I first bought this book for a class in 1987. I have since bought it again and again somewhere around 12 times. The "mistake" I make is that I lend it to a friend and they fall in love with it and with Milosz too and then, I just let them keep it and I buy it again because I understand. To say that this book transformed the way I look at poetry and art as a whole is an understatement. It should be a core component of any discussion of 20th century aesthetics. It's a masterpiece.