"Spiritual autobiography" is not my thing, but still, the mind reels, thinking about the other possibilities, after reading an author describe how he simply slips his own books onto store shelves, rather than wait for the middleman to get to him.

To the Editor:

As a book lover and a book thief, I found your article about book theft ("The Best Stealer List," Making Books column, July 18) riveting.

My habit started when I self-published a spiritual autobiography about my experiences at Union Theological Seminary, only to discover that it was virtually impossible to get bookstores to carry it. That's when I start stealing in reverse (that is, stocking the shelves with my own book).

While some steal for drugs, others for money, some of us — and I'm sure that I'm not alone — steal from ourselves for a broader readership.
(Rev.) TOM REIBER
Summit, N.J., July 19, 2002