The title of this book was borrowed from two remarkable novels: "If Winter Comes," by A.S.M. Hutchinson and "Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis. Mr. Overton bows to the authors and to their publishers and to the American public. He bows to the authors for the quality of their work and to the publishers and the public for their recognition of that quality. These two substantial successes confirmed Overton's belief that the American public relishes good reading. Without that belief, this book would not have been prepared; but he prepared it with some confidence that those who relish good reading will be interested in the chapters that follow. As a former book reviewer and literary editor, as an author and, now, as one vitally concerned in book publishing, his interest in books has been fundamentally unchanging - a wish to see more books read and better books to read. Illustrated.