Over three months in 1994, Daniel Spiegelman stole $1.8 million worth of books, letters and manuscripts from Columbia University's Butler Library, to sell to collectors in Europe. He was eventually captured in the Netherlands, and extradited to the U.S., where he finally stood trial for his crimes. A federal judge in New York handed down a sentence nearly double that which was usual for this kind of crime. Basing his decision on the potential harm inflicted on society as a whole by the theft of "rare and unique elements of our cultural heritage," Judge Kaplan redefined the value of such rare items and justified his sentencing by determining the value to be beyond the monetary realm. In vivid detail, including a retelling of the crimes, dialogue from the court transcripts, and explanations of the legal consequences and intricacies, McDade recounts all the elements of this true crime story, and the aftermath of a unique case.