I am especially interested in ideas about the relationship between love and knowledge and the role of love in ontological and epistemological theories, as well as ethical theories, which were an overlapping interest of these thinkers. Brooker won a similar competition as an undergraduate at Yale University for his collection of books from 16th-century Italy. As a graduate student in art history at Chicago, he expanded his collection to include architectural treatises published in the 16th century and books about the theory and practice of art. The collection is still growing. Most collectors search the secondhand book market, a strategy that has recently been transformed by the Internet.
Collectors now have immediate access to online dealers and catalogues.
It will take a few more years to see if the increased sophistication of the collections that we saw this year can be attributed to the expanded exposure to materials via the Web.