January 31, 1994

Press Contact: Helen Dalrymple (202) 707-1940
Public Contact: Concert Line (202) 707-5502

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Library Reprints John D. MacDonald's "Reading for Survival"

Reading for Survival, one of the last pieces of writing by the best-selling writer John D. MacDonald (1916-1986), has been reprinted by the Library of Congress under the sponsorship of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the Florida Center for the Book.

This powerful affirmation of the importance of reading by one of America's favorite authors was commissioned by the Center for the Book in 1985 and finished only a few months before John MacDonald's death. Since it appeared in 1987, it has become the most popular publication ever produced by the Center for the Book. After the first printing had disappeared, the Book-of-the- Month Club produced a special edition for its members. The continuing demand has led to this edition, which is published as part of the Center for the Book's "Literary Heritage of the States" project and published with support from the Lila Wallace- Reader's Digest Fund.

Reading for Survival, a 26-page booklet designed by Adrianne Onderdonk Dudden, is available for a contribution of $15 to either the Center for the Book, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540, or the Broward Public Library Foundation, Florida Center for the Book, Broward County Library, 100 S. Andrews, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress was established in 1977 to stimulate public awareness of books, reading, and libraries and to encourage the study of the role of books in society. Its projects and those of its affiliated state centers and national reading promotion partners are supported by private contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

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PR 94-007
1/31/94
ISSN 0731-3527