Great collection of stories that have a vague thematic link of "wise, accomplished author who has nothing to prove to himself or the world pondering with his mind that got him there in the first place".

I really love this book. The short stories in the book always start with a simple thought or event, then Eco starts pondering into oblivion. It really gives you the sense that you are inside his mind. His thoughts are sincere and earnest, yet they have just enough quirk to the presentation to never bore you. It's difficult to describe, but the book feels like it was written in public. The observations in the book are internal and external. You almost feel like you are interjected into Eco's daily routine as you digest the book. Hence why you must read this book in public.

One of my favorite stories in the book is "How to justify a private library". It's humorous, short, light, yet poignant, self-aware, and brilliant. Aren't we all self-conscious about our bookshelves? Now imagine you are Umberto Eco. The Umberto Eco. He shows that he faces the same problems we do. How do you justify having such vanity? How do you deal with the paralyzing fear that strikes you when you look at a personal library so big that you forget whether it's a working tool or a display of your vanity? The questions that may arise from your guests?

The cold sweat that trickles down your face as people ask: "Have you read all these?" "Where do you keep the ones you read?" "How do you know which you have read or not read?" and the infinite combinations of questions that can be asked to reveal your utter embarrassing vanity of having such an archive of books. You can't win. You read all of them? Oh then this is just your loser ego on display. You read none of them? You poser bitch. Pull the Eco route and toe the party line.