In this episode of Rare Book Chat, hosts Michael DiRuggiero and Jeremy O'Connor discuss a rare ratification copy of the US Constitution with Seth Kaller, the pre-eminent dealer of rare and important American historical documents. The conversation explores the document's historical significance, the complexities of its journey from creation to ratification, the role of compromise in the Constitution's formation, the importance of Charles Thompson's signature, and the implications of the auction for collectors and historians alike.

In this episode of Rare Book Chat, hosts Jeremy O'Connor and Michael DiRuggiero explore the fascinating world of rare books, spotlighting three legendary first editions: Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, Karl Marx’s Das Kapital, and Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. They discuss what makes these books so valuable, why Jeremy thinks Das Kapital is cheap compared to the other two, Michael's regrets about not being a shepherd, and how these three authors shaped history. Along the way, they touch on the emotional side of book collecting and the lasting influence of these groundbreaking thinkers.

In this episode we discuss a wonderfully strange 1809 first edition that just might be the founding work of American literature … Jeremy then takes the conversation in a different direction by making a comparison with this book and the much-coveted and exceptionally valuable 1623 Shakespeare first folio, the first collected edition of Shakespeare, and then we look at the current market for this strange 1809 book and find that, compared to other foundational works, it’s surprisingly affordable. As always, please check our website for links to the books we discuss. Enjoy!