▁of ▁Alfred ▁A . ▁Kn opf , ▁Inc . ▁His ▁contempor aries ▁included ▁the ▁lik es ▁of ▁Ben nett ▁Cer f ▁and ▁Donald ▁K lop fer , ▁and ▁( of ▁the ▁previous ▁generation ) ▁Frank ▁Nelson ▁Double day , ▁J . ▁Henry ▁Har per ▁and ▁Henry ▁Hol t . ▁ ▁Kn opf ▁paid ▁special ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁printing , ▁binding , ▁and ▁design ▁in ▁his ▁books , ▁and ▁earned ▁a ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁pur ist ▁in ▁both ▁content ▁and ▁presentation . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Kn opf ▁was ▁born ▁into ▁a ▁Jewish ▁family ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁His ▁father ▁Samuel ▁Kn opf ▁was ▁an ▁advert ising ▁executive ▁and ▁financial ▁consult ant , ▁his ▁mother ▁was ▁I da ▁Jap he , ▁a ▁school ▁teacher , ▁ ▁Samuel ▁Kn opf ▁was ▁originally ▁from ▁Wars aw , ▁Poland ▁but ▁came ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁with ▁his ▁parents ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁his ▁way ▁up ▁the ▁director ship ▁at ▁a ▁small ▁merc ant ile ▁bank . ▁Alfred ' s ▁mother ▁I da ▁was ▁from ▁a ▁Lat v ian ▁Jewish ▁family ▁who ▁settled ▁in ▁New ▁York . ▁For ▁a ▁time ▁Kn opf ' s ▁parents ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁mid - west ▁and ▁in ▁Virginia . ▁His ▁mother ▁I da ▁committed ▁suic ide ▁when ▁Alfred ▁was ▁five ▁years ▁old ▁and ▁his ▁sister ▁Soph ia ▁was ▁almost ▁two . ▁That ▁same ▁day , ▁Alfred ' s ▁father ▁had ▁file d ▁for ▁divor ce ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁named ▁I da ▁as ▁an ▁ad ul ter ess . ▁His ▁father ▁later ▁married ▁L