The Boulder Book Store was founded in 1973, four years before Pearl Street became a pedestrian mall, and today it's an institution. Its current 20,000-square-foot space houses more than 100,000 titles arrayed on three floors; the collection includes the latest must-haves as well as more obscure tomes in a dizzying variety of categories. This is also the area's top locale for bargain books, ranging from forgotten pulp masterworks to photo-heavy selections that will improve any coffee table. But above all, this store shows just how much a community can form around books and literary events. It's the write stuff.