Having operated an independent bookstore for over 20 years in a small but unique Iowa community, we believe we can bring to our shoppers a “value added” perspective unavailable from large chains or commercial internet vendors like Amazon.
21st Century Books was born in 1983. The founders, Tony and Sharon Kainauskas, moved to Fairfield, Iowa in April 1982, to be part of the growing TM community centered around Maharishi International University, which had moved here in 1974. Tony had moved a publishing fulfillment business here and the bookstore was a natural outgrowth from this business. Initially the store focused on and fulfilled the spiritual reading needs of the Fairfield community. As the community evolved , the bookstore expanded to include many titles from all areas of interest in fiction and non-fiction.
Over the last few years, coinciding with competition from on-line booksellers and brick and mortar superstores, business softened, and Tony and Sharon were considering joining the many independent booksellers forced to close. Len and Dena Oppenheim were among the many faithful customers who were upset and saddened by the potential closing of the store. They perceived the need to keep this local institution alive and joined with Tony and Sharon to recapitalize, reorganize, and revitalize 21st Century Books. Building on the 22 years of national and international good will established by Tony, and his deep knowledge of books and the book business we intend to create a new and highly successful venture.
Our goal is to address the market not serviced by other web purveyors. Our target audience comprises people who want to find trustworthy advice and information about great books to read many of which might have remained unknown to them. We believe there are customers who are willing to pay something more than the lowest available price per book for the value-added information and personal service that we provide.
Our motto is: “21st Century Books, Your Local Bookstore on the Web” and we provide the personal touch unavailable through other on-line booksellers. You can call us, and we personally respond to all emails.
Every book reviewed on our site is a book that mattered to that individual. We only publish reviews written by ourselves and/or people we know and trust. We are the purveyors of “Books that Matter, for People Who Care”. We define “books that matter” very broadly, including a full spectrum of subjects spanning the sublime to the ridiculous. After all, “One man’s treasure is another man’s trash.”
