If I only had the first half of this book to read, it would earn an easy five stars. The descriptions are familiar, the despair understandable, the topsy-turvy heirarchy both funny and poingnant. I laughed, cried, and cursed in the early parts of this book, in sympathy, empathy, delight and disgust... But then the book got silly. It wasn't just about Nelson's power, it became something past parody to utter stupidity. The last third of the book is not only unconvincing, but also bizarre. It lacks the robustness and reference that the first part of the book has. I'm sure someone could make a parallel to an academic life, but I was turned off by the time the library was burning down. I suppose this book is worth reading, but the first part was an absolute joy, the last part a chore.