an editor and writer, Gottlieb (Great Expectations) helped shape the American literary landscape for 60 years. In this memoir, he mixes details about his childhood and family life with colorful anecdotes of his professional achievements. Starting out and building his reputation as a hardworking editor at Simon & Schuster and then at Knopf, he was instrumental in publishing some of the most celebrated authors of the 20th century, including Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, and John Cheever. He also spent time as editor of The New Yorker and worked with the city ballet companies of New York and Miami. Gottlieb relished the long hours of editing a manuscript and carefully fostered nurturing relationships with his authors. Yet, at the heart of his story are his relationships with loved ones and how they contributed to his life's path.