Nominated for the Irish Book Awards' Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year.
* 'In this quirky, insightful adventure, Brian O'Connell finds the humanity behind the typeface.'- Ryan Tubridy
* 'A fantastic collection' - The Today Show with Sean O'Rourke, RTE Radio 1
* 'It's good to know that the classifieds continue to thrive, because, as O'Connell shows, that is where history with a lower-case h will always be found, one small ad at a time.' - Irish Times
* 'Charming and often moving ... The Personals is full of great stories - from sad to quirky to funny to, the odd time, baffling - as Brian tracks down the back-story to such unusual items-for-sale as a pair of monkeys, Leaving Cert notes, a cross-dressing dress-up service, German Army helmets from World War I and a bulletproof car, among more mundane objects. In other words, life in all its madness and glory.' - RTE Guide
* 'A charming and moving look at the world of personal ads.' - Martin Doyle, Irish Times
* 'A great read, full of moving, often funny, stories.' - Irish Examiner
* 'Warm, wry and insightful' Sunday Times Ireland edition
* 'Entertaining and poignant reading'- Echo
* 'An utterly lovely gift idea.' - Woman's Way