Temples of Books

Libraries are so much more than collections of books. They are archives of knowledge, spaces of study, sources of inspiration and connection. Among the world’s most universal and democratic places, they are also outstanding icons of architecture that represent the societies that built them.

Temples of Books celebrates the world’s oldest and grandest shrines to the written word, as well as new and tiny ones: from baroque palaces to micro-libraries made of recycled plastics, and the unlikely ones in between.

Looking at the diverse architecture of global libraries throughout the ages, Temples of Books goes further and explores the very idea of libraries themselves. This is a book about the beauty of books, a book for book lovers and for those who believe in the power of ideals.

Marianne Julia Strauss is a German travel writer who turned her curiosity into a job. For ten years, she has roamed the world writing about the good things in life, covering love and motorcycles, books, bars and everything in between. Her first book, Do You Read Me?, published by gestalten, surveyed the most inspiring and independent bookshops around the world.

This book has been printed in Germany.
FSC™️ (Forest Stewardship Council™️) Certified.

Shipping Costs

• Free shipping to Germany, the USA and the UK

• Free worldwide shipping from 60 EUR/USD order value.

• For orders below 60 EUR/USD the following shipping costs apply:

  • European Union, UK & USA : € 0,-
  • ROW (All other): € 40,-

Shipping costs will be assessed during checkout based on the full value of goods purchased.

The shipping cost doesn’t account for any import taxes/customs fees. These fees are not under our control and apply according to the regulations of your selected country of delivery. Please refer to your local customs authorities for more information.

 

Payment 

For shipments to addresses within the US, payments can be made using credit card, or PayPal.

Gestalten uses a secure payment system to protect your information. More information on our security procedure is available here. 

Shipping

Once your order is processed and an order confirmation is sent, you will be able to track your shipment using the link in the order confirmation. You will also be able to track your order in your customer account.

Orders are usually received within 2-3 working days for orders placed within Germany, 2-6 working days for those placed within the EU, the UK, Switzerland, and Norway. Orders placed within the US will be delivered within 3-7 working days after receiving your order confirmation. Deliveries to all other territories will take 10-14 working days.

Please note that we don’t ship on weekends and public holidays. Deliveries are not made on Sundays and other public holidays. We will try to inform you of any unexpected delays.

Returns
Full refunds are available up until 14 days after the order confirmation is sent. You bear the direct costs for returning the products. More information on our return policy is available here.