For John, With best wishes, Alex Ross 11/3/07 . It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. The recipient, who is named, is John Wood, the poet, photography historian/critic, and music scholar, whose son, Daffyd, himself a writer/librettist, also inscribed a Christmas Greeting on top of the page to his Daddy. What is most remarkable, fascinating, and unique about this copy, however, is that John Wood himself wrote detailed commentary at the Back End Pages in his own hand, in what is, in effect, a draft of his critical appraisal of the book. John Wood is a very meticulous reader: None of the internal pages is marred, highlighted, or marked in any way. This title is a contemporary classic. As far as we know, this is the only such signed, publication-year dated, and inscribed copy (with the recipient's own original notes) of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: ALL other copies available online have serious flaws (because they were avidly read) or are in multiple subsequent printings. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with vintage photographs. Winner of the MacArthur Genius Grant in 2008. One of the finest American writers of our time. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER ALEX ROSS TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0374249393. 2007.