Irwin Herman, 73, a retired appliances repairman, has, since retirement, been in the non-business of collecting and giving away books to those who could do with them. He has shipped them to folks the world over. It is reckoned the number of books  that have been handled by Irwin and his volunteers so far is 8 million, and still counting.

Mr Herman, a resident of San Diego, CA, wasn’t bitten by this book-giving bug right away, after retirement. For nearly two years he tried a routine retired life, as most of us do, and, presumably, got bored with it, as many of us have. The book-giving idea came to him when a friend mentioned that folks in the local prison didn’t have anything to read. Irwin went to the jail with a collection of books. Inmates liked it and wanted more. He collected books friends and neighbours for giving away. Prisoners called him the ‘Bookman’.

Now Irwin has people bringing him tons of books that are warehoused at a friend’s property, to be sorted out, packaged and shipped to those in need. Anyone represnting a school, hospital, old age home, orphanage or any welfare agency can call Irwin or bring a bag, box, or even a pick-up van to take away books. Mr Herman has a corps of volunteers working with him, and people leaving him an endowment for this nil-profit enterprise. Read more about Irwin’s endeavour @ SignonSandiego.com.